To say that I enjoyed this book would be an understatement. Being a fan of Edgar Allan Poe and other gothic literature works, I was excited to dive into this culmination of the uncanny, the sinister, and the sisterly. You are introduced to the strangeness of the Hollow sisters from the very first page - an intoxicating introduction. The writing style had a way of keeping you interested and yet uncomfortable at the same time - the flowers bursting from every dead crevice, the darkness of the bull man. This segways into the plot, a plot bursting to the brim with magical surrealism. Though interesting, it was easy to guess the plot twist a quarter of the way through the book. Bouncing off of this, the characters were interesting enough in themselves.
Three different souls, three different personalities, tethered together through one uncanny event. Iris, Grey and Vivi made up the Hollow sisters, three little girls who disappeared on a quiet street in Edinburgh only to return a month later with no memories. They know they are different, and so does everyone. While Grey and Vivi flaunt this unlikeness, Iris hides it - so much so that a large part of her progression as a character is unlocking the part of herself that she desperately wanted to get rid of. Iris - the narrator - outlines the strengths of her sisters often while ignoring her own, and this stunted her character development in a way. Despite this, I grew attached to the Hollow sisters and their journey.
The story was an enjoyable read, though the ending left me unsatisfied as I had predicted the twist and the resolution was not as intense or problem-solving as I would have liked. 4.5/5!
Three different souls, three different personalities, tethered together through one uncanny event. Iris, Grey and Vivi made up the Hollow sisters, three little girls who disappeared on a quiet street in Edinburgh only to return a month later with no memories. They know they are different, and so does everyone. While Grey and Vivi flaunt this unlikeness, Iris hides it - so much so that a large part of her progression as a character is unlocking the part of herself that she desperately wanted to get rid of. Iris - the narrator - outlines the strengths of her sisters often while ignoring her own, and this stunted her character development in a way. Despite this, I grew attached to the Hollow sisters and their journey.
The story was an enjoyable read, though the ending left me unsatisfied as I had predicted the twist and the resolution was not as intense or problem-solving as I would have liked. 4.5/5!