RATING: ★★★★☆
TITLE: The House That Fell from the Sky
AUTHOR: Patrick R. Delaney
RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2020
SETTING: Connecticut
PUBLISHER: Oblivion Publishing
GENRE(S): Horror, Adult, Supernatural, Haunted House
Thank you to NetGalley and Oblivion Publishing for my advanced copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.
Blurb:
When twenty-nine-year-old Scarlett Vantassel comes to the conclusion that her life doesn’t resemble any of the things she actually wanted for herself, she drops out of school and moves back home, attempting to reconnect with the people she left behind. But a shadow falls over her return one early October morning when a sinister house miraculously appears in the center of the city, sparking a media frenzy that attracts attention nationwide.
Soon after the newspapers label it, “The House that Fell from the Sky,” Scarlett’s childhood friend Hannah becomes obsessed with the idea that the house holds the key to discovering whether there really is life after death. Undeterred by her friends’ numerous warnings, Hannah becomes increasingly consumed with the desire to enter the house, convinced it would allow her to reconnect with her recently deceased mother.
Despite a series of escalating events suggesting that the house may be more dangerous than anyone ever thought possible, a privately owned company seizes control of the property and hosts a lottery to lure the city’s residents, promising the winners a large cash reward if they dare to enter the house.
To Scarlett’s horror, Hannah uses her vast wealth to secure a spot among the winners to gain access to the house. Now, it’s up to Scarlett, her older brother Tommy, and her friend Jackson to face their fears and journey into a place where nothing is ever quite as it seems, and decide if they can help a friend in need, or if Hannah truly is lost.
This book was all over the place. It was eerie and atmospheric, but also confusing at times. The horror elements in this book were extremely vivid and very creepy. Most of it read like a horror film. This would be an awesome film if adapted correctly.
Scarlett is home at her father’s house when the power goes out suddenly and things get weird fast. The house that appears in town, taking up multiple city blocks, is a complete unknown. Police don’t know what to make of it, neither does anyone else. The closer you get to the house, the stranger things get.
Strangely, this house sits there for a year before this giant Crow Corporation announces the lottery being held. Scarlett and her friends are granted access to enter the house and whoever can survive the night inside the house will be awarded one million dollars each.
So, Scarlett, her brother Tommy, his girlfriend (and Scarlett’s bestie) Hannah and their other very good friend, Jackson (along with one other individual whom I won’t reveal for spoiler purposes) enter the house and have to survive the night. But, inside the house they are constantly getting separated, shown terrifying sights and are getting sicker and sicker the longer they stay inside.
The cast of characters in this book were great. I loved Scarlett. I loved how she interacted with each of the rest of the group. She has her flaws, yes, but who doesn’t? And she is dealing with her own struggles that you get bits and pieces of along the way. I wasn’t a huge fan of Hannah, on the other hand. She just seemed problematic for me.
All in all, this was a really creepy book. But even having read it in its entirety, I’m still left confused. There is a lot of going back in time and being given information about things that happened in the past that connect everyone together, that help tell the full story… But still, WHAT?!?! Very scary visuals and sense of fear, though. I really enjoyed this one.
feather bound books 