House of Dark Shadows

Liparulo, Robert. 2008. House of Dark Shadows.

I knew just from reading the premise of this one that I would find much to love in House Of Dark Shadows. (Though the same could be true of reading the premise of 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson.) In this case, however, I was proven correct. I only have one bad thing to say about House of Dark Shadows---and that is that it is the first of a series. And the ending...well...it leaves you wanting more. But even that bad news has a silver lining, the sequel Watcher in the Woods is already available. Don't you wish all series books were published like that!

Xander and David are two brothers who are in for the greatest thrills of their young lives--at fifteen and twelve respectively. Though the reader won't be surprised by the adventure and danger elements of the story--the cover, the premise, the prologue--the characters themselves, Xander and David, NEVER expected to find danger of the life and death variety in this small and dinky hick town. But danger is what is lurking in every room of their new house. The house itself is the cause of the danger. Of the adrenaline.

The book is action-packed. It's well paced. If you like adventures of the spooky sort. Part science fiction. Part adventure. Part mystery. It offers much to readers of almost all ages. (I'd say ten and up if I had to label it at all.)

Though the book is published by a Christian publishing house--it's a clean read, by the way--there is nothing religious or spiritual about it. Just two kids exploring a spooky, old house and finding their ordinary lives turned upside down and inside out. No sermons to be found within its pages. There is nothing un-Christian about it. But there is nothing specifically Christian about it either. It's a book anyone could enjoy. I feel the need to say this because sometimes Christian fiction has the reputation (sometimes unfairly so) of being...well....dinky in nature, poorly written, weak plots, flimsy characters, etc.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would definitely recommend it. It would be great for challenges as well--assuming that Carl has his Sci-Fi Experiment again this winter OR his R.I.P. challenge next fall.

Here's the premise:

When the Kings move from L.A. to a secluded small town, fifteen-year-old Xander is beyond disappointed. He and his friends loved to create amateur films . . . but the tiny town of Pinedale is the last place a movie buff and future filmmaker wants to land.

But he, David, and Toria are captivated by the many rooms in the old Victorian fixer-upper they moved into--as well as the heavy woods surrounding the house.

They soon discover there's something odd about the house. Sounds come from the wrong directions. Prints of giant, bare feet appear in the dust. And when David tries to hide in the linen closet, he winds up in locker 119 at his new school.

Then the really weird stuff kicks in: they find a hidden hallway with portals leading off to far-off places--in long-ago times. Xander is starting to wonder if this kind of travel is a teen's dream come true . . . or his worst nightmare.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews