Bittersweet in the Hollow by Kate Pearsall (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Bittersweet in the Hollow by Kate Pearsall Kate Quealy-Gainer, Editor Pearsall, Kate Bittersweet in the Hollow. Putnam, 2023 [384p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780593531020 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593531037 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 8-12 On the night of last year's Moth Festival, then sixteen-year-old Linden James went missing in the deep forest that surrounds her small Appalachian town only to be discovered the next morning with no memory of what happened. The other Caball Hollow residents are convinced her disappearance has something to do with the Moth-Winged Man, a local legend—the James women are already known for their strangeness, after all, so their involvement with the supernatural wouldn't be surprising. Now, however, the body of another missing girl has been found, and Linden knows she must revive her memory to save the next girl from the Moth-Winged Man—or an all-too-human monster. Pearsall pulls on elements of Appalachian lore around Mothman but makes the creature and its origin uniquely her own, setting up Faustian deals and fateful tragedies that build tension and surely break hearts (both of characters and readers alike). The pace is impeccable, and if the ending suffers from the villain's over-explanation, the deliciously atmospheric journey to get there easily earns forgiveness. Mainstays of the supernatural genres are elevated by Linden's poignant narration, which captures both her discomfort with and pride in being a James woman as she figures out who she is outside her family, even as she maintains deep bonds with her sisters in particular. Pair this with Wallace's The Memory Trees (BCCB 09/17) or Sutherland's House of Hollow (BCCB 03/21) for an examination of how we are shaped by family legacy and lore long before we have a say in the matter. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois