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Bittersweet in the Hollow - by Kate Pearsall
$11.70 sale price when purchased online
$18.99 list price
Target Online store #3991
About this item
Highlights
- In this beautifully dark and enthralling YA, four sisters with unusual talents investigate a mysterious disappearance in their secluded Appalachian town.
- 384 Pages
- Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy
Description
About the Book
When a girl goes missing in her secluded Appalachian town, seventeen-year-old Linden, who can taste other people's emotions, recovers haunting memories of her own disappearance and explores the legend of the Moth-Wigned Man, leading her to wonder if there are some secrets best left buried.Book Synopsis
In this beautifully dark and enthralling YA, four sisters with unusual talents investigate a mysterious disappearance in their secluded Appalachian town. For fans of House of Hollow and Wilder Girls! In rural Caball Hollow, surrounded by the vast National Forest, the James women serve up more than fried green tomatoes at the Harvest Moon diner, where the family recipes are not the only secrets. Like her sisters, Linden was born with an unusual ability. She can taste what others are feeling, but this so-called gift soured her relationship with the vexingly attractive Cole Spencer one fateful night a year ago . . . A night when Linden vanished into the depths of the Forest and returned with no memories of what happened, just a litany of questions--and a haze of nightmares that suggest there's more to her story than simply getting lost. Now, during the hottest summer on record, another girl in town is gone, and the similarities to last year's events are striking. Except, this time the missing girl doesn't make it home, and when her body is discovered, the scene unmistakably spells murder. As tempers boil over, Linden enlists the help of her sisters to find what's hiding in the forest . . . before it finds her. But as she starts digging for truth--about the Moth-Winged Man rumored to haunt the Hollow, about her bitter rift with Cole, and even about her family--she must question if some secrets are best left buried.Review Quotes
Praise for Bittersweet in the Hollow A 2024 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Pick
A Kirkus Best YA Book of 2023
An Indie Next Pick ★"This multifaceted book successfully manages to be many things: a satisfying paranormal mystery, a family narrative examining the damage of secrets kept and the ways in which silence allows violence to grow, and a paean to the immense Appalachian forest and the small communities nestled between the trees. Luscious prose and a compelling setting make the book hard to put down. . . . Complex, well-realized, and engrossing." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review ★"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 . . . [D]eliciously atmospheric . . . Mainstays of the supernatural genres are elevated by Linden's poignant narration." --BCCB, starred review ★"The writing is tense and suspenseful with each new discovery bringing more questions. VERDICT: A compelling story as the James women struggle to deal with their own secrets, and in the process, reveal some the darkest ones in town. A first purchase." --School Library Journal, starred review "The Appalachian witch book of my dreams! I wanted to crawl inside Bittersweet In The Hollow and live with the James women. Haunted golden boys, deeply nuanced, magical girls, and the threat of something lurking in the woods kept me turning the page long after dark. Pearsall's debut is positively spellbinding." --Sasha Peyton Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Witch Haven "Bittersweet in the Hollow is a story rich in tradition and lore. Let the James sisters lead you deep into a world where beauty and evil hold hands in the shadows. Summer storms darken the skies and magic and mystery swirl like fog on the mountain." --Ginny Myers Sain, New York Times bestselling author of Secrets So Deep "Kate Pearsall's Bittersweet in the Hollow makes the most of its setting, taking a fantastical premise full of witch girls, ghosts, and an original cryptid and peppering it with enough down-to-earth folk magic to make it feel like a comforting cup of herbal tea. The details and the lyrical yet accessible writing are what set this debut apart from other small town murder mystery YA novels." --NPR "A captivating debut that blends a palpable atmosphere, visceral magic, and the depths of sisterly love to create a concoction even more enticing than the Harvest Moon's famous tomato pie. . . . A spellbinding story rich with folklore and family." --Andrea Hannah, author of Where Darkness Blooms "Debut author Pearsall balances paranormal thrills and the horrors of the central mystery to craft a cottage-core-infused world replete with cozy domestic enchantments, a close-knit female cast, and a captivating romance." --Publishers Weekly "Pearsall's authentic Appalachian setting is almost a character unto itself, and her subtle handling of the story's magic will enthrall fans of A. R. Capetta and Melissa Albert. Thoughtfully blending mystery, thriller, and folk horror, Pearsall proves herself to be an author to watch." --Booklist
About the Author
Kate Pearsall developed a love for storytelling at a young age, often spinning tales of magical worlds and exciting adventures with her sisters. When she's not writing, she can be found willfully indulging her curiosity by disappearing into museums, exploring new places, and becoming deeply submerged into obscure topics that inevitably make their way into future work.Dimensions (Overall): 8.35 Inches (H) x 5.28 Inches (W) x 1.02 Inches (D)
Weight: 1.05 Pounds
Suggested Age: 13-17 Years
Number of Pages: 384
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Sub-Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Theme: Dark Fantasy
Format: Hardcover
Author: Kate Pearsall
Language: English
Street Date: October 10, 2023
TCIN: 88378810
UPC: 9780593531020
Item Number (DPCI): 247-40-8392
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
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Shipping details
Estimated ship dimensions: 1.02 inches length x 5.28 inches width x 8.35 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1.05 pounds
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4.8 out of 5 stars with 4 reviews
100% would recommend
2 recommendations
a suspenseful small-town mystery
5 out of 5 stars
MGMGMG - 1 year ago
Magic...witches...folklore...a deep dark forest...and a suspenseful small-town mystery set in the Appalachian mountains! What more could you possibly be looking for in a book? Oh wait, how about the opportunity to read it just as the weather is getting cooler, the leaves are changing, and Halloween approaches? This book is all about the atmosphere, and I absolutely loved it. The writing is incredibly descriptive: the perfect balance between creating a vivid visual for each scene, but not being overwrought. The magical James sisters were fascinating characters, and I greatly enjoyed getting to know about them and their abilities, as well as the author's exploration of the relationship that exists between them. The mystery was also very well done. I did not guess the outcome, and there were many excellent twists and turns to the plot. I'm so glad there will be more in this series!
atmospheric YA
4 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
bostieslovebooks - 1 year ago
Linden and her sisters each possess an unusual ability. Linden tastes others’ feelings. A year ago, Linden disappeared in the Forest and had no clear memory when she returned, only hazy nightmares. Another girl has disappeared in a similar fashion, though she is found dead. Linden is determined to find out what really happened. BITTERSWEET IN THE HOLLOW was an atmospheric YA fantasy mystery filled with lots of twists. I really liked the premise and enjoyed how Linden and her family’s story unfolded. I loved the magical realism and didn’t feel like I had to stretch to suspend disbelief. It just all worked really well. It was easy to become invested in the plot and characters. For being such a dark story, the writing was beautiful with fantastic world-building. This was a great October "spooky season" read. BITTERSWEET IN THE HOLLOW kept me turning pages. I’d definitely recommend to fans of YA fantasy mystery. This is the first book of Kate Pearsall’s Bittersweet in the Hollow series. I look forward to reading future books. Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the gifted ARC.
Dark, folklore based Appalachian horror
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
lurkykitty - 1 year ago
Bittersweet in the Hollow is set in the small, isolated Applachian town of Caball Hollow which is encompassed by the National Forest. The story follows Linden James, her three sisters and their family. The James women all have a special "gift"; Linden's is being able taste the emotions of those around her. Linden is haunted by the events of the summer solstice a year ago, when she vanished into the forest overnight, emerging traumatized and with hazy memories. Now, a year later, another girl goes missing, and is found murdered. Linden and her sisters gradually unearth the tangled web of secrets and hidden motives in Caball Hollow. The world building is detailed, and characters are colorful and well-developed. The sensory descriptions of food are particularly vivid. This dark fast-paced YA thriller combining mystery, horror, folklore and a touch of romance, grips the reader from the beginning, the tension mounting with each revelation and twist. I completely devoured Bittersweet in the Hollow and absolutely recommend it.