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House

(Books of History Chronicles)

Frank E. Peretti,

Ted Dekker (Goodreads Author)

3.59 · Rating details · 23,231 ratings · 1,749 reviews

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

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Kindle Edition, 368 pages

Published March 13th 2006 by Thomas Nelson (first published January 1st 2006)

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Lists with This Book

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Average rating 3.59 ·

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· 23,231 ratings · 1,749 reviews

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Jul 24, 2014 J. Kent Messum rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: terrible, crap, avoid-at-all-costs, wasted-hours, horror, you-gotta-be-kidding, i-ll-never-get-those-hours-back, belly-flop, not-my-cup-of-tea, thriller

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 sti ...more

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Oct 14, 2007 Miss_otis rated it did not like it

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

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

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

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

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Apr 07, 2013 Andrew rated it did not like it

Shelves: fiction-horror

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 th ...more

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Aug 20, 2007 Mel rated it did not like it

Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: christianfiction, horror

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

WARNING - SPOILER ALERT

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

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Jul 28, 2020 MeMe rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Review coming Soon

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Mar 19, 2011 Tanya rated it did not like it

Recommends it for: no one

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

Shelves: paperbacks, 2011-book-list

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

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Jul 20, 2017 m a r y l i z rated it liked it

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 se ...more

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Aug 04, 2008 Philip rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: thrillers

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

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

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

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

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Mar 19, 2017 Neil (or bleed) rated it it was ok

Shelves: books-i-own, adult

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 cha ...more

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Feb 13, 2017 Danielle (The Blonde Likes Books) rated it it was ok

Shelves: horror, btb-challenge-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 ho 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! ...more

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Jun 18, 2010 Dora rated it did not like it · review of another edition

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

The story primarily follows Jack and Stephanie, a young couple whose marriage is on the rocks after a tragedy they b "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. ...more

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Feb 06, 2010 Seoda rated it did not like it

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 th ...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Cait S rated it did not like it · review of another edition

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 an ...more

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Jan 09, 2016 Abigail rated it did not like it

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 ...more

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Mar 14, 2019 Cindy Newton rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-books, horror, world-class-example-of-dreck

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 ( 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.
...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Mike (the Paladin) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: christian-theology, horror, christian-fiction

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 appreci ...more

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Jul 06, 2009 Bob rated it did not like it

Shelves: did-not-finish

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 ...more

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Mar 26, 2008 ladylovesherlibrary rated it it was ok

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

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Sep 27, 2011 Hannah Mullen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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Apr 03, 2017 Hannah Rodriguez rated it it was amazing

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.

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Oct 12, 2017 Carrie (brightbeautifulthings) rated it did not like it

Shelves: horrorshow, grown-up-person-fiction

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 trapp 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. ...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Stefani rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommends it for: anyone who doesn't require an explanation to their books

Recommended to Stefani by: the bargain books table

Shelves: swapped, paperback

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, wh 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. ...more

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Jun 11, 2014 Carolyne Coleman rated it did not like it

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 ...more

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Feb 18, 2009 Bookworm rated it really liked it

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

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May 07, 2011 Melanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: where, rereads

This was a fun reread. I originally read the book back when it was first released, I think, but this is my first time reading it after seeing the movie. I found myself picturing the film while reading and that made for a great read. I definitely think the book had more details, but that is usually the case.

The house was creepy...and the basement?? Yikes. The house "rules" were crazy. The ending was intense.

All in all, I really enjoyed this reread and it is a favorite of Dekker's for me. ...more

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Mar 20, 2014 L rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: disappointing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 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 th 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. ...more

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Sep 17, 2013 PUMPKINHEAD rated it it was ok

Uhg. This was some seriously weak sauce when all was said and done. It had its moments here and there, but this novel mostly played out like a poorly produced straight-to-DVD run-of-the-mill horror movie. And the 'Yay! The good guys always win!' ending made me groan and roll my eyes. ...more

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Dec 06, 2017 Rissa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

There was nothing they could do they had to go in. But once they were in they couldn’t get out.
It was low intensity, low action and it was pleasent to read. You know how you dont always want a book with all action, all drama, just a good mystery with nice amount of everything. It was a good book. But if you want a higher mystery, a good chase its not this. But i wanted a calm mystery with some good twists and it was perfect for that.

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Jan 10, 2008 Zachary rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Jul 14, 2012 Janie Johnson rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-challenge, ted-dekker

I was really looking forward to this book and was excited to read it, but this book was not really what I had expected at all. Well I should say the premise of the book actually was, but it all came together in a way I did not expect. There were a lot of characters involved and I gotta say I did not really like any of them. Hard to decide who was actually an antagonist or protagonist.

I loved the air of mystery that surrounded the house, and that was what kept me going on the book. I thought that ...more

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About Frank E. Peretti

Frank E. Peretti

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FROM 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 blueg FROM 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 writted 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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Quotes from House

“The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness cannot understand it” — 128 likes

“The light came into the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it, but that no longer mattered because the light was now obliteration the darkness.” — 31 likes

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