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A review by thatdecembergirl
The House by Christina Lauren
4.0
"The House" is a surprising favorite. Just like [b:Stranded|57793313|Stranded|Sarah Goodwin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1624439476l/57793313._SX50_.jpg|90526642], I enjoyed this book A LOT more than I thought I would. I got recommended Christina Lauren by an acquaintance in a book club, and it was for their [b:The Unhoneymooners|42201431|The Unhoneymooners|Christina Lauren|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1548201335l/42201431._SY75_.jpg|65813986], which to date, I haven't even purchased or touched because of its price out there is still over my budget.
The House is a straightforward creepy tale, with a tight ensemble of characters that don't allow the story to stray aimlessly like one tends to do so with a bigger number of characters. The idea is rather original, even. It takes the typical haunted house trope into something fresh and, if I may say, a lot more personal.
One thing that baffles me a little bit is how horny both Delilah and Gavin are portrayed in pretty much all pages. Are seventeen-year-olds always this horny? Like, skipping classes and all just for kissing behind the school building? I don't know about that, but maybe it's completely normal and my teenage days were abnormal ones.
Also, I think some character traits feel more like a formality than it's actually meaningful. Like the way Delilah loves scary, gory, bloody things. I don't think it contributes much to the story in general and doesn't make her a lot more interesting either. Not to mention the way Delilah's grades are told to the readers as "so good" or "excellent" but there is literally no scene where she studies. Be real, girl. Put some effort into your studies so we believe in your smarts.
That being said, I enjoyed this book to the point that I didn't get enough sleep on a weekday. Four stars review it is. Three stars for the book itself and my personal reading experience, one star for making me stay awake through the night.
The House is a straightforward creepy tale, with a tight ensemble of characters that don't allow the story to stray aimlessly like one tends to do so with a bigger number of characters. The idea is rather original, even. It takes the typical haunted house trope into something fresh and, if I may say, a lot more personal.
One thing that baffles me a little bit is how horny both Delilah and Gavin are portrayed in pretty much all pages. Are seventeen-year-olds always this horny? Like, skipping classes and all just for kissing behind the school building? I don't know about that, but maybe it's completely normal and my teenage days were abnormal ones.
Also, I think some character traits feel more like a formality than it's actually meaningful. Like the way Delilah loves scary, gory, bloody things. I don't think it contributes much to the story in general and doesn't make her a lot more interesting either. Not to mention the way Delilah's grades are told to the readers as "so good" or "excellent" but there is literally no scene where she studies. Be real, girl. Put some effort into your studies so we believe in your smarts.
That being said, I enjoyed this book to the point that I didn't get enough sleep on a weekday. Four stars review it is. Three stars for the book itself and my personal reading experience, one star for making me stay awake through the night.
No one gets to pick the family they’re given, and as far as families go—and despite what Delilah thought—he actually considered himself pretty lucky. House might be nosy and overprotective, but it was his and he loved it. You don’t divorce your parents because they love you too much. You don’t get a new brother or sister because you don’t like the ones you have. Somehow, he would make it work.