Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

117 reviews

aseel_reads's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. This was super eerie and creepy and even with all the vibes, the plot actually managed to close itself properly, which is really impressive 

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bzliz's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Big trigger warning for body horror.

Ten years ago, Iris and her two sisters went missing for a month. Now her eldest sister Grey is missing again and has left clues for Iris and Vivi to be able to find her- or her body- because something from their forgotten past is coming back to haunt them. 

The only reason I can’t give this five stars is because of how easily I was able to predict the two major twists. The imagery was so beautiful and disgusting that I could really feel Iris’ fascination, obsession & revulsion. My favorite character ending up being Cate. Although she is a deeply flawed, haunted woman, I came to understand her controlling tendencies and her big heart. I’m not a mother but I believe only a mother could climb a mountain of trauma and still find love on the other side. 

I spent several hours after I finished this book thinking about it and how I would rate and review it. It’s been a while since I needed to sit with something for a while to gather my thoughts, which is a point in its favor. 

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klmreads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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tessvosper's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

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tigger89's review

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was really good! Not only was it a solid portal fantasy take on the dark fairy tale genre, but I loved the focus on sisterhood. I can't go too much into the reasons why I loved it because there be spoilers, but I really am a sucker for fiction that centers platonic connections, like friendship and sibling connections, and that can be rare to find in the sea of romance-focused YA that's out there. The connection and tension between the three sisters was the high point of this title, for sure.

That said, there is a slight romantic distraction which felt out of place, given how strong the focus was on finding Grey. The ending of the book seemed to be leaving room for a sequel, though one hasn't been announced, so I'm especially concerned that any continuation of the story would be completely overpowered by this focus. But this is very much a personal gripe, and maybe most readers would enjoy Iris exploring her attraction! I will say that there's some excellent LGBTQ rep here, with Iris being bisexual and Vivi being a lesbian.

As for the fantasy, I believe it would appeal to readers who enjoy things on the darker side. Little uncanny glimpses were dropped in to build tension, employing images of insects, decay, and invasive growth to unsettle the reader. I wouldn't go so far as to say this is a horror novel, at least not any more than a dark fairy tale retelling is horror, but I can see the imagery getting under some readers' skin. I know I was brushing imaginary bugs off my arms sometimes as I read. As much as it got under my skin with some of the imagery, I have to say that, if I'd come across this book when I was a teen, it would've been my absolute favorite.

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elliottcrow's review

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dark mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5


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necroplasm's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

GODDD THE DESCRIPTIONS IN THIS ARE SO GOOD. from practically square one the atmosphere is just so intoxicating, shit drew me in so strongly i read almost all of this in a single day which is something i can almost never pull off for books this long

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cecinamo's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Wow, this was an absolutely fascinating and spooky book. It’s full of twist and turns, that you can’t even beginn to predict. It is so hard to put down, the story completely encases you, pulling you further into it‘s dark and rotting depths. 

Alsoo there is sapphic rep!!!! 

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karin_goodreads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I'm pretty speechless, it's just that this story is exceptionally messed up. The Hollow sisters turn from something you know to something you don't. The story is uncanny from the beginning and it gets crazier with every chapter.

I remember everything. You just wouldn't believe me if I told you.

Grey was right, nobody would believe such an insane story, but people dig the mysterious and occult. At some point even I thought that I'd be happier if I didn't know what exactly was going on, but I also know that I'm way too curious. By the end I had a difficult time accepting all the facts, like come on, that's just plain tragic what happened.

Your life would be happier if you didn’t know.
Knowledge is power.
And ignorance is bliss.

I was pretty hopeful at the beginning and I wasn't let down per se, but some parts felt overly repeated and explained while other (both unnecessary and necessary) questions were left unanswered. 
Sometimes the dialogue seemed like a part of the conversation was just cut out or the flow wasn't entirely natural, but it didn't bother me that much, I just noticed it a couple of times.

There are things in every family that are not talked about. Stories you know without really knowing how you know them, tales of terrible things that cast long shadows over generations.

Oh for sure, this shadow has been cast over these people for so long and there's a sense of knowing what is going on, but still doubting your gut feeling. I feel bad for everyone involved, all of you get therapy!
Seriously, this is one of the more shocking stories I've read. It crawls inside you and makes your skin itch. I did not want to believe until the last second - hope does cruel things to us!

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whimsicalish's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I had fun reading this book. I have never read anything from this author before, but I would definitely be open to more of their works.

I think the only disappointment factor was the open ending. I'm not really a fan of a non solid ending.

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