Bittersweet in the Hollow by Kate Pearsall

Title: Bittersweet in the Hollow

Series: Bittersweet in the Hollow #1
Author: Kate Pearsall
Source/Format: Bookishfirst; Paperback ARC
More Details: Young Adult; Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers; October 10, 2023

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

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.

Some books are exactly what I’m looking for, and it only took a few pages into the Bookish First excerpt of Kate Pearsall’s Bittersweet in the Hollow for me to know that I was likely going to love the story. And I had so much fun reading it!

Linden James comes from a family with a storied history involving the town of Caball Hollow, and their magic was as much a part of the local lore as was the stories about the infamous Moth-Winged Man. The terror of the woods was an issue close to Linden, and, even though she couldn’t recall much of what happened when she disappeared, I picked up on an underlining feeling that the fear and danger remained in spite of it.

The magic was on the softer side. It existed, and that’s really all there was to it. But it was also very fitting for the overall atmosphere of the story. It had its consequences, both expected and unintended, and it tied in with the personal stakes and secrets, especially in the James’ family. Ultimately, I liked how Pearsall wove the gifts the sisters had into the story as well as how it was sometimes a point of contention. In Linden’s case, there was some bitterness involved, but that tied right back to the theme of self-acceptance present in the background.

Caball Hollow was a rural town, and I loved what Pearsall did with it. I easily got invested with putting together all the clues about the local legends. It was relatively detailed and was a constant source of entertainment.

There was some romance present, but it didn’t overwhelm the rest of the story. In fact, a healthy amount of time was spent devoted to the mysteries. There was one that was recent—concerning what really happened to Linden—and another that spanned decades. Part of the fun was seeing how the many ends of the plot would eventually connect, and it led to some really great reveals. It wasn’t too much sleuthing, like what you’d find in a cozy mystery, but Pearsall struck a good balance between building the folklore and magic with the instances of when the characters theorized and took investigative action. And, like the magic, every decision had its own pitfalls. Rumors spread fast, which only added more fuel to the fire and raised the potential for personal consequences for Linden, her family, and others. The book was an experience, and I loved every second of it.

So with endearing characters, magic, and mystery, Bittersweet in the Hollow is easily one of my favorite reads of the year.

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.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers) via Bookish First in exchange for an honest review, thank you!