House - Begins as a haunted house, finishes with a supernatural horror flourish!
Written: Jul 13 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Dark, supernatural mystery; Plot will surprise and engage readers. Uses the best of psychological terror.
Cons: This book is not for those who do not like very dark, very intense writing.
The Bottom Line: Christian fiction does NOT always mean books of inspirational quotes. If you love paranormal suspense/horror and are ready for a very dark, intense story, definitely read this masterpiece!
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| mythwriter's Full Review: House Books |
Both Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker have become well-known and firmly established in the Christian fiction genre. Each is known and respected for delivering intense, suspenseful and deep works, while at the same time not beating readers over the head with religion. Further, both have unique and recognizable styles, Peretti generally favoring more suspenseful and heavily veiled story lines while Dekker tends to employ edge-of-your seat, gripping thriller elements; as such, the collaboration of both is nothing short of genius, and House delivers what every fan of either (or both) author(s) could possibly hope for - so well put-together that it has even been adapted into a surprisingly successful film. Yet the original novel is where the best writing comes into play.
The first component the reader is introduced to is an abandoned home which, to most, appears as nothing but a derelict. But within is one who the reader knows only as Barsidious White, who alone knows what evil this home contains. The prologue then leads to a troubled couple, Jack and Stephanie Singleton, who are stranded after a traffic accident and seek shelter at a nearby, Victorian-styled home converted to a small bed-and-breakfast known as The Wayside Inn. There they meet another couple, Randy Messarue and Leslie Taylor, along with the owners of the inn, Betty, Stewart and their son, Pete. These last three all appear to have strange, even creepy dispositions, and seem to constantly bait the other four with odd remarks. This is but the first clue that the four guests have deep secrets hidden not-so-safely in their hearts - and their hosts' words seem to be stabbing too close to the mark. The strange owners only grow in eeriness when, during dinner, they continue harassing the two couples and finally, the food they served begins to decay before the guests' eyes. But when Stephanie's alarm drives her to try to leave, they meet up with a dark nemesis whom the innkeepers name White. They are then trapped inside the house, in a desperate race to elude White, their hosts and an evil maybe even more deadly than all of these - that born from within. And even then, their wits and courage may be vastly inadequate, for the house itself seems to have power over them, even knowledge of their darkest pasts. As the labyrinth grows, the four prisoners must either learn the sources of the house's evil power, or else fall to their own demons and turn against the others - for they have but until dawn to fulfill the grim instructions found on a tin can, inscribed by White - who now claims to have killed God.
With some novels, sharing between two writers detracts from one or the other, and sometimes the novel is simply degraded from works of solo writers. Not so with House! This is arguably one of the best novels to be written in Christian fiction, and definitely one of the better novels in the suspense/horror genre. Both Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti are masters of their craft, and House shows the best kind of authorial cooperation, bringing out the absolute best of both. A perfect balance is impossible to attain, of course; House feels more akin to Dekker's works in plot-line and character motivations than Peretti's, but the latter's influence is very clear in many parts, particularly in the slow unveiling of character's pasts and inner selves, and also the main agent of absolute good which contrasts Barisdious White. The entire book reads as a suspenseful thriller, with enough darkness and supernatural elements to amaze any reader. As is respected and loved of both authors, nothing in House is written to overwhelm with the reader with graphic content; everything is pure, psychological horror, and what visual elements there are augment this effect without repulsing the audience. Finally, there are clearly Biblical parallels drawn from both author's faiths, but, as with their other works, it is not blatant nor pushed in the face of non-Christian readers. There is simply a message both profound and scriptural, and readers of any faith need not fear being proselytized.
House is a novel that can serve several purposes (and probably all at once). First and foremost, it bears a message and warning for its Christian readers, an embodiment of spiritual battle without and within. It is also a fantastic thriller, suspenseful, mysterious and terrifying enough for any fan of these genres. These are but a few of the meanings anyone can take from this book. Now, obviously, this book is somewhat unique amongst Christian fiction. Both authors are again matched, this time in writing novels that push the envelope of some people's comfort zones, showing us the truly dark and terrifying nature of evil - which is taken for granted surprisingly often. This is not The Purpose Driven Life. Not to say one is greater than the other or to deride the former in any way! Only know that they are vastly different; House is not the type of novel most people tend to think of when mentioning Christian writing, something readers unfamiliar with Peretti or Dekker should definitely be informed of before buying a book. So for fans of either author, or for someone looking for a great horror novel, or else a Christian looking for a marvelous piece of faith-based yet intense writing, enter into House.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
mythwriter
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Member: Erik
Location: Colorado
Reviews written: 20
Trusted by: 6 members
About Me:
Avid reader of most fiction genres and amateur writer.
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