~Book Review~
We follow our protagonist, Linden, as she wrestles with amnesia. A year ago she entered the National Forest and was missing for 24 hours before she was found in the same spot she disappeared. However, she does not remember anything from that night. The town treats Linden and her family apprehensively, not only because of what happened a year ago, but because of the strange secrets they keep. Now, another girl has gone missing from town and is discovered murdered. Linden, with the help of her sisters and a former flame, is bent on figuring out what happened to her friend, and her a year prior. She must also figure out how the town’s local bogeyman, the Moth-Winged Man, fits in.
We first meet Linden as what seems like a typically angsty teenager; her age is never explicitly said but I believe she is somewhere between 17 and 18 years old. However, we find out the angst is for a reason-- well, a couple of reasons: 1. she has lost her memory 2. she can taste the emotions of others and 3. she has had a falling out with an old childhood friend and love interest. I would be bitter too. We follow her as she struggles with the trauma of what happened to her and with the trauma of losing one of her friends to the same fate that she once thought was going to be hers. She holds on to the bitterness, guilt, and empathy she feels for others and she shapes it as a motivator. Linden has to solve Dahlia’s murder; not necessarily for Dahlia's sake, but for Linden’s. As clues start to connect, we watch young Linden start to harness her trauma and her abilities to her advantage and learn to accept (I use accept loosely here) everything that comes with it. As secrets and misunderstandings unravel, Linden grows into a better version of herself. I am interested to see what the second installment of this book series has to offer Linden (if she is indeed the central character) and how she will continue to grow and accept herself.
We get some diverse representation within the novel. There is slight LGBTQ+ representation through Linden’s aunt and her aunt’s past lover. There is trauma representation through Linden, and really through some other family members. I will not linger on that point to prevent spoilers. We encounter rather unconventional (by this I mean non-nuclear) families. Pearsall includes multigenerational living, a split household, conflicting family dynamics, parentship, and guardianship families all throughout the novel. I would like to note it did not feel like a diversity pandering novel. All representation was organic and natural, and it did not feel forced.
There are strong themes of family and cultural ties. Linden’s family tree is expansive and Pearsall makes a good effort in Linden’s complicated feelings and relationships with the community she lives in as well as within her own family. There is a strong theme of acceptance-- acceptance not only of others but of yourself. There is also a minor subplot of romance.
This book gave me anxiety. You may be asking why I gave a book a 4.5 out of 5 rating if it created such a negative emotion in me. Because that is the point. At its core, Bittersweet in the Hollow is a mystery and thriller. It is supposed to create feelings of anxiety and the unknown. I am not typically a thriller type of person. I prefer the comforts of fantasy fiction and getting lost in the intricacies of world building. But, the anxiety I was feeling was good anxiety. Pearsall develops the book slowly. It was not a long book, but there seemed to be so much going on that the pacing seemed to be slow. In my opinion, I think a great thriller novel should develop slowly with a more seemingly rushed ending. I like to figure out the mystery myself. It’s the rebellious younger sibling in me. So, when authors drag out the ending of a mystery novel after I’ve already figured it out… I’m bored. I’m over it. So, I have great appreciation that Pearsall did not drag the ending on and on.
I’m also keeping in mind the target age range of the book. I am an adult and this book is meant for teens. What I would expect from an adult book is not what I would expect in a book for ages 13 to 18. There are going to be events, emotions, “logical” thinking that I can no longer relate to even if I did, once upon a time. The book is also not going to be too detailed in topics that can be seen as mature. It’s a thriller so there is going to be gore. However, Pearsall keeps it PG-13. I do not believe Bittersweet in the Hollow should be held to the expectations of a book targeted towards adults. Do I think Pearsall is capable of writing an adult book? Absolutely. However, I am going to appreciate the respect and censorship Pearsall is giving the Young Adult genre. Nowadays, Young Adult books are getting confused with New Adult books. Mature content is being added to the genre. Pearsall does not do this. She shows great respect to the genre and to her readers.
Now what I am about to write will probably come off as controversial. I do not think this book is fantasy. It is Gothic fiction. Before you disagree, please let me explain. I will admit there are some fantasy elements. The fictional world within the semi-realistic world that Pearsall creates has elements of fantasy. However, and I cannot express that however strongly enough, just because a book has witches and magic does not make it fantasy. Witches have become more romanticized in current years. We have J.K. Rowling and Alice Hoffman to thank for that. However, before they became the heroines of modern texts, witches were the villains of Gothic fiction. For example, Ayesha from She by H. Rider Haggard. She was a sorceress-- witch-- and the monster of the book. Alongside having witches, Bittersweet in the Hollow also has other Gothic staples. The James family lives in a large manor that is haunted. It's giving a mix between Castle Dracula and the house from Practical Magic. It is also isolated from the rest of the community. That’s a big one in Gothic fiction. Another staple is the bad weather. It is the hottest summer on record for Linden’s community. On top of the sweltering heat, there are random flashes of lightning even though it is not storming. Now, storming is typically the bad weather that appears in Gothic fiction. However, it isn’t the only bad weather-- just the norm. Now, usually Gothic fiction has a damsel in distress-- I’m looking at you Lucy and Mina from Dracula-- who has to be rescued by the brave men. However, Pearsall has flipped the gender roles in this book. There is a monster (I would like to stress the difference between monster and villain). If a man-sized, man-shaped moth doesn’t give you monster vibes, please reevaluate. Finally, the ending is totally Gothic. I won’t expand to avoid spoilers, but if you know, you know.
My only criticism, which took away half a star, was even though Pearsall did a marvelous job building the mythos and folklore in the text, I did not always understand it. I understand the sisters’ gifts pretty well and the mythos to the ending. However, I do not understand what the adults’ special gifts were. I did not feel like there was enough information provided; or, if it was provided, clear enough for me to pick up on it. My final complaint was I could never tell how old Linden was. Sometimes I felt she was 18, sometimes 17, and sometimes 16. If her age was explicitly stated and I didn’t have to do math, I wouldn’t have been confused. I will always dock if I have to do math. I’m an English major for a reason.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I read it in one sitting all the way through the night. The sleep I sacrificed was worth it. I would recommend this book to lovers of thrillers, mystery, and the Gothic. I would even go far to say it would be a good novel to study in a high school class dedicated to one of those genres.