January 1, 2021
Gr 9 Up-Snatched from an Edinburgh street as children, Grey, Vivi, and Iris Hollow disappeared without a trace for a full month before they miraculously returned, freezing and naked, in the very spot they were last seen. Not long after, their father spiraled deep into the delusion that his daughters were in fact not his daughters, his conviction so strong that it eventually drove him to suicide. Their dad's concerns were not entirely unfounded-the girls' eyes and hair changed, they retained no memory of the month they were gone, and they manifested otherworldly abilities that make them quite dangerous. Their mother copes better with their alterations, but after an explosive fight with Grey, the family falls apart. Grey and Vivi run off to pursue glamorous careers as a model/fashion designer and rock star respectively, while Iris enjoys a peaceful, overly protected life with their mom. That peace is shattered when Grey and Vivi plan a trip back home and Iris finds herself pulled back into the sway of their strange magic. Grey disappears yet again and the remaining Hollow sisters find themselves dodging a bull skull-wearing man who reeks of death as they work to recover their sister and uncover the mystery of their missing month. Readers may suspect where Sutherland is leading them, but will be eviscerated by the truth when they arrive. The girls have ethereal white skin, one is bisexual, and one is gay. VERDICT Alive with lush language and a dark fairy tale feel, this is a compelling readalike for lovers of Holly Black's many wonderful fair folk standalones and series.-Abby Bussen, Muskego P.L., WI
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February 15, 2021
Ten years ago, the three Hollow sisters disappeared from an Edinburgh street while on holiday. A month later, they came back. When Iris, Vivi, and Grey returned, they couldn't remember anything of their ordeal. Their dark hair turned white, and their blue eyes became black. They sported identical hook-shaped scars on their necks. Despite their altered appearances, their parents were elated to return home to London with them. However, their father soon began to believe that they were not really his daughters, a conviction that led to his suicide. Since then, the story of now 17-year-old Iris and her older sisters has been like catnip to online sleuths, and their ethereal beauty and uncanny ability to bend people to their wills and intoxicate them with dangerous desire add to their mystique. When Grey, now an internationally famous fashion designer and model, goes missing, Iris and Vivi, with help from Grey's Korean British boyfriend, Tyler, set out to find her and the truth behind their disappearance. Their search takes on a new urgency when they find a decomposing body blooming with white flowers in Grey's apartment and they are pursued by a murderous man wearing a horned bull's skull mask. Iris' smart and assured narration easily carries a fast-paced story entwining themes of grief and loss with elements of folklore and some very inventive body horror. The pervasive feeling of dread builds to a shocking twist. A lush and darkly twisted modern fairy tale. (Horror. 13-18)
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Starred review from March 15, 2021
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* "Bring the key. Find the door. Save me. And if he comes for you--run." Grey, Vivi, and Iris Hollow have an unusual claim to fame. As children, they went missing for a month, disappearing right under their parents' noses from an Edinburgh street and returning naked, sans memories, to the same location. The mystery captivated the world, especially as the Hollow sisters grew up and became beautiful and strange, but it destroyed their family. After their father's suicide, Grey and Vivi left home, leaving Iris with their overprotective mother. Now Grey is a glamorous model and fashion designer, Vivi is a hard-partying rock star, and Iris, at 17, longs for a normal life, devoid of her sisters' bewitchments. When Grey disappears again, leaving a cryptic note hidden in her childhood bedroom, Iris and Vivi must confront their past to find her again--and they are not the only ones looking. Sutherland keeps this haunting, contemporary fairy tale poised on the edge of gorgeous and gruesome, with visceral descriptions of sensual yet menacing magic hidden in the everyday. Iris, the relatable sister, narrates, and her love for her sisters and her fierce will to save them makes the ending reveal particularly devastating. Hand this to your Nova Ren Suma and Melissa Albert fans or those captivated by Sarah Porter's Never-Contented Things (2019).
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