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House (Books of History Chronicles)

by Ted Dekker (Goodreads Author), Frank Peretti

3.58 of 5 stars 3.58 · rating details · 11,757 ratings · 960 reviews

In rural Alabama, two couples find themselves in a fight for survival. Running from a maniac bent on killing them, they flee to an old house that's been empty for years, or so they think.

Hardcover, 380 pages

Published March 7th 2007 by Thomas Nelson (first published March 13th 2006)

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May 04, 2012 Miss_otis rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: avoid-at-all-costs, horror-suspense

Dull. Dull, dull, dull, and did I mention, so very dull?*

After having car trouble (read: “run over a bunch of nails planted in the road”), an estranged couple find themselves in a B&B type establishment in the middle of nowhere, where they, and a second couple, are promptly creeped out by the backwoods owners and informed of the fact that Scary Killer will be coming after them, cause they’re basically sacrifices.

I didn’t find it at all suspenseful, the writing was not notable, it gave a pre...more

18 likes · like · see review

Mar 26, 2008 Cies Charbeneau rated it 2 of 5 stars

Embarking on a new book regime is a little like jumping into the deep end of the pool; you’re never quite sure if you’re gonna sink or swim. I guess that’s how I feel about Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker’s religious fiction novel House is a definitely the unworn path that I do not usual take.
I liked the horror of this novel. It involved an ominous evil force within a house in the middle of nowhere. There are main elements of this book that I didn’t like, but the one thing that I really associated...more Embarking on a new book regime is a little like jumping into the deep end of the pool; you’re never quite sure if you’re gonna sink or swim. I guess that’s how I feel about Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker’s religious fiction novel House is a definitely the unworn path that I do not usual take.
I liked the horror of this novel. It involved an ominous evil force within a house in the middle of nowhere. There are main elements of this book that I didn’t like, but the one thing that I really associated with was the house itself. I enjoy books where a place is another character. The house is part of the evil of Peretti and Dekker’s book. It changes constantly in form and design. It is never the same as it was the scene before. It confuses the characters as well as the reader.
The house is the setting for a game; a creepy and horrible game that traps people in order to test their strength. Jack and Stephanie are suffering from a dying marriage and taking one last trip together as husband and wife but are caught out in the middle of the woods stranded with another couple, Leslie and Randy. The owners of the house are archaic and seemingly inbred and fanatical.
Betty, Stewart and Pete are the family that owns the house and they are little less than accommodating. The two couples are forced into a game of cat and mouse against the evil Mr. White. White has challenged the people in the house with three rules. The first says that he has killed god, the second says that he will kill everyone in the house, and the third is that if the players can produce a dead body he will let the second rule slide.
The game is an elaborate maze and in true horror fashion Peretti and Dekker create an elaborate setting for suspense and human triumph. Even though there is a religious theme to Peretti and Dekker books there is a classic horror genre at work here that is genius. This book is a heart gripping book that will challenge the ideals of good and evil and the pain we can inflict on ourselves as well as everyone around us. So whether or not you are a religious person or not this book is action and horror and a wonderful read.
(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Feb 18, 2010 Phil rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thrillers

I picked this book up from the library, thumbed through a few pages, and decided to preview it by reading the first chapter. I had other books I thought I should get through first, before I could start another. So I previewed it.

Fifteen chapters later, I had to put the book down because it was getting late.

House is an amazing thriller about survival through not just this world, but the next. It's really one of the few books that actually had my mind running.

An excellent book by far. I recommend...more

9 likes · like · see review

Sep 04, 2007 Deb added it · review of another edition

plot summary: what happens, when & where, central characters, major conflicts[return]"jack and his wife stephanie are on their way to a counseling session for their troubled marriage when a series of detours end up leaving them stranded in the backwoods. the only option they have for shelter is an old plantation style house which seems to be an inn of sorts. there they find another couple who has also been stranded there for the night and betty, stewart, and pete--""inbreds"" and ingracious...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 17, 2008 Alyssa rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone who likes creepy things!

Recommended to Alyssa by: toria

this book was really cool, my friend said that it would scare my but it didn't and she was like
"psh! thats just cuz you don't read that much!"
she's probably right.

it was a good book, i didn't really know what to expect but it was good.

but since there were so many people in the book there wasn't as much info about the main characters' feelings. thats the only thing i didn't like.

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 04, 2012 Olivia Ambrose rated it 5 of 5 stars

Olivia Ambrose ~ Horror

Jack, Stephanie, Randy and Leslie find themselves trapped in an abandoned house where all is not what it seems and there is a killer, White, who wants a dead body or they all die. As they struggle to survive in the creepiest of all basements, they must face monsters as well as themselves. Who will they kill? And who is Susan and what is she doing there? But the only way out is in… This is perhaps one of the creepiest books I have ever read, but it was a very thrilling read...more

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 27, 2011 Hannah Mullen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book deserves five stars because it has a great mixture of suspense and mystery. There is even a little romance! It will keep you on the edge of your seat! If you didn't understand the book then you didn't pay attention while reading it. Ted Dekker is a wonderful author who gives his books Christian themes and backgrounds without making it super religious. Not that anything is wrong with a very religious book. The theme of this book is light defeats darkness. The light being Jesus and the d...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 21, 2008 Zachary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked up this book. I knew it should be good, because both of these authors have established themselves as excellent writes, specifically for Christian audiences. Though I could tell by the development of the storyline and plot that this book was specifically aimed at both Christian and non-Christian audiences, it still had much of the feel of a Christian book.

That being said, it is definitely better written than most Christian fiction and would probabl...more I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked up this book. I knew it should be good, because both of these authors have established themselves as excellent writes, specifically for Christian audiences. Though I could tell by the development of the storyline and plot that this book was specifically aimed at both Christian and non-Christian audiences, it still had much of the feel of a Christian book.

That being said, it is definitely better written than most Christian fiction and would probably be a great book to recommend to non-Christians. The writing bears more of Dekker's style than Peretti's, though the overall setting and story arc bear Peretti's fingerprints admirably.

The story itself centers around the estranged marriage of Jack and Stephanie, a starting point that many Americans (at least) are familiar with and can probably relate to rather easily. They get stranded on the road under mysterious circumstances and end up seeking shelter for the night in a Inn they come across. Yep, sounds like the makings of a horror story if I've ever heard 'em!

The plot and action move quickly and the characters unfold and develop unobtrusively. There is a lot of tension and panic, common to the horror genre, but it never gets out of control. What it seems that Perretti and Dekker were aiming at was to reveal how easily the facade of character an individual has can crumble and wash away in the presence of true terror, and how a person needs something (or someone) other than themselves to lean on and trust in to help them through situations.

In the end I don't think this is either author's best work. Peretti's Oath was just brilliant, and Dekker's Circle Trilogy has a depth and movement to it which many secular works lack. This was a teaming of two incredible talents, but I think in the end the struggle to harness and mesh their particular creative talents (which definitely run in different directions) produced a worthy story, but just one that doesn't quite reach the potential of either.

I do recommend this book, though I think your time would be just as well spent reading other works by the authors. Due to the violence and some more mature sexual themes, I would definitely not recommend this to anyone not in High School.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 29, 2007 Mel rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: christianfiction, horror

I thought that a collaboration of two of my favorite authors would produce an excellent work of fiction! I was so wrong. This was just a horror novel with a muddled message. I was so disgusted with the plot that I actually put the book down, lost it for over a month, found it while looking for something else, and finally finished it by sheer willpower.

WARNING - SPOILER ALERT

These guys could have really written something worthwhile, a book with a great lesson taught ever-so-subtly. Instead, they...more

9 likes · like · see review

Jul 05, 2008 Rhonda rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

where do i start on this one...the story had promise, but spiraled into weird and weirder. to be honest, i started to give up after the first 50-60 pages, but continued. by about page 200, i admit i was intrigued and had to see how it turned out. the dialogue was very cheesey - hard to believe that, given the fight-for-their-lives situation the characters were in, they'd be thinking about some of the issues that crossed their minds (eg. picture it - a man and woman, strangers thrust into a terri...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 09, 2009 The Ryan rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book so far, has kept me guessing from the start. I like the details Peretti uses, because it keeps me reading more and more. His sense of detail makes you feel like you're in the house getting scared.

I'm going to most likely read one of his other books that he has made. I just do not understand why Jack and Stephanie are fighting so far. But hopefully my question will be answered. I like to be scared and it's cool reading how others react.

2 likes · like · see review

May 13, 2011 Tanya rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one

Recommended to Tanya by: Myself - because I'm stupid

Shelves: 2011-book-list, paperbacks

Ugh!
When I read the back of this book, it had such potential. I thought it was going to be super creepy. Unbeknown to me though, I had never read either of these authors, and honestly it was a big long religious package... mixed with horrible writing. It's a collaboration between two authors and it's like when you were in school and a teacher would have you start a story and pass it on to someone next to you. You didn't know the characters, or anything, you just had to move on the plot; and the...more

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 18, 2009 Bookworm rated it 4 of 5 stars

House reminded me of a mix between the movies Saw, The Strangers and Vacancy. This book was a great read, full of scary moments and suspense. I like a good horror story and this one delivered. Word to the wise, don't read this while home alone or at night.

4 likes · like · see review

Aug 21, 2007 Christie rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people on airplane trips

Hmm..this book was a good idea in theory, the plot is an interesting idea. But reading it is like listening to someone else describe their dreams to you..hard to follow.
The story is choppy and disjointed, the development is implausible, and the whole Christian theme is strange and irrelevant. I read that they are making a movie based on this and if they can get the characters to reveal deeper backstories to why they end up in this house then the whole story itself might make more sense. Overall,...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 09, 2011 Ryan Milbrath added it · review of another edition

It's funny but I actually borrowed this from the library on accident. I had wanted to see the video on a whim, but I forgot to check the actual medium this story was being presented in. When the hold came in to pick up, I decided to read the book anyway. I like to think I'm not much of a snob when it comes to books. I like reading the classics and all that jazz but every now and then I like a good suspense or horror book. I'll admit this one was quite the page turner at first. Its a good book fo...more

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Mar 04, 2011 Deb rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian, suspense

Plot Summary: What happens, When & Where, Central Characters, Major Conflicts[return]"Jack and his wife Stephanie are on their way to a counseling session for their troubled marriage when a series of detours end up leaving them stranded in the backwoods. The only option they have for shelter is an old plantation style house which seems to be an inn of sorts. There they find another couple who has also been stranded there for the night and Betty, Stewart, and Pete--""Inbreds"" and ingracious...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Crystal A rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

WARNING-A BIT OF A SPOILER HERE... With little time for reading, I like to read something that has both well-developed characters and a plot that will make all their struggles worth it in the end. This book has neither. Somehow, I expected this book would be an allegory to the darkness within mortal souls filled with unforgiveness and anger that they never turn over to God. It was definitely that. But, even in most dark lives, there is more light & hope for change than was introduced to any...more WARNING-A BIT OF A SPOILER HERE... With little time for reading, I like to read something that has both well-developed characters and a plot that will make all their struggles worth it in the end. This book has neither. Somehow, I expected this book would be an allegory to the darkness within mortal souls filled with unforgiveness and anger that they never turn over to God. It was definitely that. But, even in most dark lives, there is more light & hope for change than was introduced to any of these characters.

Of course, when the "light" was introduced in the book, she later told them they had not been able see it or hear it and used the Scripture that says, "The light came into darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not." But just because the characters could not hear the truth and see the light does not mean the reader should not have been able to see that an answer of hope was being presented. The fact that hope and light were not sewn as a thread (even a thin thread would have been nice) throughout the story made the ending seem both forced and expected. And while the light gets a certain amount of victory at the end, it didn't seem to be enough of a victory to give balance to all the darkness in the story.

The story does have a lot of intensity, and there were parts of it that did make me want to keep reading to see what would happen to the characters if they continued on their present path, but mostly that was my own hope that things weren't as hopeless as they appeared. It's kind of like reading a 300-page love story where the characters totally hate each other for 295 pages and only realize at the end that they should have been together all along. Without some glances or hints along the way to show the reader that the characters belong together, the "happy" ending of love doesn't bring balance to all the hatred.

All said, I would recommend this book to those who just want to read about intense darkness and the maze of false answers and hopelessness that can be created within the human heart. It has some scary scenes and some creative ways of presenting the darkness and evils in this life. But for those like me who long to see conflict resolved, it will leave you feeling a bit empty from reading it. And the fact that two of the characters die without really getting the opportunity to shed the darkness of their souls, one of whom seemed on the verge of having a little hope, probably left me more empty (due to hopelessness) than anything else.(less)

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Dec 13, 2012 Travis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: school

House is a horror book written by Ted Dekker. He also wrote Monster and Three. Even though this is a horror story Ted Dekker is a huge Christian. Now down to the review, House is about Jack and Stephanie Singleton. A married couple who are going through counseling because of their daughters death. As they are on their way to a counseling session they find themselves lost after taking directions from a police officer. Their car is soon totaled from road spikes and they travel along the road. Luck...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Brianna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: supernatural

I had just started this book when I realized why the names of the two authors were so familiar. If you are not a fan of books with Christian undertones, you will most likely not like this book. Even though I enjoy reading Christian books, I still was not much of a fan of this one.

The story progresses like any horror/suspense book or movie would, leading to a frightening evil basement in an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. The four protagonists try and escape the maze of hallways, rooms...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Heather Boustead rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook, horror, religious-inspirational

House
By Ted Dekker ad Frank Peretti

Mr. White has issued a challenge the people inside of a seemingly innocuous inn after stranding the four there, if they do not kill one among them then he will kill them all so goes this story making the people inside face their own demons. Set in backwoods Alabama the strangers face in breeds who are trying to sacrifice them to Mr. White and being trapped in a maze underneath a haunted house. Can they keep true themselves, or will the survival instinct kick in...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Dyah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: dumpster

The HOUSE is a twisted maze which reflects the darkness of the people who step foot on it.
It is full of madness.

I must say, I expect too much from this book and I find myself disappointed in the end. The main idea of the whole story is terrific, but the execution is not impressive; it lacks descriptions, which makes me feel detached from the story. The scenes jump from one to the next, creating confusion for the readers. One good point comes from the characterization. The authors explore the cha...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Whitney Oaks rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked this book up because I remembered seeing it on a friend's bookshelf at their house several years ago. Other than that, I had no clue who the authors were or what the book was about.

The story takes place in Alabama {Creepy right?} somewhere between Montgomery and Tuscaloosa. Stephanie and Jack are a couple having marital problems, on their way to a counseling session in Montgomery when they take a wrong turn and get pulled over. The cop gives them directions to get back to the highway...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Brandon Koontz rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Peretti quite obviously peaked a few books back, right around The Oath, I'd say. I had high hopes with House, despite the fact that I couldn't shake the feeling he and Dekker were trying to mine the same fame Stephen King and Peter Straub were getting since they released a co-authored thriller around the same time period (even similarly titled "Bleak House"). Unfortunately, King and Straub's work is so superior that this pales even more in comparison. Peretti and Dekker use incredibly weak prose...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Benjamin Torres rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Ted Dekker Fans

Shelves: terror

This is probably the darkest book of Dekker, this I think is because of his co-author Frank Peretti (I can't really tell because I have not read any book from Peretti).

Jack and Stephanie are a couple that may very well be already divorced, since they can´t stand each other and are in constant fight. They are on their way to meet a marriage counselor but get lost, a suspicious cop advices them to take a little road that finally took them to the House.

Inside the apparently deserted house there is...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Carol added it · review of another edition

I read the prologue and thought the book seemed interesting. I started chapter one a few days later and then read the book in the next two days. It had me hooked. It creeped me out and as I read I realized this book had more to it than just being a scary book. The biblical tie ins were mostly subtle,. Don't be put off by being written by a Christian author and claims that this is a Christian book (which it is, but I'm sure anyone can enjoy it). There are a few things I wish were changed. I wish...more

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Jul 01, 2011 Jon-Kyle rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book can be described as a psychological horror/suspense/thriller/religious novel. The gist of the story-line is that two couples get trapped in a house with a crazy killer and a set of inbred hosts with poor social skills. All hell breaks loose as the characters get trapped in a basement that doesn't follow the laws of reality. The couples must work their way out of their predicament and escape into safety. The book is a decent read I suppose, and it certainly has its shining moments (pun...more

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Feb 23, 2011 Jess Zaq rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, add-to-bookshelf, favorites

This book…where do I start? "House" is a thriller, Christian novel about two couples that get stuck and end up at a B&B, like the majority of horror/thriller cliché's there's a wacko waiting for them. The difference between "House" and the majority of the horror/thrillers out there is that Ted and Frank have this way of writing and phrasing things to make it seem like you're actually in the book with them.

I found myself constantly looking over my shoulder and making sure to walk carefully ne...more

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Jun 18, 2010 Dora rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. "House" follows a group of people who get stranded overnight in a house full of maniacs, beset by a crazy guy in a metal mask. Only, it's not about that, really. What it's REALLY about is demonising anyone who doesn't conform to authors Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti's set of beliefs and inflicting ridiculous punishments and judgement on people for being simple, flawed human beings.

The story primarily follows Jack and Stephanie, a young couple whose marriage is on the rocks after a tragedy they b...more "House" follows a group of people who get stranded overnight in a house full of maniacs, beset by a crazy guy in a metal mask. Only, it's not about that, really. What it's REALLY about is demonising anyone who doesn't conform to authors Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti's set of beliefs and inflicting ridiculous punishments and judgement on people for being simple, flawed human beings.

The story primarily follows Jack and Stephanie, a young couple whose marriage is on the rocks after a tragedy they both blame each other for. In them, Dekker and Peretti might actually have been able to craft a meaningful tale about forgiveness, blame, and love. Instead, it quickly becomes clear that the only one we're meant to sympathise with is Jack, because everything is made out to be Stephanie's fault... even though, in the confines of the story, her only real crime is being weak, human, and unlucky.

It gets worse as one of the female characters who is a staunch atheist is physically and mentally degraded by one of the psychotic family members, and we're just supposed to believe she had it coming. Certainly nobody mourns her passing. Of course, it's hard to feel sorry for her, but that's only because the entire cast of characters, including the so-called heroes, have all the charisma and draw of a brick covered in deadly black mold. It's almost a relief when the hilariously overblown crazy family that lives within the walls "our heroes" take refuge in start knocking them off. At least then we're subjected to less awkward flashbacks and tortured monologues.

It might all be more offensive if the writing here wasn't painfully amateurish, with dialogue and narrative about as natural and riveting as a third-grade school play about the food pyramid, and pacing with all the subtlety of a jackhammer. The only things meant to be scary here are the non-believer antagonists who get killed off in the most ridiculous ways possible. The main "villain" is supposed to be the house itself and the thinly veiled metaphor-that-walks-like-a-man who loiters around outside trying to be cryptic menacing.

I have read Christian fiction before. I have read Christian horror. There have been books in both genres I have actually enjoyed. This is not a book. This is a thinly veiled hate letter aimed at anyone who does not feel the way the author does. But perhaps most disappointing, it's an extremely narrow and cynical look at what makes a person human. Or at least, what the authors believe should make someone human. Now that's a scary thought.(less)

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Feb 02, 2010 Chris Bloom rated it 2 of 5 stars

By the time I heard of this one, I was pretty well over my appreciation of both Dekker and Peretti. House did nothing to change that.

Take a haunted house, some unpleasant and rather stupid protagonists, and a healthy spoonful of violence and pop psychology, mix them all together, and slap a spooky cover on it. Ta-da! You just wrote House!

You'll notice I didn't mention any Christianity in the recipe. Despite being published by a Christian publisher and written by two stars of Christian fiction, n...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 16, 2009 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

Written by Dekker & Peretti, it's more Dekker than Peretti, and hints of Stephen King's The Shining. Two couples are stranded on a lonely rural highway and take refuge in a house that turns out to be... haunted? ...The playing ground for a serial murderer?....There are House Rules, and there are similarities to "Lord of the Flies" and even the TV show "Lost" as far as the examination of human nature when pushed to the limit and the use of supernatural/spiritual events, and I'm warning you no...more

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“Light came into the darkness, but the darkness didn't understand it," Susan said. "Look to the light. Only the light can save you from yourself.” — 21 people liked it

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