Book: House of Dark Shadows

House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo

When I first picked up this book at a Christian bookstore, I was somewhat thrown off by its cover. It appeared to be some sort of horror story involving ghosts and vampires. But when I read the back, it seemed alright, so I bought it. It was nothing what I expected. This story is about the King family who moves to a new town and buy a new house. The house seems a little creepy but more in a mysterious kind of way than in a scary way. Sounds are bounced around and they find a portal in a closet. This is more of a science fiction book than a horror book. It involves time travel and portals. It is very well written and obviously directed towards boys ages 12 and up. It has some very hilarious parts and made me laugh out loud continually. Some parts of the book are written in a mysterious fashion, intended to scare the reader. But there is no gore or ghosts or anything of that sort in the book. It ends quite abruptly leaving many things unresolved, but that is the purpose for the next three books in the series. I have not yet read the sequels, but I would expect them to be as good as the first one. This is not a book for the weak-hearted, but is perfect for teens looking for a good, clean, thrilling book. I definitely recommend it! Pick up House of Dark Shadows now!