Robert Liparulo's House of Dark Shadows

House of Dark Shadows, Dreamhouse Kings Book 1

House of Dark Shadows  by Robert Liparulo

Dreamhouse Kings Series, Book 1

Thomas Nelson May 6, 2008

www.robertliparulo.com

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Rating: Loved IT!

Recommend?:  I would definitely recommend this book  to anyone who is a fan of the young adult genre, to anyone who likes adventure, mystery and writing that will transport you  into a very exciting story.

                The Kings leave their home in Pasadena, CA for a new home in Pinedale, a small town that promises to hold absolutely no excitement for Xander. He’s leaving behind his friends  and everything else that he knows for a place that promises nothing for his creative mind. His dad has been promoted, but Xander and David soon find out that’s not the only reason for the move. They find a house to move into, but soon discover that there’s more to the house than any of them expected. Things get weird when David and Xander step into a hall closet and end up in locker 119 at their soon to be new school. Things get dangerous when they don the attire left in the antechamber and then are transported to worlds far beyond their own. Then there’s the presence of a stranger that can travel freely between the worlds. Adventure. Danger. Tangled together for this family’s story.

I am a huge fan of Robert Liparulo, you can always count him for an amazing story that transports you. He did it again with House of Dark Shadows.  I love it when there’s an instant connection between me, as the reader, and a character. And I have to say that I was immediately connected to Xander.  I like his spirit and his attitude.  All of the characters are real and easily relatable. Even though the very idea of a house containing secrets in the way their new house does is highly unlikely, I believe the story.  It was easy to forget that you’re reading a work of fiction because the writing is so true to the characters and the world that was created.

At first, I was thinking that the house was just going to be driving the family crazy. But as the story unfolded, I didn’t expect it to be a portal that opened up to other worlds- and not just any worlds. These worlds existed at some point in history in the real world.  It was a glimpse, an opening to an adventure. One it seemed that Xander and David would be able to explore and enjoy. But as in the real world, there was also real danger.  It is more than an adventure story, more than a story about a haunted house. It’s a haunting family legacy that promises an emotional and captivating journey as the strength and bonds of a family are tested.  The house is more than haunted with secrets, it’s a threatening entity with its own agenda . I love Liparulo’s writing; just as you can hear the tone and inflection in a person’s voice, you can feel the thrum of excitement, frustration, confusion, anticipation and fear through his writing.  The line between fiction and reality is erased until you close the covers of the book.

Always Shine,
Starr K.