Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz
Hardcover, 368 pages
Series: (Dark House #1)
Published: July 22, 2014
Goodreads Link
Synopsis: What’s your worst nightmare?
For Ivy Jensen, it’s the eyes of a killer that haunt her nights. For Parker Bradley, it’s bloodthirsty sea serpents that slither in his dreams.
And for seven essay contestants, it’s their worst nightmares that win them an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at director Justin Blake’s latest, confidential project. Ivy doesn't even like scary movies, but she’s ready to face her real-world fears. Parker’s sympathetic words and perfect smile help keep her spirits up. . . at least for now.
Not everyone is so charming, though. Horror-film fanatic Garth Vader wants to stir up trouble. It’s bad enough he has to stay in the middle of nowhere with this group—the girl who locks herself in her room; the know-it-all roommate; “Mister Sensitive”; and the one who’s too cheery for her own good. Someone has to make things interesting.
Except, things are already a little weird. The hostess is a serial-killer look-alike, the dream-stealing Nightmare Elf is lurking about, and the seventh member of the group is missing.
By the time Ivy and Parker realize what’s really at stake, it’s too late to wake up and run.
Cover: I absolutely love this cover! It's so spooky and intriguing. I've never heard of this book prior to purchasing it. However, the cover was the first thing to really draw me in. The lettering and the font go really well with the whole theme of the novel, and nonetheless, it is really creepy. The dark and light colors also really mesh well together, creating a "Halloween themed" novel. The letters and the title cover the whole cover, and I really like that as well!
Plot: Wow, did I really enjoy this plot. It is nothing like I've ever read before. Since it is the month of October, I decided to go for more creepy and spooky reads. I love dark novels, and considering that October is a "dark" month, I thought it was a great idea. I am SO glad I picked up this book. I don't usually purchase novels that I have no information prior due to the fact that I don't want to waste my money on a "horrible" book. However, this book did not disappoint. The plot was like a thriller movie, and I love thriller movies. The way that it was played out, it's as if I was watching the movie in my head. I loved the concept of a multi-point of view novel. We were able to see the point of views of every character and I feel as though that made the novel even creepier. The concept of being invited to a "Dark House" and facing your nightmares is brilliant! Definitely what you would see in a movie. Now I compare it to a movie due to the fact that I am a horror/thriller film fanatic, and I honestly feel as though this novel served justice to the genre of those both! It kept me on the edge of my seat, and had my heart pounding. I was turning chapter after chapter, desperate to figure out what the heck was going on. The suspense was heart-achingly good!
Characters: Now this novel is told in a total of seven points of view of the six teenagers. They go as follows:
Ivy: The novel begins with the point of view of Ivy. She is the center-piece of the story. She is the one who is most afraid of horror, and she has her own nightmares that craft who and how she is. She's a sweet individual with a troubled past, and we're able to understand why she is the way she is in the novel. Overall I really enjoyed her character!
Parker: Parker is the aspiring director of the bunch. He is a sweet boy who mostly gets along with all of the others. I really enjoyed his character as well. Unlike the others, he doesn't have much of a troubled past with any "real" fears.
**Ivy and Parker have a "thing" going on during the novel, which didn't bug me, until we got to the end. I felt as though the focus of the novel dramatically shifted to just "them". and I felt it was a bother. But every novel/movie/play HAS to have a romantic duo to it, doesn't it?! Or so it seems.
Garth: Garth is the ass hole of the group. (There ALWAYS has to be one, doesn't there?!) He has a huge past that affects him and why he is the way he is. He's a creepy boy who has no real fears. At least that's what he wants everyone to believe. He's insensitive and unwilling to show anyone his true side. He bugged me out of the group, but in a creepy way. Which I loved! (It is a creepy, spooky novel after all, isn't it?!)
Natalie: Natalie is the other "weirdo" of the bunch. She talks to herself and keeps herself locked up in her room. She has her own dilemmas and her reasons for them too. Just like everyone else. She has self-esteem issues and that plays a big role into how she is as well. She, just like Garth, also creeped me out. I couldn't figure her out, and that was great in a novel like this one!
Shayla: Shayla is the outspoken, cheerful, kind-hearted one of the group. She has her own struggles that she deals with as well. On the outside, she's jolly and content. However, on the inside lies a deeper and distinct Shayla who has her faults and her nightmares. I really enjoyed her character as well.
Frankie: Frankie is the know it all out of the group. He always butted in and spoke his mind when it came to the whole reason behind this coming and just the whole scene overall. He's definitely an important character in a plot like this, so I enjoyed his character as well!
Writing: The writing was spooky, suspenseful, creepy, and easy to follow! I found myself flipping through the chapters, desperate to find out what happens next. I absolutely love when novels make me feel that way. So the writing was definitely a plus!
Ivy: The novel begins with the point of view of Ivy. She is the center-piece of the story. She is the one who is most afraid of horror, and she has her own nightmares that craft who and how she is. She's a sweet individual with a troubled past, and we're able to understand why she is the way she is in the novel. Overall I really enjoyed her character!
Parker: Parker is the aspiring director of the bunch. He is a sweet boy who mostly gets along with all of the others. I really enjoyed his character as well. Unlike the others, he doesn't have much of a troubled past with any "real" fears.
**Ivy and Parker have a "thing" going on during the novel, which didn't bug me, until we got to the end. I felt as though the focus of the novel dramatically shifted to just "them". and I felt it was a bother. But every novel/movie/play HAS to have a romantic duo to it, doesn't it?! Or so it seems.
Garth: Garth is the ass hole of the group. (There ALWAYS has to be one, doesn't there?!) He has a huge past that affects him and why he is the way he is. He's a creepy boy who has no real fears. At least that's what he wants everyone to believe. He's insensitive and unwilling to show anyone his true side. He bugged me out of the group, but in a creepy way. Which I loved! (It is a creepy, spooky novel after all, isn't it?!)
Natalie: Natalie is the other "weirdo" of the bunch. She talks to herself and keeps herself locked up in her room. She has her own dilemmas and her reasons for them too. Just like everyone else. She has self-esteem issues and that plays a big role into how she is as well. She, just like Garth, also creeped me out. I couldn't figure her out, and that was great in a novel like this one!
Shayla: Shayla is the outspoken, cheerful, kind-hearted one of the group. She has her own struggles that she deals with as well. On the outside, she's jolly and content. However, on the inside lies a deeper and distinct Shayla who has her faults and her nightmares. I really enjoyed her character as well.
Frankie: Frankie is the know it all out of the group. He always butted in and spoke his mind when it came to the whole reason behind this coming and just the whole scene overall. He's definitely an important character in a plot like this, so I enjoyed his character as well!
Writing: The writing was spooky, suspenseful, creepy, and easy to follow! I found myself flipping through the chapters, desperate to find out what happens next. I absolutely love when novels make me feel that way. So the writing was definitely a plus!
Overall Rating: Overall, I give this novel a 4 out of 5 stars! The plot was great, the characters were great, and spooky, and PERFECT for "SPOOKTOBER" :) (That's October if you didn't know, lol.)
