Monday, October 21, 2013

Hey. I read a scary book.

The rumors are true. I recently read a book that, had I been in high school, would have never left my shelf. Don't believe me? When I was a Junior, my idea of a terrifying book was Neil Gaiman's Coraline or Max Brooks' World War Z. So reading a really scary novel, I thought, would be a great way to broaden my literary horizons a little. 
Just a tad. 
Maybe. 

Anyway, here's my review on The House at the End of the Street by Lily Blake, which is a book that was based on a screenplay, rather than the other way around:

Elissa is a classic example of teenage angst. She's had a pretty crummy family life. Her dad left. Her mom is an irresponsible adult. And Elissa? She's just trying to live a drama-free existence. Unfortunately for her, dear old Mom decides to pull up stakes and rent a house on the edge of a field...right down the road from a house where a double murder took place. 
But hey. It's all about location, right? 
Too bad there's a lot more to that story than meets the eye, and Elissa finds herself entangled in a murder mystery that could very well end her own life. Because things just weren't bad enough. 

What I liked about this book is that it was a scary thriller and murder mystery - not a horror novel with some sort of demon possession going on. No thanks! Lily Blake has also authored the official novelization of Snow White and the Huntsman, and she did a great job of writing a fast-paced, scary novel based on a screenplay. I liked how quickly the tension began building. I also enjoyed how the mother-daughter relationship actually came to a satisfactory resolution, despite the fact that both mom and daughter were pretty much the ditziest duo this side of the haunted neighborhood. The House at the End of the Street has just enough of a thrill factor for October. Grab it on Kindle for about eight bucks. As for the movie version of this book, I have no opinion because I haven't seen it! If you have, feel free to let me know how it turned out. I hear it's a lot different than the book.

1 comment:

  1. Ooh, I'm the same way! Scary is not generally for me, but this sounds interesting! And I had no idea that the novel was based on the screenplay, huh. Great review! :)

    Rachel @ Paper Cuts

    ReplyDelete

Get fictional - it's fun! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you again soon!