abrswf's review against another edition
5.0
This is essentially YA fiction and some premises are simply never explained including the reason for the blood test that maroons the characters, or for that matter why they are imprisoned. But it is beautifully written and paced, and sweet at the core.
mountainzombie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I really thought we’d get more answers but the ending of the book revealed absolutely nothing. The writing and storytelling was beautiful so I can’t give it a lower rating but this feels like a concept without resolution.
crochevy's review against another edition
This book didn't live up to my expectations, it felt as if a different kind of story was mentioned on the back than the one that was in the book itself. To say I'm disappointed is an understatement.
lauren_davis's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
tandewrites's review against another edition
4.0
The Death House is a horror novel, published in 2016 by English author Sarah Pinborough. I found out about it through Movellas: a signed copy was a prize for the competition about the book.
The book focuses on Toby, a young boy living in England at some point in the future. He leads a normal life until he is marked as a ‘defective’ by a simple blood test. He is sent away to the Death House, a boarding school for other children who are marked as ‘different’ by their blood. Everyone is terrified and no one is sure what is going to happen to them. Their lives are monitored by nurses for any changes in their health. Anyone who shows deteriorations is sent away in the night to the sanatorium. They never return.
Toby tries hard to avoid being noticed, choosing to sleep during daytime and not taking his sleeping pills so he can wander around the house at night. It’s only when Clara arrives that his life is disrupted again, causing him to seek more out of his monotone life.
From the synopsis, I thought the book would contain many horror or thriller elements, especially as this book is advertised in the horror genre. However, the author failed to portray the intensity of the creepiness which I was originally expecting. There are also many questions throughout the story which remain unanswered. What happens to those who go to the sanatorium? What was the origin of the sickness? Why do the children have to be taken away from home? Nevertheless, I adored much of the book and it will forever remain as one of my favourite YA’s, due to my emotional attachment to the characters and many of the key themes, specifically death. Death is one of the things that frightens me most so it has become one of the things that I am most obsessed with.
The main character, Toby, is the character who I was instantly drawn towards, not just because he is the one who narrates the story. He is mature and brave beyond his age, obvious from the way he thinks about his wrecked life and how he cares for Will later in the book. He has a strong friendship with the other boys in the house – especially the ones in Dorm 4. However, most of the other characters in the book are not well developed: they only appear when they need to play a role in Toby’s story.
Overall, The Death House is a beautifully told story. For me, I read it as a love story, and not just about romantic love. Pinborough has captured the complexity of the lives and losses of the characters. The hopes and fears of the main characters are awakened in a heart-breaking but inevitable ending.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys character driven novels, slightly cheesy but heart-breaking endings, and more unanswered questions than your favourite mystery novel.
The book focuses on Toby, a young boy living in England at some point in the future. He leads a normal life until he is marked as a ‘defective’ by a simple blood test. He is sent away to the Death House, a boarding school for other children who are marked as ‘different’ by their blood. Everyone is terrified and no one is sure what is going to happen to them. Their lives are monitored by nurses for any changes in their health. Anyone who shows deteriorations is sent away in the night to the sanatorium. They never return.
Toby tries hard to avoid being noticed, choosing to sleep during daytime and not taking his sleeping pills so he can wander around the house at night. It’s only when Clara arrives that his life is disrupted again, causing him to seek more out of his monotone life.
From the synopsis, I thought the book would contain many horror or thriller elements, especially as this book is advertised in the horror genre. However, the author failed to portray the intensity of the creepiness which I was originally expecting. There are also many questions throughout the story which remain unanswered. What happens to those who go to the sanatorium? What was the origin of the sickness? Why do the children have to be taken away from home? Nevertheless, I adored much of the book and it will forever remain as one of my favourite YA’s, due to my emotional attachment to the characters and many of the key themes, specifically death. Death is one of the things that frightens me most so it has become one of the things that I am most obsessed with.
The main character, Toby, is the character who I was instantly drawn towards, not just because he is the one who narrates the story. He is mature and brave beyond his age, obvious from the way he thinks about his wrecked life and how he cares for Will later in the book. He has a strong friendship with the other boys in the house – especially the ones in Dorm 4. However, most of the other characters in the book are not well developed: they only appear when they need to play a role in Toby’s story.
Overall, The Death House is a beautifully told story. For me, I read it as a love story, and not just about romantic love. Pinborough has captured the complexity of the lives and losses of the characters. The hopes and fears of the main characters are awakened in a heart-breaking but inevitable ending.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys character driven novels, slightly cheesy but heart-breaking endings, and more unanswered questions than your favourite mystery novel.
shrikekali's review
5.0
This book was fantastic, a hauntingly moving story that rang true at every turn.
laurenbaggy's review against another edition
3.0
I was so intrigued by the premise of this book. I thought it sounded so interesting and quite original. But that wasn't really what it explored? It went in the typical teenage insta-love story direction. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed that aspect of the plot too, but it became the sole focus when I have a feeling most people would have picked up the book for a different reason.
Idk. I zoomed through this and I definitely enjoyed the reading experience, but I feel like it ended leaving me with about 100 unanswered questions and it missed an opportunity to do something that I'd never read before. I kind of came out of this feeling like I was robbed of a story that I was strung along to believe that I was reading, but really I wasn't reading that at all.
spicy_penguin's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0