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.
My Review:
The House is the newest work from authors Christina Lauren and was honestly unlike anything I have ever read…it was one hell of a phenomenal experience!
Let me start out by telling you that I adore all things that go bump in the night. I will watch any scary movie, love creepy places, and have loved reading Stephen King and Dean Koontz since I was a kid. I also want to say that I haven’t read YA since Twilight came out. But because I am a huge Christina Lauren fangirl, I knew I had to read this book and I am so incredibly glad I did.
From the very beginning I was hooked. I was hooked on Gavin’s dark and mysterious persona. I was hooked on Delilah’s fascination with him and wanting to know more about him and learn what lurks beneath his exterior. I was hooked on this unlikely couple and their blossoming relationship. I was hooked on The House. There was so much to love about this story. It was fresh and exciting. It was goose bump inducing and spine tingling.
What started out as an almost youthful and playful vibe turned into something very grown up and sinister. I loved the juxtaposition between the beauty of the love growing between Gavin and Delilah and the darkness seeping out from the house when it feared it was losing Gavin. Yes, the house was very much a character in this story and was one hell of a manipulative villain. That too was a fascinating aspect…typically inanimate objects being treated as people. The way the authors wrote things like Hallway Table, Fireplace, and Piano, with proper names really ratcheted up the creepiness factor.
Beyond that, the mystery of how Gavin grew up in that house was truly a doozy. I certainly never expected it to end the way it did but I was so glad that’s how things ended up. I can’t give anything away but be prepared for one hell of a ride!
I have two other creepy books that have stayed with me for years: Thinner by Stephen King and The Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz. I can honestly tell you that The House now has joined that list. I loved everything about this book and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a bit of fascinating darkness in a young love story. Thank you Christina and Lauren for a fantastic book!
Five Loves
Book Links:
Amazon | Christina Lauren Website
About the Authors:
Lauren Billings (but everyone calls her Lo) has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and before she made writing her full-time job, would spend her days doing nerdy research-type things wearing a lab coat and goggles. She is silly Mommy to two littles, wife to one mountain biking homebrewing scientist, bestie to a shoe-stealer, and an unabashed lover of YA and romance.
Christina Hobbs (but you’ll always hear Lo call her PQ) used to spend her days in a junior high counseling office surrounded by teenagers. These days you’ll probably find her on tumblr. She is married and absolutely not old enough to be the mom of a 14 year old (right??), thinks she’s the luckiest person in the world to write books with her best friend, and is an unapologetic lover of boy bands and glitter. She also likes to steal Lo’s shoes.