Hantée

by Christina Lauren, Pauline Vidal (Translator)

LE NOUVEAU BLOCKBUSTER YOUNG ADULT DE CHRISTINA LAUREN !

Delilah Blue n'a d'yeux que pour Gavin. Le regard ténébreux et la silhouette toujours parée de noir, le garçon a l'air de sortir tout droit de l'univers sombre et – il faut l'avouer – franchement tordu de ses dessins. Tout chez lui est bizarre, jusqu'à la vieille bâtisse dans laquelle il vit, qui donne une sorte de cachet inquiétant à leur petite ville.



Lorsque Gavin décide d'emmener Delilah chez lui, un privilège exceptionnel, elle découvre avec stupeur que les lieux semblent capables de communiquer. Cheminée, par exemple, allume sur demande son propre feu. Lit s'agrandit selon les exigences de Gavin, et Piano lui a appris à jouer lorsqu'il était petit...



Très vite, Delilah va comprendre que ce qui vit ici n'est pas humain...À quel prix gagnera-t-elle le droit d'aimer le propriétaire de ces lieux tourmentés ?

Genres: Horror, Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal, Mystery, Fantasy, Thriller

319 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 6, 2015

About the author

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners/best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced twenty New York Times bestselling novels. Their books have been translated into 30+ languages. (Some of these books have kissing. Some of these books have A LOT of kissing.)


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Reviews

[Aestas Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

::: FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED ::::


It's the perfect time of year for spooky reads, but since my heart lies with romance, I was looking for a book that was about a love story but also with a bit of that spooky edge to it, and this was it!

The House was haunting, romantic, and suspenseful. Honestly, it would make a really fantastic movie! It's one of those stories that I found very easy to visualize complete as I read. The story just came to life in my mind. If they happened to be showing this story as a movie in theaters, I'd be lining up today!

So it starts out with the heroine coming back to school in a town she'd left several years ago and reconnecting with a guy she knew from before. He'd changed a lot -- grow up, filled out -- and once again she found herself drawn to the boy few people spoke to, who lived in the house no one talked about...

He was the same, but not. His shirt was black, jeans were black, and shaggy black hair fell into his eyes... When he looked up at Delilah as he passed, the same eyes she remembered from all those years ago -- dark and stormy and shadowed with black circles -- seemed to flicker to life for a moment.

Just long enough for her to lose her breath.

He looked like he knew every one of her secrets. Who would have guessed that after six years Gavin Timothy would still seem so perfectly dangerous?

Apparently, Delilah was still smitten.

But they're not the only ones with secrets... I really don't want to spoil exactly what it "is" so I'll just quote the blurb for this next part...

He lives in that house, the one at the edge of town. Spooky and maybe haunted. Something worse than haunted. And Gavin is trapped by its secrets.

Delilah and Gavin can’t resist each other. But staying together will exact a price beyond their imagining.

So yes, it IS creepy and scary at times, but in an almost 'good' way if that makes sense? This is the way I like to be scared. It's not senselessly scary and there is a point to everything (like, you get explanations for how and why things came to be the way they were). It really worked for me!

To my delight, I found that this book kind of captured a similar feeling to Twilight in some ways. The story is definitely different but I guess something about the new girl falling for this guy in high school with so many secrets... and her being unafraid by the 'peculiarities' in his life just brought back a lot of the same feelings. I really loved that about it. (Ok, but seriously, please take the Twilight comparison with a grain of salt. I don't want you to go into this literally expecting the same thing. That's not what I'm saying. I'm just simply saying that, to a certain degree, the 'feeling' of this story reminded me of it -- in a good way.)

I also thought that the way the paranormal element of the story unfolded and was revealed was very cleverly done. You started out not knowing how much or how little there'd be in the story and I was full of anticipation as I turned the pages because I knew that something about Gavin and his House was more in some way but I didn't exactly know how and I couldn't wait to find out their secrets...

"Don't follow me home," he said as gently as he could. "Please, Delilah, don't ever follow me home again."

The characters felt very real, and I think it was because they were just so down-to-earth that it lent this sense of believability to the story even though it was supernatural. I loved the way Delilah would ask Gavin all kinds of questions about the 'things' in his life and he'd answer them as best he could. He wasn't trying to hide from her and I was captivated by that trust between them. It made me really fall in love with THEM because yes, this definitely a romance. A very sweet, swoony, falling-in-love-for-the-first-time romance... mixed in with the scary, spooky, thrilling (and sometimes even creepy) element that House brought to the story. The blend and contrast between these two sides of the story was very well done!

"What do you want from me, Delilah?"
"I want to be the only girl you look at."
"You already are."

And I just have to really point out that I thought the writing was brilliant!!! Such vivid imagery that balanced the sweetness and the more scary sides of the story. I have so many quotes in my book highlighted. I read this book in one afternoon and didn't want to put it down.

The only thing is that I do wish it had a bit more of a developed ending. While the storyline is completely resolved in a satisfactory manner by the end (this is a standalone), I still felt it was a little rushed and might have preferred a little more time spent with the characters at the end. But that's my only complaint. Other than that, I'd consider this a fabulous Autumn read... especially as we draw closer to Halloween.

"How...?" she started and then stopped. "How is that even possible?"

With a smile, he explained. "It's all I've really known, you know, so it doesn't seem that impossible to me."

And yes, I know many of you are wondering -- this has a romance-genre-worthy ending so even though it crosses into the horror/thriller territory, it still leaves you feeling very good about things. It is scary at times, but you get a resolution, and you definitely come through to the other side with your heart in tact.

The genre is YA paranormal romance (but there's only one supernatural element in the story, so it's not a completely magical world -- I found it to be a small enough suspension of belief that even a non-PNR reader would probably be just fine reading this) and its mostly YA but there's a little action in there... with them in their last year of high school, there are definitely a few scenes that border on NA.

If you’re a romance reader looking for a really well-written Halloween read that’s scary (but not toooooo scary) and with a really swoony 'first love’ romance too, then try this!!

STANDALONE


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[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the first books written by Christina Lauren and deals with an interesting topic. Unlike their other works, they deal with the horror associated with a house in this book.

I love to read horror themes where the house is actually a character in the story. The authors have convincingly written that portion.

This book tells us the story of Gavin Timothy and Delilah Blue. Gavin lives in a creepy house with its own unique character.

My favorite three lines from this book.

“Do you, House? Do you watch me all the time?"

"When your time is yours, use it to create something, Father John had always told them. A picture, some words, anything. Don't rot your brain with gossip."

"When I get you to say more than two words at a time, I feel like I've won something major."

Is the house jealous about the relationship between Gavin and Delilah? Is there any evil spirit residing in the house that is causing problems for Gavin? How will they tackle this problem? All these questions are convincingly answered in this book.

Even though we can see the inconsistencies in writing usually seen in the books of new authors in this book, it still will be a decent choice to read.

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[Brandi]

DNF @ 31%



Unfortunately this one was just too juvenile for me. :(

Thanks, Pavlina for trying to get through it with me!

[Eda** · Rating 3 out of 5]

** 2,5-3 “Do you, House?” STARS **

“This park, House, the school –it doesn’t matter where we try to be alone together. House will ALWAYS be there. IT WILL ALWAYS SEE ME.”
~ GAVIN

So why only 2,5 stars?

This is YA, so we all knew it wasn't gonna get a 5-star-OMG-I'm-in-love-review from me anyway, but it could have been better. I've read better.

#1 // The unbelievably fast developing lovey dovey feelings that Gavin and Delilah share. Like....lightning fast. I know that they're teenagers and all, but it was still kinda unrealistic.

“What do you want from me, Delilah?”

“I want to be the only girl you look at.”

“You already are.”

#2 // The yawn-inducing so-called "horror" scenes. Oh c'mon! You guys can do better than creepy noises and a hand grabbing Lilah's arm!



OVERALL: Meh.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I..................it was...............good...............


Alright, alright.
This book started off pretty nicely, you know,I experienced the normal stages of reading a book:
1. *has no idea what's going on*
2. .......
3. oh!
4. DANG THAT WAS GOOD
5. OMG NO YOU STUPID IDIOT KISS HER!!!!!!!!AUGHHH!!!!!!
6. *dies*

Haha, so yeah.......


And just so y'all know, I thought that this was gonna be a creepy book and scare the shit out of me, but what do ya know!! This had nothing of that sort. ;p yeah, no, don't trust me, it's been a while since I read this book haha.....

Enjoy, my peoples!! ;)

[Sofii♡ (A Book. A Thought.) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Do you, House? Do you watch me all the time?”

4.0 / 5.0 STARS



The plot is fantastic, engaging and super original !.

At first it was somewhat difficult feel hooked with the story, as I have to admit that the romance of this book is very bad, sadly I couldn't connect with their relationship at all, was somewhat forced and desperate .
And although, this would have been enough to make me give up with it, this time it was the exeption, since once the house unfolds its mystery I just can't stop reading, it's pretty addictive and creepy, I think it's a perfect read for this time of the year.
I was surprised more and more as the end approached, in fact I think that the more move forwards ,the story gets better, the revelations are great! .
I was expected more of the characters, most of whom seemed somewhat flat. Still, my favorite character among them was Gavin who is, for me, the character which has contributed more to the story.

[s · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should have not wasted my time on this book. Mikaela you were right.

-The romance was complete shit.
We all know what Delilah Blue wanted.



And we all know what Gavin wanted.

-Where the fuck is the fucking horror? The House is just a way to stretch their shit ass romance into 370 pages.

I didn't bother to finish this book. It was so obvious what was going to happen. (Yeah I read the ending.)

[Pavlina Read more sleep less blog]

DNF 30% I'm so disappointed,I love young adult books but this one is weird and I think its written for much younger readers.I'd enjoy it more if I was an actual teenager!


BR WITH BRANDI

[Nastassja · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must admit, reading this book was an experiment - the one I didn't expect anything positive from. I am not a fan of contemporary books by Christina Lauren, but when authors of adult books write YA books, I am always a little bit curious as what will they bring from the other genre and what will they take from this genre. The House turned out to be a rather successful experiment and ultimately I am glad I read this book.

It is a horror/thriller YA - somewhere on the fringe between these two - with elements of romance (hard elements). Simply put - romance plays a significant role in the story. We have typical insta love and sweet talking and all the necessary attributes for the romance part. But though the romance was rather predictable in many ways, the execution of some parts surprisingly pleased me. Specifically love scenes between MCs were rather mature for YA but not utterly descriptive and that helped this book to stay in YA/upper YA frames without lacking interesting intimate details, which I really liked.

“You have chest hair.”
It was his turn to look down at his shirt. He admitted, “Some.”
“And I have demi-boobs.”
Half of a smile flirted with his lips, and when he blinked down to her chest, Delilah thought the skin on her neck and cheeks might ignite. “Your boobs are fine,” he said after a lengthy inspection.

She considered opening her eyes and seeing what he looked like when he said these things to her, but before she had a chance, she felt the brush of his lips across hers, fingers wrapping around her waist, and a small, sharp bite to her bottom lip. The pain made her gasp and then immediately want another taste.
“Tell me tomorrow if you liked that.”

The kisses grew deeper, touches firmer and braver, and soon he was rocking above her and she was moving up from below—chasing the same thing he was—wanting more and more and needing to stretch this moment into days.

They are still teenagers with raging hormones, but the sex talk is not as naive as in most YA books. And when they finally had sex it was beautifully written and I appreciated the lack of descriptions of certain parts and members like we used in adult books.

Romance apart, the other element of the book I liked - the House. It's a MC too and has it's own personality. Yes, it's alive! I liked the idea of a living, constantly changing for the needs of his owner house. You want food - no problem, the food appears on the table. Need renovation - again, just imagine what color you want your walls. Money, food, clothes - everything appears when needed.

“Does the house possess things? Is that how everything works?”
“I’m not sure what it does, really, but that’s probably as good a description as any. The utensils move. The stove turns on. I feel like it’s the shed making it all, but maybe it’s more than one thing in there. The house sort of feels like one. . . thing, with just a lot of moving parts.”

The main question: is the House possessed or is it magical? To have an answer you need to read the book. But I will tell that things are not all butterflies and sunshine, and the House is not all that nice. I mostly read this book at night and some things were creepy and scary, and as I am not a fan of horror books, I was kind of wrapped up in my blanket and started to look around suspiciously. You know, reading about a moving, living house in the middle of the night and staying inside the house (in my case, apartment) can give one ideas as what if my table moves by itself or my closet opens and ect. I wasn't very excited at the prospect as you can imagine...

To lighten the mood, the last quote that really made me smile my widest smile - crooked teeth and all (kidding, my teeth are perfectly straight):

Delilah drew strength from every heroine she’d ever worshipped: Buffy standing with a fist curled around a stake. Michonne wielding her gleaming katana. Kirsty Cotton against Pinhead, Ginny versus Jason. Clarice Starling as she faced Hannibal Lecter, Alice Johnson versus Freddy Krueger—twice.

[Andie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get out of your comfort zones and read The House!! Suspenseful, spooky, and hauntingly romantic.

I am a huge Christina Lauren fan so I was very excited to get my hands on The House! Thank you, Christina for the ARC!

I must admit, unlike the other novels by this amazing duo, it did take me awhile to get into this one. I think it was around 100 pages in when I was finally gripped by the story but after that it was smooth sailing! You couldn't pull my head out of the spines even if you tried!

This story is told from the dual pov of Gavin and Delilah. Delilah Blue returns to her Hometown for her senior year after being away at an all girl private school for the past 6 years. After all these years, she finds herself still drawn to Gavin; the boy who keeps to himself, the boy who lives in "The Patchwork House", whose mother hasn't been seen in a long, long time.

I'm not going to go into details on the plot, it's better to be left surprised :) The House is VERY different from other Christina Lauren books so just get that out of your head right away, but not in a bad way! This duo has done an amazing job here! Their writing is always top notch and they have managed to paint some very vivid imagery.

And in true Christina Lauren fashion, there is some romance mixed in with all the creepiness. Sure it was a little bit of an insta- love going on but hey it worked! It was that sweet, so wrapped up in the other person, first love that everyone can relate to.

I loved seeing the female in the alpha role! Delilah was such a treat. Always the one protecting Gavin and making sure he was okay. And guess what, Gavin is fine with it! I think he secretly loves it.

My one issue with this book is the ending. It did feel a little rushed and unsettled to me. I found myself wanting to know more! But I can look over that.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it to anyone looking for something a little spooky this Halloween!

[Rachel L]

DNF 100 pages in

This book is too weird for me. And not well developed at all.

[Ⓐlleskelle - That ranting lady ッ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️3.5 STARS⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this one. Although different from anything I've read so far from my favorite writing duo, I was entertained all throughout the book, with a theme reminiscent of all my teenagers favorite reads.

It truly reminded me of Richard Matheson's Hell House but with a young adult streak and in a less frightening form. Oh and mixed with The Beauty and the Beast tale and all the animated objects! The "habitants" of the house were moody, funny, feisty and I loved them!
I've been literally sucked right into the story, appreciating the characterization, the setting and the mystery lying around Gavin. I HAD to know what was in that house myself!
Admittedly the romance part felt relatively brushed off and it wasn't the main interested for me while reading The House. I loved the heroine's voice, she really made me laugh and cheer because she was seriously badass.

All in all, this was a really good read, I wasn't spooked at all but my curiosity was definitely piqued pages after pages and I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure.
I'm a bit disappointed with the ending, I felt it was a bit rushed as most of the book was relatively slow paced.

More reviews and book talk at :

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[Stacee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic. Even though the premise sounded awesome, I'll admit to not really being sure about it.

Love love love Delilah and Gavin. They're absolutely adorable together and I loved how protective each was of the other. The swoons were strong in this one as well as the banter and scenes that had me grinning like a loon.

The spooky is quite spooky. The explanation isn't too far fetched and I really liked that it didn't overshadow anything. Yes, the House is a character and plays a pivotal role in the plot, but the focus stayed on Delilah and Gavin.

This will definitely be a book that I'll need all of the copies.

**Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**

[Vilma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sinister and suspenseful with scenes that will surely make you shiver. A perfectly creeptastic, haunted house read for October!

Monster House meets Poltergeist in Christina Lauren’s suspenseful, new YA thriller. You’ll not want to read this one alone, in the dark, as the sounds of your own house creak and groan around you. Suspense escalates steadily in this tale of horror, as House becomes determined to crush the blossoming relationship of two young lovers.

When Delilah returns home from an East coast boarding school, the town of Morton is the same as it always was. Her family was the same as they had always been… indifferent at best. But when she again sees her old crush, Gavin Timothy, her heart surges to life. In his usual black tee, with his dark, shadowed eyes and an intangible mysterious edge, he was more irresistible than before.

“He was Delilah’s form of kryptonite.”

Gavin was largely a loner who lived in a patchwork type house that no one ever visited. Too many rumors, too many secrets, too much mystery swirled around him.

“Kids used to say the house was haunted, but it never looked that way to Delilah. It was stunning, thriving, like something out of an old story, or an ancient black-and-white movie."

Delilah Blue was anything but typical herself. Her obsession with the macabre secretly defined her. She was unfailingly direct, curious and fearless. Gavin couldn’t help but be drawn to her.

“She was like a firecracker standing too close to a match: all potential energy, still wrapped up so neatly. He wanted to watch her explode. Hell, he was the watch. He wanted to make her explode.”

As their friendship slowly progresses into something more, Gavin realizes he must reveal the secrets of his life. He must tell her about House.

He could barely remember his mother, nor did he know what became of her, so House had nurtured him, fed him, raised him. House was a living, breathing thing that pulsed around him and provided everything he could ever need.

Then came Delilah.

“House had protected him through winter storms and lonely days. It had fed him and clothed him and been everything he’d always needed it to be. Until Delilah.”

Once Delilah enters Gavin’s life, House becomes possessive. Gavin belonged to it and no one else. And even as things violently escalate for Delilah, Gavin must see the truth behind House’s deadly intentions… even if it was the only family he’d ever known.

And when things finally become clear, after blood is shed, a plan is put into place, but would it be too late? Delilah and Gavin realize that House is much more powerful than they thought with more secrets than they imagined.

”The thing is, I’m yours. I don’t belong to anyone but you. I’m scared that you’ll never be mine the same way.”

Overall, the story was sinister and creepy, especially as tension intensifies with scenes that made me shiver. This is a great read to devour in October!

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

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[Elle G. Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

:: 4 Haunting Stars ::

I enjoyed this book. Although it’s not exactly what I was expecting from the authors, it is quite a unique tale when it comes to Haunted Houses. In this book, the House is an actual character. One that may terrify readers if reading this book alone at night.

The story is about a boy named Gavin and a girl named Delilah who have known each other almost all of their lives. When Delilah comes back from boarding school it’s as if the two are suddenly drawn back to one another. However, when the two decide to embark on a relationship together something begins to stand in their way. It’s not nagging parents this time. It’s the House.

This story has good creep factor and I definitely recommend it to fans of Christina Lauren. Although the book is much different than what they typically write, the two do an excellent job when it comes to writing young adult horror. 2 thumbs up!


Interested in seeing my full review? You can find it here: www.prettylittlebookreviews.com

[Cameron Chaney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking forward to this book and really wanted to like it, but sadly... it was a big disappointment. Not what I was expecting at all. This isn't a horror story, more like a magical realism novel that feels like a paranormal romance. It just doesn't work. The dialogue is horribly cringey, the romance is too mushy, and there is a serious lack of suspense. There is also a lot more sex than I anticipated for a young adult book, which is fine and all, but the way it was written was borderline erotica. As an adult, it made weirded me out reading about teens in that way. Too kinky. Blech.

The idea is interesting but in the end I just didn't care about what was happening. It also reminded me of Room by Emma Donaghue in the way that the characters refer to the house as "House" and a lamp as "Lamp" and a bed as "Bed." I get that it's because those things are alive and all, so they are basically characters, but it felt too much like The House was trying to be a weird version of Room.

Overall, this was a boring and disappointing book.

1.5 stars

[Sara (sarawithoutanH)]

I... really wanted to make this work but I just couldn't do it. I probably would've liked this as a teenager but this just felt like very old style YA. The writing wasn't as good as CL's other books and it was filled to the brim with tropes. The romance was instalove cringey and the characters were not as good as they typically are in CL's adult romance. I was trying to force myself to finish it for the sake of reading all of their books but I just had to give up.

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[MillennialMomReading · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ (give us half stars already Goodreads!). It’s rare that I think a movie could improve upon a book, but I think The House by Christina Lauren has everything it needs to be a super successful Halloween release and having the visual aspect to the story would do so much in improving the narrative. Delilah and Gavin are teenagers in young love when his possessed house tries to come between them. I think the story had a bit too much teenage romance and would have flowed better with more focus on the paranormal events. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrators sounding like adults did make me forget at times that this was about high schoolers which is crucial to appreciating their relationship and haphazard decision making. It is definitely something that I think would be better enjoyed in big blocks of time vs short increments to keep the momentum of the story fresh in your mind. I think so many readers will enjoy sitting down on spooky night and reading or listening to this as it really is a unique offering from Christina Lauren that doesn’t get enough attention.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75! Everything I wanted and needed in a YA paranormal romance!!! Not at all what I was expecting but one of the better haunted house stories I’ve read.
Started off light and wholesome but as it went on it got more dark and creepy. Honestly might be my favorite christina Lauren book to date, the perfect ya october read!

[Ann Mat · Rating 4 out of 5]

“When he walked away, shoulders square and broad, hair as black as the shadows under the tree, she felt a little hollow, like maybe he’d taken one of her ribs with him when he left.”



It was certainly different and refreshing. It was like an American horror movie with all the creaky stairs and gusty winds. People are trying to stop me from reading it at night but it wasn't that scary. I found it a little comical when Gavin talks to the Lamp, The room, The piano... The house has this attitude that in the end the mystery wasn't solved.

I don't know what to make of Delilah's attitude. She was pretentious for a girl who walks barefooted on an old school. Her character mismatched with her reaction on The house. She was inconsistent and I'm not talking about mood swings.

Overall, the story was a huge leap. It was original because this is my first time reading animated objects brought back to life. I don't have any qualms with their arch nemesis even at the last chapter.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good and spooky. I wanted to keep reading until the end. It keep me guessing and wanting to know what was going to happen next.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my third from these authors. I was expecting romance, I was expecting sparks, I was excited to read a new book (for me) that I knew would be totally captivating... but I didn't expect a creepy and suspenseful story like this! I love them so much, I love that I had been so pleasantly surprised by this book.

[♡ Amanda Love ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was not what I expected but in the best way possible! Such a fun and unique spooky YA book that is perfect to read in October! I did think the ending felt a little bit rushed but I still really enjoyed it! I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Christina Lauren and I can’t wait to read more!

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoomp! There it is! My first 5 star book of 2016. This book was completely and utterly amazing and totally not what I was expecting at all. Going into The House, I expected a straightforward haunted house story, but that's not what this is at all. The House is a story about love and commitment just as much as it is a horror novel and it's beautiful.

Delilah and Gavin are the main characters in this wonderfully amazing book and the story is told from alternating perspectives. Delilah has had a thing for Gavin since before she left for boarding school and Gavin has secretly wondered if she really liked him, liked him. But then she comes home and stakes claim almost immediately and they begin an awkward friendship that slowly becomes more. They're both super weird kids in their own ways. Delilah is obsessed with horror movies and hauntings and Gavin, well, he lives in a really weird house.

The romance between these two was a huge focus of the book and I was totally okay with that. Their relationship was not insta-lovey at all, despite Delilah going after Gavin so quickly, and the romance between them was believable, natural, and totally swoon-worthy. I completely adored both of these characters, separately and together.

But, hey, this is a horror novel, so where's the horror?? Well, let me tell you. It's there. The horrific elements of The House are slow and subtle and sneakily creep up your spine until you find yourself looking over your shoulder and around corners before realizing how totally ridiculous you're being. Despite the fact that this book does focus heavily on romance, it is one of the best YA horror novels I've read. Period. There was mystery and shock factor and twists that I never saw coming.

If I could find one teensy thing to complain about it would be the over emphasis on descriptors for Gavin and Delilah. Seriously, by the end of this book I was wondering if Gavin was actually Hagrid. He was described as large and long and huge and big and massive and giant and I get it! The guy is really tall! Delilah should really get checked out by a doctor because she has a few kinds of birds, horses, and butterflies in her chest and that probably isn't healthy. All things considered, these are seriously minute issues though.

I truly wish that I could rave and fangirl over this book for awhile longer, but it's a book that I think would be very easily spoiled and so I'm not going to say too much more about it. Suffice it to say that this is a terrifically creepy book with amazing romance and you should totally read it if you like either of those things!

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

GAWD! I loved this. Anyone that knows me, knows I am a Christina Lauren addict. I am. I put this on the back burner because it was a Young Adult but this was so good. It had sexy aspects, relationship, played out like a movie. The heroine was so amazing and strong. Like all CL characters, these characters will be with me for a long time. I can not recommend this enough. You want to read something that is truly unique? Special? pick it up.

[J.D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary:

Dahlilah returns home from boarding school and is reunited with her crush, Gavin, from 6 years ago. She soon learns that he was not raised by parents, but by a very unusual house that seems to have a life and mind of its own.
At first she is excited of the idea of a house being alive and full of unusual activity. But when the house realizes how attached Gavin is getting to her, it turns against Dahlilah in a jealous rage. She is determined to get Gavin away from the possessed house, even if it means risking her own life to do so.

Personal opinion:

I had a bit of a hard time getting into this book. There were 2 things that annoyed me in the beginning.
The first was that Dahlilah comes off as a bit of a stalker towards Gavin. It's a pet peeve of mine when a female MC revolves all of her time pinning or obsessing over a guy.
Second, the relationship between Dahlilah and Gavin escalates too unrealistically fast.
Things do get quite a bit better after page #116 when the house begins to take on a Poltergeist vibe and I did really enjoy the ending.
Overall, this book was okay, but definitely not one of my favorites.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was NOT what I expected. Absolutely not. Did I love it any less though? Definitely not. Quite the opposite, actually. It was a really unique and interesting read with a fascinating story, pretty cool and likeable characters and was very well written. It's the first book I read by these authors - yes, plural because Christina Lauren is a combined pen name for the authors Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings - but I'm also not sure if I'll read any other books. They seem a lot different and even though they have quite good ratings on GR, it's a completely different genre.

"I don't care if we're living in a box under the bridge somewhere. As long as I'm with you, I don't care about the rest."

Back to The House. What I expected was a really creepy, ghost-like book ... a haunted house maybe. Or an evil spirit "living" in the house. In my mind it had something to do with ghosts and was freaking scary. The typical ghost-story where you hear terrible voices at night and cupboards or doors closing itself. Just very creepy. However, I have to admit that it's NOTHING like that (at first). It's definitely unsettling and suspenseful and if you really think about it, yes also kind of scary, but then again not so much. At first I felt like Delilah and thought it's pretty cool and magical but as things progressed ... well, it wasn't magical anymore. More like terrifying. Dangerous.

I can't really go into details about House but that's probably for the best - go into this without too high expectations. Keep away from spoilery reviews and get surprised. I certainly haven't read anything like this before and am happy that the authors managed to explain and write everything so it makes sense.

"Delilah was his sun, and he'd smiled more because of her in the last few months than he had in his entire life."

There's also a romance in the book which I absolutely ADORED. Gavin and Delilah? They're so, so sweet and even though some might say it's insta-lovish, I actually don't think so. They're teenagers being in love and experiencing everything for the first time. And the fact that they already "knew" each other when they were younger just makes it work for me. I don't care if it's cheesy and maybe a little rushed, it's freaking adorable and I love both of them a lot!

Delilah is such a great character. I loved that she was always so protective of Gavin and looked out for him - in most other books it's always the guy protecting the girl, so this was super refreshing! They're both a little weird but when they're together it just fits. They're intersting, likeable and seemed very realistic to me. And Gavin is ... well, everyone seems to think he's strange, which probably has something to do with the fact that he lives in this "Patchwork house" and no one ever sees his parents but I found him fascinating and very sweet. The way he cares for Delilah and acts around her is incredibly cute. *sigh*

"The thing is, I’m yours. I don’t belong to anyone but you. I’m scared that you’ll never be mine the same way."

The ending seemed a little bit rushed and I wished the authors would've given us a few more chapters with the characters. I definitely wanted to know more after everything was revealed and well, I think it would've been really good. Either way, I liked how everything turned out. It was a good ending and therefore I can easily recommend this! It's a perfect read for Autumn and/or Halloween with amazing characters and a different kind of ghost-story that I highly enjoyed! Well done!

www.aworldbetweenfoldedpages.blogspot.com
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October 30th:
I REALLY liked this book! So different and unique with great characters and a cool storyline ... just awesome! Highly enjoyed it & would definitely recommend reading it! <3

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a super cool take on a haunted house. I loved the YA love story thrown in the mix. It was a quick read that kept me captivated.

[ᒪᗴᗩᕼ · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY RATING⇢ 4 STARS | GRADE B+

FEATURING⇢

Monster House For Teens
With Romance
A Possession
Paranormal
Older YA

With Audio Performed Swimmingly by Elizabeth Louise and Deacon Lee


MY THOUGHTS⇢

Best Character goes to the Antagonist...The House.  Not that I was rooting for the house...well maybe I was, a little.  Did you ever see the movie, Monster House...





...this was like that, but with seventeen-year-olds, and some mushy, gushy romance stuff.  It wasn't half bad either...and I think that surprised me because I was hesitant to read it.  Seriously, that's all you really need to know...I say read it, especially if you're in the mood for something different than your average ghost story.  Also...if you've never seen Monster House...then you should, even if you don't have kids.
FYI...As far as the romance goes...or at least as far as the characters take things in their relationship this is getting an Older YA tag from me.  

THE BREAKDOWN⇢  

Plot⇢ 4/5
Narration Performance⇢ 4/5
Characters⇢ 4/5
The Feels⇢ 3.7/5
Pacing⇢ 4/5
Addictiveness⇢ 3.5/5
Theme or Tone⇢ 3.5/5
Flow (Writing Style)⇢ 3.7/5
Backdrop (World Building)⇢ 4/5
Originality⇢ 4/5
Ending⇢ 4/5
_____

Book Cover⇢ I like it.
Setting⇢ Morton, Kansas
Source⇢ Libby Audiobook (Library)
Length⇢ 8 hours, 45 minutes

[praiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this in bed at night wondering if everything I am touching is alive is one of the creepiest feelings I've ever had to endure. This book is so alive that you have to convince yourself it is just a book, it is just a book, it is just a book if you want to ever feel comfortable inside your house again. Holy shit. Incredible work. Freud would get a kick out of this.