House (alkuperäinen julkaisuvuosi 2006; vuoden 2012 painos)

This book was okay, but not super spectacular. The middle of the story dragged on way too long. The authors added too many details trying to build too many plot twists. This story would have benefited by keeping it simple. ( )

Too stupid. Too manipulative. Subtle as a brick to the head.

I try to read outside of my usual lines. This one had far too many caricatures, rather than characters. Disappointing. ( )

4.75/5
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Writing: 4.5; pretty good writing from two veteran authors, although it did feel kind of choppy at times and inconsistent.
Theme: 4.0; Jack and Stephanie, a married couple on the verge of divorce, are on their way to a counseling session when they have a blowout and stumble upon a creepy inn, where they meet another couple and the creepy inhabitants of the house before they find out the dark secrets locked within and race to outlive a notorious serial killer's wicked game.
Content: 4.5; there is some violence in the book, although nothing too deep is explored; there is also some devilry afoot with the creepy locals.
Language: 5.0; nothing objectionable.

House is, in one word, strange. Initially I was excited to read this book, having just come off of Ted Dekker's Skin, which was really intriguing and exciting. Once the book began, it had the usual intrigue of suspense/horror books, drawing the reader in before things just got . . . weird. A bit of a backstory first: Jack and Stephanie, a struggling couple, go to some marriage counseling when their car experiences a blowout. The couple makes their way to a local hotel, where they meet another couple, Randy and Leslie. There, the four meet the local caretakers: Stewart, Betty, and her son Pete, who all act very odd, not to mention the food that's crawling with maggots. That's when the notorious killer Tin Man arrives and threatens to kill all those present unless they give him one dead body. The innkeepers then pursue the four with murder on the brain, and that's when the four discover the house's demonic secrets and uncover more knowledge about not only the Tin Man and the locals, but also about themselves. The book is all over the place once this happens, and it begins to trip all over itself and not really do much until it gets closer to the end as the secrets are resolved and the explanations are given. As a Christian book, House offers a spiritual message towards the end, pointing towards God as the only solution to man's sinful nature, albeit presented in a rather subtle way. Still, the book does offer some intrigue and a good thriller, although I can't say I thoroughly enjoyed it as much as the authors' other works, as the characters felt pretty bland and unlikeable and the story began to trip over itself in the middle of the book. Recommended to fans of horror and these other authors, although don't expect to be as impressed as you might be with other books from these authors. ***Finished May 2, 2019*** ( )