House of Dark Shadows

If you are thinking about buying House of Dark Shadows, you may want to go ahead and grab Watcher in the Woods because once you reach... "Not the end" you are going to want book two within reach. These books are quick reads, too. Don't say you haven't been warned if you have to wait for the next book, and don't expect a resolution of the King family problems in book two either. I may have to have a word with Bob or the publisher about possibly speeding up this series. Robert Liparulo respects the YA genre by refusing to dumb down his storytelling mastery. House of Dark Shadows delivers rich characters, intense action and crisp setting along with a strong vocabulary. Adults are going to love these books as much as the teens they're written for. Centered around a family that has "no secrets," the story starts with foreboding and provides bang after wham after sucker-punch as the reader discovers one secret after another along with the characters. More questions are left than are answered. Shadows introduces the King family, all named after royalty, as they are moving from city to country...make that backwoods. Not only does Xander, the 15-year-old point-of-view character have to deal with leaving friends and a girlfriend, his dad is now his principal in the smallest school he's ever attended. Xander's folks then find a house they fall in love with. Lots of room, and full of character, creepy noises, shadows and odd acoustics. What's not to love? Xander discovers how very strange the house is as the entire family is plunged into the truth of the secrets. The intensity of the themes may be too much for younger or easily frightened readers.

I am always looking for that next amazing young adult fantasy that will just leave me stunned. After racing through Robert Liparulo's HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS in roughly a day or two, I can say that I have found it. The story blasts to a start with an insanely creepy prologue as we watch a mother ripped from her family by an unknown assailant, who then disappears deep within their own Victorian house -- not to be found again. Fast forward a bit, and we're watching the King family drive into the small town where this strange home resides. Soon, 15-year old Xander and his family are moving into the house, which is completely isolated from everything in a forest ripped straight from a horror movie. As they move in, strange things begin to happen, all leading up to the ultimately frightening climax... Liparulo does a superb job building the suspense with this -- the first in the series. Splashed in is a bit of gothic horror, and even a little twinge of sci-fi, and you've got the perfect blend for a winner. The characters are developed well and are definitely convincing enough to read and adventure along with. the writing style is pretty crisp, and will have readers moving along pretty quickly. All in all, this is a must have -- just be warned: once you finish book one, know that you are in for the long haul. The story is not even nearly resolved by the end of book #2, WATCHER IN THE WOODS. And the ending of HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS will definitely leave you gasping for the next installment. Here's to hoping more great things come from the series.

An abandoned house, with mysterious rooms, and unnerving sounds. Huge foot prints, odd entrances, and bizarre clearings. Overall, not a place an ideal home for most people, but it is for the King family. When his dad accepts a new job in Pinedale, Xander is just a little miffed. Leaving behind his friends and all he knows for a spot in the middle of nowhere. Why he's leaving, he doesn't quite understand, but when asked to trust his father's judgment, that's exactly what he does. When they end up purchasing an extremely unique house, things appear to be looking up. However, thing's aren't always as they seem. I've been looking forward to this series. I had some concerns going in, mainly in relation to the amount of blood shed and high body count in Liparulo's adult novels. However, this really isn't like his other books. While Comes a Horseman had some mystery, it was still predominately a thriller. House of Dark Shadows is more of a suspense/mystery/thriller. There's always more questions than answers, and not a lot is revealed at a time. There's still a descent amount of blood and gore, but not to the extent of his other books. I feel quite comfortable letting my 9 year old read this one and anticipate that he will love it. The first half is very slow. It has a lot of character development, but very little story progression. Some uneasy things are discovered about their new home, but really nothing of surprise. However, once the action does start, the rest of the book flows very nicely, grabbing the reader's attention and keeping it. I'm very impressed with the way Liparulo wrote this book. While it's marketed to young adults, it's equally enjoyable to older adults. The story is written at an adult level and once the action starts, it's quite gripping. While the end is a bit of a cliff hanger, it's not unsatisfying. Overall, a very good book and a great addition to the young adult market.

This is yet another great book by Robert Liparulo. I was glad to see him write for a younger audience so I could share one of my favorite authors with my students at the school where I teach. The story starts out in the past and the reader quickly gets a taste of the evil that can come out of the house. Thirty years later a family moves to town and buys the house not knowing the peril they will soon face. Adventure and danger lie waiting around every corner in the house and soon a member of the family is lost, captured by the evil that comes out of the house. Should they stay in this dangerous place while seeking their lost loved one or escape before another in the family is taken? This book is very exciting and has a great plot twist that blew my mind! If you are looking for an exciting book and you are an adventurer at heart, this book is for you.

Xander King is seriously bummed when his family moves from Pasadena, CA to a little hick town called Pinedale. He loved his life back home and can't imagine what this new town and new school could possibly have to offer. When the King's arrive they begin searching for a house to buy and finally stumble across an old, abandoned Victorian home deep in the woods. Xander's parents instantly fall in love with the old house and set to work trying to make it livable. Xander and his brother, David, begin exploring and make startling discoveries. It seems one of the closets is some sort of gateway to a locker in their new school. If that wasn't strange enough, they also discover a secret passageway that is full of rooms that are portals to other worlds. After a couple of exploring adventures gone bad, the boys soon realize that this house is much more dangerous than they could have ever imagined. Unfortunately, the King's are about to discover just how real that danger is. Robert Liparulo is known for pulse-pounding thrillers. With winners like Comes a Horseman, Germ, and Deadfall under his belt, he has truly left his mark on the genre. Now Liparulo graces his fans with a new young adult series that has everything we've come to expect from him and more. House of Dark Shadows is a fun story that is full of thrills and chills that never feel watered down for the young adult audience. Xander and David's mini adventures and discoveries are laced with just the right amount of action and intrigue to keep you nervously flying through the pages. The house itself is one of the strongest characters in the book, bringing a delightfully creepy tone to this well crafted tale. As always, Liparulo's writing carries deeper meaning beyond the action and thrills. At its heart this story is about the bond of family and love, and the power therein. With every new novel Liparulo continues to prove what an incredible storyteller he is and this new series is no exception. The end will leave you begging for more and loving every moment. This is Robert Liparulo at his best!