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This House...
This house...lives on the edge of reality.
What makes a haunted house? The unsettled spirits of the dead? Or the unsettled spirits of the living? When Joey Lodge sustains a severe brain trauma, his delusions take the form of an alien spirit that guides him in the creation of a haunted house. He begins to populate the house with ghosts of his choosing, from family members to criminals, until the line between fantasy and reality blurs and even his delusions start fighting back. As terror in the house ratchets up to a maddening pitch, the alien spirit has one shocking revelation still in store.
132 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 2, 2016
1 person is currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Benjamin Kane Ethridge
30 books235 followersBenjamin Kane Ethridge is the Bram Stoker Award winning author of the occult fantasy novel BLACK & ORANGE. He also wrote a master's thesis entitled, "CAUSES OF UNEASE: The Rhetoric of Horror Fiction and Film." Available in an ivory tower near you. Ben lives in Southern California. When he isn't writing, reading, videogaming, he's figuring out ways to keep from writing.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 27, 2015
The premise of this book was very unique:
"What makes a haunted house? The unsettled spirits of the dead? Or the unsettled spirits of the living?"
We begin with Joey Lodge--the only character in the story, with one possible exception, that I honestly felt for. After being pressured into winning a dirt bike race at all costs, Joey crashes and sustains a severe brain injury. Although he eventually regains motor function, his mind and speech remain in an....unstable state. One second he may sound normal, but within the same sentence his mental state wanders into unknown territory.
Despite Joey's sustained brain damage, his dysfunctional family--each one of them--seems infinitely worse in comparison. We have Alex, the junkie father; Tricia, the Aunt trying to hold onto a family that doesn't acknowledge her; Cassie, the cousin who needs to be hurt in order to "feel"; and Bryan, the bully who's guilt propels him to become Joey's only friend as a sort of self-penance. With the exception of Bryan--who's motivations actually made more sense to me--these individuals feel hollow, almost soulless. They are the truly lost, mentally, whereas Joey's injury has led to him creating his own warped fantasy which feels infinitely more "real" than the existence any of the others are living.
The story really began to carry me along with its style for about the first half. Around then, I began to lose interest as the scenes became increasingly disjointed. the very ending brought me back to some extent, but by that point I really couldn't have cared less about any of the other characters, with the exception of Joey.
Overall, an idea that started out strong, but lost its focus for me along the way. Although the one question it really brought to the foreground was: Do you have to be physically dead, to be a ghost???
*I received an e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
We begin with Joey Lodge--the only character in the story, with one possible exception, that I honestly felt for. After being pressured into winning a dirt bike race at all costs, Joey crashes and sustains a severe brain injury. Although he eventually regains motor function, his mind and speech remain in an....unstable state. One second he may sound normal, but within the same sentence his mental state wanders into unknown territory.
Despite Joey's sustained brain damage, his dysfunctional family--each one of them--seems infinitely worse in comparison. We have Alex, the junkie father; Tricia, the Aunt trying to hold onto a family that doesn't acknowledge her; Cassie, the cousin who needs to be hurt in order to "feel"; and Bryan, the bully who's guilt propels him to become Joey's only friend as a sort of self-penance. With the exception of Bryan--who's motivations actually made more sense to me--these individuals feel hollow, almost soulless. They are the truly lost, mentally, whereas Joey's injury has led to him creating his own warped fantasy which feels infinitely more "real" than the existence any of the others are living.
The story really began to carry me along with its style for about the first half. Around then, I began to lose interest as the scenes became increasingly disjointed. the very ending brought me back to some extent, but by that point I really couldn't have cared less about any of the other characters, with the exception of Joey.
Overall, an idea that started out strong, but lost its focus for me along the way. Although the one question it really brought to the foreground was: Do you have to be physically dead, to be a ghost???
*I received an e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
March 31, 2016
Just when you think that pretty much every theme has been explored at least once in horror, along comes a little gem that reminds you that the unexpected is always to be – well – expected. This House features an eclectic mix of characters. Not the most likeable bunch to be sure. Indeed more than one of them is badly damaged psychologically. The pivotal character – Joey – was involved in an accident that left him brain damaged. He has problems stringing coherent sentences together and I found the author handled his aphasia authentically. As for the story – it had me doubting everything and everybody in it. Is that a voice inside Joey’s head, or is it something else? An alien maybe? The plot kept me guessing all the way through. Reality and fantasy blurred, until the ending, which was suitably surprising and… I’m not saying anything else. You need to read this story. It’s SO different.
July 18, 2016
Another solid effort by Benjamin Kane Ethridge. THIS HOUSE is an interesting take on an old horror trope: the haunted house. Except this one is twisted, with psychological and sociopathic elements that bring the story to another level. Warning: this one has graphic violence and sexual situations. Still, a recommended read.
November 26, 2022
Delightful Ghostly Fun…
Excellent quick read with great dialogue between characters. Spooky & Delightful in an amazing way that keeps you glued for the next chapter.
Excellent quick read with great dialogue between characters. Spooky & Delightful in an amazing way that keeps you glued for the next chapter.
September 8, 2019
I want to start by saying that I am not joking, the title of my post is the actual title of the book, ellipsis and all.
This looked a bit quirky, but hey, you say "haunted house" and I'm there, even when I have a few reservations regarding aliens and such. I'm going to have to revise this policy, I think.
This wasn't the worst thing I've ever read. I think there was a good story, possibly, in there somewhere, but it was buried under a bunch of strange stylistic decisions and what appeared to be conflicting desires to both imitate and stand-out. In the end, it certainly managed unique, but I'm not really feeling like that was a good thing.
The switching between characters was just not well-handled. They did not have unique enough voices, and it didn't add anything to the story. If anything, it made it more convoluted and difficult to follow, and honestly, it wasn't fun to be in some of these people's heads. I do love multiple viewpoint stories, but it does need to be handled carefully. Why am I seeing the same thing from multiple viewpoints without really getting anything worthwhile added? I just saw what happened, I don't need to see it again from another viewpoint. A few of them did genuinely add information that would not otherwise have been available, though whether said information was interesting, useful, or enjoyable is a whole other question.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say the author read a decent chunk of Stephen King. The language use reminds me a bit of him (though decidedly not him at his best), and the plot felt a little bit The Tommyknockers, though that is not my favorite novel of his and this made decidedly less sense. Yes, it made less sense than The Tommyknockers. I have a lot of trouble believing that these characters all talked this way all the time. I don't care about swearing in my books (seriously, I don't--I attempt to be professional in my reviews, but I can swear like a sailor when need be), but the sheer amount of it, as well as other obscenities, out of the mouth and mind of every single character in this book just felt off. I have trouble believing that there can be a group of people who manage to think and talk like this so consistently and yet get by in actual reality. Maybe I'm naïve, admittedly, but I refuse to believe a lot of what was said was not added for sheer shock factor and not because it was appropriate for the character.
The plot was sort of all over the place. I think it was supposed to be, on some level, given the central character and his issues, but this took it to an entirely new level. On the plus side, I was rarely able to guess what was going to happen. On the negative...well, it all happened. And I'm not sure why, and I didn't care.
The side stories of the other characters were not terribly compelling. The female characters suffered badly from stereotyping: we have "the mom" and "the slut", and I really can't come up with anything else to add to those descriptors unless I was to put the word "crazy" in front of the latter. Admittedly, I could probably safely put that in front of a descriptor of every character in the novel, but Cassie definitely stood out.
The "reveal" felt like a brainstorming session. I could almost hear the characters themselves going "Well what if it is this? No? How about this?" If you want to do the double-revelation shocking twist, go for it (I fully support and love this), but give the reader time to grasp one crazy revelation before throwing out another one that replaces it. I suppose in the end it made sense on some level, sort of, but it was badly handled throughout the book if that was the route it was going, and it was not a satisfying resolution given the way the book was written.
I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to think of pretty much any part of the ending, except it did pull a bit of a Stephen King (again, though, not one of his better tricks) and a deus ex machine on top of that, which was just awkward. Add to that the odd "resolution" for a main character (which seems like it might even be a set-up for some kind of sequel) and I ended up closing my Kindle and just looking at it like it had betrayed me somehow. (We have since made up, of course.)
This felt like a "kitchen sink" book--too much was thrown together and stirred to the point where I can't even tell you which genre this is, except "really messed up". Genre-bending is great. "I have literally no clue what was going on or how to classify this" is a lot harder of a sell. I can't recommend this with a clear conscious, even to horror aficionados, because I am not even sure that is what it was.
This book was provided to me for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This looked a bit quirky, but hey, you say "haunted house" and I'm there, even when I have a few reservations regarding aliens and such. I'm going to have to revise this policy, I think.
This wasn't the worst thing I've ever read. I think there was a good story, possibly, in there somewhere, but it was buried under a bunch of strange stylistic decisions and what appeared to be conflicting desires to both imitate and stand-out. In the end, it certainly managed unique, but I'm not really feeling like that was a good thing.
The switching between characters was just not well-handled. They did not have unique enough voices, and it didn't add anything to the story. If anything, it made it more convoluted and difficult to follow, and honestly, it wasn't fun to be in some of these people's heads. I do love multiple viewpoint stories, but it does need to be handled carefully. Why am I seeing the same thing from multiple viewpoints without really getting anything worthwhile added? I just saw what happened, I don't need to see it again from another viewpoint. A few of them did genuinely add information that would not otherwise have been available, though whether said information was interesting, useful, or enjoyable is a whole other question.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say the author read a decent chunk of Stephen King. The language use reminds me a bit of him (though decidedly not him at his best), and the plot felt a little bit The Tommyknockers, though that is not my favorite novel of his and this made decidedly less sense. Yes, it made less sense than The Tommyknockers. I have a lot of trouble believing that these characters all talked this way all the time. I don't care about swearing in my books (seriously, I don't--I attempt to be professional in my reviews, but I can swear like a sailor when need be), but the sheer amount of it, as well as other obscenities, out of the mouth and mind of every single character in this book just felt off. I have trouble believing that there can be a group of people who manage to think and talk like this so consistently and yet get by in actual reality. Maybe I'm naïve, admittedly, but I refuse to believe a lot of what was said was not added for sheer shock factor and not because it was appropriate for the character.
The plot was sort of all over the place. I think it was supposed to be, on some level, given the central character and his issues, but this took it to an entirely new level. On the plus side, I was rarely able to guess what was going to happen. On the negative...well, it all happened. And I'm not sure why, and I didn't care.
The side stories of the other characters were not terribly compelling. The female characters suffered badly from stereotyping: we have "the mom" and "the slut", and I really can't come up with anything else to add to those descriptors unless I was to put the word "crazy" in front of the latter. Admittedly, I could probably safely put that in front of a descriptor of every character in the novel, but Cassie definitely stood out.
The "reveal" felt like a brainstorming session. I could almost hear the characters themselves going "Well what if it is this? No? How about this?" If you want to do the double-revelation shocking twist, go for it (I fully support and love this), but give the reader time to grasp one crazy revelation before throwing out another one that replaces it. I suppose in the end it made sense on some level, sort of, but it was badly handled throughout the book if that was the route it was going, and it was not a satisfying resolution given the way the book was written.
I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to think of pretty much any part of the ending, except it did pull a bit of a Stephen King (again, though, not one of his better tricks) and a deus ex machine on top of that, which was just awkward. Add to that the odd "resolution" for a main character (which seems like it might even be a set-up for some kind of sequel) and I ended up closing my Kindle and just looking at it like it had betrayed me somehow. (We have since made up, of course.)
This felt like a "kitchen sink" book--too much was thrown together and stirred to the point where I can't even tell you which genre this is, except "really messed up". Genre-bending is great. "I have literally no clue what was going on or how to classify this" is a lot harder of a sell. I can't recommend this with a clear conscious, even to horror aficionados, because I am not even sure that is what it was.
This book was provided to me for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 22, 2016
This House is not your typical haunting story. We all think of hauntings that involve the dead, aka ghosts. But, what about the living things that haunt us? This author delves into that side of horror. Joey was injured in a motocross accident and the head trauma caused his mental illness. He lives with his family who each have their own issue, making life even more miserable for Joey. Joey’s dreams become real to him and they are full of aliens and other supernatural beings, which is easier for him to live with than the “real life” conditions of home. He escapes into his supernatural world, which is fascinating and sad at the same time.
I found the actual story difficult to get into. While I felt for Joey and his diminished mental capacity, I really did not care for the rest of the characters within the story. His “family” was especially hard to connect with – I did not care what happened to them. But, Joey and his fantasies, pulled me into the story and kept me interested enough to want to know more about him and his world. His fantasy world.
Overall, the author’s writing did a great job of creating a character worth feeling sympathetic towards, but the rest of the story was not for me. This House is not a bad story at all. I feel it would be loved by the right kind of reader, but I’m not that reader and it was just ok for me.
*copy provided for review.
I found the actual story difficult to get into. While I felt for Joey and his diminished mental capacity, I really did not care for the rest of the characters within the story. His “family” was especially hard to connect with – I did not care what happened to them. But, Joey and his fantasies, pulled me into the story and kept me interested enough to want to know more about him and his world. His fantasy world.
Overall, the author’s writing did a great job of creating a character worth feeling sympathetic towards, but the rest of the story was not for me. This House is not a bad story at all. I feel it would be loved by the right kind of reader, but I’m not that reader and it was just ok for me.
*copy provided for review.
February 11, 2016
I received a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review. This is in no way reflected in my opinion of this novella.
This House is a different take on a haunting. My heart went out to Joey as he struggled with his disability and the deeply flawed people in his life. All the elements where there for a great story but I spent most of the book wondering what was going on. Every time I thought I had figured it out there was a new twist that turned the story upside down. Nothing is as it seems in this convaluted story, from the haunting to the characters, making you want to know what is going on. Unfortunately the ending left me wondering. While I can't say that I really liked this story it is one that will stick with me, so I'll give it 3 stars.
This House is a different take on a haunting. My heart went out to Joey as he struggled with his disability and the deeply flawed people in his life. All the elements where there for a great story but I spent most of the book wondering what was going on. Every time I thought I had figured it out there was a new twist that turned the story upside down. Nothing is as it seems in this convaluted story, from the haunting to the characters, making you want to know what is going on. Unfortunately the ending left me wondering. While I can't say that I really liked this story it is one that will stick with me, so I'll give it 3 stars.
March 5, 2016
Let me start at the beginning.
I love horror.
This is a book written in the horror genre.
I do not love this book.
I am not even sure I like it.
What I do like, is the complex paradigm between somewhat flat, predictable characters and a house that comes to life in first 3 then 4 dimensions. All of a sudden I was glad the characters are all pretty predictable and they tend to regress rather than grow.
Why am I giving this book 4*? Cause i did not like a single character in this book. But I loved the novel approach to a haunting. So not a 5 nor a 3 would do.
No I do not like the story but I have a nagging feeling it will stay with me for quite some time.
I love horror.
This is a book written in the horror genre.
I do not love this book.
I am not even sure I like it.
What I do like, is the complex paradigm between somewhat flat, predictable characters and a house that comes to life in first 3 then 4 dimensions. All of a sudden I was glad the characters are all pretty predictable and they tend to regress rather than grow.
Why am I giving this book 4*? Cause i did not like a single character in this book. But I loved the novel approach to a haunting. So not a 5 nor a 3 would do.
No I do not like the story but I have a nagging feeling it will stay with me for quite some time.
March 14, 2016
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/mini-rev...
An accident causes Joey severe brain damage, but unfortunately that’s not the only thing wrong with him and his dysfunctional familiy. Those people are horribly broken, and they already feel empty, soullless. The question of what makes a house haunted, the dead or the living, is an interesting one, but not enough to keep the book entertaining until the end. Soon enough, the plot becomes disjointed, with another storyline thrown in. The ending was all right, but it never went beyond a 3-star read for me.
An accident causes Joey severe brain damage, but unfortunately that’s not the only thing wrong with him and his dysfunctional familiy. Those people are horribly broken, and they already feel empty, soullless. The question of what makes a house haunted, the dead or the living, is an interesting one, but not enough to keep the book entertaining until the end. Soon enough, the plot becomes disjointed, with another storyline thrown in. The ending was all right, but it never went beyond a 3-star read for me.
December 18, 2015
Well to be truthful....I loved this book...very very spooky...I hope there will be more books like this one...by Benjamin Kane Ethridge...will definitely be keeping a close eye out....thanks to netgallery and the publisher and the author for letting me read this it was just like a kid on christmas morning when i was told i was approved to read this again thanks to all who made this possible...keep up with the great books I'll be watching for you my friend :)
January 16, 2016
“This story...
was not what I expected at all.
THIS HOUSE...
was not about a haunted house, but about a kid attempting to cure himself and his family by creating a haunted house.
I thought it was new, fresh, and a very fast compelling read. I read it in a day and was very happy that Samhain offered it to me for review.
I hope you pick up a copy of your own.
was not what I expected at all.
THIS HOUSE...
was not about a haunted house, but about a kid attempting to cure himself and his family by creating a haunted house.
I thought it was new, fresh, and a very fast compelling read. I read it in a day and was very happy that Samhain offered it to me for review.
I hope you pick up a copy of your own.
January 17, 2016
An interesting and original take on the haunted house genre
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/this-h... or http://areviewerdarkly.blogspot.com/2... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/this-h... or http://areviewerdarkly.blogspot.com/2... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews