THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR

Rating:
Summary: Well Written...
Review: ...but I had to physically get rid of the book after I read it. It was as if the book had the same effect on my life as it did on the lives of the characters in it. That's all I will say. I don't want to give too much power to words on paper that were written as fiction, but I felt a sense of relief once I had put the book physically out of my living space, as if it no longer had the power to use the evil that is described in it to influence my life.

Sorry, Ms. Siddons, I can't help feeling that I never should have read that book, well written as it was. I have read other works by you and enjoyed them, but this one contained real and unspeakable horror and evil. That may be one of the reasons Stephen King ranked it as highly as he did. I won't be able to forget it for a long time, if ever, as it has haunted me ever since I finished it - I couldn't wait to see how it turned out, and when I did, I deeply regretted reading the ending. Probably the way Col felt when she finally looked into the windows during the second section of the book. The ending is as shattering as that of William Bayer's masterpiece, Peregrine, although it's a different sort of book.

Many will not be touched by this book in the same way I was, but as Col said to prospective buyers of that evil house, beware...

Rating:
Summary: If Danielle Steel and Stephen King built a house...
Review: This book is an odd mix of novel and horror story. Picture an idyllic street with upper class residents whose biggest problem is a neighbor who seems to breed annoying children yearly. Suddenly, a vacant lot, seemingly too small and oddly shaped to build on, is sold and a house goes up. Once in progress, bad luck begins to befall the builders and their architect. At the housewarming party, a shocking event leads to tragedy, causing the owners to move and sell the home. Fast forward through two more similar, yet still interesting, scenarios and towards an ending that is a bit less than satisfying and you've got "The House Next Door."

The strength of this book lies in the fact that the story keeps your attention long enough to get you from one shocking revelation to the next. The weaknesses (note the plural) don't ruin the book, but do make it less enjoyable than it might be otherwise.

First, the writing is adjective and metaphor rich, often to the detriment of the storyline. I'd occasionally find myself needing to re-read a sentence or paragraph in order to wade through the language to get to the actual point.

Second, the characters are a little "too" highbrow to be sympathetic. They belong to the ballet guild and the Junior League, lunch at the club, and describe friends and colleagues as being from "substantial" families. Their biggest problem seems to be having one martini too many at the semi-formal neighborhood party to make tomorrow's 8:00am tennis date. At times, I found myself wishing something terrible would befall them just to bring them down a notch.

As for the ending, it left me wanting. It wrapped up the bigger story, but left some of the lesser details without resolution. I actually flipped the last page back and forth a couple of times to make sure I didn't miss something!

All in all, I'm glad I read the book. It was enjoyable, different, and surprising at times. I recommend it to anyone wanting a casual, not-too-involved read.

Rating:
Summary: An Intense and Original Take On the Haunted House
Review: This book is so different from the usual haunted house fare. There really isn't much that serves as a tangible reason for the house being so evil, it just apparently is. And it's a vicious house for certain, preying on psychological fear rather than manifesting itself as a poltergiest or apparition. Things just "happen" in or around the house, disturbing things. Lives are ruined and that is the only motiff that emerges. It's not a singular entity with just murder in mind. It wants to cause pain to its victims on an inner level and that is extremely frightening in concept. The novel is like a constant mind rape of the characters involved and it is so very delicious in its malice. One of the top 10 horror novels I have ever read and way more intense than Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House or Richard Matheson's Hell House. A must read for any fan of the horror genre or any new home owner.