Guest Post: House of Dark Shadows Review by Miss Laurie

House of Dark Shadows 

Author: Robert Liparulo

Genre: Mystery Fantasy - Fiction

Series: Dreamhouse Kings

Number In The Series: Book 1 of 6

Number of Pages: 286

Story: When the Kings move from L.A. to a secluded small town, fifteen-year-old Xander is beyond disappointed. He and his friends loved to create amateur films . . . but the tiny town of Pinedale is the last place a movie buff and future filmmaker wants to land.

But he, David, and Toria are captivated by the many rooms in the old Victorian fixer-upper they moved into–as well as the heavy woods surrounding the house.

They soon discover there’s something odd about the house. Sounds come from the wrong directions. Prints of giant, bare feet appear in the dust. 

A search of the mysterious house uncovers hidden passage ways and secrets that can only be answered by their father who has been acting oddly since the start of this strange journey. 

Miss Laurie's Thoughts: House of Dark Shadows in a book my brother picked up at a Christian Book sale, once he began reading he couldn't put it down, so my sister and I decided to give it a try. From the beginning Prologue the author rivets the reader's attention with a compelling scene of danger and mystery. In the first few chapters you learn about the King family who are very easy to relate to with their squabbling siblings and looking for houses. Then when they start to move into the mysterious old Victorian house is when the real strange and exciting stuff happens. There are many parts, like when Xander and David first do a search of the house and the basement, that are written in a way that keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering if something will jump out at them! During a game of hide and seek it's discovered that a door in a closet leads to a most interesting location that's nowhere near the house. Then later the boys follow a shadow to an attic hallway lined with doors that lead to interesting and potentially dangerous adventures. The last few chapters were so exciting they kept me on the edge of my seat and reading as fast as I could to find out what was going to happen next! It ends a bit abruptly because it's the first book in the series, but it leaves you really wanting to read more! 

Moral of the Story: Even though author Robery Liparulo is a Christian writer this series doesn't talk too much about the King's Christian faith. The overall theme of the first book is mostly getting along with siblings and working together instead of being selfish. 

Dreamhouse Kings Books

Dreamhouse Kings Series: This first book is told mostly from Xander's point of view but his brother David is also a major part of the story and some of the other books are told from his point of view. House of Dark Shadows is but the first book in the series and it ends with the thrilling words "NOT THE END"!! As the author says in his beginning note the first book is really like using a key to open a door, the other books are the real adventure. I haven't read the second book but my sister is already on 5th book and she says the series only gets better! For more information on the other books in the series visit the Official Website.

 Recommendations: I highly recommend House of Dark Shadows and the Dreamhouse Kings series! It is a mystery with a bit of suspense so it's probably best for pre-teens say age 11+. Older teens and adults will also greatly enjoy the style of writing and the intriguing story. 

Very Truly Your's,

Miss Laurie

Miss Laurie is the author of Old-Fashioned Charm where she blogs about Jane Austen, period dramas, classic literature and everything old-fashioned under the sun.