Title: House of Dark Shadows
Author: Robert Liparulo
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Category: Young adult, suspense
My Rating:****
House of Dark Shadows is Robert Liparulo's first young adult title and the first in a series called Dreamhouse Kings. I was pleasantly surprised with his debut and am looking forward to reading Book 2.
The story follows fifteen year old Xander King and his family as they move from Pasadena to Pinedale, Ca. At first, Xander and his brother David are upset about leaving the big city and all their friends to move to a small town in the middle of nowhere, but the house that the Kings decide to buy quickly entrances the two boys with its mysteries. The shadowy figure of a large man who appears out of nowhere, tricks of sound, and secret passageways make this just creepy and scary enough to be interesting without being too much for a young adult audience. At first I thought it was too fantastical, but Liparulo was eventually able to bring me to a place where my disbelief could be suspended. The book is heavy on movie and television references, which bothered me at first, but it really suits the main character, so I got over it.
I thought House of Dark Shadows was gripping, a page-turner, unexpectedly frightening at times and a great story.
