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Book Review: House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

cover art for House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2021

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593110348

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook ( Bookshop.org  | Amazon.com )

 

 

House of Hollow was shortlisted for the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Young Adult Fiction this year.

 

Ten years ago, Grey, Vivi, and Iris Hollow mysteriously disappeared, reappearing a month later without clothes, covered in strange white flowers, and with their hair and eye colors changed. Their father, shortly after, died by suicide. Grey, Vivi, and Iris all have the power to seduce people into doing what they want.

 

Grey is now a model and fashion designer, estranged from their mother. Vivi is a nomadic rock musician. Iris still lives at home and attends school. One day Vivi, Grey, and Iris arrange to meet and Grey never shows. It’s a sign that something is very wrong.

 

The body horror is strong in this. Girls coughing up decayed plants, flowers growing out of wounds, ants crawling from inside the skin, constant descriptions of rot and decay, flayed bodies. And yet it’s also very much a fairytale, with the girls walking through a portal and finding themselves in a lost place. It’s gruesome and yet also gorgeous, and a horrifying tribute to just how far sisters really will go for you.

 

 

Reviewed by Kirsten Kowalewski

Posted on December 11, 2022 by , Reply

Book Review: The Last Huntress (Mirror Realm Series, Book 1) by Lenore Borja

The Last Huntress (Mirror Realm Series Book 1) by Lenore Borja

Spark Press, Nov. 2022

ISBN-13: 978-1684631735

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

 

 

The Last Huntress is a young adult fantasy/adventure with romantic underpinnings, clearly targeted towards  junior high and high school girls.  That doesn’t mean adults can’t read and enjoy the book: I’m a 48 year old man and found plenty here to like!

 

Alice, Hadley, Olivia, and Soxie are four high school girls with the power to enter the Mirror Realm, a sort of ‘between’ plane of existence that contains thousands of portals to locations all over the earth.  Their task as Huntresses is to destroy the demons from another realm that cross over to Earth to wreak havoc, using the Mirror Realm as a gateway.  That’s the bare-bones plot.  There’s actually a good deal more, and it ties into Greek mythology through Hades, Persephone, and the Furies, among others.  In the interest of not spoiling the plot, that’s as much as this review will cover.

 

The four Huntresses are the engine that provides the go-juice for the book; their interactions with each other are the best part.  The author nails it when portraying somewhat outcast, powerful high school girls, right down to their mannerisms and dialogue.  I’ve got a decade of experience teaching high school girls, and Borje hits it perfectly.  She knows how to write for this age set (not easy for adults) and the young adult crowd will find this easily relatable.  The four of them are a smart, rambunctious bunch that knows how to get tough when needed.  Whether they are falling through a mirror and crash-landing in a restaurant, or stealthily breaking into a police station for a raid, you’ll love the exploits of the four.

 

As for pacing and interest level, it is good throughout, with some notable high points.  One of the best is the three girls introducing Alice to the Mirror Realm. Their gravity-defying travels through the mirror halls are very well done.  The section towards the end of the book involving Hades is another standout section.  The rest of the book maintains a consistent level of interest and excitement, enough to keep the pages flipping.  The romance angle between Alice and Colin is there but thankfully, it’s not the overriding book focus, it’s just another color on the painting.  The book is more about ashing demons and saving the world, but there is enough of the true love/soulmate stuff to keep  young readers swooning.  Older readers will probably just chuckle and keep reading.

 

The only minor flaw is that the plot gets convoluted at times.  With the various prophecies and deals made by the Greek gods in the book, it can get confusing.  While readers who need everything to make sense might get frustrated, it’s best to just take it at face value and enjoy the story, since it is a good one.   

 

Bottom line…young girls will love it and learn a thing or two about Greek mythology.  Adults will likely enjoy reading this also, enough to generate interest for the next book in the series when it comes out. Recommended.

 

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

Posted on December 7, 2022 by , Reply

Book Review: A Man in Pieces: An American Nightmare by Henry Corrigan

Cover art for A Man in Pieces: An American Nightmare by Henry Corrigan

A Man In Pieces An American Nightmare by Henry Corrigan

Darkstroke Books, 2022

ISBN: 9798848967593

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

 

 

Renowned book reviewer and armchair philosopher Murray Samuelson was famously quoted as saying “that which is interesting in life resides in the domain of mundania.”  In other words, sometimes the basic, everyday stuff can make for a good book, if written well.  That’s exactly what you get with A Man In Pieces..  There is no big action, no big gore, no big excitement… instead, it is a subtle, well–written portrait of what happens when everyday stress finally pushes a person off the edge of sanity.

 

The precise stress on the characters in this story is the‘ big possibility of losing their jobs in a tight job market, when living paycheck to paycheck (one many people can probably relate to)  Mike and Tom are the two main characters, a couple of drones in an office cubicle farm.  They are diametrically opposite in character, competing for the same job, and dislike each other immensely.  The story encompasses just one five-day workweek.  They both find out on Monday about the coming layoffs, but of course WHO is going to get tossed won’t be decided till Friday.  How they deal with the specter of looming unemployment and possible bankruptcy over the week is what makes up the story.

 

Based on the above, the book probably doesn’t sound that interesting…but somehow, it is.  Just chalk it up to good writing.  This is more of a psychological story, focused on  the thoughts and feelings of the characters, rather than their outward actions, and their inner thoughts are of paramount importance in this story.  The pacing is measured and methodical as the deadline approaches for the characters, each of them struggling to keep going, knowing their lives might take a crashing turn for the worse.  One of them tries to hide it away and put on a happy face, while the other becomes rude and antagonistic, but cracks start showing in the frame of their sanity over the week.  That’s the fun part of the book: the slow build, it leaves you anticipating more to come…and it does.  Friday arrives, someone (or both someones) is about to have their life change for the worse, and then…why, you’ll have to read the book to find out, of course!

 

Unusual in its style and plot choice but satisfying nevertheless, A Man In Pieces is a stylish character study that will impress readers looking for something out of the ordinary.  Recommended.

 

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

Posted on December 5, 2022 by , Reply
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