House of Dark Shadows
(Dreamhouse Kings Series, Book 1)
by Robert Liparulo
Scared To Put It Down
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.
Personal Review: House of Dark Shadows (Dreamhouse Kings
Series, Book 1) by Robert Liparulo
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[...]
Pinedale, California, the smallest town that you can think of where the
closest thing to a McDonald's is a café that sells roasted chicken. You're
moving there. Sounds more like Snoozeville, doesn't it? That's what 15-
year-old Xander King thinks when his dad announces the trip. However,
Xander is interested when he sees their new house, a large Victorian in the
middle of the woods. This house is weird, and I mean weird. When the
person next to you talks to you, their voice sounds like it's coming from
upstairs. Large, bare footprints appear in the dust. Dad assumes someone
is squatting, (yes, I thought what you thought when I heard that, but it
means somebody is illegally living there) but Xander thinks the answer is
more supernatural. He'll come to wish he was wrong.
If it's even possible, (and you know it is; it would be a pretty boring
book if it's just about footprints) things get even stranger. When exploring
the house, Xander and his 12-year-old brother, David, discover a linen
closet. I bet you think, "So what?" Sit tight and finish reading the review!
When they walk into the linen closet, they end up in Locker #119 at
Xander's new school. While looking for more teleportation rooms, they find
a whole hallway with rooms that go to many different places. It seems cool
at first, but Xander and David quickly change their opinion. Pretty soon, the
whole family is dragged into a mystery...

Everyone loves a good mystery, and House of Dark Shadows
delivers. When a book is as unpredictable as this, it has to be good. Be
prepared to be taken on a roller coaster ride, as 99% of the obvious does
not happen. However, the ending feels a bit forced, like the author was
rushing to meet a deadline, but it's a relatively small gripe. In the end,
House of Dark Shadows is a great book. Horror fans will eat it up, and it
has enough sarcasm and obscure movie references to hook in even
casual horror fans.
Timmy D., EMS blogger
Kidnappings, deaths, teleporting and gladiators are not what Xander
expects when he moves into a town like Pinedale. I mean who would,
especially in a town like Pinedale where the motels are decorated like a
six-year-old boy's bedroom and the only place you can eat at is at a small
café. I sure wouldn't. Anyway, like any other fifteen-year-old boy, Xander
wasn't too keen on the idea of moving, especially when he is leaving his
only girlfriend behind. And the city of Pinedale is not a good place for a
person who likes to make amateur films. Just when it looks like Pinedale
has nothing interesting, Xander and his family start hunting for homes. One
old Victorian house, covered by trees so thick that you can't even see the
house, seems very odd to him. Well, I bet that you would think so too if you
hear your dad in the kitchen when he is upstairs in the master bedroom or
if you think you see your brother upstairs when he is actually next to you.
You are probably thinking that Xander doesn't like this house, but he is
thinking the exact opposite, he thinks of this as an adventure. But when
Xander sees footprints in the soil and a dark figure in the hallways, he
starts to get more scared than excited. One day, when he and his brother
follow a dark figure, they get lead into a secret attic. They find a long
hallway with many rooms in the attic. In the room seems to be doors
connecting the rooms. But when Xander steps into one of the rooms,
Xander steps out into a gladiator fight. Out of nowhere, his dad brings him
back home. How did his dad know about this, did his brother tell him or
does he already know? And who is the mysterious dark figure?
House of Dark Shadows is a very interesting book with a lot of detail. I
enjoyed Xander's adventures, and I sometimes found myself telling him
what to do. I liked that the author included Xander's brother, Dave, to

accompany him through his adventures. But, if I were Dave, I wouldn't
have gone through the door the second time. Anyway, this book starts with
excitement and suspense right away, unlike other books which have slow
starts. The best part, I think, is that the author connects the prologue to the
unexpected twist at the end. I would definitely recommend this book to
mystery readers, you won't be disappointed.
Sailesh S., EMS blogger
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