Review Detail

On my first read of House of Hollow, I was left in a trance. Never before had I read something so in-tune with my interests: botanical horror, dark fairytales, family troubles and the unsavory side of glitz and glamor. On a second and third read, I found myself fully immersed in the Scottish small town that houses more secrets than answers. It’s discomforting, leading readers on a wild, but chilling goose chase.

The story follows Iris, Vivi, and Grey Hollow. Ten years before the events of the story, the three of them go missing for a month and return with no memories of their time alone and with their black hair and blue eyes turned blonde and black. They gain supernatural abilities, too, all of which drive a wedge between them and their parents (their father also dies before the novel starts and their mother appears to be barely hanging on by a thread). Grey goes on to become a fashion designer and model while Vivi leads a punk rock band. Iris, who’s seventeen and trying to get through school as a “normal” girl, is soon forced to face her past when Grey goes missing again.

I will say that I didn’t see many of the twists coming, nor did I expect the way any of the mysteries would unravel. The story, while it moves along fast, is intriguing the entire way through. This read is a hard one to put down, especially since it reminds me so much of a horror classic, Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Like House of Hollow, Jackson’s horror novel follows a troubled pair of sisters, Merricat and Constance, as they live ostracized in the wake of their family’s murders. The reappearance of a distant cousin forces them to re-examine not only the deaths (which Constance was acquitted of), but how they will potentially go on without one another. The similarities between the two are clear: mysterious sisters, families torn apart, obsessive love, and the recurring image of how someone takes their tea. With these in mind, I was inspired to draft a plan on how one might use these texts in a professional sense.

Horror is a genre that is intended to create dread. Horror might not be an educator’s first choice to teach their students, but the genre has always fascinated me. From a young age, I’ve read countless books in the genre, mostly about vampires. Aside from Edgar Allan Poe’s works during Halloween, I’ve noticed that many teachers have not ventured farther in teaching these kinds of stories. Whether it’s because of the students’ fears or their own, a whole genre is in danger of being left out. Horror novels can increase a student’s vocabulary and critical thinking skills through the author’s prose. It is also a great way to highlight the difference between tone and mood, as the settings are usually dark and the narrators are often frightened. The psychology of the characters is also a topic that can be examined in a lecture. Students will be given the opportunity to examine symbols, places, and characters that make the protagonists feel uneasy. Through their own interpretations and research, they can understand why they themselves might find these same things to be horrifying. Ghost stories and urban legends are a key aspect in many cultures. I myself have grown up hearing of aswangs and demonios. Changelings and ghosts appear in House of Hollow, which takes place in Scotland, and witches are mentioned in We Have Always Lived in the Castle, which is in England. By introducing students to these elements of everyday horror in life, they can develop methods in examining them in literature.

Aside from childhood stories, horror movies and games are currently in a rennaissance. Survival horror, remakes, and original Oscar-winning films have set the stage for a general audience’s ensured enjoyment. House of Hollow is an exciting original, one taking place in the eyes of a teenager who is thrust into an unjust situation. Her story, minus the ghosts and parallel dimensions, is relatable to its teenage audience. While Merricat in We Have Always Lived in the Castle is only eighteen, she is precocious and emotionally volatile. Her point of view as an unreliable narrator, unlike Iris, can draw readers in for an extended discussion. This is where the criticality in their minds come in. House of Hollow boasts settings that are rich in street culture and flowering plants while We Have Always Lived in the Castle takes place entirely within the confines of the Blackwood “castle.” The mysteries in both are rich and require a thorough read to unravel. Most of all, I think that these texts build engagement off of the characters. Each one is very different, yet their interactions all highlight the common threads that bind them together like platonic soulmates. With how unique these slow burn botanical reads are, students may be inspired to seek out movies, games, and other books that follow similar themes. Don’t Let the Forest In by C G. Drews, The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White, and The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson all come to mind. There are hundreds more like them waiting to be discovered.

As for how horror invites thoughtful discussions, motivation, and comprehension, one can easily examine symbols. Gothic horror, for example, often has the archetypes of a bloodthirsty vampire (not always a literal one) and a lost wanderer. Vampires can represent repressed desire, hunger, and a desire for connection. Wanderers, after losing everything, are constantly searching for something to fulfill them. Vampires wanderers can be interpreted different depending on the author or subgenre. Many discussions talk about what the creatures and darkness in horror versus the humans. Students can also follow these guidelines when penning essays or putting together projects. In confronting their fears, they are also able to examine others’. This examination cultivates understanding, which leads to their comprehension of the topic as a whole.

Engaging with horror, despite what it may seem, should not be so frightening. In first pairing Jackson and Sutherland’s works, students can be given a gateway to a genre not fully unlocked.