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Lewis Barnavelt #11
The House Where Nobody Lived
The lovable underdog Lewis Barnavelt and his best friend Rose Rita are at it again--investigating the curious (and possibly supernatural?) goings-on in their town of New Zebedee. They get more than they bargained for when a new family moves into the Hawaii House, one of the oddest-looking houses in town, and Lewis and Rose Rita are drawn into a mystery involving forces far beyond the shores of their imagination. Why are there strange drumbeats emanating from the top floor of the Hawaii House? And why is Lewis having dreams about Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire? Incorporating actual Hawaiian legends with a spine-tingling story of suspense, this is another great addition to the Bellairs canon.
188 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 5, 2006
13 people are currently reading
825 people want to read
About the author
Brad Strickland
137 books109 followersWilliam Bradley Strickland (b. 1947) is the author (or co-author) of over 60 novels and over 60 pieces of short fiction and poetry.
Born in New Hollard, Strickland earned his Ph.D. in American literature from the University of Georgia. He has taught English courses at the University of Georgia, Oglethorpe University, Truett-McConnell College, and, since 1987, at Gainesville State College.
His first novel was 1986's To Stand Beneath the Sun, followed quickly by the books in the Jeremy Moon trilogy.
Strickland has shared co-author credit on many of his books: with his wife, Barbara, on stories in the Star Trek and Are You Afraid of the Dark? properties; and with the late author Thomas Fuller, books in the Wishbone series, involving the popular Jack Russell Terrier from the Public Television series of the same name. Strickland and Fuller also collaborated on numerous original works, including the Pirate Hunter series, the Mars: Year One series, and the comedic mystery for adults, The Ghost Finds a Body.
After the death of John Bellairs, Strickland was approached by John’s son, Frank, to complete the two books his father had already started; these unfinished manuscripts became The Ghost in the Mirror and The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder. Strickland also wrote two books based on brief plot outlines left by Bellairs: The Drum, the Doll and the Zombie and The Doom of the Haunted Opera. Beginning in 1996, Strickland has kept Bellairs' legacy alive by writing the further adventures of Johnny Dixon and Lewis Barnavelt. Books in the corpus include The Hand of the Necromancer (1996); The Tower at the End of the World (2001); The House Where Nobody Lived (2006); and his most recent title, The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer (2008).
In 2001, Strickland won received the Georgia Author of the Year Award, Children's/Young Adult Division, for When Mack Came Back, set in WWII-era Georgia. Strickland says the story "is based on the farm owned by [his] grandfather, where [I] often visited when [I] was a child." Kong: King of Skull Island was released in 2005, an illustrated tale by Strickland, author John Michlig, and fantasy artist Joe DeVito that serves as both a prequel and sequel to the epic story of the legendary ape.
Strickland is an active member of the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company, where he writes and performs in numerous audio drama projects. He was awarded the ARTC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. He is married to the former Barabara Justus and has two grown children.
Born in New Hollard, Strickland earned his Ph.D. in American literature from the University of Georgia. He has taught English courses at the University of Georgia, Oglethorpe University, Truett-McConnell College, and, since 1987, at Gainesville State College.
His first novel was 1986's To Stand Beneath the Sun, followed quickly by the books in the Jeremy Moon trilogy.
Strickland has shared co-author credit on many of his books: with his wife, Barbara, on stories in the Star Trek and Are You Afraid of the Dark? properties; and with the late author Thomas Fuller, books in the Wishbone series, involving the popular Jack Russell Terrier from the Public Television series of the same name. Strickland and Fuller also collaborated on numerous original works, including the Pirate Hunter series, the Mars: Year One series, and the comedic mystery for adults, The Ghost Finds a Body.
After the death of John Bellairs, Strickland was approached by John’s son, Frank, to complete the two books his father had already started; these unfinished manuscripts became The Ghost in the Mirror and The Vengeance of the Witch-Finder. Strickland also wrote two books based on brief plot outlines left by Bellairs: The Drum, the Doll and the Zombie and The Doom of the Haunted Opera. Beginning in 1996, Strickland has kept Bellairs' legacy alive by writing the further adventures of Johnny Dixon and Lewis Barnavelt. Books in the corpus include The Hand of the Necromancer (1996); The Tower at the End of the World (2001); The House Where Nobody Lived (2006); and his most recent title, The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer (2008).
In 2001, Strickland won received the Georgia Author of the Year Award, Children's/Young Adult Division, for When Mack Came Back, set in WWII-era Georgia. Strickland says the story "is based on the farm owned by [his] grandfather, where [I] often visited when [I] was a child." Kong: King of Skull Island was released in 2005, an illustrated tale by Strickland, author John Michlig, and fantasy artist Joe DeVito that serves as both a prequel and sequel to the epic story of the legendary ape.
Strickland is an active member of the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company, where he writes and performs in numerous audio drama projects. He was awarded the ARTC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. He is married to the former Barabara Justus and has two grown children.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 24, 2021
Lived this book.
The characters were fantastic.
It had everything I want from a book, magic mystery and adventure.
The characters were fantastic.
It had everything I want from a book, magic mystery and adventure.
June 15, 2024
One of the best books in the series, although it felt a bit different from the rest, too. This was a really spooky, gripping tale that also featured . I was totally into this one! Great book.
September 12, 2010
I loved the Hawai'i connection. Most of this stuff about Pele and Night Marchers is common knowledge in Hawai'i. I'm not sure how readers on the Mainland would know about it though unless they read Glen Grant's Obake Files or other books on Hawaiian spooky stories. We've got a lot of them here! I looked into the real Honolulu House. It has it's own sordid history. It was built with stolen government money after the judge who built it bilked the US government when he was the consulate to Hawai'i and sailed away with thousands of dollars he embezelled and took home to Michigan. He left just as investigators were sailing into Honolulu. He died apparently because he kept wearing tropical-style clothing in Michigan and got sick during the winter. He also built his house for welcoming island breezes and probably didn't take into account Michigan blizzards. I guess he epitomizes the saying, "You can take the boy out of the islands, but you can't take the islands out of the boy."
April 28, 2008
heckuva subtitle, huh? well, i have to admit that i was drawn to this book because of the cover illustration. plus, i was looking for a good scary/mystery book for the favoreads contest i do every year. this one definitely has a creepy-feeling aspect going for it, and it’s not badly written, but i feel like perhaps i should read some of the originals before i pass judgment on this book. i know there are avid fans of john bellairs–how do they feel about these books written by other authors in “the style of” and with the same characters? all in all, i’d give it a “not bad.”
April 27, 2025
Since Brad Strickland took over the helm of the adventures of Lewis Barnavelt and co., which John Bellairs so lovingly created, we’ve visited magical islands and haunted operas, faced down foes from outer space and mundane evil wizards, and seen the cast of characters explore and conquer their fears, but as we reach the eleventh book in the series it seems that he hasn’t run out of exciting adventures for us yet! The tale begins with Lewis and Rose Rita accidentally stumbling across an abandoned house just outside of New Zebedee, but it is years (and many other magical adventures later) that they have to confront the spirits that are tied to this seemingly cursed property. When a new family moves into the house and their son is immediately targeted by the school bullies and the spirits haunting the property, Lewis uses his newfound bravery to befriend the boy and help save the family from the curse that has plagued their house for generations. Obviously Lewis and co. are no strangers to magic, but it takes some effort to convince Lewis’ new friend to believe him and some tricky manoeuvring to ensure that the adults in the situation stay none the wiser. The story is a classic light gothic adventure with a nice dose of mystery that Strickland paces well, but what I thought was most unique about this tale was his use of Hawaiian mythology to give it some magical flair. The islands in the Pacific Ocean are a far cry from the landlocked location of New Zebedee, so bringing together ocean-faring historical adventurers, an unexpected love story, and a jealous volcano goddess provide colourful imagery and a cultural dichotomy that definitely spices things up for Lewis! We only have one more book in the series left, and I’ll definitely be sad to see the end of the Barnavelt crew’s adventures, but I am equally excited to see what Strickland has in store for our magical adventurers - I’m sure he’s going to pull out all the stops for a big finale!
September 27, 2019
So, I'm going to niggle with details here. In fact, details are probably my biggest complaint with this book. Strickland intentionally points out that Lewis' age at the start of this book is 11. Yet, clearly, with all the other adventures, Lewis is older than that. But, as it turns out, this was the author's way of starting with a "flashback" of sorts. Soon enough, the meat of the story begins and we are told that it is roughly two years in the future. Now, I'm having a little bit of difficulty swallowing that all of the events in Lewis and Rose Rita's life occurred over the course of 2 years. Just the House With the Clock in its Walls took up an entire school year. Just the Bellairs' novels took up two summer vacations. Then you throw in the adventures that Strickland wrote and...Lewis should be at least 14 by this point, if not older. But as with many other childrens' books, chronology is often fudged.
Overall, I rather liked this story. Kudos to Brad Strickland for choosing the Hawaiian mythos to focus on for this book. I can't help but think that references to Hawaii House were placed in earlier books simply to lay the groundwork for this story. Though, I'm fairly sure that it was implied that Hawaii House was not abandoned in the early mentions.
What I'm not sure of is how the dynamics of the book will change with the addition of David Keller to this little group. I'm not entirely sure that an extra person is needed. I suppose we'll just have to see what happens with the final book in the series.
Overall, I rather liked this story. Kudos to Brad Strickland for choosing the Hawaiian mythos to focus on for this book. I can't help but think that references to Hawaii House were placed in earlier books simply to lay the groundwork for this story. Though, I'm fairly sure that it was implied that Hawaii House was not abandoned in the early mentions.
What I'm not sure of is how the dynamics of the book will change with the addition of David Keller to this little group. I'm not entirely sure that an extra person is needed. I suppose we'll just have to see what happens with the final book in the series.
April 3, 2022
On the whole, I think Strickland did a great job maintaining the feel of Bellairs’ writing, and there are scenes from his books that would have spooked me as a kid far worse than anything Bellairs himself wrote. Overall, my only complaint up to this book was his bizarre tendency to throw something into the plot that was clearly lifted from a famous horror story, and then have someone bring up that story’s author, or even that particular story. It’s hard to imagine a clunkier way to do an homage, but perhaps it will get some kids to track down those other authors. So, fine (although I wish he’d left Lovecraft out of things).
Here is where he lost me: in this book, it’s almost immediately clear to our heroes that the family in the house is in some kind of danger. It doesn’t take long before that’s clarified into the actual threat of death. When the danger is at its most extreme, their solution is to… have Lewis invite himself over for a sleepover. HOW ABOUT GETTING THE FAMILY OUT OF THE HOUSE. Lewis and Rose Rita watch their new friend act like a walking corpse for months because he’s so terrified and their reaction is, like, “Gosh, if only we could do something.” YES. MAKE THEM LEAVE. HAVE MRS. ZIMMERMAN DO HER “GALADRIEL WITH THE ONE RING” TRICK AND CONVINCE THE FAMILY THEY’RE IN MORTAL PERIL. Or! Or they could go to elaborate lengths to… make it seem like Jonathan had pipe insulation lying around, and then go insulate their pipes!
Here is where he lost me: in this book, it’s almost immediately clear to our heroes that the family in the house is in some kind of danger. It doesn’t take long before that’s clarified into the actual threat of death. When the danger is at its most extreme, their solution is to… have Lewis invite himself over for a sleepover. HOW ABOUT GETTING THE FAMILY OUT OF THE HOUSE. Lewis and Rose Rita watch their new friend act like a walking corpse for months because he’s so terrified and their reaction is, like, “Gosh, if only we could do something.” YES. MAKE THEM LEAVE. HAVE MRS. ZIMMERMAN DO HER “GALADRIEL WITH THE ONE RING” TRICK AND CONVINCE THE FAMILY THEY’RE IN MORTAL PERIL. Or! Or they could go to elaborate lengths to… make it seem like Jonathan had pipe insulation lying around, and then go insulate their pipes!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2018
Though not as clever and metafictional as "The Whistle, the Grave and the Ghost," Strickland's penultimate Barnavelt novel still refuses to rest on formula, bringing in elements of Hawaiian mythology and traditional riddle-war between magic users to freshen things up. Additionally (as in the Johnny Dixon series), Strickland introduces a few new, seemingly-significant characters towards the end, though whether they'll show up in the final novel or not remains to be seen.
March 22, 2020
Great story! Lewis and Rose Rita are my favorite reoccurring Bellairs characters. This time carried on by Strickland. He does very well to channel Bellairs' style.
This story has a lot of Hawai'i mythos and mystery, figuring out why this house is cursed. And in time to save their new friend David and his parents.
This story has a lot of Hawai'i mythos and mystery, figuring out why this house is cursed. And in time to save their new friend David and his parents.
January 12, 2024
Another great one!
Finally the series is getting more high stakes and there’s some character development here. In this book, Lewis doesn’t awake any ghost!
Someone moves to the Hawai house and then Uncle Barnavelt and Mrs Zimmerman start to suspect that there’s some type of ghost there AND THERE IS!
Finally the series is getting more high stakes and there’s some character development here. In this book, Lewis doesn’t awake any ghost!
Someone moves to the Hawai house and then Uncle Barnavelt and Mrs Zimmerman start to suspect that there’s some type of ghost there AND THERE IS!
July 25, 2018
It was a nice twist for Strickland to use a landmark previously mentioned by Bellairs and I really enjoyed the Hawaii connection. I just love these books and the creepy factor along with characters that I adore.
October 26, 2021
Great book! I love the use of Hawaiian folklore and the introduction of new characters. Though I wish there were more books coming after this. Book 12 will be my last and I’m sad to see the series depart.
September 3, 2021
Will review at Fantasy Literature.
August 21, 2023
I loved the story, the mystery and how everyone have changed through the years🥹🥹🥹🥹
I’m not ready to say goodbye to barnavelt’s family 🥲🥲 justo one book left 🥲
I’m not ready to say goodbye to barnavelt’s family 🥲🥲 justo one book left 🥲
March 23, 2024
Spooky comfort food. Family values. Trauma club.
December 6, 2013
I selected the book, The House Where Nobody Lived by Brad Strickland as one of my fictional selections. This particular book won the Children’s Choice 2008 for grades 5-6. The genre is mystery which is one of my favorite. I love a book with a good mystery.
Lewis Barnavelt and his best friend Rose Rita find themselves in a true mystery when a family moves into an old home, the Hawaii House. The house seems to have hidden secrets that must be uncovered. Strange things continue to occur so Lewis and Rose investigate. They learn that they may be dealing with ancient Hawaiian spirits that are scary for a young boy and his best friend. The author is creative to incorporate a realistic place to a fictional story to add emphasis on the emotional pull the reader feels as they explore the novel. One cannot help but deviate to the thought or question if ghost and spirits are really real.
As I read the novel, I was fascinated at my interest to see what they young children would reveal about the Hawaii House’s secrets. I think this book would be suitable for children in middle school. It is a mystery but is not terribly horrifying. This book was an easy read and I enjoyed it. I would recommend this book.
Lewis Barnavelt and his best friend Rose Rita find themselves in a true mystery when a family moves into an old home, the Hawaii House. The house seems to have hidden secrets that must be uncovered. Strange things continue to occur so Lewis and Rose investigate. They learn that they may be dealing with ancient Hawaiian spirits that are scary for a young boy and his best friend. The author is creative to incorporate a realistic place to a fictional story to add emphasis on the emotional pull the reader feels as they explore the novel. One cannot help but deviate to the thought or question if ghost and spirits are really real.
As I read the novel, I was fascinated at my interest to see what they young children would reveal about the Hawaii House’s secrets. I think this book would be suitable for children in middle school. It is a mystery but is not terribly horrifying. This book was an easy read and I enjoyed it. I would recommend this book.
March 24, 2012
I am a huge Bellairs fan, and was ver' ver' suspicious when Strickland took over his series. That said, I haven't been disappointed yet in one of the Bellairs book's Strickland's finished, but this was my first of his solo outings using Lewis Barnavelt and company.
And it was awesome.
David Keller and his family move into an old house in New Zebedee with a storied past, one rife with mystery and tragedy. After befriending David, Lewis and Rose Rita get mixed up in the mystery and the tragedy which turns out to be not so old as everyone might've thought.
I loved the story of the house, and I loved the way tiny clues to the mystery were sprinkled through the story. There's a bit at the very beginning, which I won't spoil for you, that I found every bit as scary as anything Shirley Jackson wrote. The whole book is atmospheric and mellifluous, Lewis actually sounds like a thirteen year old boy, and best of all, the book passes The Bechdel Test.
Hard to resist flipping the book back over and re-reading it immediately, but it's definitely going on my favorites shelf.
And it was awesome.
David Keller and his family move into an old house in New Zebedee with a storied past, one rife with mystery and tragedy. After befriending David, Lewis and Rose Rita get mixed up in the mystery and the tragedy which turns out to be not so old as everyone might've thought.
I loved the story of the house, and I loved the way tiny clues to the mystery were sprinkled through the story. There's a bit at the very beginning, which I won't spoil for you, that I found every bit as scary as anything Shirley Jackson wrote. The whole book is atmospheric and mellifluous, Lewis actually sounds like a thirteen year old boy, and best of all, the book passes The Bechdel Test.
Hard to resist flipping the book back over and re-reading it immediately, but it's definitely going on my favorites shelf.
November 26, 2011
Most of it is pretty insipid, with a few interesting and novel concepts that make it somewhat interesting. Strickland has dropped the strained shout-outs to M.R. James, thankfully, but still can't capture the art of the suspenseful cliffhanger that Bellairs was so good at. Although finally, some sense of jeopardy. You can see the clear influence of Harry Potter here. There's more arcing magic in this book than in any of the other ones, it is magic itself that saves the day, and it is nice to see that being a witch/wizard actually means something in terms of plot. But the Hawaiian theme is hokey.
August 10, 2016
Possibly one of my favorite of the series. Poor Lewis is still scared of every other thing, but he steps up. And I love how the characters in this series talk to each other, and don't keep secrets. I read so many books where the kids don't talk to the adults, and keep everything a secret, then get into trouble. These books are different, and I appreciate that.
July 7, 2012
Lewis and Rita are strange kids, but are best friends. Lewis lives w/his uncle who has magical powers. Along with the elderly neighbor Mrs Zimmerman who also magical powers. Something strange is going on at the Hawaii House when a new family moves in. They befriend the new boy David and try to find out why he is looking tired and red-eyed. This setting is in New Zebedee, MI.
June 19, 2012
I read this in about 3 days! It never really got to the point till the vey last 30 pages... Most books take me the longest amounts of time to finish reading books but this one is just the one book that I just wanted to keep reading... I would recommend it to many other kids who love mysteries...
January 11, 2011
Clever little middle-grade fantasy. Scared the pants off my dd, or so she said. "Mom, you have to read this book!"
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October 11, 2007Strickland, Brad
March 28, 2017
3.5⭐️ very enjoyable
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews