When the Kings move to a new home in a new town, the house seems odd at first; but things get really strange when they realize that some rooms are portals to other worlds.
The Kings face terrifying dangers within the rooms of their home, but it still seems like an adventure until people start coming out of the rooms and into the house. When one of the intruders kidnaps their mother, they must find a way to rescue her-but who would believe such a fantastical story?
The King Family begins their search, quickly realizing that they must learn more about the worlds in order to find their mother. But they also must pretend that all is well at home. When a stranger appears and tries to force them to sell the house, their desperation reaches new heights.
Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars(4.5 out of 5 stars)
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5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Marcy Lemasters (Thailand), August 18, 2009
I have had this book in my possession for quite some time and can't believe I waited this long to read it. It was such a great read. Five stars here!!
House of Dark Shadows is set in modern times. It's the story of any typical family (mother, father, two boys and a girl) that makes a move, supposedly due to the father's change in job. The first thing they do is look for a new house. While this may seem like a normal family making a normal change in their lives, the events that unfold around them are anything but normal. The house they find is not what it seems. The spooky adventures they have inside will keep you on the edge of your seat. In a story of heart stopping mystery the two brothers in the book were the constant steady that kept you turning page after page to reveal what happened to them next.
Robert Liparulo is quite a story weaver. His style seemed to me like a cross between Frank Peretti and C.S. Lewis. I could not put this book down. While this is the first in a series for youth, I'm definitely going to order the next book so I can see what happens as the mystery continues with this family.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Karen Angold (Virginia), May 22, 2009
All I can say is what a book. I got it thinking my grand children would like it. However I read stuff like this first just to make sure it is okay for them to read. I have never read anything my Robert Liparulo. I finished this book, and starting Watcher in the Woods, and getting ready to order the Gatekeepers. I love Ted Dekker, and this sorta sounded like him. I'm so glad that I bought it. It is a must read series. Not to scary, which I like, but holds your attention.
Hope the grandchildren like it.
Karen Angold
Virginia
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Audrey (East Tennessee), February 03, 2009
Dreamhouse Kings #1: House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo is an excellent book for young adults. There is nothing inherently "Christian" about the book, but the language is clean which gives it a different feel from your typical thriller books. I did not know what to expect when I opened the book, but the prologue is what really drew me in and kept me reading.
The story is told through a fifteen year old boy named Xander. He and his family have just moved to an "off the map" town from the big city. The only solace that he can find in the move is exploring their new house with his younger brother, David. At first they find normal "scary old house" things. Things that just don't settle right with Xander, but it's really nothing worth fretting over. Later in the explorations, the boys find an entire hallway, hidden away, with many doors lined on each side.
Once I got to this point it was very hard to put the book down. Until then, it moved a little slowly. It truly was the prologue that made me want to read more.
All in all, I would say it is a very good book, but definitely geared to a younger age group.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Madeleine G (Madison, AL), January 20, 2009
When I opened this book I wasn’t sure what to think of it. The back cover made me think it would be something in the style of Frank Peretti - Christian horror. Not being a horror fan, I’ve never read Peretti’s books so I cannot say how they compare. Both the front and back cover illustrations led one to believe the book was written for older teens but after reading it I saw it as more for the middle school set.
The book started as many books do, a child is forced to move against their will from the exciting big city to the small town. The plot was predictable - love is found, a new life started then this book took a turn. I loved the use of the old house; the scene of a murder becoming the scene for fantastical adventures. I found the whole premise of the house transporting the teens to different places a bit repetitive at times.
I found that the story progressed quickly but at some points was predictable. The ending was infuriating due to its somewhat choppy ending. I know it’s a series and I’ll have to read the sequel but I would have preferred some amount of resolution or conclusion.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Jill Williamson (Oregon), January 13, 2009
Fifteen-year-old Xander King is not happy to be moving away from Pasadena, California to live in the tiny town of Pinedale. Everything he’s always wanted was in Pasadena: his friends, his girlfriend, Hollywood. An amateur filmmaker, Xander wants to make movies someday, and living in Pinedale isn’t going to help.
When the Kings finally find a house, it’s nothing like Xander would have imagined living in, and everything he’d expect to see on the silver screen. Haunted isn’t quite the right word, but sounds come from the wrong direction, strange footprints appear that are too big to belong to any of the Kings, and the linen closet teleports him to locker 119 at his new school. Something is beyond weird with the house, but the weirdness, along with the house’s history—the previous owner killed his wife thirty years before—intrigues Xander and his brother David. The two decide to explore a little more and discover not only that the house has a strange connection to their family; it also can put all their lives in danger.
What an intriguing premise for a book. I’ve read nothing like it in the young adult genre. Xander and Dave are very well-written. I enjoyed their differences, similarities, and relationship as brothers. This is the first book I’ve read by Robert Liparulo and I am hooked. The man can tell a great story. House of Dark Shadows kept me spellbound, unable to stop reading until I got to the end of the book, only to find these words: Not the end. No! Well, thankfully, I have the next book already. Whew! Highly recommended, but a little scary. Read with caution.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Densie Greenacre (Scottsdale, AZ), January 12, 2009
The drama created in House of Dark Shadows, a spine-tingling young adult thriller, is everyone’s worst nightmare. I couldn’t put it down and I’m not a “young” adult. It kind of hits home if you’ve ever moved to a new house, a new school and /or job, in a new town thinking that the excitement of the new adventure was going to be great, only to experience strangeness right off the bat!
The King family is a normal family moving to a new town so Dad King could take his new teaching position in the school. During the house hunting process the kids had mixed feelings about the “dream house” their mother fell in love with. The old Victorian house held lots of secrets, but the twist at the end shows a key character kept the best, potentially fatal, secret.
If you love mysteries and thrillers you will be spellbound when you read House of Dark Shadows!
This is the first book in the Dreamhouse Kings Series. Now, it is a ‘must read’ to get a copy of the sequel, Watcher in the Woods!
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Ladettek (Canon City, CO), January 10, 2009
House of Dark Shadows is a gripping, edge-of-your-seat book for young people. The King family moves from L.A. to a small secluded town. The father has taken a job in the school and the family needs to find a home. What they find is something totally different.
Xander, David and Toria along with their parents are in for an adventure as they move into a home that is in a secluded, wooded area. On first arrival, they almost miss the house. They then realize that there is no walkway or driveway up to the house along with some other eerily odd things. The family falls in love with the house – its Victorian styling and its size and the fact that the children can have their own rooms! Everyone is busy cleaning and putting away when David finds a closet that opens to locker 119 in the school. Then, after chasing a “shadow” to the attic, they find a hall with many doors leading to different places. The boys both try different doors in this hallway with nightmarish results. Xander, who believes he is a budding film-maker, tries to video some of the oddities, but only ends up with static. Eventually the entire family is drawn in to the odd happenings.
The book ends with the house’s darkest secret revealed and has the reader ready to dig into the next book. Good reading… Chronicles of Narnia meets Goosebumps!
4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by E.A. West (Indiana), December 22, 2008
Thomas Nelson has published another excellent book, this one for teens. House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo is a wild ride of teenage angst over moving six hundred miles from everything familiar, a new house with weird vibes, and hidden rooms that lead to far-flung times and places. Fifteen-year-old Xander King is convinced his life is over when his parents decide to move the family from L.A. to a secluded small town. While house-hunting, the Kings look at a huge house surrounded by creepy woods at the end of a road. Everyone loves the place, except for Xander. In addition to being surrounded by the creepiest woods he’s ever seen, things don’t behave normally inside the house. Sounds come from the wrong direction, people aren’t where they seem to be, and the house itself makes strange noises.
The Kings move into their dream house and things get even weirder. The linen closet leads to locker one-nineteen in Pinedale Middle and Senior High School. A secret door in the upstairs hallway leads to an impossibly long hallway lined with doors—doors that lead to portals to distant places and times.
House of Dark Shadows is packed with vibrant descriptions that bring the story to life. It’s easy to get drawn into the story and experience everything along with Xander and his younger brother David. And the ending leaves the reader hanging and begging for more. As the last page says, “NOT THE END...” Thankfully, House of Dark Shadows is only Book 1 of Dreamhouse Kings, so those who are waiting in suspense to find out what happens next can read Book 2.
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