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House Trap

by Mike Mauthor (Goodreads Author)

3.5 of 5 stars 3.50 · rating details · 24 ratings · 21 reviews

Rachel Evans is a sixteen year old overachiever who would take nothing less than to achieve her goal of getting into Dartmouth College. But Rachel’s life would never be the same once she stepped into the house of Alicia Hausefalle, the most popular girl in Wedds High School. Rachel was there to tutor her. She never expected to meet two strangers who were ready to end her l...more

Kindle Edition, 120 pages

Published May 7th 2011

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Aug 05, 2012 Debasish Ray Mohapatra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller-horror-story

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. About story:
The story started with a cool and chill night. Everyone was preparing themselves for the upcoming Christmas. A little boy, just 10 years old, named Nicolas was staring at the sky and imagining about those gifts he’d be going to get for this Christmas. But all of a sudden mishap happened in his house that night. Nicolas found both of his parents murdered inside the house.

After 30 years, the same scenario happened again. But this time it was about Rachel who went to Alicia’s house a...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Masquerade Crew rated it 2 of 5 stars

BEC'S REVIEW

While the premise of this novel seemed interesting the novel itself has a lot of flaws making it read like the first draft of a book. There are many grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the story leading to quite a few sentences that just didn’t make sense and pulled you out of the story, sentences that would have been picked up if an edit of this work had been done by someone not as familiar with the story. Added to these errors was the fact that there are several times thr...more BEC'S REVIEW

While the premise of this novel seemed interesting the novel itself has a lot of flaws making it read like the first draft of a book. There are many grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the story leading to quite a few sentences that just didn’t make sense and pulled you out of the story, sentences that would have been picked up if an edit of this work had been done by someone not as familiar with the story. Added to these errors was the fact that there are several times throughout the story where, despite the rest of the book being written in past tense, the author slips into present tense, another thing that an edit would have picked up.

Another fact that pulled me away from the plot of the story was the author’s tendency to use words that sound like they had been pulled from a thesaurus to make the story sound better, but which didn’t quite fit the situation. Not every synonym of a word means exactly the same thing and fits in the same sentences. An example of this was switching the word laughed for guffawed in regards to a group of teens mocking another. Rather than be impressed at the authors vocabulary I rather found myself questioning why laughed could not have sufficed when it would have fit so much better. This was coupled with the authors tendency to add unnecessary descriptive words to every description so that even the math teacher (who is mentioned maybe one) had shimmering eyes.

These are all things though that a simple edit can fix provided the author has someone they can trust to perform the task. And I believe the book may be worth the edit, even with these errors. That’s not to say that the plot itself is perfect, there are many times when I questioned some of the actions that occurred in the book in such a way that I would be drawn out of the story. The plot is far from perfect, but the problems with that are also something that an edit should pick up. To use my favourite word I believe that there is enough potential in this story that, with a critical edit, it may end up surprising even me. Until then this book should be treated as a first draft so that the reader goes in aware of the errors.(less)

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Jun 17, 2012 Jeanbooknerd rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

The thrilling book, House Trap, by Mike Mauthor is truly a heart-pounding adventure. When the high school overachiever Rachel is forced to tutor the very rude Alicia, she finds herself inside her home teaching her math. Suddenly the house is under attack and the home’s security not only traps the two girls and Alicia’s siblings, but also the intruders. The premise presents a story that is full of suspenseful action.

The plot of the book is realistic and Mike’s writing draws readers in to put them...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Diana (Offbeat Vagabond) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: requested, thriller, ya, mystery, suspense

Review posted here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2011/11/indie-book-review-house-trap-by-mike.html

House Trap is about a teenager girl named Rachel. She is an overachiever, goes above and beyond in all she does. Unfortunately, this doesn’t make much time for her family or to make friends. So one day while in math class, given she has the best grades, she is forced to tutor a rude and popular girl at school named Alicia. Rachel, of course, doesn’t want to tutor her, but has no choice. Ever...more Review posted here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2011/11/indie-book-review-house-trap-by-mike.html

House Trap is about a teenager girl named Rachel. She is an overachiever, goes above and beyond in all she does. Unfortunately, this doesn’t make much time for her family or to make friends. So one day while in math class, given she has the best grades, she is forced to tutor a rude and popular girl at school named Alicia. Rachel, of course, doesn’t want to tutor her, but has no choice. Everything goes fine until Rachel leaves to use the bathroom. This is when all hell breaks loose. Alicia’s home is under attack and even though it has the House Trap, a security system meant to trap intruders inside, it also traps the girls and Alicia’s siblings in with the intruders.

I was emailed a few days ago by the author to review this book. After reading the description, I was more than glad to dive in. But I had no idea how heart pounding this was going to be. I honestly didn’t see this as a book, but more like a movie. Being trapped in a house with men who are intent on killing you, yeah, the adrenaline was staggering to say the least.

I liked that the bulk of this book was about escaping with the children alive. We get a look into the life of Rachel and see that she doesn’t make time for anyone or anything. All she wants to do is go to her dream college, Dartmouth. She ignores and snaps at her mom and brother. But while in that house, knowing there’s a good chance her life will end, you see her missing them and regretting the way she has been so bitter towards them. And that was such a lesson for her, actually I think that was the lesson of the book. Change your ways now because you don’t know what will happen tomorrow.

I loved the plot of the book. It felt real and put me in that mindset, “What would I have done?” It was so suspenseful and thrilling; I just couldn’t put this down. I mean, for all intents and purposes, I felt like I was reading an autobiography. That is how authentic this book felt. I applaud Mauthor for writing it in a way that forces his readers to put themselves in the characters shoes. It is truly brilliant.

The only complaints I have are that I would have liked more background story. We get a taste, but a little more would have been nice, especially where Alicia’s dad was concerned. We knew who he was (tiny spoiler here, so I won’t say), but I wish we could know what he was thinking after everything happened. Seeing his life’s work being questioned and brought to light; I definitely was dying to know what he was thinking. What would his next step be? Would he keep going with his project or start over again? I am very curious. Also I have to note there were about a handful of grammar issues here and there. But if you are like me, you will be so engulfed in the story, they won’t be a bother.

This book fell in my lap and well it is going to stay there. It wasn’t underdone or overdone, it was right on point. It felt so real and it was so thrilling. And for a short story, that just makes it all the more impressive. We get a few twists that make the book even more exhilarating. If you want a suspenseful, fast-paced thriller, I would highly recommend you check this out. It is only for a dollar, but trust me, it will be the greatest thing $.99 could buy. It is a steal as far as I am concerned.(less)

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Oct 29, 2011 Angelica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned

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Aug 04, 2011 Amber rated it 4 of 5 stars

The story "House Trap" is focused around a smart young women whose only ambition is to attend Dartmouth College. She is lacking in all area's of her life except in school since it's the only thing she seems to care about. When she is forced into tutoring the blonde haired, blue eyed snotty rich girl on a Friday night, her life takes a drastic turn and becomes a fight for her life.

This novel is both stimulating and suspenseful with action taking place on every page. The dialog between characters...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Zoe Crook rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-received-for-review, kindle

I was hooked by the first line, and I immediately felt I was in the story. I think I read it in one sitting, this book is really gripping! The first few pages are the prologue and it has a young boy calling the police after finding strangers in his house hurt her mother. Just as the excruciating atmosphere rises, three words are next: Thirty Years Later.

Sixteen year-old Rachel Evans is obsessed with school work, and wants nothing more than to go to Dartmouth College. To get extra credit, she de...more I was hooked by the first line, and I immediately felt I was in the story. I think I read it in one sitting, this book is really gripping! The first few pages are the prologue and it has a young boy calling the police after finding strangers in his house hurt her mother. Just as the excruciating atmosphere rises, three words are next: Thirty Years Later.

Sixteen year-old Rachel Evans is obsessed with school work, and wants nothing more than to go to Dartmouth College. To get extra credit, she decides to tutor a girl in her class. BIG MISTAKE! Alicia's father invented the House Trap, an invention that traps people breaking into your house. Once the alarm recognises a trespasser it locks all the doors and seals all the windows. It then traps the person by having a trap door at the floor and them sliding down to a place where they are locked in. Then the owners then have time to call the police - genius! Maybe not - what do you do when the system acts too late and the killers are locked in the house inside with you?

That night, two people enter her house - dangerous people, not afraid to kill. The action in this book is full of suspense, I couldn't stop reading. I just HAD to know what happened in the end.

All the characters are believable, and Mike really made them come alive. I liked Rachel's persistent mind, and the way she doesn't give up. This is a good character in a thriller - Rachel fights back. She is an academic girl who has her eye on the prize. I didn't like her at first - when she 'had a strop' about not winning the science fair. But then I began to quite like her, and sympathize for her.
Since the book is in third person, you don't know what is going to happen in the end. I wasn't predicting a happy ending, all the twists and turns are really good too.

The whole aspect of this story is so unique. This made it exciting to read, and the author made the fast-paced storyline the main reason I loved it.

My only complaint is that were a few spelling/grammar/punctuation errors. (that probably makes me a hypocrite to say this, because my writing is full of errors usually!!) I don't tend to focus on the faults of a book, but this popped up quite a bit. It didn't stop me from enjoying the story though, and it shouldn't for you either!

I recommend this to anyone who likes action and maybe horror. I am not usually interested in horror-related books but this one is a really good novella. You should buy it, because it is only 89p/$00.99! Bargain for a perfect little thriller...(less)

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Jun 08, 2011 Cristy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction, thriller-suspense-mystery, novella-short-story, ebook

HOUSE TRAP is a great little thriller I picked up on smashwords.com for just a buck and I have to say I was pleased with my purchase. Mike Mauthor’s short story is suspenseful and well written, chockfull of action and white-knuckle moments. Nothing like young people trapped in a house with a killer to get the blood pumping.

The realistic way in which the characters are portrayed, for me, played a big part in the success of the story. The villain(s) and the victims alike felt true to the ages of...more

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May 26, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-on-blog, kindle

This book was a great thriller. I really liked the concept of it and it certainly was pretty scary. It is a short read but it it was jam packed with action and suspense. It definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat for pretty much the whole story. It starts out with a past murder, and then shifts into present day- where all the action begins.

What I liked most about this story was that it was so fast paced. Since it was a thriller/suspense story, I appreciated that there were no slow parts....more

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Jun 17, 2012 Sydney rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone bored,

Shelves: i-own-ed

The story itself is a short one, you could finish this in one sitting easily. Truthfully my rating is a 2.5. I added the .5 because of the authors note at the end...it made me feel bad for going through half of the book giving it a relatively crappy rating.
Things I liked: Story was basically original (as original as a book can be nowadays "Nothing is new under the sun" and all..) The fact that it was short was great because if Mauthor (is that his real name? its just his first initial with the...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Krista (CubicleBlindness Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Whoa this book is intense! I was definitely not expecting people to actually die, so that was an interesting twist.

Alicia's father is the inventor of a house alarm system for defense against break in's or any other danger that might happen. During a sleepover between Rachel and Alicia, some boys show up unexpectedly to visit with Alicia and things begin to go wrong, very fast.

It was a book of cat and mouse. Everytime the mouse would run one way you'd be yelling at your book, "no don't go in th...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Sara Murguía rated it 4 of 5 stars

I don't usually read suspense books. But I really liked this book. The prologue made me really curious about what was going to happen in the rest of the book. I think it did a great job as a prologue. The main story went very well, I was really captured by the main character's actions, and how she developed from being a stubborn I-have-to-be-the-best girl, to a more humble person. The book has surprises, there were parts I didn't imagined what was gonna happen. But there are also some predictabl...more

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Aug 24, 2011 Jennifer Wright rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

This book has a great premise. A young girl get’s locked inside a home that has a security system designed to keep intruders out. But, nothing about the security system is really meant for the intruder to be inside the house. So, when she ends up locked inside with her friends little brother and sister, she has to keep them safe from two killers.
The start of the story is a little slow and I felt like it could have gotten into the action faster, but once the action started you really want to know...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Katelyn (Tales of Books and Bands) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, 3-stars

2.5-3/5 stars

A thank you goes out to Mike for allowing me to read and review his book House Trap. While there were some parts that really bugged me, it was still a pretty enjoyable read.

House Trap starts off with a flashback of a young boy named Nicolas and a tragedy he faces at a young age. Flash-forward 30 or so years and we now learn of a young girl named Rachel. Rachel is a closed-off, over achieving student trying her hardest to get great grades in high school so that she can attend Dartmou...more 2.5-3/5 stars

A thank you goes out to Mike for allowing me to read and review his book House Trap. While there were some parts that really bugged me, it was still a pretty enjoyable read.

House Trap starts off with a flashback of a young boy named Nicolas and a tragedy he faces at a young age. Flash-forward 30 or so years and we now learn of a young girl named Rachel. Rachel is a closed-off, over achieving student trying her hardest to get great grades in high school so that she can attend Dartmouth, a prestigious college. While I think Rachel was meant to come across as a hard-working teenager with good goals in sight, I found her rather difficult to connect with. Her attitude towards fellow classmates, her mother, and her younger brother was quite harsh. If she had a bit of a softer personality I feel like I could relate to her a little better.

Rachel agrees to help tutor a fellow classmate, Alicia. Alicia is the daughter of Nicolas, the young boy we learned of in the prologue. Due to the horrific events he faced as a child, he dedicated his whole life to creating home security systems to help protect families from intruders. His most famous creation is House Trap, a system of metal doors and windows that closes off all access points to the outside world. If there is an intruder outside you just activate House Trap and there will be no possible way for them to enter the house. Unfortunately for Rachel, Alicia, and Alicia’s two younger siblings Nathan and Amy, the intruders were locked inside the house with them when House Trap was activated. This story follows Rachel on her mission to free them from the house before the intruders can get to them.

I thought the idea of the House Trap security system was very unique. The intruders being locked inside the house with them made the story very thrilling and exciting. I quickly read through it trying to figure out if they would make it out of the house alive. Even though I had a lot of issues connecting with the main character Rachel, she grew on me a little as the story progressed. We could see her worry, fear, and compassion for Nathan and Amy as she tried to protect them.

I did find quite a few errors in the story. There were very few spelling mistakes but there was a lot of grammar, punctuation, and consistency issues. I am normally not very picky of errors in spelling and grammar if there are a few mistakes here or there (we are all human; we all make mistakes, even me!) but this became a nuisance. Several times I found that wrong names were used, commas missing, some words were misspelled etc.

Yes I did find some issues with this story and main character but that should not deter you from reading it. It is a rather enjoyable, thrilling, fast-paced story!

(less)

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Aug 05, 2011 Issa rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: thrillers

I wanted to like this book because the synopsis was intriguing but there were so many major problems that I just couldn't get into it. The worst part about it is that so many of the issues could have been corrected by a good editor. The basic story was pretty good. A few small plot points were a little contrived but not bad. The problem was an intense amount of grammatical errors in addition to numerous words used incorrectly. I'll admit that grammatical errors bother me more than most people, b...more

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Jul 11, 2011 TheBookAddictedGirl rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: All In Need Of A Thriller-Suspense Story With Mad Murderers!

Recommended to TheBookAddictedGirl by: Mike Mauthor

Shelves: for-review, in-my-mailbox, action-adventure, ebook-read, horror, read-2011, real-to-life-fiction, science-fiction, thriller-suspense, ya, ya-adult-crossover

This was sent to me by the author to review, and as I love a good thriller I said: Yes Please! So thank you Mike!

Rachel just went over to Alicia’s house to do a little tutoring. She would go in and out, and would then be free to get on with her dream of going to Dartmouth. She knows Alicia’s father is the renowned inventor of House Trap, a device designed to protect the inhabitants inside the home against everything. But... what do you do when the house goes into lockdown mode... and the killers...more This was sent to me by the author to review, and as I love a good thriller I said: Yes Please! So thank you Mike!

Rachel just went over to Alicia’s house to do a little tutoring. She would go in and out, and would then be free to get on with her dream of going to Dartmouth. She knows Alicia’s father is the renowned inventor of House Trap, a device designed to protect the inhabitants inside the home against everything. But... what do you do when the house goes into lockdown mode... and the killers are stuck in with you...?

The story started with a double murder, and just got more suspenseful and action-packed from there. The characters felt real, the story was not written in a way that slowed down the pace and the fear and creepiness were palpable all the way through. Plus there was that brilliant little twist that makes all good thrillers.

Rachel was believable and relatable. I found myself comparing her to me: I was always the girl that took Dickens or text books with me on school trips as well. She was determined, academic and couldn’t care less about what others thought of her. As I read, I couldn’t help thinking “good for you”.

The rest of the characters were also well thought out, but it was the suspense that made this story special. It had break-neck speed (although that admittedly didn’t start from the word go), numerous twists and, of course, a few deaths. I don’t like it when characters die. But are thrillers truly thrillers without a little violence? And it made me fearful for my characters, wondering who’d get out, rather desperate to know. Plus, the basis of the story was terrifying. A home-safety system that ends up being a cage... with the murderous lunatics inside? Honestly, I will never look at the things the same way again.

The one thing I can complain about is the way the focus jumps suddenly between the characters, leaving me a little confused. One minute it’s Rachel, the next the bad guy. It threw me, but maybe that just added to the break-neck, thriller effect? Plus, some of the grammar was incorrect, but I’ve seen that in a fair few eBooks, so I don’t really notice that anymore, and it didn’t distract me much at all.

Although this book was only 120 pages long, I could have read many more. I do love me a good thriller once in a while...

So, a suspense-ridden story with well-padded characters and murderous lunatics trapped inside a house, with a security system ironically called “House Trap”. What more could you want?(less)

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Jun 11, 2011 Shanna rated it 5 of 5 stars

It was one of the best thrillers i've read in a long time. It was engaging and captivating. It kept me hooked from beginning to end. I did not want it to end I wanted the storyline to continue. The author has a keen way of connecting all the characters in the book and making them all interesting in a unique way. It was refreshing to see that range of emotions this author gave to all of the characters whether good or bad you still wondered and in a wierd way still care about them. I will highly r...more

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Mar 09, 2012 Amanda (FabulousFrostine) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone

Mike Mauthor sent me a copy for review. :)

Summary: Rachel Evans is an overachiever who gets stuck mentoring a girl in her class. Alicia Hausfalle is the daughter of the inventor of the House Trap. A device that makes it impossible for intruders to enter your house. It also makes it impossible for you to get out. While at Alicia's house, Rachel finds out what would happen if the intruders were already inside.

This book was amazing! It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I was constant...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Amber R at Awesomesaucebookclub rated it 3 of 5 stars

The idea of this book is pretty intriguing. I don't think I've ever read about a security system like this one.

I feel really bad for Nicholas. He's had a lot of tragedy in his life and the one thing that he thought would protect his family, didn't.

One thing that I didn't care for about this book was the way that it jumped from one character's perspective to another with no notice or warning. It was kind of confusing.

Otherwise, there was some very scary thing that happen in this book. Not boo sc...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Susan Allegrini rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved it! I could not turn the pages fast enough. The author made me feel I was right there with her trying to help the two children get out of the house. I also could see this book as a movie! I am telling everyone to read this book it will make you think what would you do if you was trapped in a house with two strangers trying to kill you.

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May 11, 2012 Kelsey Knudsen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: lesnedianreviews

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About Mike Mauthor

Interest: Books, Movies, and Television
Favorite books: All types but I try to avoid boring books

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Quotes from House Trap

“Honey, you worry too much. Nothing is going to happen, I mean come on, you’re in the house of Mr. Hausefalle, the guru of home security! You’re probably safer over there than here."- House Trap, ch. 4: A Grave Mistake.” — 1 person liked it

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