The House by Christina Lauren
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Synopsis:
Gavin tells Delilah he’s hers—completely—but whatever lives inside that house with him disagrees.
After seven years tucked away at an East coast boarding school, Delilah Blue returns to her small Kansas hometown to find that not much has changed. Her parents are still uptight and disinterested, her bedroom is exactly the way she left it, and the outcast Gavin Timothy still looks like he’s crawled out of one of her dark, twisted drawings.
Delilah is instantly smitten.
Gavin has always lived in the strange house: an odd building isolated in a stand of trees where the town gives in to mild wilderness. The house is an irresistible lure for Delilah, but the tall fence surrounding it exists for good reason, and Gavin urges Delilah to be careful. Whatever lives with him there isn’t human, and isn’t afraid of hurting her to keep her away.
Review:
The House was a fun read. I absolutely loved the concept of it. The House itself was a really cool idea. A house where it and everything in it is alive, has feelings, can do things to try and control you and what happens. Pretty awesome. Where you never have to do anything. You are hungry and some food appears. You need money just take some from the money jar. If this were just a fun, quirky romance then it would be all fun. But it is more horror thriller and I love that! I love that the house can get really creepy. I loved the imagery of what happens to Delilah and the house. What it does to her and makes her see and everything. I would love to see it as a movie!
The book opens with Delilah moving back to town after going to a private school in another state. Her family couldn't afford to send her anymore so she is finishing out her high school years at the local school. She doesn't mind too much, but it is kind of weird being back. Seeing people she used to know.
Gavin is the strange kid who doesn't really have any friends and hangs out by himself all the time. And whom Delilah is smitten with. She had a crush on him before she left and it seems like distance and time haven't diminished it. Only Gavin has secrets. He has never really had anyone over to his house, doesn't really have a family, he only has House. House who takes care of him and is his family. House who can obviously make strange things happen. Who can follow Gavin around during the day to be there for him if he needs House. But with Delilah now in the picture, things aren't always going as well as he had hoped they would. He knows House would never hurt anyone, not really, but House also doesn't seem to like Delilah being around. And Delilah is not too sure on the whole House would never hurt her thing. Because creepy things start happening and Gavin starts questioning House a bit. Only he can't really say anything because then House would know and might get upset. What do you do when you are in love, but your supernatural house doesn't want you to have anyone else?
This was a great read. I was wanting to see how it all would turn out right from the beginning. Can Gavin and Delilah figure out a way to coexist with House, or find a way to get away from House before it is too late? I love horror so I was pretty happy reading this creepy tale from authors that I already loved. It is not like their other stories at all, but that is okay. I will say my one negative about the book - the characters are written like we are looking at them from afar. Like we are not really experiencing the story with them, but watching them experience it. The chapters are even labeled "Him" and "Her," not their names so it seems it is definitely on purpose this distance, but it made it not as amazing as it could have been for me. Like I really enjoyed the story, really loved the ideas and images, but if we could have removed that distance from the characters it could have been a 5 star read for me. Because it was that awesome. Still a great read and worth checking out.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
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