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Enter the Dark House: Welcome to the Dark House / Return to the Dark House
What's your worst nightmare?
For Ivy Jensen, it's the eyes of a killer that haunt her nights. For Parker Bradley, it's bloodthirsty sea serpents that slither in his dreams.
And for seven essay contestants, it's their worst nightmares that win them an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at director Justin Blake's latest, confidential project. Ivy doesn't even like scary movies, but she's ready to face her real-world fears. Parker's sympathetic words and perfect smile help keep her spirits up. . . at least for now.
Not everyone is so charming, though. Horror-film fanatic Garth Vader wants to stir up trouble. It's bad enough he has to stay in the middle of nowhere with this group-the girl who locks herself in her room; the know-it-all roommate; "Mister Sensitive"; and the one who's too cheery for her own good. Someone has to make things interesting.
Except, things are already a little weird. The hostess is a serial-killer look-alike, the dream-stealing Nightmare Elf is lurking about, and the seventh member of the group is missing.
By the time Ivy and Parker realize what's really at stake, it's too late to wake up and run.
Enter to the Dark House in this heart-stopping bind-up of books one and two in the DARK HOUSE series, sure to leave you itching to turn the lights on.
For Ivy Jensen, it's the eyes of a killer that haunt her nights. For Parker Bradley, it's bloodthirsty sea serpents that slither in his dreams.
And for seven essay contestants, it's their worst nightmares that win them an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at director Justin Blake's latest, confidential project. Ivy doesn't even like scary movies, but she's ready to face her real-world fears. Parker's sympathetic words and perfect smile help keep her spirits up. . . at least for now.
Not everyone is so charming, though. Horror-film fanatic Garth Vader wants to stir up trouble. It's bad enough he has to stay in the middle of nowhere with this group-the girl who locks herself in her room; the know-it-all roommate; "Mister Sensitive"; and the one who's too cheery for her own good. Someone has to make things interesting.
Except, things are already a little weird. The hostess is a serial-killer look-alike, the dream-stealing Nightmare Elf is lurking about, and the seventh member of the group is missing.
By the time Ivy and Parker realize what's really at stake, it's too late to wake up and run.
Enter to the Dark House in this heart-stopping bind-up of books one and two in the DARK HOUSE series, sure to leave you itching to turn the lights on.
736 pages, Paperback
First published September 25, 2018
26 people are currently reading
541 people want to read
About the author
Laurie Faria Stolarz
36 books3,170 followersLaurie Faria Stolarz grew up in Salem, MA, attended Merrimack College, and received an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston.
Laurie Faria Stolarz is an American author of young adult fiction novels, best known for her Blue is for Nightmares series. Her works, which feature teenage protagonists, blend elements found in mystery and romance novels.
Stolarz found sales success with her first novel, Blue is for Nightmares, and followed it up with three more titles in the series, White is for Magic, Silver is for Secrets, and Red is for Remembrance, as well as a companion graphic novel, Black is for Beginnings. Stolarz is also the author of the Touch series (Deadly Little Secret, Deadly Little Lies, Deadly Little Games, Deadly Little Voices, and Deadly Little Lessons), as well as Bleed and Project 17. With more than two million books sold worldwide, Stolarz's titles have been named on various awards list.
Laurie Faria Stolarz is an American author of young adult fiction novels, best known for her Blue is for Nightmares series. Her works, which feature teenage protagonists, blend elements found in mystery and romance novels.
Stolarz found sales success with her first novel, Blue is for Nightmares, and followed it up with three more titles in the series, White is for Magic, Silver is for Secrets, and Red is for Remembrance, as well as a companion graphic novel, Black is for Beginnings. Stolarz is also the author of the Touch series (Deadly Little Secret, Deadly Little Lies, Deadly Little Games, Deadly Little Voices, and Deadly Little Lessons), as well as Bleed and Project 17. With more than two million books sold worldwide, Stolarz's titles have been named on various awards list.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
November 4, 2018
The sequel is EXTRAORDINARY! It tied up all loose ends, gave a nail-biting exchange between the killer and our heroine, and maintained all typical horror tropes while at the same time providing nuances that added twists and turns that you couldn’t see coming!
Altogether, this duology is a triumph in YA Horror and served as a perfect Halloween read!
Altogether, this duology is a triumph in YA Horror and served as a perfect Halloween read!
August 14, 2019
From reading the synopsis of this book, I felt it had a lot of potential to be something great but ultimately I ended up disappointed.
More than half of the first book is wasted on pointless moments that serve little to no purpose in the overarching story. An attempt is made to flesh out the characters but a bunch of them (Frankie especially) still feel very cliche and underdeveloped.
I hate when books are too predictable too, and it was painfully obvious who the first two characters who were going to die would be. It got even worse when the next two characters were killed off so anticlimactically almost immediately afterward without any sort of payoff for their characters being hyped us to be major characters in the story. Garth and Natalie were both made out to be important to the story - Garth as an antagonist and Natalie with her Harris situation - and yet both died almost right after Frankie and Shayla. It was a very disappointing way to kill them both off (even if Natalie survived). It was bad enough that it was so obvious, given each character’s relevance in the story, that Frankie and Shayla would be the first two to die just based off of character cliches and tropes, but even worse that Garth and Natalie seemed to be made out to be cliche important characters only to die right after the two cliche “unimportant” characters. Like they were written the way they were to fit the order of deaths rather than serve an actual purpose in the story. Like they only made it far in the story over minor characters like Frankie and Shayla because they fit the mold of stereotypical horror story survivors, rather than because of any actual qualities they have.
And don’t get me started on Parker and Ivy. Their romance get very rushed and they being the final two survivors also felt very shoehorned in since they’re the male and female leads.
The second book does a better job at fleshing out Ivy’s character and also introduces Taylor, who is written a billion times better than all six other characters in the first book already. Which is why I was really pissed off at how pointlessly she was killed off in the second book. For seemingly no reason at all. It felt like she was killed off more for shock value or because the writer was running out of ideas than to serve any actual purpose.
A lot of the “horror” elements in the story is also more confusing than scary. There’s so much emphasis on holograms and Ivy hallucinating other people, voices and music than any actual scares. Ivy spends at least half the book in a perpetual state of hallucinating, which ends up getting really grating as time goes on. Perhaps this can be excused on her mental issues, but Taylor suffers the same hallucinations at one point so it seems more like the author didn’t know how to make the gothic environment actually scary.
A lot of the things the killer does - being able to renovate the entire amusement park into a death trap, hiring so many people to help him with his plans in the first book and not get caught, escape with the bodies of his victims and tons of video and audio footage/equipment etc - requires a massive leap in logic to believe.
I don’t want to completely bury this book. There were a few good moments. I really enjoyed Ivy and Taylor’s relationship because it actually feels genuine, unlike Ivy and Parker who feel very forced together. But ultimately I just get very disappointed with the frustrating mismanagement of the “horror” element in the story, plot holes and stretch of reality regarding the impossible things the killer does, the predictability of the story and the underdeveloped cliche characters and forced romances. The story has a lot of potential but I was let down in the end.
More than half of the first book is wasted on pointless moments that serve little to no purpose in the overarching story. An attempt is made to flesh out the characters but a bunch of them (Frankie especially) still feel very cliche and underdeveloped.
I hate when books are too predictable too, and it was painfully obvious who the first two characters who were going to die would be. It got even worse when the next two characters were killed off so anticlimactically almost immediately afterward without any sort of payoff for their characters being hyped us to be major characters in the story. Garth and Natalie were both made out to be important to the story - Garth as an antagonist and Natalie with her Harris situation - and yet both died almost right after Frankie and Shayla. It was a very disappointing way to kill them both off (even if Natalie survived). It was bad enough that it was so obvious, given each character’s relevance in the story, that Frankie and Shayla would be the first two to die just based off of character cliches and tropes, but even worse that Garth and Natalie seemed to be made out to be cliche important characters only to die right after the two cliche “unimportant” characters. Like they were written the way they were to fit the order of deaths rather than serve an actual purpose in the story. Like they only made it far in the story over minor characters like Frankie and Shayla because they fit the mold of stereotypical horror story survivors, rather than because of any actual qualities they have.
And don’t get me started on Parker and Ivy. Their romance get very rushed and they being the final two survivors also felt very shoehorned in since they’re the male and female leads.
The second book does a better job at fleshing out Ivy’s character and also introduces Taylor, who is written a billion times better than all six other characters in the first book already. Which is why I was really pissed off at how pointlessly she was killed off in the second book. For seemingly no reason at all. It felt like she was killed off more for shock value or because the writer was running out of ideas than to serve any actual purpose.
A lot of the “horror” elements in the story is also more confusing than scary. There’s so much emphasis on holograms and Ivy hallucinating other people, voices and music than any actual scares. Ivy spends at least half the book in a perpetual state of hallucinating, which ends up getting really grating as time goes on. Perhaps this can be excused on her mental issues, but Taylor suffers the same hallucinations at one point so it seems more like the author didn’t know how to make the gothic environment actually scary.
A lot of the things the killer does - being able to renovate the entire amusement park into a death trap, hiring so many people to help him with his plans in the first book and not get caught, escape with the bodies of his victims and tons of video and audio footage/equipment etc - requires a massive leap in logic to believe.
I don’t want to completely bury this book. There were a few good moments. I really enjoyed Ivy and Taylor’s relationship because it actually feels genuine, unlike Ivy and Parker who feel very forced together. But ultimately I just get very disappointed with the frustrating mismanagement of the “horror” element in the story, plot holes and stretch of reality regarding the impossible things the killer does, the predictability of the story and the underdeveloped cliche characters and forced romances. The story has a lot of potential but I was let down in the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2024
Was it just me, or did they not reveal the killers motives at all? Or did I somehow skip past that part? Some characters in this book were very infuriating *cough* Garth *cough* - but luckily I didn’t see much of him in book two. Speaking of, GOODREADS CAN I GET CREDIT FOR TWO BOOKS FOR READING THIS?!!?!
I will end this review with a quote from my dad, when he saw the title of this book, “why don’t they just turn on the lights?”
I will end this review with a quote from my dad, when he saw the title of this book, “why don’t they just turn on the lights?”
April 12, 2023
I like the first book better than the second
September 19, 2018
Enter the Dark House, by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Rating: 3/5
Release date: September 25, 2018
Note: Special thanks to Hachette Book Groups for sending an ARC for review.
I was a huge Laurie Faria Stolarz fan in high school with her Blue is for Nightmares series, so when I found out about this bind-up of her Dark House series, I had to request it. I have to be honest and say right off the bat that I only read the first part of this bind-up. I did not and won't be reading part two for reasons I'll be mentioning in this review.
With the large cast of characters in this book, it's easy to forget who is who and with what trauma they have experienced. Some of these characters are flat and are unsurprisingly described as the goth, outcast, or prep. I could have done without the cliched side characters like Garth Vader (really? even if this was ironic, I had to cringe at all his dialogues), Shayla, and Frankie. If this book wasn't bogged down with the interchanging POV of these three, I think I would have rated this higher. I was relieved to be able to pick out a few recognizable characters that were a little more fleshed out than others and they held my attention. Ivy was the only person I was truly interested in and cared whether she made it out alive or not.
Another let down from this book is the number of plot holes that were left unexplained. Without giving the "surprise" ending away, there were some scenes at the start of the book that made me question how much power and connections this Justin Blake truly has. Not to mention that he doesn't make much of an appearance in this book and none of the characters noticed or cared much.
If you've read my reviews before, you'll know that there's nothing I hate more than unnecessary romance blossoming out of the blue between characters.
There are scenes dedicated to certain characters suddenly falling for each other. It was during these chapters where I really wanted to give up on the book. I skimmed these parts and moved on as quickly as I could.
Despite these annoyances, I still ended up enjoying the book and Stolarz writing made me reminisce about my high school days where I agonizingly anticipated the next Blue is for Nightmares book. I thought Justin Blake's Nightmare Elf film series was well thought out and a tongue in cheek play of notable horror film franchises. The author also created a very interesting main character with Ivy and her grim past; I still wish the story had focused entirely on her experience though. Although I didn't read the second book to this bind-up, I would still recommend it to students who want a quick horror that's entertaining. In the end, I recognize this book for what it is, and that's a really fun read.
December 17, 2025
WHY I CHOSE THIS BOOK
In my English class, we choose to read a book each month, and for November, I selected Welcome to the Dark House by Laurie Faria Stolarz. The book first interested me when I found the sequel in my English class and thought it sounded interesting. I had never read a horror fiction book before. I also liked the wording on the cover. It drew my eyes in because of the big letters and unique font, unlike other books that have just normal, small words.
SUMMARY
Ivy Jensen entered a nightmare essay competition to meet film maker Justin Blake. She and six other writers won, although she had never watched any of his movies before, and were invited to stay at the infamous, creepy Dark House. Not everyone's parents were very accepting of their decision to come. Once settled, everyone's pretty excited to be. They start to make new friends and discover new places all over the house. Then, they start noticing strange things happening. One of the other winners went on a walk and never came back. There's weird writing left on the wall. Is it blood or is it just lipstick? One of the girls is acting strange, pulling out her hair and talking to her “brother”. While all this is occurring, new relationships start to spark. Some are asking each other what their scary nightmare was that got them to win the competition, and sharing theirs. While others will not open up, ashamed and scared of their past.
Soon they learn that they are going to one of Blake's film sets to meet him, an amusement park. Once they arrived, some felt a bit ominous about their situation while others were excited to be there. They all had to give their phones up before they entered but Ivy forgot to take out the missing winners, which she found on their bed. Very quickly, they learn that this is not what they expected. Everything is being filmed for a so-called “new movie”, there are creepy dolls and weird music, the gates have shut and locked, and they are being forced to play their nightmare games to escape. Some even start to question if there is a Justin Blake at all.
CHARACTER ANALYSIS
In the story, the character who would make the best real-life friend would be Parker. Parker is quieter than the other characters, he tends to keep to himself rather than be obnoxious. Unlike the others who tend to act recklessly, Parker is responsible. He likes to pretend he is filming everything from a mental camera to view each situation as you would while watching a movie, meaning he is always trying to make the best decision. He is also very sweet. Parker comforts Ivy all throughout the book, when she's scared, in trouble, or even happy, he is there for her. He is an understanding and dependable character. When Ivy is in a tough situation he does everything in his power to help, which also shows how protective he can be. Even when he was being hurt and struggling, he cared more about Ivy's safety than his own, and stayed calm so she wouldn't worry too much. This makes me trust him to make smart and safe choices under pressure. I would want Parker as a friend because I know I would be able to trust him with important situations, rely on him when things go wrong, and receive good advice.
In my English class, we choose to read a book each month, and for November, I selected Welcome to the Dark House by Laurie Faria Stolarz. The book first interested me when I found the sequel in my English class and thought it sounded interesting. I had never read a horror fiction book before. I also liked the wording on the cover. It drew my eyes in because of the big letters and unique font, unlike other books that have just normal, small words.
SUMMARY
Ivy Jensen entered a nightmare essay competition to meet film maker Justin Blake. She and six other writers won, although she had never watched any of his movies before, and were invited to stay at the infamous, creepy Dark House. Not everyone's parents were very accepting of their decision to come. Once settled, everyone's pretty excited to be. They start to make new friends and discover new places all over the house. Then, they start noticing strange things happening. One of the other winners went on a walk and never came back. There's weird writing left on the wall. Is it blood or is it just lipstick? One of the girls is acting strange, pulling out her hair and talking to her “brother”. While all this is occurring, new relationships start to spark. Some are asking each other what their scary nightmare was that got them to win the competition, and sharing theirs. While others will not open up, ashamed and scared of their past.
Soon they learn that they are going to one of Blake's film sets to meet him, an amusement park. Once they arrived, some felt a bit ominous about their situation while others were excited to be there. They all had to give their phones up before they entered but Ivy forgot to take out the missing winners, which she found on their bed. Very quickly, they learn that this is not what they expected. Everything is being filmed for a so-called “new movie”, there are creepy dolls and weird music, the gates have shut and locked, and they are being forced to play their nightmare games to escape. Some even start to question if there is a Justin Blake at all.
CHARACTER ANALYSIS
In the story, the character who would make the best real-life friend would be Parker. Parker is quieter than the other characters, he tends to keep to himself rather than be obnoxious. Unlike the others who tend to act recklessly, Parker is responsible. He likes to pretend he is filming everything from a mental camera to view each situation as you would while watching a movie, meaning he is always trying to make the best decision. He is also very sweet. Parker comforts Ivy all throughout the book, when she's scared, in trouble, or even happy, he is there for her. He is an understanding and dependable character. When Ivy is in a tough situation he does everything in his power to help, which also shows how protective he can be. Even when he was being hurt and struggling, he cared more about Ivy's safety than his own, and stayed calm so she wouldn't worry too much. This makes me trust him to make smart and safe choices under pressure. I would want Parker as a friend because I know I would be able to trust him with important situations, rely on him when things go wrong, and receive good advice.
October 18, 2024
I typically don’t read a lot of horror, but this was amazing! Loved it.
November 20, 2025
I tried so hard to get into it but nothing happened and it was so boring and hard to read
January 6, 2026
This was a solid, creepy read that had me invested early on, but the final stretch dragged more than it needed to. Still a good read if you like dark, twisty stories. Just be prepared for a slower crawl to the finish.
July 27, 2023
whew this is one thick book,, but i'm sorry to say that it wasn't worth my time
𝖂𝖊𝖑𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕯𝖆𝖗𝖐 𝕳𝖔𝖚𝖘𝖊 (#1)
2/5 stars
I really didn't enjoy this; the story dragged on for too long,, the characters felt so annoying, cliched, and hormonal,, the Nightmare Elf thing was a little kitsch,, and the deaths were so anti-climatic.
1. Story pacing:
I was bored out of my mind the whole time. Especially when the contestants are in the Dark House and just settling in, that takes up about 50% of the book. The rest is just a forced climax and a rushed ending.
2. Characters:
To be honest, I dislike everyone in this book except for Natalie. I get that Natalie isn't mentally sound at the moment, but can yall not be so mean to her? Especially Garth, you fucktard. I liked the different POVs shown in the book, but the characters still felt unfinished and forgettable. And they were also annoying asf (Taylor and Shayla's perkiness is so hard to read). I'm also annoyed that everyone is 'damn pretty/cute' or 'so ballcrushingly hot' and only the mentally ill girl isn't (iirc). Instalove is real yall, and I honestly feel nothing about Parker and Ivy.
3. The horror aspect:
I think it's cool-a Nightmare Elf that collects nightmares in his sack and makes it come true. Okay, I admit: the only 'mainstream' horror films I've watched are Saw and Carrie(the one with chloe grace moretz) but I do love gory and gut-wrenching horror. Suffice to say that the horror in this book doesn't meet my standards. But that's, of course, my taste in horror so please take this with a grain of salt. I know this is ridiculous but,,,, the names associated with the Nightmare Elf franchise (Little Sally Jacobs, Sebastian the slayer, Pudgy the Clown) seems so... i don't know, it's so 90's teen scream horror flick. But anyway, the nightmares are so underwhelming and predictable.
4. Pros?
The different formats are so cool- we have e-newsletters, posters, movie scripts (Parker's mental camera), letters, medical history etc. I find it so fun to read, I just love those funny letterings. I'm literally in love with them :))
Welp so that's my honest review of the first book in this giant book. I think I may have missed a lot of points but my brain's very fuzzy from finishing a book. Onto the next review!!
𝕽𝖊𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖓 𝖙𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕯𝖆𝖗𝖐 𝕳𝖔𝖚𝖘𝖊 (#2)
2.5/5 stars
Okay this one is a slight improvement from the first book, but maybe still not particularly spectacular.
1. Story pacing:
Better than the first. I mean, yeah, it flows pretty smoothly now. But the end was wildly condensed into less than 20 pages (from Parker's POV onwards). I still don't know what to make of that. Not very happy about the obvious cliffhanger or whatever is going on with the bodies and the killer. Will there be a third book???
2. Characters:
I like Ivy more now. Taylor? maybe not so much-too chirpy and the frequent horror movie references are annoying (if you don't watch A-list horror films like me). Ivy is fleshed out more in the second book, and I can really feel her more. I'm just annoyed that Taylor was just thrown away like that, like, she had so much potential with her funny little scream queen wannabe personality and it's just gone in the cheapest way possible. Also annoyed with the way Parker survived too, why not just let him die so that the story doesn't feel predictable once again. I like Natalie, I hope she gets the help she needs in the end. And also: WHAT HAPPENED TO 'MIDGE' AND THE GIRL IN THE TUB!?!?? they literally disappeared from the narrative, and I want to know what happened to them
2.5. The Killer:
honestly, what the fuck. we dont get his identity, we dont get his motivation, we dont get why he sounds so sultry while 'guiding?' an 18-ish girl to her death, we dont know why he targets said girl and goes out of his way to orchestrate an entire horror mansion essay competition balooza just to kill her, and we dont get what's up with his 'my Princess' catcalls (ik Ivy's childhood picture has a Princess name frame, but still). Did he kill the real Justin Blake so he can 'steal' his identity just for the essay competition?? Why the hell is the real Justin Blake okay with someone using his name to host that? Is the killer a pedophile? probably. he watched Ivy's every move since she was like 12 or something. Thats so sickening, why her specifically?? and I'd love to read his POV, see what's in his fucked up brain. Maybe that'll make him more fleshed out, i suppose.
3. The horror aspect:
yeehaw, i love me a haunted mansion amazing race. but i dont love the holograms, they're so confusing!! and what kind of balls technology even allow such realistic holograms in this economy??
4. Pros?
I think I liked how the story flows better in the second book, but my questions from the first book's ending went unanswered.
All in all, I'm just left feeling empty and disappointed after reading this. Had lots of potential with the premise but it just wasn't executed properly.
𝖂𝖊𝖑𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝖙𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕯𝖆𝖗𝖐 𝕳𝖔𝖚𝖘𝖊 (#1)
2/5 stars
I really didn't enjoy this; the story dragged on for too long,, the characters felt so annoying, cliched, and hormonal,, the Nightmare Elf thing was a little kitsch,, and the deaths were so anti-climatic.
1. Story pacing:
I was bored out of my mind the whole time. Especially when the contestants are in the Dark House and just settling in, that takes up about 50% of the book. The rest is just a forced climax and a rushed ending.
2. Characters:
To be honest, I dislike everyone in this book except for Natalie. I get that Natalie isn't mentally sound at the moment, but can yall not be so mean to her? Especially Garth, you fucktard. I liked the different POVs shown in the book, but the characters still felt unfinished and forgettable. And they were also annoying asf (Taylor and Shayla's perkiness is so hard to read). I'm also annoyed that everyone is 'damn pretty/cute' or 'so ballcrushingly hot' and only the mentally ill girl isn't (iirc). Instalove is real yall, and I honestly feel nothing about Parker and Ivy.
3. The horror aspect:
I think it's cool-a Nightmare Elf that collects nightmares in his sack and makes it come true. Okay, I admit: the only 'mainstream' horror films I've watched are Saw and Carrie(the one with chloe grace moretz) but I do love gory and gut-wrenching horror. Suffice to say that the horror in this book doesn't meet my standards. But that's, of course, my taste in horror so please take this with a grain of salt. I know this is ridiculous but,,,, the names associated with the Nightmare Elf franchise (Little Sally Jacobs, Sebastian the slayer, Pudgy the Clown) seems so... i don't know, it's so 90's teen scream horror flick. But anyway, the nightmares are so underwhelming and predictable.
4. Pros?
The different formats are so cool- we have e-newsletters, posters, movie scripts (Parker's mental camera), letters, medical history etc. I find it so fun to read, I just love those funny letterings. I'm literally in love with them :))
Welp so that's my honest review of the first book in this giant book. I think I may have missed a lot of points but my brain's very fuzzy from finishing a book. Onto the next review!!
𝕽𝖊𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖓 𝖙𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕯𝖆𝖗𝖐 𝕳𝖔𝖚𝖘𝖊 (#2)
2.5/5 stars
Okay this one is a slight improvement from the first book, but maybe still not particularly spectacular.
1. Story pacing:
Better than the first. I mean, yeah, it flows pretty smoothly now. But the end was wildly condensed into less than 20 pages (from Parker's POV onwards). I still don't know what to make of that. Not very happy about the obvious cliffhanger or whatever is going on with the bodies and the killer. Will there be a third book???
2. Characters:
I like Ivy more now. Taylor? maybe not so much-too chirpy and the frequent horror movie references are annoying (if you don't watch A-list horror films like me). Ivy is fleshed out more in the second book, and I can really feel her more. I'm just annoyed that Taylor was just thrown away like that, like, she had so much potential with her funny little scream queen wannabe personality and it's just gone in the cheapest way possible. Also annoyed with the way Parker survived too, why not just let him die so that the story doesn't feel predictable once again. I like Natalie, I hope she gets the help she needs in the end. And also: WHAT HAPPENED TO 'MIDGE' AND THE GIRL IN THE TUB!?!?? they literally disappeared from the narrative, and I want to know what happened to them
2.5. The Killer:
honestly, what the fuck. we dont get his identity, we dont get his motivation, we dont get why he sounds so sultry while 'guiding?' an 18-ish girl to her death, we dont know why he targets said girl and goes out of his way to orchestrate an entire horror mansion essay competition balooza just to kill her, and we dont get what's up with his 'my Princess' catcalls (ik Ivy's childhood picture has a Princess name frame, but still). Did he kill the real Justin Blake so he can 'steal' his identity just for the essay competition?? Why the hell is the real Justin Blake okay with someone using his name to host that? Is the killer a pedophile? probably. he watched Ivy's every move since she was like 12 or something. Thats so sickening, why her specifically?? and I'd love to read his POV, see what's in his fucked up brain. Maybe that'll make him more fleshed out, i suppose.
3. The horror aspect:
yeehaw, i love me a haunted mansion amazing race. but i dont love the holograms, they're so confusing!! and what kind of balls technology even allow such realistic holograms in this economy??
4. Pros?
I think I liked how the story flows better in the second book, but my questions from the first book's ending went unanswered.
All in all, I'm just left feeling empty and disappointed after reading this. Had lots of potential with the premise but it just wasn't executed properly.
November 30, 2025
2.5 ⭐️
I really wanted to enjoy this book, and there are parts of it I did but I 100% hated the ending of this book. I am actually shocked that at the end of this 718 page book that you don’t get a single motive as to why this murderer is chasing the main character AND how he’s not captured?!
I don’t mind shock value and I don’t mind cliff hangers but this is a literal duology and in my opinion there is no reason as to why you shouldn’t have known more about the murderer.
I also didn’t care anything about Ivy and Parker’s overnight fling, I 100% would not have risked my life for a boy I had only just met over the weekend. And it very much so read that Ivy went after the murder to do just that save Parker (more than anything).
Um, Taylor surviving in the first book only to die in the second book?! She literally was the one to have gotten away the first time?! Why did we kill her?!
And lastly, this guy could totally be read as a nut case and you may not need more information on the killer to understand the book fully. But in this case! With the quote on quote haunting the killer endured, that then transformed into his obsession to kill - it needed to be hashed out more. Why add the journal entries and put emphasizes on the murderers’ mother and her crazy antics while he was a child if, AGAIN it wasn’t going to lead us to understanding and the reasoning behind the murderer and the reason why he murdered in the first place?!
This book really had the potential of being something great.
I really wanted to enjoy this book, and there are parts of it I did but I 100% hated the ending of this book. I am actually shocked that at the end of this 718 page book that you don’t get a single motive as to why this murderer is chasing the main character AND how he’s not captured?!
I don’t mind shock value and I don’t mind cliff hangers but this is a literal duology and in my opinion there is no reason as to why you shouldn’t have known more about the murderer.
I also didn’t care anything about Ivy and Parker’s overnight fling, I 100% would not have risked my life for a boy I had only just met over the weekend. And it very much so read that Ivy went after the murder to do just that save Parker (more than anything).
Um, Taylor surviving in the first book only to die in the second book?! She literally was the one to have gotten away the first time?! Why did we kill her?!
And lastly, this guy could totally be read as a nut case and you may not need more information on the killer to understand the book fully. But in this case! With the quote on quote haunting the killer endured, that then transformed into his obsession to kill - it needed to be hashed out more. Why add the journal entries and put emphasizes on the murderers’ mother and her crazy antics while he was a child if, AGAIN it wasn’t going to lead us to understanding and the reasoning behind the murderer and the reason why he murdered in the first place?!
This book really had the potential of being something great.
October 22, 2018
If you're a fan of Halloween Resurrection or House on Haunting Hill this book is definitely for you. I picked this up mainly for that reason and I could not put it down, it was so good.
Ivy is trying to recover from the murder of her parents and has assumed a new identity while living in foster care waiting for her parent's killer to come back for her. She receives an email one day inviting her to a contest where the winner gets to stay in the Dark House, all she has to do is submit an essay detailing her worst nightmare. Much to her surprise, she's selected for the show with the other contestants. Once they all arrive, things start to get scary and they soon realize they are playing to their death. Ivy ends up escaping but can't forget the people she's left behind. She returns to the Dark House with her newfound friend to try and defeat the killer and save the others.
This book was full of suspense and spookiness. I love anything horror related and this book didn't disappoint. You will never be able to guess what happens next. I love how detailed the whole book was instead of rushing through everything it gave you great details and gave you an excellent picture of what was going on.
Ivy is trying to recover from the murder of her parents and has assumed a new identity while living in foster care waiting for her parent's killer to come back for her. She receives an email one day inviting her to a contest where the winner gets to stay in the Dark House, all she has to do is submit an essay detailing her worst nightmare. Much to her surprise, she's selected for the show with the other contestants. Once they all arrive, things start to get scary and they soon realize they are playing to their death. Ivy ends up escaping but can't forget the people she's left behind. She returns to the Dark House with her newfound friend to try and defeat the killer and save the others.
This book was full of suspense and spookiness. I love anything horror related and this book didn't disappoint. You will never be able to guess what happens next. I love how detailed the whole book was instead of rushing through everything it gave you great details and gave you an excellent picture of what was going on.
November 30, 2025
I like reading young adult novels because they're fast reads and they're not usually bogged down with a ton of details that I would really like to skate through for the sake of time. This two-in-1 novel had real potential. I would give the first book a four and the second book a two. As a brief summary, the protagonist, Ivy, lived with her Foster parents after her parents were murdered in their home. She was spared. She enters an essay contest via the Nightmare Elf newsletter that asks contestants to submit their worst nightmares and is chosen to be one of seven contestants to stay at slasher movie writer Justin Blake's recreation of the Dark House that is used in his movies. The Nightmare Elf is one of Justin Blake's characters in his movies. All of the over 18 but young adult characters have some sort of family and/or personal dysfunction. The book is written in first person, but each chapter is named for the character whose first person view you are experiencing. It was a bit difficult to keep track of who was actually speaking and separating them mentally. The other difficulty I found was that while each first person narrative fit the character, there was one character who thought and expressed himself in movie script form and another who was constantly either talking to herself or the voice in her head. It was a little all over the place in book one. While there were some creepy things that took place in book one, it was not until halfway into the story that anything significant really happens. Everyone was a super Justin Blake fan but the protagonist, Ivy, had never even seen any of the movies. About halfway through the group gets carted off to a horror amusement park where there is a ride for each of them depicting their worst nightmares. As I said, I would give this book a four-star. It was incredibly creepy and there were a lot of disturbing psychological aspects to the story as well as the characters themselves. For a young adult thriller I thought it was very good. But now we move on to book two which is where things seem to fall apart for me.
Protagonist Ivy is obviously in the second book. We never really find out what truly happens to the people in book 1 until book two. Book 2 introduced Taylor, who was totally MIA in book 1 and we finally find out why. The events in the storyline in book 2 move along just fine but it's the unresolved storylines and the gaps, the information and certain things that just don't make sense that leave me disappointed. So here come the spoilers. We find out that the nightmare elf is the killer of Ivy's parents. We also find out through photographs she finds from years ago when her parents were still alive that he has been stalking her for the last 7 years. I have a background in criminal justice so when it comes to serial killers, and most people will know this because there are so many true crime shows on, serial killers follow a specific MO for the most part. This guy's background consisted of being mentally tormented by his mother who claimed there was a ghost named Johnny that haunted them, and then he was put in a room at a preparatory school that was previously occupied by a student who committed suicide and he thought the ghost was haunting him there. There is absolutely no reason given as to why he started stalking Ivy and her family and why he murdered her parents and why he chose her to bring into this nightmare world of his. I kind of get the nightmare aspect of his killing because the hauntings had to do with his sleep or bedtime rituals with his mom, but the tie between him and Ivy escapes me completely. I'm assuming through reading this that Justin Blake is the fictitious character and the serial killer is the one that actually did the movies and made up Justin Blake as the man behind them, but there's nothing that really confirms that. After book one I would have thought that Justin Blake would have come out and wanted to know or be involved in helping solve this case because his movies were being used by a serial killer. If the serial killer was Justin Blake, then it should not have been that difficult to find him because Blake's movies were so popular. As for the characters who didn't make it out, there is absolutely no mention of their parents or family members raising any kind of concerns with the police or asking questions or pushing to get the killer caught. The police were pretty lame. In book two it indicated that from what they ended up finding at the preparatory school they had an idea of who the killer was but needed to locate him. They also wouldn't let Ivy know who he was and she is the one he is stalking. They never do catch him so we have no idea what happens in the future. Her parents being murdered would have been a good story if it had gone in a different direction. Ivy, being stalked would have been a good story of there could have been a tie-in as to the killer's background and why he chose her. Then there's the supernatural aspect that was stuck in there which didn't seem to have anything to do with the parents being murdered or stalking Ivy. The ghosts were male so having a female target was very confusing. His experience at the preparatory school was with other boys who didn't like him and bullied him, not a girl. Since the second book was written in 2015, I really don't hold out any hope that there will be a follow-up to the story and we're just left hanging. It's not a bad read and I wouldn't call it a waste of time, but you have to take it at face value and not try to dig deeper into it or it doesn't make sense. I also think that the author attempted to insert some shock value by offing Taylor in the end of the second book, but that was just a letdown more than anything. She was a key missing character in book 1 and then to have her go through everything she did in book two and not make it was very disappointing. There was also no wrap up as to why he killed the other characters in book 2, which we don't experience we just hear about. Parker and Natalie were the only other survivors. Therefore, I'm meeting in the middle and giving this three stars.
Protagonist Ivy is obviously in the second book. We never really find out what truly happens to the people in book 1 until book two. Book 2 introduced Taylor, who was totally MIA in book 1 and we finally find out why. The events in the storyline in book 2 move along just fine but it's the unresolved storylines and the gaps, the information and certain things that just don't make sense that leave me disappointed. So here come the spoilers. We find out that the nightmare elf is the killer of Ivy's parents. We also find out through photographs she finds from years ago when her parents were still alive that he has been stalking her for the last 7 years. I have a background in criminal justice so when it comes to serial killers, and most people will know this because there are so many true crime shows on, serial killers follow a specific MO for the most part. This guy's background consisted of being mentally tormented by his mother who claimed there was a ghost named Johnny that haunted them, and then he was put in a room at a preparatory school that was previously occupied by a student who committed suicide and he thought the ghost was haunting him there. There is absolutely no reason given as to why he started stalking Ivy and her family and why he murdered her parents and why he chose her to bring into this nightmare world of his. I kind of get the nightmare aspect of his killing because the hauntings had to do with his sleep or bedtime rituals with his mom, but the tie between him and Ivy escapes me completely. I'm assuming through reading this that Justin Blake is the fictitious character and the serial killer is the one that actually did the movies and made up Justin Blake as the man behind them, but there's nothing that really confirms that. After book one I would have thought that Justin Blake would have come out and wanted to know or be involved in helping solve this case because his movies were being used by a serial killer. If the serial killer was Justin Blake, then it should not have been that difficult to find him because Blake's movies were so popular. As for the characters who didn't make it out, there is absolutely no mention of their parents or family members raising any kind of concerns with the police or asking questions or pushing to get the killer caught. The police were pretty lame. In book two it indicated that from what they ended up finding at the preparatory school they had an idea of who the killer was but needed to locate him. They also wouldn't let Ivy know who he was and she is the one he is stalking. They never do catch him so we have no idea what happens in the future. Her parents being murdered would have been a good story if it had gone in a different direction. Ivy, being stalked would have been a good story of there could have been a tie-in as to the killer's background and why he chose her. Then there's the supernatural aspect that was stuck in there which didn't seem to have anything to do with the parents being murdered or stalking Ivy. The ghosts were male so having a female target was very confusing. His experience at the preparatory school was with other boys who didn't like him and bullied him, not a girl. Since the second book was written in 2015, I really don't hold out any hope that there will be a follow-up to the story and we're just left hanging. It's not a bad read and I wouldn't call it a waste of time, but you have to take it at face value and not try to dig deeper into it or it doesn't make sense. I also think that the author attempted to insert some shock value by offing Taylor in the end of the second book, but that was just a letdown more than anything. She was a key missing character in book 1 and then to have her go through everything she did in book two and not make it was very disappointing. There was also no wrap up as to why he killed the other characters in book 2, which we don't experience we just hear about. Parker and Natalie were the only other survivors. Therefore, I'm meeting in the middle and giving this three stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2021
Enter the Dark House by Laurie Faria Stolarz is the combination of Welcome to the Dark House and Return to the Dark House in one volume. If I was not a fan of Ms. Stolarz prior, I would be after reading this duology. I have read the Touch series and the Blue is for Nightmare series, and enjoyed them, but I REALLY liked the Dark House series. In this series, MS. Stolarz, in my opinion, outdid herself and I give the series a strong 4.5 rating.
The story is about Ivy, a broken teenager suffering from PTSD. Seven years earlier her parents were murdered by a serial killer while Ivy was in the next room and heard the entire thing and saw the killer who was never caught. Afterwards, he, the killer, continues to taunt her by sending her “gifts” to remind her he is still there. Counselling does not help, partly because she is not believed when she states the gifts she receives are from the killer even though she has no definitive proof. To face her fears, she enters a contest that is supposedly being sponsored by the famous slasher movie director known for his “Deadly Elf” series of movies which have a cult following. The premise behind the movies and the contest is the victims are killed by their worst nightmare. Entering the contest consists of sending an essay of the individuals worst nightmare. The winners get to spend a weekend at a “Deadly Elf” themed weekend party with the possibility of meeting the director and viewing a prescreening of his latest venture. Ivy, of course “wins”, along with six others. They end up at an abandoned amusement park where they must face their biggest fears as they described in their essays. Problem is, if they fail, they truly die. Welcome to the Dark House is Ivy and the others trying to survive the weekend.
In Return to the Dark House, Ivy is still dealing with the horrors of her past which now includes her weekend at the Dark House. She has become obsessed with the identity of the tormentor behind the weekend and also to prove it is the same person responsible for her parents’ murder; believing the entire contest was designed in an attempt by the killer to get to her. After being teased and taunted, she is invited to the “sequel” at an old abandoned private prep school with the hopes that the others were not killed but only being held captive. She must sift through clues and figure out the “puzzle” behind the killer’s motive for the game without getting killed in the process and hopefully rescuing the others who survived the Dark House.
It is tense throughout both books and there are enough twists to keep it interesting. It has a slasher movie vibe but does not have the cliché outcome and tidy ending. In the slasher movies the survivor can be predicted within the first five minutes of the movie and the motive of the killer is, if not realistic, quite obvious, not so with this series. Nor are the characters the cliché slasher-movie type characters, the characters are flawed, they are nerdy and have issues, each dealing with their own “ghosts”.
Using a slasher movie premise as a backdrop, it is what a true slasher type movie should be. It is a genuine horror story that keeps the reader unbalanced and does not “cheap out” on the ending with the predictable slasher movie “it’s not over yet” conclusion showing with the killer still lurking and taunting. Nor does it end with the survivors sitting around singing their “kumbayas”, or even the ever-irritating sell-out ending where none of it was real but was just a nightmare itself. And then at the very end she gets the ominous invitation to go to the Dark House for real. The ending does leave it open for continuation of the story if desired. Ivy is still broke, she is not miraculously “cured”; she doesn’t become some heroine helping other victims of trauma; the killer is not brought to justice, and she doesn’t ride off into the sunset with the boy. It ends with more reality; with loose ends, but no cheap tease. And that is one of the things that made this story so much better than your average run of the mill horror stories. It was strong throughout from the beginning to the end. Ms. Stolarz avoided cliches and falling into predictable situations or outcomes.
I would not hesitate to recommend the Dark House series to anyone who enjoys a good suspenseful horror story. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more of Ms. Stolarz’s work, namely Jane Anonymous and The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep.
The story is about Ivy, a broken teenager suffering from PTSD. Seven years earlier her parents were murdered by a serial killer while Ivy was in the next room and heard the entire thing and saw the killer who was never caught. Afterwards, he, the killer, continues to taunt her by sending her “gifts” to remind her he is still there. Counselling does not help, partly because she is not believed when she states the gifts she receives are from the killer even though she has no definitive proof. To face her fears, she enters a contest that is supposedly being sponsored by the famous slasher movie director known for his “Deadly Elf” series of movies which have a cult following. The premise behind the movies and the contest is the victims are killed by their worst nightmare. Entering the contest consists of sending an essay of the individuals worst nightmare. The winners get to spend a weekend at a “Deadly Elf” themed weekend party with the possibility of meeting the director and viewing a prescreening of his latest venture. Ivy, of course “wins”, along with six others. They end up at an abandoned amusement park where they must face their biggest fears as they described in their essays. Problem is, if they fail, they truly die. Welcome to the Dark House is Ivy and the others trying to survive the weekend.
In Return to the Dark House, Ivy is still dealing with the horrors of her past which now includes her weekend at the Dark House. She has become obsessed with the identity of the tormentor behind the weekend and also to prove it is the same person responsible for her parents’ murder; believing the entire contest was designed in an attempt by the killer to get to her. After being teased and taunted, she is invited to the “sequel” at an old abandoned private prep school with the hopes that the others were not killed but only being held captive. She must sift through clues and figure out the “puzzle” behind the killer’s motive for the game without getting killed in the process and hopefully rescuing the others who survived the Dark House.
It is tense throughout both books and there are enough twists to keep it interesting. It has a slasher movie vibe but does not have the cliché outcome and tidy ending. In the slasher movies the survivor can be predicted within the first five minutes of the movie and the motive of the killer is, if not realistic, quite obvious, not so with this series. Nor are the characters the cliché slasher-movie type characters, the characters are flawed, they are nerdy and have issues, each dealing with their own “ghosts”.
Using a slasher movie premise as a backdrop, it is what a true slasher type movie should be. It is a genuine horror story that keeps the reader unbalanced and does not “cheap out” on the ending with the predictable slasher movie “it’s not over yet” conclusion showing with the killer still lurking and taunting. Nor does it end with the survivors sitting around singing their “kumbayas”, or even the ever-irritating sell-out ending where none of it was real but was just a nightmare itself. And then at the very end she gets the ominous invitation to go to the Dark House for real. The ending does leave it open for continuation of the story if desired. Ivy is still broke, she is not miraculously “cured”; she doesn’t become some heroine helping other victims of trauma; the killer is not brought to justice, and she doesn’t ride off into the sunset with the boy. It ends with more reality; with loose ends, but no cheap tease. And that is one of the things that made this story so much better than your average run of the mill horror stories. It was strong throughout from the beginning to the end. Ms. Stolarz avoided cliches and falling into predictable situations or outcomes.
I would not hesitate to recommend the Dark House series to anyone who enjoys a good suspenseful horror story. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more of Ms. Stolarz’s work, namely Jane Anonymous and The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep.
January 11, 2024
welcome to the dark house review
okay, so, starting off with the first book of this duo: i thoroughly enjoyed this book. at first i was finding it a bit hard to focus, but the switch in perspective and different formatting styles kept it interesting and easy to read.
i will say that a lot of the writing was a bit cheesy; apple and core, really? but aside from that, i think it was pretty awesome. the story is well-developed and really intriguing to follow along with. it did feel like some of the horror was dissatisfying after waiting so long for the action, but the tension was built up really nicely, making this pretty good for the creep factor.
overall, i love the concept, and the execution is really well done. this book was definitely a great spooky read.
actual rating: 4.25/5
return to the dark house review
i went into this one with pretty high expectations, looking forward to a conclusion, which may be why i’m reviewing this the way i am. don’t get me wrong, i liked it! it did really well building up that same tension, creating an ominous, uncomfortable atmosphere that’s super important for horror books. the plot logically follows the previous book, and a lot of questions were answered, which was satisfying.
the one thing i didn’t like, however, is that there were just as many new questions at the end of this book. unfortunately, this didn’t quite feel like the end of the story. while i would love to read another one of these books, if this is the last one planned, then this ending left quite a bit to be desired for me. it was all a bit anticlimactic by the time ivy finally confronted the killer; ultimately, it sort of felt like this was just a set up for another book.
regardless, this sequel was definitely pretty good, and it was a perfect continuation of the previous book. i just would’ve liked a bit more of a definitive conclusion to the story overall.
actual rating: 3.75/4
okay, so, starting off with the first book of this duo: i thoroughly enjoyed this book. at first i was finding it a bit hard to focus, but the switch in perspective and different formatting styles kept it interesting and easy to read.
i will say that a lot of the writing was a bit cheesy; apple and core, really? but aside from that, i think it was pretty awesome. the story is well-developed and really intriguing to follow along with. it did feel like some of the horror was dissatisfying after waiting so long for the action, but the tension was built up really nicely, making this pretty good for the creep factor.
overall, i love the concept, and the execution is really well done. this book was definitely a great spooky read.
actual rating: 4.25/5
return to the dark house review
i went into this one with pretty high expectations, looking forward to a conclusion, which may be why i’m reviewing this the way i am. don’t get me wrong, i liked it! it did really well building up that same tension, creating an ominous, uncomfortable atmosphere that’s super important for horror books. the plot logically follows the previous book, and a lot of questions were answered, which was satisfying.
the one thing i didn’t like, however, is that there were just as many new questions at the end of this book. unfortunately, this didn’t quite feel like the end of the story. while i would love to read another one of these books, if this is the last one planned, then this ending left quite a bit to be desired for me. it was all a bit anticlimactic by the time ivy finally confronted the killer; ultimately, it sort of felt like this was just a set up for another book.
regardless, this sequel was definitely pretty good, and it was a perfect continuation of the previous book. i just would’ve liked a bit more of a definitive conclusion to the story overall.
actual rating: 3.75/4
October 21, 2020
TW: suicide, trichotillomania, catoptrophobia, stillbirth
Pages 1-357
𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 was such a great book. Once I got the time to sit down and read, I flew through it. Also, whatever happened to Midge?
Garth was a jerk, up until the very last of his chapters; I did not like him. AT ALL.
Shayla. She was okay sometimes, better others, and completely horrible the rest. She was an up and down character for me.
Taylor. Well, we don’t get to know her. I wish we did, but we don’t.
Frankie. He seemed like a pretty decent character, but we honestly don’t get a lot of story time with him.
Natalie. Well, talking to your dead-since-birth-stillborn-twin-brother is a little bit weird. My jaw dropped when we found out that Harris was dead.
Parker. OH MY GOODNESS I LOVED PARKER. He seemed like such a sweetheart, and I hope we get to find out if he’s okay.
Ivy (or April) is also amazing. I love her and Parker so much. She did not deserve to go through what she did.
Pages 360-718
𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 was a good book as well, but it was left on kind of a cliffhanger?
We don’t find out who the killer is, we also don’t find out about Shayla, Frankie, Garth, or Taylor.
I am glad that we got to know/meet Taylor, but like I said earlier, we don’t know what happened to her.
I don’t have much to say about the book other than it was good, but I am disappointed that we don’t find out who the killer is or about the others.
I’m only giving 4 stars since I am a little disappointed with the ending, but overall enjoyed my experience reading the book.
Pages 1-357
𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 was such a great book. Once I got the time to sit down and read, I flew through it. Also, whatever happened to Midge?
Garth was a jerk, up until the very last of his chapters; I did not like him. AT ALL.
Shayla. She was okay sometimes, better others, and completely horrible the rest. She was an up and down character for me.
Taylor. Well, we don’t get to know her. I wish we did, but we don’t.
Frankie. He seemed like a pretty decent character, but we honestly don’t get a lot of story time with him.
Natalie. Well, talking to your dead-since-birth-stillborn-twin-brother is a little bit weird. My jaw dropped when we found out that Harris was dead.
Parker. OH MY GOODNESS I LOVED PARKER. He seemed like such a sweetheart, and I hope we get to find out if he’s okay.
Ivy (or April) is also amazing. I love her and Parker so much. She did not deserve to go through what she did.
Pages 360-718
𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 was a good book as well, but it was left on kind of a cliffhanger?
We don’t find out who the killer is, we also don’t find out about Shayla, Frankie, Garth, or Taylor.
I am glad that we got to know/meet Taylor, but like I said earlier, we don’t know what happened to her.
I don’t have much to say about the book other than it was good, but I am disappointed that we don’t find out who the killer is or about the others.
I’m only giving 4 stars since I am a little disappointed with the ending, but overall enjoyed my experience reading the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2022
Are you ready to face your fears? Then Enter the Dark House.
In these books, we're introduced to the fictitious horror director Justin Blake and his Nightmare Elf horror series. The premise of the movies involve an elf that can manifest your worst nightmares and use them against you. Creepy! Even creepier...Justin Blake has invited seven contestants to participate in his immersive Nightmare Elf experience. The lodging and sets are based on his famous horror series, with plenty of thrills and scares along the way. Every contestant will be forced to face their deepest darkest fear. Will they be able to conquer the darkness? Or will the Nightmare Elf claim more victims before the night is over?
Welcome to the Dark House was such a fantastic read! The world of the Nightmare Elf movies was well established and made me want to binge watch them. (In fact, I'm kind of mad that they don't exist because I'm desperate to watch them now!) The premise had a very A Nightmare on Elm Street feeling to it, and it was creepy. I loved the setting. I loved the contestants, especially the moment they faced down their fears. It also had that really great horror movie ending where you're left unsettled and feeling like things aren't over and scared of what might come next.
And what came next was, unfortunately, the sequel. Return to the Dark House was blah. As much as I loved the first books, that's how much I hated the sequel. The MC, Ivy, was so annoying in this one. She whines and complained the whole time, which made the actually story take forever to get going. And there were storylines that went absolutely nowhere. I liked the ominous ending of the first and didn't think it needed a sequel to begin with. And, honestly, Dark House was scarier before reading this one.
If you're a fan of those long-running slasher series, I think you'll get a real kick out of reading these books. Although, personally, I'd suggest only reading Welcome to the Dark House and pretending Return to the Dark House doesn't exist. Just my opinion though. Others in the review seem to like the sequel.
In these books, we're introduced to the fictitious horror director Justin Blake and his Nightmare Elf horror series. The premise of the movies involve an elf that can manifest your worst nightmares and use them against you. Creepy! Even creepier...Justin Blake has invited seven contestants to participate in his immersive Nightmare Elf experience. The lodging and sets are based on his famous horror series, with plenty of thrills and scares along the way. Every contestant will be forced to face their deepest darkest fear. Will they be able to conquer the darkness? Or will the Nightmare Elf claim more victims before the night is over?
Welcome to the Dark House was such a fantastic read! The world of the Nightmare Elf movies was well established and made me want to binge watch them. (In fact, I'm kind of mad that they don't exist because I'm desperate to watch them now!) The premise had a very A Nightmare on Elm Street feeling to it, and it was creepy. I loved the setting. I loved the contestants, especially the moment they faced down their fears. It also had that really great horror movie ending where you're left unsettled and feeling like things aren't over and scared of what might come next.
And what came next was, unfortunately, the sequel. Return to the Dark House was blah. As much as I loved the first books, that's how much I hated the sequel. The MC, Ivy, was so annoying in this one. She whines and complained the whole time, which made the actually story take forever to get going. And there were storylines that went absolutely nowhere. I liked the ominous ending of the first and didn't think it needed a sequel to begin with. And, honestly, Dark House was scarier before reading this one.
If you're a fan of those long-running slasher series, I think you'll get a real kick out of reading these books. Although, personally, I'd suggest only reading Welcome to the Dark House and pretending Return to the Dark House doesn't exist. Just my opinion though. Others in the review seem to like the sequel.
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May 23, 2021I genuinely don't understand the people that are saying the sequal tied everything up nicely... it ended in an okay way that didn't leave me want to tear my hair out... but that's about the best I can say for it. There's SO MUCH. So much. Left unanswered. Like, if you think that ending was satisfactory you're clearly living half a life because at least half the details were just left in the open. It felt like a series that was meant to be a trilogy and then the author just got bored.
All and all, the books were good, just very unsatisfactory. If you like your books to have endings, I would stay away from these ones. But if you enjoy an unfinished story with most things left up in the air, then go for this one. It's a decent read up until the end...
All and all, the books were good, just very unsatisfactory. If you like your books to have endings, I would stay away from these ones. But if you enjoy an unfinished story with most things left up in the air, then go for this one. It's a decent read up until the end...
June 6, 2021
This one has a great concept, but there are a lot of plot holes that bother me. I understand teenagers handle things different mentally, but Taylor's resolution to act like a normal college student even while The Nightmare Elf is sending them new invitations, is just not realistic. The whole idea of making Ivy sleep over vs having the urgency that Ivy feels is obnoxious. Further, the police are far too casual about the entire case throughout the book as well as the obvious fact that Ivy is the main target and the killer is the same person. They'd have her guarded day and night in real life. There's also just not quite the wow factor of scare that I'd expect from what truly is a great plot concept for a killer!
October 10, 2022
Enter the Dark House, By Laurie Faria Stolariz (Little Brown Books for Young Readers). This 736-page horror book is about a serial killer murdering people with their worst nightmares. The writer has won several awards including becoming a New England Book Award Finalist, 2021. The book mainly follows 6 teenagers who have written an essay about their worst nightmares and put them into a contest ran by a very popular horror novelist. The story follows the journey that the winners get and the shocking truth of the whole scheme. I also recommend reading the second book (Return to the Dark House). The book is very interesting and takes many twists and turns that are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
July 27, 2025
This set is two books in one, which made it a tad heavy to hold. I did not have any problems but someone with arthritis or other hand issues might want to get the ebook version. This author was new to me - I was checking out the clearance section at the bookstore and picked this one up. It's told in first person and the chapters switch between several characters, giving their own voice. The characters were interesting and varied and the villain was creepy. Quite enjoyable. The ending was left open so I thought there would be more books but the author so far has no plans to continue. I'm okay with that as I found the ending fairly satisfying, except for one issue which I will not spoil.
August 3, 2025
When I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down! The amount of suspense definitely kept me turning the pages. And the plot buildup and cliffhangers? Give me more!! The "villain" in this book is a reason alone to read it! I've never read about a creepier (and way too genius 🤨) character and that's saying a lot given how much I've read.
Another thing to point out: I just adore the romance in this book despite it being horror. This book also has its cute moments! The characters are weird in their own hilarious way which stood out to me. Especially Garth, am I right? 🤣
Anyways, safe to say this book kept me on my toes just like it will you if you choose to read it.
Another thing to point out: I just adore the romance in this book despite it being horror. This book also has its cute moments! The characters are weird in their own hilarious way which stood out to me. Especially Garth, am I right? 🤣
Anyways, safe to say this book kept me on my toes just like it will you if you choose to read it.
October 24, 2025
THIS BOOK WAS SO FREAKING GOOD!!!!!!!
It has been on my TBR mountain range for a long time, waiting for me to be in just the right mood. I've been reading mostly scary things in October, Halloween month lol, so I figured now was the time. I was so very right lol this book is absolutely perfect for this time of year! It had me definitely scared for the characters at many points, making faces while I was reading and everything lol. I devoured it. I'm really glad I got the version with both books together, I feel like that is definitely the best way to read this. I loved it!!!!!
It has been on my TBR mountain range for a long time, waiting for me to be in just the right mood. I've been reading mostly scary things in October, Halloween month lol, so I figured now was the time. I was so very right lol this book is absolutely perfect for this time of year! It had me definitely scared for the characters at many points, making faces while I was reading and everything lol. I devoured it. I'm really glad I got the version with both books together, I feel like that is definitely the best way to read this. I loved it!!!!!
April 30, 2024
Ivy reminds me of a gacha life oc with the amount of trauma she has before the story even started (she's still a very good character)
Unfortunately, the best character died first, and the second best character died last
Parker, natalie, Taylor, and Frankie 🔛🔝🗣💯
Some parts were etheir boring or super cringe, but that was like 25%. The rest was thrilling or interesting
I just feel like the killer was soooo cringe calling Ivy "princess" and just the way he talked in general.
Unfortunately, the best character died first, and the second best character died last
Parker, natalie, Taylor, and Frankie 🔛🔝🗣💯
Some parts were etheir boring or super cringe, but that was like 25%. The rest was thrilling or interesting
I just feel like the killer was soooo cringe calling Ivy "princess" and just the way he talked in general.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2025
So, this book has had me screaming, smacking my forehead, and on the verge of tears. While Ivy’s story is one filled with secrets, I think this book actually needs a second book. While we know the killer’s initials, we don’t actually know who he is, and that has me feeling a little deflated. The ends were tied up, but not as tight as I thought they would be. I gave it four stars for the writing style, and the story itself, but I think it just needed a little more tightening in the end.
July 7, 2025
Frustrating, clearly lacking any kind of editor, and nearly completely missing the ideas of plot development or character building. To be said simply, if I met this woman in person I would tell her to never write a book again, and that over 500 pages of this book could have been cut due to their simple lack of importance to anything.
March 9, 2023
i thought this book was good. although the first section was a little slow and the second one had a much better pace. i think investing some more time at the bery start to the characters would have saved more time overall in the beginning. really good read though.
March 27, 2023
Honestly..... the best book I've ever freaking read. I love horror and mystery novels but this blew me out of the water. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and read the whole second book in one day! Such genius.
June 20, 2025
okay as a one book read it was pretty good, definitely liked the second book better then the first one and if I got them seperately I doubt i would’ve bought the second one after reading the first just cause it was average
Welcome to the Dark House : 3 stars
Return to the Dark House: 5 stars
Welcome to the Dark House : 3 stars
Return to the Dark House: 5 stars
December 6, 2025
A story line like I have never read before and the sequel was everything! My heart was racing, the character development was perfection, and the final girl energy was the vibe I was looking for! Cant wait to dive into more from this author!
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