Book Review: “The House” by Christina Lauren
“The House” by Christina Lauren (2015)
Genre: YA, Fiction, Horror
Page Length: 400 pages (paperback edition)
Synopsis:
Gavin tells Delilah he’s hers—completely—but whatever lives inside that house with him disagrees.
After seven years tucked away at an East coast boarding school, Delilah Blue returns to her small Kansas hometown to find that not much has changed. Her parents are still uptight and disinterested, her bedroom is exactly the way she left it, and the outcast Gavin Timothy still looks like he’s crawled out of one of her dark, twisted drawings.
Delilah is instantly smitten.
Gavin has always lived in the strange house: an odd building isolated in a stand of trees where the town gives in to mild wilderness. The house is an irresistible lure for Delilah, but the tall fence surrounding it exists for good reason, and Gavin urges Delilah to be careful. Whatever lives with him there isn’t human, and isn’t afraid of hurting her to keep her away. (description from Goodreads)
Review:
This horror novel asks the question of what you would do if the place you called home became your worst nightmare. The main character Delilah, has returned back to her hometown from a private boarding school. As she reacquaints herself to her home she falls for her longtime crush Gavin and they decide to date. The catch? A house that is anything but ordinary.
While reading this book the plot reminded me a bit of one of my favorite animated Halloween films Monster House with a mixture of other classic horror elements. The house is a living, breathing entity and all of the objects have a life of their own. from the detailed descriptions of it’s dark exterior and it’s uncanny ability to know Gavin’s needs/wants it puts the reader on edge. As Gavin and Delilah deepen their relationship, the more the house rebels and the secrets are slowly revealed. Gavin starts to question the true nature of the house and if it truly cares for him.
It starts off with a slow, steady pace that builds up the action of the plot. subtle things are placed here and there throughout the story such as mysterious shadows at the corner of the eye, and the ominous creaking of old unsteady floorboards. The best part of the horror aspects of this book is it lets the spooky parts slowly creep into the narrative.
Haunted house stories are my favorite horror trope and I thought that this book did not disappoint! It was the first non-romance (where it isn’t ate the forefront of the story) that I’ve read by Christina Lauren. I always enjoy their writing style. This book was straight up spooky! The unique plot of a living house had me hooked into the novel’s narrative and I couldn’t wait to see how it would unfold. It makes for good horror read as it’s chilling, eerie, and full of things that go bump in the night.
Final Verdict:
