Recently read the book House Of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo (never heard of him before this book). It’s book #1 in a his new series called “Dreamhouse Kings.” I wouldn’t recommend it. Unless you are 16 or younger. And like adventure/wanna-be-scary. But for me, this book was a dud.
Sure, it was a quick read, but that was partly cuz i just wanted to get through it and finish it. Only to find out that it ends abruptly and without any sort of resolution. Guess what – you have to read through the next book (and who knows how many more) to finish the story. That’s not for me.
So what was the plot? A family of 5 (mom and dad, young girl, pre-teen boy, and teen boy) recently move to a new (formerly abandoned) home in a small town in California. As the adventurous boys explore the house (something I would do) they find strange and scary things happening – footprints, noises, shadows, secret passageways, (scared yet?) and teleporting doors that lead to far-away places in different eras of history…
Liparulo did try to bring into his writing the themes of family importance, keeping secrets, and bravery – but none were developed good enough to learn any lessons from. Pass on this one.
Justin Dela Cruz 