This felt like a grown-up version of "The Magic Treehouse" books my kids read when they were little. It was good, and I was happy when they brought a parent into the know, but very little was settled in this book; it was a setup for future books in the series, which just bugs me. ( )

00011975

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. ( )

Fifteen year old Xander is not happy about his family moving away from Pasadena to a small rural community that is known for bigfoot sightings. However, his is happy that the family found an old, abandoned house in the forest that is big enough for him to have his own room rather than having to share one with his twelve year old brother. The house is more than what it seems. The previous owners mysteriously disappeared and rumor has it that the father killed everyone and himself - but the bodies were never found. Now Xander is hearing strange things in the house, and seeing strange shadows that look like a large man stalking them. Xander and his brother decide to explore the house and try to discover the mystery surrounding it, but will they like what they find?
This was a fun young adult suspense novel. They house is creepy and interesting, but as more was revealed it became less scary and more fantastic. I really liked the relationship between the brothers, they didn't always get along but you could tell they really cared about each other. This novel is the first in the series and it really only sets the story for the rest of the series. Just as the story begins to take off it ends on a major cliffhanger. I would be interested in seeing where Liparulo takes the story and finding out more about the mysterious house. ( )

Not a bad read. I think my tween would like it! ( )