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A review by booksong
House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo
4.0
Good, creepy-fare type of novel that has a really intriguing premise and good characters.
Xander is not entirely pleased about moving away from California and into "Hicksville," but when he sees his family's new house, he starts to change his mind. The house seems pretty cool to Xander and his younger brother David, if a little creepy. But slowly the "creepy" starts to ramp up, from unexplained noises to shadowy figures lurking in doorways. Soon, Xander, David, and their parents and sister will realize that they have much more than an old house on their hands; they have a house with deadly secrets and a terrifying power.
I liked the way the novel didn't need to use cliched monsters or other standard horror staples to make it scary and suspenseful. The tension is built slowly, and with enough realism that the house becomes scarier than if it harbored actual ghosts, vampires, or other demon creatures. Xander and his family are likable characters; they aren't oblivious, dumb, or naive like characters in other "horror" novels, and Xander and David show some real courage and compassion while still making mistakes to keep them human.
The ending was certainly cliffhanger enough to make me look into the rest of the series.
Xander is not entirely pleased about moving away from California and into "Hicksville," but when he sees his family's new house, he starts to change his mind. The house seems pretty cool to Xander and his younger brother David, if a little creepy. But slowly the "creepy" starts to ramp up, from unexplained noises to shadowy figures lurking in doorways. Soon, Xander, David, and their parents and sister will realize that they have much more than an old house on their hands; they have a house with deadly secrets and a terrifying power.
I liked the way the novel didn't need to use cliched monsters or other standard horror staples to make it scary and suspenseful. The tension is built slowly, and with enough realism that the house becomes scarier than if it harbored actual ghosts, vampires, or other demon creatures. Xander and his family are likable characters; they aren't oblivious, dumb, or naive like characters in other "horror" novels, and Xander and David show some real courage and compassion while still making mistakes to keep them human.
The ending was certainly cliffhanger enough to make me look into the rest of the series.