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Product Description
Product Description
Dream house . . . or bad dream?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 theres something odd about the house. Sounds come from the wrong directions. Prints of giant, bare feet appear in the dust. And when David tries to hide in the linen closet, he winds up in locker 119 at his new school.Then the really weird stuff kicks in: they find a hidden hallway with portals leading off to far-off places--in long-ago times. Xander is starting to wonder if this kind of travel is a teens dream come true . . . or his worst nightmare.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
dream house or nightmare?,
By
This review is from: House of Dark Shadows (Hardcover)
When you are 15-years old and your parents decide to move, it's bad enough. It gets worse if you are an amateur film maker and you move from LA to a small town in the middle of nowhere. But unfortunately, for Xander King, the move is just the beginning...House of Dark Shadows, the first in the Dreamhouse Kings series, brings you along with the King family as they move to Pinedale. For Xander, the move itself is bad enough. Then, the family finds the `perfect' house, a large, Victorian-era home, hidden from the rest of the world by the trees that surround it. The fact that voices seem to come from all over the house, family members mysteriously appear in different rooms than they were seen moments ago and Xander experiences an unshakeable uneasiness, leave him unsure whether this house is a nightmare, or a filmmaker's dream. While the book started off a little slowly, it wasn't long before I couldn't put it down. In my opinion, it is the best kind of suspense...keeping you wanting more, while still allowing you to sleep! One caveat, however: when you turn the final page of House of Dark Shadows, you will, indeed feel strangely compelled to pick up book two in the series...
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.3 out of 5 stars (174 customer reviews) 148 of 154 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great new series!,
By Jake Chism - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: House of Dark Shadows (Hardcover)
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! 42 of 47 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Write Faster, Bob,
By Kelly Klepfer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: House of Dark Shadows (Hardcover)
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. 15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Want More!,
By James A. Nichols - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: House of Dark Shadows (Hardcover)
I have read 2 of Liparulos books (Comes a Horseman & Germ) and love the way he writes. When I found Out that he was writing a YA book I thought I would check it out. Actually got this and his book Deadfall the same day and decided to read this one first. The King family moves from Pasadena, CA to the small town of Pinedale,OR. When the arrive they begin searching fo a house to move into. The one they find seems to be a little scary to Xander the oldest son. Sounds seem weird, it feels like someone is watching you, and people seem to show up in different places then where they actually are. The Family still decides to move in and that is when the story really takes off. I couldnt put the book down and now have to go pickup book 2. The series will be 6 books in total. There is also a contest at www.robertliparulo.com thatyou can write in and decide where you want to see the family go and he may use it in a future book in the series and give you credit. This book is not just for the YA crowd but for adults too.
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