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A mind-bending supernatural thriller from the creators of "This Present Darkness" and "Saint."
Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker-two of the most acclaimed writers of supernatural thrillers-have joined forces for the first time to craft a story unlike any you've ever read. Enter "House"-where you'll find yourself thrown into a killer's deadly game in which the only way to win is to lose . . . and the only way out is in.
The stakes of the game become clear when a tin can is tossed into the house with rules scrawled on it. Rules that only a madman-or worse-could have written. Rules that make no sense yet must be followed.
"One game. Seven players. Three rules. Game ends at dawn."
Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker-two of the most acclaimed writers of supernatural thrillers-have joined forces for the first time to craft a story unlike any you've ever read. Enter "House"-where you'll find yourself thrown into a killer's deadly game in which the only way to win is to lose . . . and the only way out is in.
The stakes of the game become clear when a tin can is tossed into the house with rules scrawled on it. Rules that only a madman-or worse-could have written. Rules that make no sense yet must be followed.
"One game. Seven players. Three rules. Game ends at dawn."
372 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
628 people are currently reading
10633 people want to read
About the author
Frank E. Peretti
85 books3,852 followersFROM HIS WEBSITE:
With more than 12 million novels in print, Frank Peretti is nothing short of a publishing phenomenon and has been called “America’s hottest Christian novelist.”
Peretti is a natural storyteller who, as a youngster in Seattle, regularly gathered the neighborhood children for animated storytelling sessions. After graduating from high school, he began playing banjo with a local bluegrass group. He and his wife were married in 1972, and Peretti soon moved from touring with a pop band to launching a modest Christian music ministry. Peretti later spent time studying English, screen writing and film at UCLA and then assisted his father in pastoring a small Assembly of God church. In 1983, he gave up his pastoring position and began taking construction jobs to make ends meet. While working at a local ski factory, he began writing This Present Darkness, the book that would catapult him into the public eye. After numerous rejections from publishers and a slow start in sales, word-of-mouth enthusiasm finally lifted This Present Darkness onto a tidal wave of interest in spiritual warfare. The book appeared on Bookstore Journal’s bestseller list every month for more than eight years. Peretti’s two spiritual warfare novels, This Present Darkness (1998) and Piercing the Darkness (1989), captivated readers, together selling more than 3.5 million copies. The Oath was awarded the 1996 Gold Medallion Award for best fiction.
For kids, Peretti wrote The Cooper Kids Adventure Series (Crossways and Tommy Nelson), which remains a best-selling series for children with sales exceeding 1 million copies. In August 2000, Peretti released the hilarious children’s audiocassette series titled Wild and Wacky Totally True Bible Stories, reprising his role as Mr. Henry, the offbeat substitute Sunday School teacher found in two Visual Bible for Kids videos.
Peretti released his first-ever non-fiction book, The Wounded Spirit in 2000, which quickly became a best-seller. The book addresses the pain of “wounded spirits” and was written as a result of painful childhood experiences.
Frank Peretti and his wife, Barbara Jean, live in the Western U.S. In spite of sudden fame and notoriety, Frank still lives a simple, well-rounded life that includes carpentry, banjo making, sculpturing, bicycling and hiking. He is also an avid pilot.
With more than 12 million novels in print, Frank Peretti is nothing short of a publishing phenomenon and has been called “America’s hottest Christian novelist.”
Peretti is a natural storyteller who, as a youngster in Seattle, regularly gathered the neighborhood children for animated storytelling sessions. After graduating from high school, he began playing banjo with a local bluegrass group. He and his wife were married in 1972, and Peretti soon moved from touring with a pop band to launching a modest Christian music ministry. Peretti later spent time studying English, screen writing and film at UCLA and then assisted his father in pastoring a small Assembly of God church. In 1983, he gave up his pastoring position and began taking construction jobs to make ends meet. While working at a local ski factory, he began writing This Present Darkness, the book that would catapult him into the public eye. After numerous rejections from publishers and a slow start in sales, word-of-mouth enthusiasm finally lifted This Present Darkness onto a tidal wave of interest in spiritual warfare. The book appeared on Bookstore Journal’s bestseller list every month for more than eight years. Peretti’s two spiritual warfare novels, This Present Darkness (1998) and Piercing the Darkness (1989), captivated readers, together selling more than 3.5 million copies. The Oath was awarded the 1996 Gold Medallion Award for best fiction.
For kids, Peretti wrote The Cooper Kids Adventure Series (Crossways and Tommy Nelson), which remains a best-selling series for children with sales exceeding 1 million copies. In August 2000, Peretti released the hilarious children’s audiocassette series titled Wild and Wacky Totally True Bible Stories, reprising his role as Mr. Henry, the offbeat substitute Sunday School teacher found in two Visual Bible for Kids videos.
Peretti released his first-ever non-fiction book, The Wounded Spirit in 2000, which quickly became a best-seller. The book addresses the pain of “wounded spirits” and was written as a result of painful childhood experiences.
Frank Peretti and his wife, Barbara Jean, live in the Western U.S. In spite of sudden fame and notoriety, Frank still lives a simple, well-rounded life that includes carpentry, banjo making, sculpturing, bicycling and hiking. He is also an avid pilot.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,200 reviews
November 30, 2021
I keep practically every book I ever read...
...I didn't keep this one though.
(Update: I was going to leave it at the two lines above since I'm not particularly fond of a giving a book a bad review, but I just can't let this one get away without giving it a damn good spanking. And so...)
I've read a lot of bad books in my time. And I've probably read worse than this one. But whenever someone asks me what the most terrible book I ever read was, 'House' inevitably springs to mind. To this day I still can't get over what a steaming pile of shit this novel was, written by TWO acclaimed authors no less. How something like this goes on to sell thousands and thousands of copies is beyond me.... but we do live in the age where '50 Shades Of Grey' is the top-selling book of all time... so maybe I shouldn't be all that surprised.
I find it hard to describe this book without vulgarity, probably because it was an utter waste of my fucking time and extraocular muscles. I won't bore you with the details (and trust me, you'd be sleep-drooling on your keyboard in no time), but the plot walks face-first into walls, the characters make cardboard look like personality plus, the writing is such drivel that it would embarrass most authors, and the ending of the story is the kind that should surely end a writer's career on the same note.
Oh, 'House' is a horror novel all right; I was truly horrified that something like this got published and popularized. When I was done with it I thought about giving the book away to a thrift store, but then felt so bad about passing this waste of wood along and subjecting anyone else to the torment, like it was the videotape in 'The Ring' or something.
The only time I ever think it would have been wise to keep this book around is on the odd occasion I unexpectedly run out of toilet paper.
...I didn't keep this one though.
(Update: I was going to leave it at the two lines above since I'm not particularly fond of a giving a book a bad review, but I just can't let this one get away without giving it a damn good spanking. And so...)
I've read a lot of bad books in my time. And I've probably read worse than this one. But whenever someone asks me what the most terrible book I ever read was, 'House' inevitably springs to mind. To this day I still can't get over what a steaming pile of shit this novel was, written by TWO acclaimed authors no less. How something like this goes on to sell thousands and thousands of copies is beyond me.... but we do live in the age where '50 Shades Of Grey' is the top-selling book of all time... so maybe I shouldn't be all that surprised.
I find it hard to describe this book without vulgarity, probably because it was an utter waste of my fucking time and extraocular muscles. I won't bore you with the details (and trust me, you'd be sleep-drooling on your keyboard in no time), but the plot walks face-first into walls, the characters make cardboard look like personality plus, the writing is such drivel that it would embarrass most authors, and the ending of the story is the kind that should surely end a writer's career on the same note.
Oh, 'House' is a horror novel all right; I was truly horrified that something like this got published and popularized. When I was done with it I thought about giving the book away to a thrift store, but then felt so bad about passing this waste of wood along and subjecting anyone else to the torment, like it was the videotape in 'The Ring' or something.
The only time I ever think it would have been wise to keep this book around is on the odd occasion I unexpectedly run out of toilet paper.
May 4, 2012
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 pretty good example of How Not To Do Constantly Shifting POVs, the characters were one-dimensional and I had no sympathy for any of them, and the ending was unbelievably banal.
Seriously, I only finished reading this because I was on an airplane and didn’t want to run through the books I’d brought too quickly. Apparently it’s soon to be a movie, and honestly, as I was reading it, I was thinking, “This is way too visual, why are you trying to describe it in prose?!”, so maybe it’ll actually work better as a movie. Except the ending will still suck.
edit to change offensive wording
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 pretty good example of How Not To Do Constantly Shifting POVs, the characters were one-dimensional and I had no sympathy for any of them, and the ending was unbelievably banal.
Seriously, I only finished reading this because I was on an airplane and didn’t want to run through the books I’d brought too quickly. Apparently it’s soon to be a movie, and honestly, as I was reading it, I was thinking, “This is way too visual, why are you trying to describe it in prose?!”, so maybe it’ll actually work better as a movie. Except the ending will still suck.
edit to change offensive wording
April 14, 2013
I have never done a review on GoodReads before, but I believe this book merits it...
This is the worst book I have ever read. I'm not just saying that because I disagree with the themes that this story was based on; it was written badly. It was 3rd grade-level bad. It reminded me that any book in the Goosebumps series would be a welcoming divergence, and I'm not exaggerating. Whenever a story has magic or supernatural forces, it needs to have rules so that there is clarity in what is happening throughout it. This book kept changing rules on the reader so frequently and in a less-than-surprising way, that any inconsistencies in supernatural thematic elements couldn't be overlooked because so much came at the reader from out of the blue.
Further negative points:
This 'Tin Man' killer's 3 rules that this book is supposedly based on is really 1 and 1/2 rules. The first rule is "God came to my house and I killed him." That isn't a rule, but a statement that is never brought up later at any point. Also the 3rd rule is merely an amendment to a certain condition of the second rule.
The 'heroes' of this book are told to kill each other by this Tin Man, so what do they do? Discuss killing or not killing each other, rather than discussing the idea of killing this Tin Man. It was like these 4 people tended to do as they were told from the beginning of the book.
Does anyone remember when Stephanie, Jack, Leslie and Randy are talking about Betty, Stewart and Pete existing as inbreeds? I do. I remember a couple offhand remarks during their discussions of their uneasiness with that family. I also remember that it wasn't actually known if they did inbreed, but the author seemed to take his characters' word for it. Like the author fooled himself into believing gossip that he wrote. That REALLY drove me crazy, like I was listening to a drunk friend lie to me.
Gypsies or Roma don't draw pentagrams all over the walls.
The Gypsy mirror was a useless prop. It didn't do anything, other than to exist to be weird. That was really superficial, and it irritated me that everyone seemed to know that mirrors like this are trick mirrors from Gypsy circuses like it is common knowledge. Peretti (or Decker I guess?) really drug Gypsies (Roma) through the mud. I call racism.
This is a short list of tiny tidbits of things I have learned by reading this book:
1. Good people have good manners, and bad people have bad manners.
2. Women hate each other.
3. Women can't do anything on their own. They always need men. Men tend not to need help from women.
4. I don't care what happens to the main characters.
5. Women have feelings. Men know how to get things done.
This book was like watching Mystery Science Theater 3000 without the commentary, so you have to make up your own. It is worth reading for a laugh only when you're in a good mood. I would give more of a plot summary, but the again: what plot? Okay, here goes-->
Four people are stuck in a house that belongs to a family of three stereotypes that the author attempts to superficially convince the reader are bad people. And they are Gypsies. Alert the authorities. A killer named 'Tin Man' traps everyone in this house and we are told that this point in the book is a psychological game of wits, good versus evil, and women making mistakes. People run around, argue, fight, rules get changed back and forth for seemingly no reason other than to keep the story running until page 372, and also there is a vague girl named Susan who is decidedly good and saves the day by saying something along the lines of "listen to your heart, and be good." The two people that we are supposed to like come out alive, so it is a happy ending. We are also supposed to like this Susan character, but she sacrifices herself so that the plot doesn't completely conform to a Lifetime movie storyboard.
That's it. Don't read it. I would give it minus eight stars if I could, but the lowest is one.
This is the worst book I have ever read. I'm not just saying that because I disagree with the themes that this story was based on; it was written badly. It was 3rd grade-level bad. It reminded me that any book in the Goosebumps series would be a welcoming divergence, and I'm not exaggerating. Whenever a story has magic or supernatural forces, it needs to have rules so that there is clarity in what is happening throughout it. This book kept changing rules on the reader so frequently and in a less-than-surprising way, that any inconsistencies in supernatural thematic elements couldn't be overlooked because so much came at the reader from out of the blue.
Further negative points:
This 'Tin Man' killer's 3 rules that this book is supposedly based on is really 1 and 1/2 rules. The first rule is "God came to my house and I killed him." That isn't a rule, but a statement that is never brought up later at any point. Also the 3rd rule is merely an amendment to a certain condition of the second rule.
The 'heroes' of this book are told to kill each other by this Tin Man, so what do they do? Discuss killing or not killing each other, rather than discussing the idea of killing this Tin Man. It was like these 4 people tended to do as they were told from the beginning of the book.
Does anyone remember when Stephanie, Jack, Leslie and Randy are talking about Betty, Stewart and Pete existing as inbreeds? I do. I remember a couple offhand remarks during their discussions of their uneasiness with that family. I also remember that it wasn't actually known if they did inbreed, but the author seemed to take his characters' word for it. Like the author fooled himself into believing gossip that he wrote. That REALLY drove me crazy, like I was listening to a drunk friend lie to me.
Gypsies or Roma don't draw pentagrams all over the walls.
The Gypsy mirror was a useless prop. It didn't do anything, other than to exist to be weird. That was really superficial, and it irritated me that everyone seemed to know that mirrors like this are trick mirrors from Gypsy circuses like it is common knowledge. Peretti (or Decker I guess?) really drug Gypsies (Roma) through the mud. I call racism.
This is a short list of tiny tidbits of things I have learned by reading this book:
1. Good people have good manners, and bad people have bad manners.
2. Women hate each other.
3. Women can't do anything on their own. They always need men. Men tend not to need help from women.
4. I don't care what happens to the main characters.
5. Women have feelings. Men know how to get things done.
This book was like watching Mystery Science Theater 3000 without the commentary, so you have to make up your own. It is worth reading for a laugh only when you're in a good mood. I would give more of a plot summary, but the again: what plot? Okay, here goes-->
Four people are stuck in a house that belongs to a family of three stereotypes that the author attempts to superficially convince the reader are bad people. And they are Gypsies. Alert the authorities. A killer named 'Tin Man' traps everyone in this house and we are told that this point in the book is a psychological game of wits, good versus evil, and women making mistakes. People run around, argue, fight, rules get changed back and forth for seemingly no reason other than to keep the story running until page 372, and also there is a vague girl named Susan who is decidedly good and saves the day by saying something along the lines of "listen to your heart, and be good." The two people that we are supposed to like come out alive, so it is a happy ending. We are also supposed to like this Susan character, but she sacrifices herself so that the plot doesn't completely conform to a Lifetime movie storyboard.
That's it. Don't read it. I would give it minus eight stars if I could, but the lowest is one.
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December 21, 2025
⋮ ⌗ ┆✰ 3 stars || 16+
‧₊˚ ┊ The Review
⁀➷ Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker take us on a journey of self-discovery, spiritual warfare, and thrilling twists and turns. Chocked full of jump scares, mind-boggling instances, and complex characters, you’re guaranteed a read that will not only spook you in the moment, but leave you thinking about the wages of sins and where you will spend eternity.
Despite the wonderful message of this book, the sequence of events is confusing, inconsistent, and never fully explained. The only explanation we get is that it was dark forces, however, I would have preferred some sense of logic used in the house.
The writing was on the cusp of being beautiful. It’s simple enough to have you speed through the novel, but with just enough detail to produce a clear-cut image of the events pertaining to this novel. Though a few words used, like “wimp”, “idiot”, “big baby” etc. took me out of the story since such words were not used in dialogue, but descriptors.
I partially blame my reading slump for why it took me so long to read this book. Some of it was slow spots, chapters of character bickering, and confusing plot points that I had to stew over for a while before continuing. Also, Christmas shopping and wrapping has hindered my time to sit down and enjoy a good book :)
This is a fine substitute to secular mainstream horror novels. This is a book that won’t leave a bad taste in your mouth because of gore, swearing, and other unseemly content, but with an uplifting message, with evil defeated and the power of Jesus prevailing. Though discretion is advised while reading this, as there are some trigger warnings that I explain in my content warnings.
꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷
‧₊˚ ┊ C.A.W.P.I.L.E Overview & Statistics
{ 1 = worst, 5 = best }
✐ᝰ Characters - 3/5
✐ᝰ Atmosphere - 4/5
✐ᝰ Writing - 3/5
✐ᝰ Plot - 3/5
✐ᝰ Intrigue - 3/5
✐ᝰ Logic - 2/5
✐ᝰ Enjoyment - 3/5
Average rating: 3 stars
Age rating: 16+ for violence and possible trigger warnings
Do I recommend? Yes, to certain readers
To whom? fans of clean horror, containing spiritual warfare, themes of redemption, and the message of forgiven sins. Recommended for those not easily spooked
» [Surviving the Game - Skillet] «
0:00 ─〇───── 0:00
⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻
꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷
‧₊˚ ┊ Content Warning
⭑.ᐟ Chirstian
A lot of Christian allegory, the phrase “the wages of sin is death” is said a lot, as well as “love the Lord your God with all your heart” “love your neighbor as yourself” etc. Talk about hell, demons, angels, heaven, and the Son of Man
⭑.ᐟ Sexual
1 non detailed kiss; 3 neck kisses; 3 cheek kisses
A mention of a man taking in a woman’s low rise jeans and then her ringless finger; a mention of a man eyeing a woman as if she were naked; a man looks down a woman’s blouse when she leans across the table; a man takes off his shirt and puts a woman’s hand on his bare chest and she plays along (trying to get out of the situation) by feeling the muscles
A mention of a couple probably going to a room to violate themselves in a room; a mention of seduction; a mention of sex; a few times a woman considers losing herself to a man (vaugely hinted to be sexual); a mention of rape; a mention of perverts; a mention of lust
⭑.ᐟ Language
7 idiot; 2 witch; 1 bimbo; 15 shut up; 1 punk; 8 stupid; 2 stupidest; 1 freaking; 2 stinking; 1 wimp; 3 crap; 1 heck; 1 for goodness sake; 1 whore; 7 for heaven’s sake; 2 dumb; 1 for crying out loud; 1 freaken; 2 idicoy; 1 wench; 1 good grief
2 hellish; 10 hell (the place); 3 hell (to describe what their going through); 2 hellhole; 1 in hell; 1 screwed
1 my Lord; 4 dear God; 13 oh God
⭑.ᐟ Substance Abuse
A mention of alcohol;
⭑.ᐟ Magic
None
⭑.ᐟ LGBTQ+
None
⭑.ᐟ Violence
A girl gets shot; guns shots; a brawl with a gun breaks out between three men; bullets graze a man’s shoulder; a mention of putting a round in a man’s groin; a man gets shot; A man gets kicked in the ribs; a woman bites a man’s hand; a character gets a chunk of ice smashed on her head; a woman gets hit in the head with a spade
A woman bleeds a few times in the beginning for no reason; a man drowns; Jack cuts his palm for a test and he bleeds; a woman gets stabbed in the chest; a knee to the groin; A man slams his fist down on a woman’s head; darts are thrown into a woman’s thigh twice; a body hangs from a noose;
⭑.ᐟ Other
A mention of rat urine; a mention of abuse; Stephanie retches; Stephenie throws up; mentions of dry-heaving
⭑.ᐟ Trigger
Death of a daughter, on-page domestic abuse; hints that two characters were abused as children
DOMESTIC ABUSE TRIGGER WARNING, SLIGHT SPOILERS: a man, Pete, takes a woman, Leslie, to his bedroom and tries to feed her dog food mixed with water, telling her to be a “good wife” and if she doesn’t, she’s a “bad wife.” When she starts crying because she can’t eat it without throwing up, he hits her on the head, picks her up, calling her a “bad wife” and ties her to a bed, spread-eagle, and throws darts into her leg as punishment. She then begs him to stop, telling him she’ll be a “good wife” for him. Pete later than captures Stephanie, the other woman in the house, and tries to do the same thing to her before she’s saved
✧˖° Welcome to my house. House rules: 1: God came to my house and I killed him. 2: I will kill anyone who comes to my house as I killed God. 3: Give me one dead body, and I might let rule two slide. Game over at dawn. ⊹ ࣪ ˖
‧₊˚ ┊ The Review
⁀➷ Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker take us on a journey of self-discovery, spiritual warfare, and thrilling twists and turns. Chocked full of jump scares, mind-boggling instances, and complex characters, you’re guaranteed a read that will not only spook you in the moment, but leave you thinking about the wages of sins and where you will spend eternity.
Despite the wonderful message of this book, the sequence of events is confusing, inconsistent, and never fully explained. The only explanation we get is that it was dark forces, however, I would have preferred some sense of logic used in the house.
The writing was on the cusp of being beautiful. It’s simple enough to have you speed through the novel, but with just enough detail to produce a clear-cut image of the events pertaining to this novel. Though a few words used, like “wimp”, “idiot”, “big baby” etc. took me out of the story since such words were not used in dialogue, but descriptors.
I partially blame my reading slump for why it took me so long to read this book. Some of it was slow spots, chapters of character bickering, and confusing plot points that I had to stew over for a while before continuing. Also, Christmas shopping and wrapping has hindered my time to sit down and enjoy a good book :)
This is a fine substitute to secular mainstream horror novels. This is a book that won’t leave a bad taste in your mouth because of gore, swearing, and other unseemly content, but with an uplifting message, with evil defeated and the power of Jesus prevailing. Though discretion is advised while reading this, as there are some trigger warnings that I explain in my content warnings.
꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷
‧₊˚ ┊ C.A.W.P.I.L.E Overview & Statistics
{ 1 = worst, 5 = best }
✐ᝰ Characters - 3/5
✐ᝰ Atmosphere - 4/5
✐ᝰ Writing - 3/5
✐ᝰ Plot - 3/5
✐ᝰ Intrigue - 3/5
✐ᝰ Logic - 2/5
✐ᝰ Enjoyment - 3/5
Average rating: 3 stars
Age rating: 16+ for violence and possible trigger warnings
Do I recommend? Yes, to certain readers
To whom? fans of clean horror, containing spiritual warfare, themes of redemption, and the message of forgiven sins. Recommended for those not easily spooked
» [Surviving the Game - Skillet] «
0:00 ─〇───── 0:00
⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻
꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷
‧₊˚ ┊ Content Warning
⭑.ᐟ Chirstian
A lot of Christian allegory, the phrase “the wages of sin is death” is said a lot, as well as “love the Lord your God with all your heart” “love your neighbor as yourself” etc. Talk about hell, demons, angels, heaven, and the Son of Man
⭑.ᐟ Sexual
1 non detailed kiss; 3 neck kisses; 3 cheek kisses
A mention of a man taking in a woman’s low rise jeans and then her ringless finger; a mention of a man eyeing a woman as if she were naked; a man looks down a woman’s blouse when she leans across the table; a man takes off his shirt and puts a woman’s hand on his bare chest and she plays along (trying to get out of the situation) by feeling the muscles
A mention of a couple probably going to a room to violate themselves in a room; a mention of seduction; a mention of sex; a few times a woman considers losing herself to a man (vaugely hinted to be sexual); a mention of rape; a mention of perverts; a mention of lust
⭑.ᐟ Language
7 idiot; 2 witch; 1 bimbo; 15 shut up; 1 punk; 8 stupid; 2 stupidest; 1 freaking; 2 stinking; 1 wimp; 3 crap; 1 heck; 1 for goodness sake; 1 whore; 7 for heaven’s sake; 2 dumb; 1 for crying out loud; 1 freaken; 2 idicoy; 1 wench; 1 good grief
2 hellish; 10 hell (the place); 3 hell (to describe what their going through); 2 hellhole; 1 in hell; 1 screwed
1 my Lord; 4 dear God; 13 oh God
⭑.ᐟ Substance Abuse
A mention of alcohol;
⭑.ᐟ Magic
None
⭑.ᐟ LGBTQ+
None
⭑.ᐟ Violence
A girl gets shot; guns shots; a brawl with a gun breaks out between three men; bullets graze a man’s shoulder; a mention of putting a round in a man’s groin; a man gets shot; A man gets kicked in the ribs; a woman bites a man’s hand; a character gets a chunk of ice smashed on her head; a woman gets hit in the head with a spade
A woman bleeds a few times in the beginning for no reason; a man drowns; Jack cuts his palm for a test and he bleeds; a woman gets stabbed in the chest; a knee to the groin; A man slams his fist down on a woman’s head; darts are thrown into a woman’s thigh twice; a body hangs from a noose;
⭑.ᐟ Other
A mention of rat urine; a mention of abuse; Stephanie retches; Stephenie throws up; mentions of dry-heaving
⭑.ᐟ Trigger
Death of a daughter, on-page domestic abuse; hints that two characters were abused as children
DOMESTIC ABUSE TRIGGER WARNING, SLIGHT SPOILERS: a man, Pete, takes a woman, Leslie, to his bedroom and tries to feed her dog food mixed with water, telling her to be a “good wife” and if she doesn’t, she’s a “bad wife.” When she starts crying because she can’t eat it without throwing up, he hits her on the head, picks her up, calling her a “bad wife” and ties her to a bed, spread-eagle, and throws darts into her leg as punishment. She then begs him to stop, telling him she’ll be a “good wife” for him. Pete later than captures Stephanie, the other woman in the house, and tries to do the same thing to her before she’s saved
November 30, 2025
I was so utterly bored I’m sorry.
December 29, 2007
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 concentrated so much on the horror, the burning smoke, the "Saw" type dilemna of will they/won't they kill to live, that it was just boring. It drug on and on and on, with all the main characters stuck in the basement. I didn't even care if they ever got out. I was ready to just shoot them all to be free of their petty bickering!
The only bright hope in this entire black hole of story telling was one little girl, and you weren't even certain if she was good or a trick of the mind. A small smidgeon of good to justify the tidal wave of evil? I don't think it works that way. Sure, just one drop of the blood of Jesus washes away a multitude of sins, but it does so magnificently. It doesn't fade away into the woods with the shadow of the devil still lurking in the windows!
Peretti and Dekker wrote such great novels that crossed over into the non-christian market before this collaboration. I can't imagine why they felt the need to sell out at this point in their carreers! Now I'm afraid to read anything else by either of them. Please tell me it's safe to go back into the water - someone - anyone. Give me the all clear sign.
WARNING - SPOILER ALERT
These guys could have really written something worthwhile, a book with a great lesson taught ever-so-subtly. Instead, they concentrated so much on the horror, the burning smoke, the "Saw" type dilemna of will they/won't they kill to live, that it was just boring. It drug on and on and on, with all the main characters stuck in the basement. I didn't even care if they ever got out. I was ready to just shoot them all to be free of their petty bickering!
The only bright hope in this entire black hole of story telling was one little girl, and you weren't even certain if she was good or a trick of the mind. A small smidgeon of good to justify the tidal wave of evil? I don't think it works that way. Sure, just one drop of the blood of Jesus washes away a multitude of sins, but it does so magnificently. It doesn't fade away into the woods with the shadow of the devil still lurking in the windows!
Peretti and Dekker wrote such great novels that crossed over into the non-christian market before this collaboration. I can't imagine why they felt the need to sell out at this point in their carreers! Now I'm afraid to read anything else by either of them. Please tell me it's safe to go back into the water - someone - anyone. Give me the all clear sign.
May 13, 2011
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 they NEVER turned out well... yeah that's pretty much what this was. The scenes didn't fit together. The characters changed dramatically. Oh, and you really didn't care if any (or all) of them winded up victims of Tin Man. Ugh... I wish I could give no stars.
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 they NEVER turned out well... yeah that's pretty much what this was. The scenes didn't fit together. The characters changed dramatically. Oh, and you really didn't care if any (or all) of them winded up victims of Tin Man. Ugh... I wish I could give no stars.
June 18, 2010
"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.
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.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2010
Why, why did I waste time reading this book when I could have been...Oh, I don't know, scrubbing the bathroom floor with a toothbrush? It's one of those crappy horror "thrillers" that make you feel kind of dirty when you're done. I do admit to finishing the book-- a fast read despite its gargantuan hardcover size-- but only because it held my interest JUST ENOUGH to wonder if it would improve. Like when they introduced Susan's character, I was muttering to myself, "Well, maybe this will liven things up," but no. By the midpoint I was hoping every one of them would die.
I don't need a horror novel to be literary revelation, but I do want to have some sympathy for the characters and have my flesh crawl a little, neither of which I experienced with this story. At least it came from the library.
I don't need a horror novel to be literary revelation, but I do want to have some sympathy for the characters and have my flesh crawl a little, neither of which I experienced with this story. At least it came from the library.
July 29, 2020
Review coming Soon
July 20, 2017
Huh. That was rather different.
How does one describe House? Weird? Creepy? Intriguing? Mind-bending? Unnerving?
It's all those things, really. I don't think there's any way to define a Dekker book. (Because yes, this read MUCH more like a Dekker book than a Peretti one, in my opinion.)
Annnnd that's probably why my thoughts are as jumbled as trail mix right now.
Okay, so the creepy factor? VERY HIGH. Don't do what I did and read this while pulling an all-nighter, folks. It will freak you out to see your clock correspond with the time in the book, trust me. It's obvious that both authors have a lot of experience writing thrillers because wowwwww. This was a wild ride! And a (possibly) little-known fact about me: I like getting scared by books. IT'S ACTUALLY FUN?? So I was pleased by how terrified this book made me. ;)
Now. The characters. They're rather interesting because the deal is that they have to kill someone in order to live. That's one of the House rules. So throughout the course of the night, they...um...go crazy basically? The House messes with their minds, and they start to turn on each other and everything. SO YEAH. They aren't likable characters for the most part. Buuuut this book does present a really clear picture of human nature which was, for lack of a better word, unnerving. This was well-done, fascinating, but also kind of disturbing. After all, watching people succumb to the evil in their hearts and think about murdering each other is not exactly easy to read. :P I have very mixed feelings about the characters. The development was great, and I really do think that the authors are masterful storytellers, but it was really disturbing to see the things they thought/did.
And of course, there's the allegory. Ah yes. Dekker-style allegory. XD I'm...not really a fan of it? Again, mixed feelings here. On the one hand: WOW THIS IS BRILLIANT. I would have never thought of spinning an allegory like this. But on the other hand: I AM REALLY DISTURBED. Which basically sums up my entire relationship with Dekker books currently.
CONTENT:
Tons of violence. Characters shoot/stab/punch/kick/etc. Lots of murderous rage/thoughts by the characters. Disturbing scenes involving one character who has a *cough* thing for the female characters. There isn't any cursing, but the h-word is used a lot to describe the place. I wouldn't recommend anybody sensitive to violence or darkness in books to read this. Definitely at least 16+.
Overall? I'd say this book held me spellbound in disturbed fascination. It was creepy, it gave me chills, and it did make me think. And that's more than I can say about some thrillers. I just don't think Dekker's books and I mix very well so far.
3 stars
How does one describe House? Weird? Creepy? Intriguing? Mind-bending? Unnerving?
It's all those things, really. I don't think there's any way to define a Dekker book. (Because yes, this read MUCH more like a Dekker book than a Peretti one, in my opinion.)
Annnnd that's probably why my thoughts are as jumbled as trail mix right now.
Okay, so the creepy factor? VERY HIGH. Don't do what I did and read this while pulling an all-nighter, folks. It will freak you out to see your clock correspond with the time in the book, trust me. It's obvious that both authors have a lot of experience writing thrillers because wowwwww. This was a wild ride! And a (possibly) little-known fact about me: I like getting scared by books. IT'S ACTUALLY FUN?? So I was pleased by how terrified this book made me. ;)
Now. The characters. They're rather interesting because the deal is that they have to kill someone in order to live. That's one of the House rules. So throughout the course of the night, they...um...go crazy basically? The House messes with their minds, and they start to turn on each other and everything. SO YEAH. They aren't likable characters for the most part. Buuuut this book does present a really clear picture of human nature which was, for lack of a better word, unnerving. This was well-done, fascinating, but also kind of disturbing. After all, watching people succumb to the evil in their hearts and think about murdering each other is not exactly easy to read. :P I have very mixed feelings about the characters. The development was great, and I really do think that the authors are masterful storytellers, but it was really disturbing to see the things they thought/did.
And of course, there's the allegory. Ah yes. Dekker-style allegory. XD I'm...not really a fan of it? Again, mixed feelings here. On the one hand: WOW THIS IS BRILLIANT. I would have never thought of spinning an allegory like this. But on the other hand: I AM REALLY DISTURBED. Which basically sums up my entire relationship with Dekker books currently.
CONTENT:
Tons of violence. Characters shoot/stab/punch/kick/etc. Lots of murderous rage/thoughts by the characters. Disturbing scenes involving one character who has a *cough* thing for the female characters. There isn't any cursing, but the h-word is used a lot to describe the place. I wouldn't recommend anybody sensitive to violence or darkness in books to read this. Definitely at least 16+.
Overall? I'd say this book held me spellbound in disturbed fascination. It was creepy, it gave me chills, and it did make me think. And that's more than I can say about some thrillers. I just don't think Dekker's books and I mix very well so far.
3 stars
August 15, 2014
Wow am I furious at having been so blatantly mislead by the summary of this book. So let me give you the actual run down. If you enjoy books by Stephen King.............don't read this because you will question your life choices until you die and also wonder how some people ever even get their books published.
If you HATE books by Stephen King because you wish that he didn't know how to write believable characters or progress plot lines in any way or write stories people actually want to read and you also wish he had a not so secret religious agenda that he was shoving down you're throat while not actually intriguing or scaring you in the slightest........ WELL YOU'RE IN LUCK, MY FRIEND!
Because that is exactly what this piece of trash book is all about. This will be my first and last book by either of these authors. What an absolute nightmare, and NOT the kind I signed up for.
If you HATE books by Stephen King because you wish that he didn't know how to write believable characters or progress plot lines in any way or write stories people actually want to read and you also wish he had a not so secret religious agenda that he was shoving down you're throat while not actually intriguing or scaring you in the slightest........ WELL YOU'RE IN LUCK, MY FRIEND!
Because that is exactly what this piece of trash book is all about. This will be my first and last book by either of these authors. What an absolute nightmare, and NOT the kind I signed up for.
February 14, 2017
For all of my reviews, visit https://theblondelikesbooks.wordpress...
House is a supernatural thriller about seven people who end up in a house together. Shortly after arriving, odd things start happening and getting progressively worse. It culminates when a tin can is thrown into the house with three rules for the game.
1. God came to my house and I killed him
2. I will kill anyone who does to my house and I killed God
3. Give me one dead body, and I might let rule two slide
Now everyone in the house has to decide who to kill if anyone, and who is behind the tin can.
I'm sorry that my last few reviews have been negative ones, but this is another one I didn't love. I really wanted to read a good supernatural horror - I LOVE scary movies, especially when they have to do with demons/hauntings/possession, etc. Based on the description of this book, I thought I'd found a winner. I did not. I've heard great things about Ted Dekker, and this was my first book by him, and it was a let down. After I finished reading the book and composing my thoughts, I read a few reviews and it sounds like this was not his normal caliber of work, so I'm still open to giving him another chance.
To me, the book felt really convoluted. There were so many perspective jumps that it was hard to keep track of who was in which room of the house, and where each room led. You'd think that those things wouldn't matter, but so much of the book was spent talking about those things, that it kind of did. Also, on a more pedantic note, it bothered me that of the three "rules" only one could even sort of be interpreted as a rule. The other two were just statements!
For a book that is supposed to be a supernatural horror, I didn't feel scared, tense, or on edge at all. The characters fell flat to me and had little to no personality, and the personality they did have was crappy, so I wasn't really rooting for them to get out alive anyway. I was shocked at how many parts of the book felt boring.
Lastly, this book evolved into a completely different story than how it started. It was a blatant good vs. evil, god vs. the devil sort of story, with angels and the repenting your sins...the whole nine yards. I wasn't aware going in that the authors were writers of Christian books, and I want to be VERY clear that I have nothing at all against that, and that I only bring it up because had I known that going in, I could have guessed the ending and would have skipped this book all together. It never got preachy, which I appreciate, but the moral of the story was very clear.
Overall, this one just didn't do it for me. I don't read horror very often but after reading the first Mara Dyer book and expecting a book about a girl who was possessed (which it is not!) I've been in the mood for one. If you have a good scary horror book that you can recommend, let me know down in the comments!
House is a supernatural thriller about seven people who end up in a house together. Shortly after arriving, odd things start happening and getting progressively worse. It culminates when a tin can is thrown into the house with three rules for the game.
1. God came to my house and I killed him
2. I will kill anyone who does to my house and I killed God
3. Give me one dead body, and I might let rule two slide
Now everyone in the house has to decide who to kill if anyone, and who is behind the tin can.
I'm sorry that my last few reviews have been negative ones, but this is another one I didn't love. I really wanted to read a good supernatural horror - I LOVE scary movies, especially when they have to do with demons/hauntings/possession, etc. Based on the description of this book, I thought I'd found a winner. I did not. I've heard great things about Ted Dekker, and this was my first book by him, and it was a let down. After I finished reading the book and composing my thoughts, I read a few reviews and it sounds like this was not his normal caliber of work, so I'm still open to giving him another chance.
To me, the book felt really convoluted. There were so many perspective jumps that it was hard to keep track of who was in which room of the house, and where each room led. You'd think that those things wouldn't matter, but so much of the book was spent talking about those things, that it kind of did. Also, on a more pedantic note, it bothered me that of the three "rules" only one could even sort of be interpreted as a rule. The other two were just statements!
For a book that is supposed to be a supernatural horror, I didn't feel scared, tense, or on edge at all. The characters fell flat to me and had little to no personality, and the personality they did have was crappy, so I wasn't really rooting for them to get out alive anyway. I was shocked at how many parts of the book felt boring.
Lastly, this book evolved into a completely different story than how it started. It was a blatant good vs. evil, god vs. the devil sort of story, with angels and the repenting your sins...the whole nine yards. I wasn't aware going in that the authors were writers of Christian books, and I want to be VERY clear that I have nothing at all against that, and that I only bring it up because had I known that going in, I could have guessed the ending and would have skipped this book all together. It never got preachy, which I appreciate, but the moral of the story was very clear.
Overall, this one just didn't do it for me. I don't read horror very often but after reading the first Mara Dyer book and expecting a book about a girl who was possessed (which it is not!) I've been in the mood for one. If you have a good scary horror book that you can recommend, let me know down in the comments!
March 14, 2019
OMG but this was TERRIBLE! I only finished it because it was a buddy-read situation for Litsy. It's even more horrible because they took my favorite trope--the haunted house--and totally ruined it. Problems with this book:
1. Characters are unlikable (forgivable) and one-dimensional (unforgivable!). My only regret is that some of them survived the ending.
2. The plot is too much. It's like a mashup of all different types of horror stories. You've got the homicidal hillbillies living in the house (threat #1). Then we meet The Stranger Who Shows Up Randomly to Kill You for His Own Amusement--AKA the Tin Man AKA White (threat #2). Finally, because this is apparently not enough, the house in which all of this is transpiring is HAUNTED (threat #3). What that results in is this frenetic activity that makes absolutely no sense. None of the three plotlines can be fully developed because of the other two jostling for page space. So we have this random group of stupids running around like chickens with their heads cut off, being attacked on all sides by hillbillies, a homicidal stranger, and the house itself. The house pretty much limits its attacks to slamming and locking doors and pulling the old switcheroo on locations. Rooms appear and disappear, grow and shrink in size, and change places. It's like the Torrances arrive at the Overlook to find they have to deal not only with the ghosts but the separate entity of a carnivorous clown and an army of vampires, as well. There's no suspense--there's no time for suspense! None of it is ever really explained, either, because who has time for that?
3. The writing itself is simplistic and amateurish. It's hard to believe that this was the collaboration between two well-known authors. I haven't really read anything else by either of these guys, and am now certainly not eager to. Are both of them lacking in talent, or was one of them more responsible for actually putting pen to paper than the other? Did their collaboration have a supernatural effect on them, their writing abilities canceling each other out? It's a mystery that I will probably never solve. Life is too short and there is too much GOOD reading material out there to try to puzzle out the reasons behind the bad.
So, horror fans, take my advice and don't waste your time with this one.
1. Characters are unlikable (forgivable) and one-dimensional (unforgivable!). My only regret is that some of them survived the ending.
2. The plot is too much. It's like a mashup of all different types of horror stories. You've got the homicidal hillbillies living in the house (threat #1). Then we meet The Stranger Who Shows Up Randomly to Kill You for His Own Amusement--AKA the Tin Man AKA White (threat #2). Finally, because this is apparently not enough, the house in which all of this is transpiring is HAUNTED (threat #3). What that results in is this frenetic activity that makes absolutely no sense. None of the three plotlines can be fully developed because of the other two jostling for page space. So we have this random group of stupids running around like chickens with their heads cut off, being attacked on all sides by hillbillies, a homicidal stranger, and the house itself. The house pretty much limits its attacks to slamming and locking doors and pulling the old switcheroo on locations. Rooms appear and disappear, grow and shrink in size, and change places. It's like the Torrances arrive at the Overlook to find they have to deal not only with the ghosts but the separate entity of a carnivorous clown and an army of vampires, as well. There's no suspense--there's no time for suspense! None of it is ever really explained, either, because who has time for that?
3. The writing itself is simplistic and amateurish. It's hard to believe that this was the collaboration between two well-known authors. I haven't really read anything else by either of these guys, and am now certainly not eager to. Are both of them lacking in talent, or was one of them more responsible for actually putting pen to paper than the other? Did their collaboration have a supernatural effect on them, their writing abilities canceling each other out? It's a mystery that I will probably never solve. Life is too short and there is too much GOOD reading material out there to try to puzzle out the reasons behind the bad.
So, horror fans, take my advice and don't waste your time with this one.
March 31, 2017
It's my first time to read a book from Dekker and/or Peretti so I don't have any expectations whatsoever to what will I read. I've just started reading the book and hope for the best.
You can guess my hope didn't amount to what I've got in the end. I'm disappointed with this novel. It started with a generic setup and ends with a deus ex machina. The in-between is kind of good and bad at the same time.
I've been entertained with some parts. I've got scared, even thrilled and emphatized with the characters even they are one-dimensional. It also comes to the point that I understand the characters and their actions, their thoughts and feelings. That the game they are playing with the killer/s is testing them and pushing them to their limits and capacities. Physically, mentally, emotionally, even spiritually.
But, there are parts that it feels like the authors are trying so hard just to make the story scary, shocking and compelling for readers. There are plot devices that are plain unbelievable and eye-roll worthy. I just can't accept them. Oh well, I never read a Christian fiction before so that was probably the reason it was hard for me to accept them.
To sum it up, House is a generic suspense-thriller with a weak, perplexing plot and ridiculous resolution/climax.
You can guess my hope didn't amount to what I've got in the end. I'm disappointed with this novel. It started with a generic setup and ends with a deus ex machina. The in-between is kind of good and bad at the same time.
I've been entertained with some parts. I've got scared, even thrilled and emphatized with the characters even they are one-dimensional. It also comes to the point that I understand the characters and their actions, their thoughts and feelings. That the game they are playing with the killer/s is testing them and pushing them to their limits and capacities. Physically, mentally, emotionally, even spiritually.
But, there are parts that it feels like the authors are trying so hard just to make the story scary, shocking and compelling for readers. There are plot devices that are plain unbelievable and eye-roll worthy. I just can't accept them. Oh well, I never read a Christian fiction before so that was probably the reason it was hard for me to accept them.
To sum it up, House is a generic suspense-thriller with a weak, perplexing plot and ridiculous resolution/climax.
April 10, 2018
3,5
El libro empieza con todo, engancha desde las primeras páginas. Más o menos en la mitad del libro se hace un poco pesado y confuso, por lo cual se me presentaron algunas dificultades a la hora de entender qué estaba ocurriendo en dicha casa. Llegando al final retoma bastante bien, pero su desenlace toma un tinte religioso que no fue de mi agrado. Es una historia amena y muy recomendable, quizá me hubiera gustado que en ciertas oportunidades no resultara tan rebuscado.
El libro empieza con todo, engancha desde las primeras páginas. Más o menos en la mitad del libro se hace un poco pesado y confuso, por lo cual se me presentaron algunas dificultades a la hora de entender qué estaba ocurriendo en dicha casa. Llegando al final retoma bastante bien, pero su desenlace toma un tinte religioso que no fue de mi agrado. Es una historia amena y muy recomendable, quizá me hubiera gustado que en ciertas oportunidades no resultara tan rebuscado.
March 13, 2016
So, I made the mistake of only bringing this book on a week-long camping trip.
It was a really big mistake.
This book was dull, badly written, and forced. And that's the good stuff I have to say about it. The characters were so badly handled that I had trouble reading it. They had no depth and could have been left out of the story with no major impact.
It deals horribly with abuse victims and is an insult to published works.
I wish I could have rated this 0/5 but unfortunately that isn't a choice.
Save yourself the time and don't read this book. Don't even pick it up. It's not worth it.
It was a really big mistake.
This book was dull, badly written, and forced. And that's the good stuff I have to say about it. The characters were so badly handled that I had trouble reading it. They had no depth and could have been left out of the story with no major impact.
It deals horribly with abuse victims and is an insult to published works.
I wish I could have rated this 0/5 but unfortunately that isn't a choice.
Save yourself the time and don't read this book. Don't even pick it up. It's not worth it.
June 11, 2014
There should be an option on this site called, "Accidentally Read."
You know when you watch a glass vase fall- and in that split second right before it hits the floor, you're like, "Oh no! That's going to be horrible when it shatters." I spent the entire time reading this book with that in mind.
Shallow characters battled with one dimensional personal problems while being chased around by swamp people, a redneck in a tin can, and a little girl that happened to be Jesus. The entire book was like watching a cake get made with cement. You just wanted to scream, "STAHP."
By the end of the book, the inbred antagonists were almost being celebrated for being god fearing, while the paper doll-like protagonists were being punished for fucking, making money, and being young. The entire story was a pulsating mess of convoluted ideas all ending in some sort of weird "Come to Jesus, or you'll be eaten by a magical basement; also don't get divorced even though you're both selfish ham wallets who could probably do better-" type message.
I can respect a book with a christian undertone; but not this one. This was a glorified horror story that didn't know whether it was supposed to "mind freak" you, or take you on a 300 page guilt trip for not being up to par with the god fearing dog food eaters.
*crash*
You know when you watch a glass vase fall- and in that split second right before it hits the floor, you're like, "Oh no! That's going to be horrible when it shatters." I spent the entire time reading this book with that in mind.
Shallow characters battled with one dimensional personal problems while being chased around by swamp people, a redneck in a tin can, and a little girl that happened to be Jesus. The entire book was like watching a cake get made with cement. You just wanted to scream, "STAHP."
By the end of the book, the inbred antagonists were almost being celebrated for being god fearing, while the paper doll-like protagonists were being punished for fucking, making money, and being young. The entire story was a pulsating mess of convoluted ideas all ending in some sort of weird "Come to Jesus, or you'll be eaten by a magical basement; also don't get divorced even though you're both selfish ham wallets who could probably do better-" type message.
I can respect a book with a christian undertone; but not this one. This was a glorified horror story that didn't know whether it was supposed to "mind freak" you, or take you on a 300 page guilt trip for not being up to par with the god fearing dog food eaters.
*crash*
February 18, 2010
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 it to the reader who enjoys and anticipates the fear of what might be around the corner, what might be happening, and who you can trust.
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 it to the reader who enjoys and anticipates the fear of what might be around the corner, what might be happening, and who you can trust.
September 28, 2011
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 dark being Satan. Just like in real life the light defeats the darkness. But to find out how you will have to read this intense book!
July 30, 2018
I hated this book. The writing was very basic, the characters were often moronic and not worthy of any emotional investment, and the story was lackluster. The religious aspect was the little turd cherry on this shit sundae.
The one good thing about this book is that once you read even a little bit, you'll be inspired to write your own novel. If this can get published, anything can.
The one good thing about this book is that once you read even a little bit, you'll be inspired to write your own novel. If this can get published, anything can.
October 13, 2017
House has been on my shelf for a couple of years, and it was one of the novels I didn’t make it to on last year’s spooky October list. I made it first this year to be sure I actually got to it, and I’m sorry that I bothered. I read and liked Frank Peretti’s Veritas Project novels when I was younger, but they in no way prepared me for this. There’s a lot of bitterness ahead; you may want to bring an umbrella. Spoilers will be clearly marked. Trigger warning: rape.
Two couples find themselves trapped in a house in the middle of nowhere while a killer stalks them. Once they’re forced into the basement of the house, the killer preys upon their worst fears and tries to convince them to kill each other before dawn.
I reserve one star ratings for that special blend of structural and ethical failure. This book isn’t just a disaster of bad writing; it’s actually offensive. In a year and a half of running a book blog, I’ve never had to give something one star because there’s almost always something redeemable about a novel, even if it isn’t for me. But the more I thought about House, the angrier I got.
Let’s start with structural failures, since that’s usually what I focus on in my reviews. I care about how novels are put together, about how they work or don’t work, and this novel doesn’t work. The beginning is a mess of horror cliches, from the car breaking down to the creepy, backwoods family living in the only house for miles. There are rip offs from any number of horror films, and House brings nothing new to the concepts. The middle is a lot of aimless running through rooms in the basement that could never logically exist, with no attempt at explanation, and then it just spirals into absurdity. White wants them to kill each other; in a game based on sin, it doesn’t make sense for any of the characters to think that murder will help them win. For a horror novel, there’s nothing remotely frightening about it except how awful it is.
A big part of this failure is in character. I don’t care for novels where every single character is a selfish jerk; they’re not even unlikable in an interesting way. Randy is a cliche of a male villain, and Stephanie is so vapid it’s almost criminal. Along with the outright violence against the female characters, there’s a casual sort of sexism going on as well. The girls are frequently slapped or told to shut up, even though they’re hardly the most offensive characters on the page.
As for the thematic failures, I should point out that I’m not the audience for this book. Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker are well-known Christian writers, and I don’t particularly subscribe to that faith. The thing is, I shouldn’t have to. If the book is well-written, it has the potential to appeal to anyone, and I’ve been moved by Christian subtext in the past. (Supernatural? Constantine? Love them. You don’t have to believe in heaven and hell and redemption to love them.) But the mythology is so shallow and so beaten over the head of the reader that it’s nauseating. There’s no attempt at subtlety, or even at bringing a new angle to old ideas. It’s as flat and tasteless as the rest of the novel.
What bothers me most about House is the overall message that all the characters are SINNERS and ATHEISTS who should be punished. There’s a long tradition in scary movies that characters who “sin” will die first (no drinking, no drugs, no sex), and it’s not even slasher movies that have taken this up; the entire Saw franchise is based on punishing so-called evildoers. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t like any of the characters in House, but that doesn’t mean they deserve what happens to them, and I dislike the very heavy-handed implication that they do.
The worst part is, again, the sexist implications this has for the women. There’s an underlying message that Leslie deserves to be violated by Pete because she’s a whore, and I’m about eighty-seven kinds of uncomfortable and pissed off about that. It’s rape apology at its finest hiding behind so-called faith, and I’m so offended I almost threw this book in the garbage. I’m not sure it’s doing anyone a favor to donate it. (Also, I hope that line about White really being black is metaphorical, or we have a whole other set of problems.)
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. TURN BACK BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.
The failure to make sense of all the rooms in the basement is poorly explained away by saying it’s a reflection of the characters’ insides. Er, okay? That’s actually worse, since Leslie is the only one for whom this parallel really makes sense, and it’s outright offensive. Then there’s the fact that Lawdale is the villain. There’s a big reveal for it toward the end of the novel, as though we’d never seen a single horror movie. Naturally, he’s in on it; he’s the one who leads them off the trail to begin with. Susan, save us sinners and feminists from this bad writing.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
Two couples find themselves trapped in a house in the middle of nowhere while a killer stalks them. Once they’re forced into the basement of the house, the killer preys upon their worst fears and tries to convince them to kill each other before dawn.
I reserve one star ratings for that special blend of structural and ethical failure. This book isn’t just a disaster of bad writing; it’s actually offensive. In a year and a half of running a book blog, I’ve never had to give something one star because there’s almost always something redeemable about a novel, even if it isn’t for me. But the more I thought about House, the angrier I got.
Let’s start with structural failures, since that’s usually what I focus on in my reviews. I care about how novels are put together, about how they work or don’t work, and this novel doesn’t work. The beginning is a mess of horror cliches, from the car breaking down to the creepy, backwoods family living in the only house for miles. There are rip offs from any number of horror films, and House brings nothing new to the concepts. The middle is a lot of aimless running through rooms in the basement that could never logically exist, with no attempt at explanation, and then it just spirals into absurdity. White wants them to kill each other; in a game based on sin, it doesn’t make sense for any of the characters to think that murder will help them win. For a horror novel, there’s nothing remotely frightening about it except how awful it is.
A big part of this failure is in character. I don’t care for novels where every single character is a selfish jerk; they’re not even unlikable in an interesting way. Randy is a cliche of a male villain, and Stephanie is so vapid it’s almost criminal. Along with the outright violence against the female characters, there’s a casual sort of sexism going on as well. The girls are frequently slapped or told to shut up, even though they’re hardly the most offensive characters on the page.
As for the thematic failures, I should point out that I’m not the audience for this book. Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker are well-known Christian writers, and I don’t particularly subscribe to that faith. The thing is, I shouldn’t have to. If the book is well-written, it has the potential to appeal to anyone, and I’ve been moved by Christian subtext in the past. (Supernatural? Constantine? Love them. You don’t have to believe in heaven and hell and redemption to love them.) But the mythology is so shallow and so beaten over the head of the reader that it’s nauseating. There’s no attempt at subtlety, or even at bringing a new angle to old ideas. It’s as flat and tasteless as the rest of the novel.
What bothers me most about House is the overall message that all the characters are SINNERS and ATHEISTS who should be punished. There’s a long tradition in scary movies that characters who “sin” will die first (no drinking, no drugs, no sex), and it’s not even slasher movies that have taken this up; the entire Saw franchise is based on punishing so-called evildoers. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t like any of the characters in House, but that doesn’t mean they deserve what happens to them, and I dislike the very heavy-handed implication that they do.
The worst part is, again, the sexist implications this has for the women. There’s an underlying message that Leslie deserves to be violated by Pete because she’s a whore, and I’m about eighty-seven kinds of uncomfortable and pissed off about that. It’s rape apology at its finest hiding behind so-called faith, and I’m so offended I almost threw this book in the garbage. I’m not sure it’s doing anyone a favor to donate it. (Also, I hope that line about White really being black is metaphorical, or we have a whole other set of problems.)
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. TURN BACK BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.
The failure to make sense of all the rooms in the basement is poorly explained away by saying it’s a reflection of the characters’ insides. Er, okay? That’s actually worse, since Leslie is the only one for whom this parallel really makes sense, and it’s outright offensive. Then there’s the fact that Lawdale is the villain. There’s a big reveal for it toward the end of the novel, as though we’d never seen a single horror movie. Naturally, he’s in on it; he’s the one who leads them off the trail to begin with. Susan, save us sinners and feminists from this bad writing.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
January 13, 2013
I have read books by Frank Peretti that I really liked. The Visitation is one of my favorite books. There are other books By Mr. Peretti that I don't care for at all and some that fall in between. On the other hand I've never read a book by Mr. Dekker that I liked. I've wanted to, I've tried to but I just didn't care for them.
So, here's another I just didn't care for. Personally (and of course the opinions here are my own) I think the book fails as both theological teaching and horror. I appreciate that others will disagree and that's fine. I'll take a moment here to say why I don't care for the book then you can decide for yourself.
First in the spirit of complete disclosure the book pushes a couple of my hot buttons. The first is well...I grew up in the Smokey Mountains. I hate to shatter anyone's assumptions but the majority of the people who live or have lived in the eastern mountains are not pictured by the characters in Deliverance. The stereotype of the homicidal, inbred hillbilly is one of the things that's guaranteed to start a book or movie out with a down-check it will have to overcome...at least from me. As I said I grew up in the mountains and I knew lots of poor people who lived in rundown houses without being dangerous, inbred or whatever.
Second the theme of the lesson portion of the book. .
Theologically I think the entire idea of grace could have been...more present???? Better handled???? well, decide for yourself.
So, didn't care for the book...decide what you think. To each their own taste I guess.
So, here's another I just didn't care for. Personally (and of course the opinions here are my own) I think the book fails as both theological teaching and horror. I appreciate that others will disagree and that's fine. I'll take a moment here to say why I don't care for the book then you can decide for yourself.
First in the spirit of complete disclosure the book pushes a couple of my hot buttons. The first is well...I grew up in the Smokey Mountains. I hate to shatter anyone's assumptions but the majority of the people who live or have lived in the eastern mountains are not pictured by the characters in Deliverance. The stereotype of the homicidal, inbred hillbilly is one of the things that's guaranteed to start a book or movie out with a down-check it will have to overcome...at least from me. As I said I grew up in the mountains and I knew lots of poor people who lived in rundown houses without being dangerous, inbred or whatever.
Second the theme of the lesson portion of the book. .
Theologically I think the entire idea of grace could have been...more present???? Better handled???? well, decide for yourself.
So, didn't care for the book...decide what you think. To each their own taste I guess.
July 23, 2009
Picked up this book as a result of watching the associated movie one night. The movie had a lot of potential, so I thought the book would be interesting as well. What I found was a poorly written, insipid horror story with a thinly veiled Christian agenda.
I tried my best to power through the book, even though I had lost interest in the first couple of chapters, but finally had to just put it down for good about 3/4 of the way through it. The line that finally did me in was "he pulled out one of his revolvers and checked the clip"... C'mon, the editor that let that gem fly by should be shot with said "revolver".
I tried my best to power through the book, even though I had lost interest in the first couple of chapters, but finally had to just put it down for good about 3/4 of the way through it. The line that finally did me in was "he pulled out one of his revolvers and checked the clip"... C'mon, the editor that let that gem fly by should be shot with said "revolver".
March 8, 2012
I have only one word for this book: BO-RING! Well, okay maybe there are two: BO-RING and CONFUSING!! But let's start with the basics. First and foremost: SPOILER ALERT, please read no further if you don't want to be spoiled.
Jack and Stephanie are married. They are driving through the middle of a rural area to go see their marriage counselor. You get the feeling that something really bad happened in their relationship but you don't quite know what. Jack is bitter and resentful toward his wife, who appears to be the queen of disconnecting and denial. They get stopped by Officer Lawdale and told that the road is closed and they will have to take a detour. On the way down this detour they have car trouble. And in this context car trouble means running over a strip of nails left in the middle of the road. They travel to an inn to get a room for the evening and meet Randy and Leslie, who had the same experience with their car. From here, things get bad when the owners of the inn; Stewart, Betty and their disturbed son Pete, inform them that "White" is coming to kill them.
So that's the basic premise, sounds promising right? I thought so too. Add in the fact that it is a collaboration of two of the most respected names in the horror genre and I was ready to settle into a terrifying thrill ride. And boy was I disappointed. The following are my main issues with this book:
1. All the characters are so stupid and unlikable you almost want them to all die. They are pathetic and mostly run around trying to save their own skin and being scared. Personally, I wanted to see them fail and fall victim to the serial killer.
2. You really have no idea why the serial killer chose these people. Sure he seems motivated by sin, but none of these people are really THAT bad. They are pathetic and weak but not evil, but that's what you're expected to believe.
3. It reads too much like a movie script. Have the book is written in prose and its very difficult to visualize. As a movie it might work, but as a book it just made my head hurt.
4. You never actually get any answers. Maybe the house was possessed. Maybe it was the work of demons. Maybe Susan was an angel, maybe she wasn't. Maybe by accepting their fate Jack and Stephanie escaped the house, but why? They won't tell you.
Ultimately I was left unsatisfied and disappointed. Hopefully these two authors do better work on their own, because this collaboration was a failure.
Jack and Stephanie are married. They are driving through the middle of a rural area to go see their marriage counselor. You get the feeling that something really bad happened in their relationship but you don't quite know what. Jack is bitter and resentful toward his wife, who appears to be the queen of disconnecting and denial. They get stopped by Officer Lawdale and told that the road is closed and they will have to take a detour. On the way down this detour they have car trouble. And in this context car trouble means running over a strip of nails left in the middle of the road. They travel to an inn to get a room for the evening and meet Randy and Leslie, who had the same experience with their car. From here, things get bad when the owners of the inn; Stewart, Betty and their disturbed son Pete, inform them that "White" is coming to kill them.
So that's the basic premise, sounds promising right? I thought so too. Add in the fact that it is a collaboration of two of the most respected names in the horror genre and I was ready to settle into a terrifying thrill ride. And boy was I disappointed. The following are my main issues with this book:
1. All the characters are so stupid and unlikable you almost want them to all die. They are pathetic and mostly run around trying to save their own skin and being scared. Personally, I wanted to see them fail and fall victim to the serial killer.
2. You really have no idea why the serial killer chose these people. Sure he seems motivated by sin, but none of these people are really THAT bad. They are pathetic and weak but not evil, but that's what you're expected to believe.
3. It reads too much like a movie script. Have the book is written in prose and its very difficult to visualize. As a movie it might work, but as a book it just made my head hurt.
4. You never actually get any answers. Maybe the house was possessed. Maybe it was the work of demons. Maybe Susan was an angel, maybe she wasn't. Maybe by accepting their fate Jack and Stephanie escaped the house, but why? They won't tell you.
Ultimately I was left unsatisfied and disappointed. Hopefully these two authors do better work on their own, because this collaboration was a failure.
July 30, 2020
I want to start this off by acknowledging all of the previous reviews of this. I’ve seen a lot of “badly written” and “didn’t make sense” and “no point”. Well, I strongly beg to differ.
A friend of mine recommended this one to me and in January and I just now got around to reading it. And WOW. Frank Peretti has done it yet again. I don’t read this author because of the thrill alone, I read him because of his spiritual depth.
It’s unbelievable how the strange, exotic and even weird experiences are comparable and connected to things in my life! It shows how even the hardest heart is turned toward God when it’s their last resort. Honestly, people can claim atheism and evolution and whatever they want to believe but when it comes down to it they all know in their heart that there is indeed a God and that they have to be accountable to him.
I really wish I could unveil the secrets of HOUSE for you but I’d hate to give it away! Any Christian should read this. It’s absolutely unbelievable the way he reveals what the Bible says is so deceitful. The Heart.
**EDIT: please, please share this review if you see it. The top reviews of this book are negative. It deserves way more positivity than its getting!!
A friend of mine recommended this one to me and in January and I just now got around to reading it. And WOW. Frank Peretti has done it yet again. I don’t read this author because of the thrill alone, I read him because of his spiritual depth.
It’s unbelievable how the strange, exotic and even weird experiences are comparable and connected to things in my life! It shows how even the hardest heart is turned toward God when it’s their last resort. Honestly, people can claim atheism and evolution and whatever they want to believe but when it comes down to it they all know in their heart that there is indeed a God and that they have to be accountable to him.
I really wish I could unveil the secrets of HOUSE for you but I’d hate to give it away! Any Christian should read this. It’s absolutely unbelievable the way he reveals what the Bible says is so deceitful. The Heart.
**EDIT: please, please share this review if you see it. The top reviews of this book are negative. It deserves way more positivity than its getting!!
October 5, 2022
Just cannot do this one! I'm Quitting at 48%. It's depressing, disturbing, it makes me anxious and annoyed. I should have quit at the scene where the "good" guys were in the meat locker with the crazy inbreds, but no, I was sure it would get less nuts. The dog food scene was worse! It's like a mixture of the movie Deliverance and the book House of Leaves. Both are messed up on their own, but combining them😳
April 3, 2017
creepy? yes
good message with this twisty and complex allegory that Ted Dekker always gives? yes
did Hannah scream when she went to watch the trailer for the film adaption (and had a thought about watching it)? yes
is she watching it? NO (not now at least) maybe with a friend. maybe.
good message with this twisty and complex allegory that Ted Dekker always gives? yes
did Hannah scream when she went to watch the trailer for the film adaption (and had a thought about watching it)? yes
is she watching it? NO (not now at least) maybe with a friend. maybe.
March 28, 2014
I wish I would have researched this a little before listening to it; I didn't realize crazy people wrote it. I expected a horror story a la "Saw" and lots of moral dilemmas, full of questionable actions and mind games. Instead, I got a plot with a lot of potential that rapidly deteriorated into a harpy-like shrieking that christianity was the only way.
Nothing about the plot made any sense - black smoke, demons, pentagrams, the "house" that your own evil creates… hammering home again and again that the ONLY way to survive (this life) is to CHOOSE CHRIST! Yuck. Listening to that drivel for an eternity would make my mind up. I'm hanging with the people with the weapons and the tin masks, thank you very much.
Part of the novel centered around one "eating" one's sin to make him/her "stronger." The sin came in the form of a bowl of vanilla/caramel pudding that turned into rancid, mushy dog food. An inbred named Pete was responsible for forcing the women in the novel to eat it because each was "his wife." Make sense? Neither did "sin" as goop.
The climax made zero sense. What was all that "son of man" crap about? Where did that come from? The girl-from-nowhere, Susan, keeps telling the group to "listen!" yet she doesn't say anything. It's a big mind game. They're quiet and they "listen" and then one of them asks a question and she counters with "You're not listening!!!" So…we don't question? Ever? Just heed and obey? Even when that's not in a religious context it makes no sense; you can't have a character screaming for everyone to listen and then when they are the character doesn't say anything.
The characters acclimated themselves to the killer's game (which wasn't even well-planned) a little too quickly; none thought the very rational thought: "Oh, this guy is insane. Maybe we should focus on stopping him rather than trying to kill each other because HE'S NOT SANE and he can't be trusted."
One of the "evil" things Jack had to face was his feelings toward a literary critic who panned his novel? Holy shit. Really? That's enough to send him to hell? Jack didn't kill him, mind you, he was only angry. "god" evidently has a hair-trigger on his anger. Watch out! If it's that easy to piss him off...
Despite the fear-mongering and intense effort to make the reader feel guilty about everything he or she has ever done or thought, I did think the book started off well with an interesting premise and was well-paced. I didn't hate it but most of it felt like Pete was forcing me to eat his sin goop.
Peretti and Dekker should spend more time fleshing out plots rather than praying one falls together.
Nothing about the plot made any sense - black smoke, demons, pentagrams, the "house" that your own evil creates… hammering home again and again that the ONLY way to survive (this life) is to CHOOSE CHRIST! Yuck. Listening to that drivel for an eternity would make my mind up. I'm hanging with the people with the weapons and the tin masks, thank you very much.
Part of the novel centered around one "eating" one's sin to make him/her "stronger." The sin came in the form of a bowl of vanilla/caramel pudding that turned into rancid, mushy dog food. An inbred named Pete was responsible for forcing the women in the novel to eat it because each was "his wife." Make sense? Neither did "sin" as goop.
The climax made zero sense. What was all that "son of man" crap about? Where did that come from? The girl-from-nowhere, Susan, keeps telling the group to "listen!" yet she doesn't say anything. It's a big mind game. They're quiet and they "listen" and then one of them asks a question and she counters with "You're not listening!!!" So…we don't question? Ever? Just heed and obey? Even when that's not in a religious context it makes no sense; you can't have a character screaming for everyone to listen and then when they are the character doesn't say anything.
The characters acclimated themselves to the killer's game (which wasn't even well-planned) a little too quickly; none thought the very rational thought: "Oh, this guy is insane. Maybe we should focus on stopping him rather than trying to kill each other because HE'S NOT SANE and he can't be trusted."
One of the "evil" things Jack had to face was his feelings toward a literary critic who panned his novel? Holy shit. Really? That's enough to send him to hell? Jack didn't kill him, mind you, he was only angry. "god" evidently has a hair-trigger on his anger. Watch out! If it's that easy to piss him off...
Despite the fear-mongering and intense effort to make the reader feel guilty about everything he or she has ever done or thought, I did think the book started off well with an interesting premise and was well-paced. I didn't hate it but most of it felt like Pete was forcing me to eat his sin goop.
Peretti and Dekker should spend more time fleshing out plots rather than praying one falls together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2020
"Bienvenidos a mi casa.
Reglas de la casa:
1. Dios vino a mi casa y yo lo maté.
2. Mataré a cualquiera que entre en mi casa, así como maté a Dios.
3. Denme un cadáver y tal vez yo pueda prescindir de la regla dos.
El juego termina al amanecer."
El libro por sí solo me llamó, la atrayente portada y su interesante sinopsis, sin contar que siento debilidad por Ted Dekker; quien en esta oportunidad se une a otro autor de thriller para regalarnos una excelente historia.
“La casa” está protagonizada por un matrimonio al borde del divorcio quienes en su camino a una terapia de pareja se pierden en los caminos rurales de Alabama, en uno de estos caminos sufren un extraño accidente de coches. De esta manera, llegan a la más sospechosa de las posadas en medio de la nada. Cuando están buscando acomodo se apagan las luces de la casa y es cuando empieza lo bueno… (no sigo, para no caer en spoilers) Atrapados dentro de una casa que cambia de forma y tiene la capacidad de reflejar el pecado dentro de los corazones, los protagonistas se enfrentarán al terror de sus propias malas decisiones.
La trama te atrapa desde el primer instante, con capítulos cortos este libro nos muestra que todos tienen un lado oscuro y que tal vez, estemos luchando con él constantemente.
100% recomendado.
"La luz brilla en la oscuridad, pero la oscuridad no puede entenderlo."
Reglas de la casa:
1. Dios vino a mi casa y yo lo maté.
2. Mataré a cualquiera que entre en mi casa, así como maté a Dios.
3. Denme un cadáver y tal vez yo pueda prescindir de la regla dos.
El juego termina al amanecer."
El libro por sí solo me llamó, la atrayente portada y su interesante sinopsis, sin contar que siento debilidad por Ted Dekker; quien en esta oportunidad se une a otro autor de thriller para regalarnos una excelente historia.
“La casa” está protagonizada por un matrimonio al borde del divorcio quienes en su camino a una terapia de pareja se pierden en los caminos rurales de Alabama, en uno de estos caminos sufren un extraño accidente de coches. De esta manera, llegan a la más sospechosa de las posadas en medio de la nada. Cuando están buscando acomodo se apagan las luces de la casa y es cuando empieza lo bueno… (no sigo, para no caer en spoilers) Atrapados dentro de una casa que cambia de forma y tiene la capacidad de reflejar el pecado dentro de los corazones, los protagonistas se enfrentarán al terror de sus propias malas decisiones.
La trama te atrapa desde el primer instante, con capítulos cortos este libro nos muestra que todos tienen un lado oscuro y que tal vez, estemos luchando con él constantemente.
100% recomendado.
"La luz brilla en la oscuridad, pero la oscuridad no puede entenderlo."
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