Series: Dark House #1
Source Library
Published by Disney-Hyperion on July 22, 2014
Rating:
Cover image and summary from Goodreads:
Whatβs your worst nightmare?
For Ivy Jensen, itβs the eyes of a killer that haunt her nights. For Parker Bradley, itβs bloodthirsty sea serpents that slither in his dreams.
And for seven essay contestants, itβs their worst nightmares that win them an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at director Justin Blakeβs latest, confidential project. Ivy doesnβt even like scary movies, but sheβs ready to face her real-world fears. Parkerβs 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. Itβs bad enough he has to stay in the middle of nowhere with this groupβthe girl who locks herself in her room; the know-it-all roommate; βMister Sensitiveβ; and the one whoβs 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 whatβs really at stake, itβs too late to wake up and run.
I wanted to read something creepy and spooky, now that it’s October and we’re into the fall / Halloween season. This book sounded like just the thing!
This was an interesting read, with a premise that I really enjoyed. Despite the number of narrators, I was able to keep track of them all and only had to flip back to the start of a chapter once or twice for a refresher on who was narrating.
I definitely enjoyed the way the creepiness and tension increased, but the end of the book left me with so many unanswered questions (skip to the next paragraph to avoid possible spoilers): 1. Did the characters really die? 2. What actually happened to Taylor – why did she leave before the others arrived? 3. Who is truly responsible for what’s going on and how many people are responsible – it has to be more than one person behind it all.
I knew this book was not a standalone, but I still wasn’t expecting so much to be left unresolved. Your enjoyment of the book may depend on how much that does or does not bother you.
Overall, this was a fun and creepy book, and a great pick for a Halloween read. I’m totally looking forward to book two!