What do you think?
Rate this book
The House that Fell from the Sky
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.
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.
528 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2020
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews
September 4, 2021
Okay, here is what I liked so much about this story:
1) Haunting, mysterious, dilapidated, claustrophobic, gothic, dark house theme with H. P. Lovecraft vibes
2) Intriguing world building and promising theme: Haunting of Hill House meets Stranger Things/Goonies theme
3) Marvelous and brilliant cover: I’m truly hypnotized with creative illustration work.
I was so excited to start this story and learn more about 4 troubled teenagers’ adventure at this surprising, horrifying place with so many surprises.
It was a great story with teenagers who are not so pleased with the hand life dealt them. Hannah suffers from the loss of her mother and she became obsessed with the haunted house because in her opinion this place may be portal for her to reunite with the spirit of her mother. On the other hand Tommy was devastated because his sporting career is over after the unexpected accident ruined his dreams and future plans. Jackson deals with his perfectionist and unsatisfied dad and their problematic relationship. Finally we’re introduced with Scarlett who may have achieved something difficult and became the worst Youtube star. (Maybe she should stop commenting about horrific things!)
I loved the premise and terrifying house theme but I couldn’t connect with the characters and I didn’t enjoy their childish, illogical, boring dialogues. Mostly they were a little under developed and lack of emotional layers ruin their characteristics and turned them into whining spoiled children. But that was just my opinion.
Overall: A great plotline and promising start with not so likable characterization and dialogues. I still want to read more books of the author because he can find really good stories and gripping, high tension atmosphere built around the story also hooked me from the beginning.
I decided to give my solid 3 stars. I still find so many things enjoyable about the book but I unfortunately hated the guts of the characters.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Oblivion Publishing from sharing this intriguing ARC with me in exchange my honest review.
1) Haunting, mysterious, dilapidated, claustrophobic, gothic, dark house theme with H. P. Lovecraft vibes
2) Intriguing world building and promising theme: Haunting of Hill House meets Stranger Things/Goonies theme
3) Marvelous and brilliant cover: I’m truly hypnotized with creative illustration work.
I was so excited to start this story and learn more about 4 troubled teenagers’ adventure at this surprising, horrifying place with so many surprises.
It was a great story with teenagers who are not so pleased with the hand life dealt them. Hannah suffers from the loss of her mother and she became obsessed with the haunted house because in her opinion this place may be portal for her to reunite with the spirit of her mother. On the other hand Tommy was devastated because his sporting career is over after the unexpected accident ruined his dreams and future plans. Jackson deals with his perfectionist and unsatisfied dad and their problematic relationship. Finally we’re introduced with Scarlett who may have achieved something difficult and became the worst Youtube star. (Maybe she should stop commenting about horrific things!)
I loved the premise and terrifying house theme but I couldn’t connect with the characters and I didn’t enjoy their childish, illogical, boring dialogues. Mostly they were a little under developed and lack of emotional layers ruin their characteristics and turned them into whining spoiled children. But that was just my opinion.
Overall: A great plotline and promising start with not so likable characterization and dialogues. I still want to read more books of the author because he can find really good stories and gripping, high tension atmosphere built around the story also hooked me from the beginning.
I decided to give my solid 3 stars. I still find so many things enjoyable about the book but I unfortunately hated the guts of the characters.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Oblivion Publishing from sharing this intriguing ARC with me in exchange my honest review.
June 2, 2020
"Does anyone else feel like we're trapped in some demented version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?"
Haunted House? A house that falls from the sky. This is no Hill House (The Haunting of Hill House). In the beginning I was getting vibes of Under the Dome mixed with Annihilation but nope, it just didn't work for me.
The characters (Jackson, Scarlett, Hannah, Tommy) are in their late twenties and feel as if they could easily be teenagers. The story jumps around from the present to the past and back and forth. Nope, did not work for me either. I did not feel that the back and forth was necessary. I am in the minority here but felt that the book wasn't creepy - weird yes, imaginative, yes, but nothing stood out or wowed me. Nothing, except for the cover - the cover is pretty amazing.
The character of Vincent did some channeling of Dobby (from Harry Potter) in the "it's good to have friends" vibe. He became the most interesting character for me in the later parts of the book. Jackson also was a winner. I felt the rest were a little flat and could have used some oomph.
The premise is good, I will give it that. A house falls from the sky and that is freaky, obviously people are intrigued, and it becomes a media frenzy, but then people just go on with their lives. I would think there would be more hoopla and more daily disruptions to their lives. Nope, let’s just all go have some milkshakes and guilt trip each other. Some dirt on the friends: Scarlett left town, leaving her friends behind. Hannah has not recovered from the death of her Mother. Tommy had an injury that ruined his chances of being a professional baseball player. Jackson is a bartender renting from his father and dreaming of a better life. When Scarlett comes back to town, the friends reconnect but time and distance has strained things. Then there is a contest, those who win get to go inside, spend a night inside the house and win a million dollars (hence the Willy Wonka reference). So, it's all for one and one for all with the four friends. They go inside but will they come out?
If you have not figured it out already, this did not work for me. I had high hopes for this one and moved it up on my list. While reading this book, I felt as if I was reading an entirely different book than everyone else. But we cannot love them all. This one just was not for me. I love a good scary read, but this fell flat for me. I want a heart pounding, hiding under the covers with a flashlight, looking under the bed and in the closets kinda scary.
So not a good fit for me, but there are reviewers who are enjoying this book. Check out their reviews and the book synopsis and decide for yourself. I do appreciate the imagination and creativity involved in creating the house. Speaking of which, I wanted more of the house’s history. Yes, we do get some, but I would have loved a little more. Plus, the first half was slow for me, things didn't really pick up for me until around the 60% mark but that still wasn't enough to save this book for me.
Again, there are reviewers who are enjoying this book so check out their reviews.
I received a copy of this book from Oblivion Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Haunted House? A house that falls from the sky. This is no Hill House (The Haunting of Hill House). In the beginning I was getting vibes of Under the Dome mixed with Annihilation but nope, it just didn't work for me.
The characters (Jackson, Scarlett, Hannah, Tommy) are in their late twenties and feel as if they could easily be teenagers. The story jumps around from the present to the past and back and forth. Nope, did not work for me either. I did not feel that the back and forth was necessary. I am in the minority here but felt that the book wasn't creepy - weird yes, imaginative, yes, but nothing stood out or wowed me. Nothing, except for the cover - the cover is pretty amazing.
The character of Vincent did some channeling of Dobby (from Harry Potter) in the "it's good to have friends" vibe. He became the most interesting character for me in the later parts of the book. Jackson also was a winner. I felt the rest were a little flat and could have used some oomph.
The premise is good, I will give it that. A house falls from the sky and that is freaky, obviously people are intrigued, and it becomes a media frenzy, but then people just go on with their lives. I would think there would be more hoopla and more daily disruptions to their lives. Nope, let’s just all go have some milkshakes and guilt trip each other. Some dirt on the friends: Scarlett left town, leaving her friends behind. Hannah has not recovered from the death of her Mother. Tommy had an injury that ruined his chances of being a professional baseball player. Jackson is a bartender renting from his father and dreaming of a better life. When Scarlett comes back to town, the friends reconnect but time and distance has strained things. Then there is a contest, those who win get to go inside, spend a night inside the house and win a million dollars (hence the Willy Wonka reference). So, it's all for one and one for all with the four friends. They go inside but will they come out?
If you have not figured it out already, this did not work for me. I had high hopes for this one and moved it up on my list. While reading this book, I felt as if I was reading an entirely different book than everyone else. But we cannot love them all. This one just was not for me. I love a good scary read, but this fell flat for me. I want a heart pounding, hiding under the covers with a flashlight, looking under the bed and in the closets kinda scary.
So not a good fit for me, but there are reviewers who are enjoying this book. Check out their reviews and the book synopsis and decide for yourself. I do appreciate the imagination and creativity involved in creating the house. Speaking of which, I wanted more of the house’s history. Yes, we do get some, but I would have loved a little more. Plus, the first half was slow for me, things didn't really pick up for me until around the 60% mark but that still wasn't enough to save this book for me.
Again, there are reviewers who are enjoying this book so check out their reviews.
I received a copy of this book from Oblivion Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 29, 2022
**3.5-stars**
Scarlett Vantassel is in a rut. At 29-years old, after a recent break-up, she has returned to her hometown, moved in with her family and resumed working at a dead-end job.
Needless to say, for a girl who once dreamed of greatness, things are not going as planned.
Even her popular YouTube channel, has lost its glow. Sinister Scarlett's spark is gone.
On the night that she is set to film her farewell vlog, something truly insane happens, which interrupts her filming.
Just as she starts recording her swan song, there is a grand disturbance in Winterview City, where she lives.
It affects the power and can be felt in the air. Immediately setting off to investigate, Scarlett never does return to vlogging.
Once the dust settles, the city discovers an enormous gothic mansion has suddenly appeared in the downtown area. No one can explain it. Where did it come from?
The media dubs it, The House that Fell from the Sky.
Eventually a mysterious organization, Crow Corp, is somehow allowed to take ownership of the property.
And as you do, when you acquire a creepy, gothic mansion, you host a horrifying contest. If someone can survive one night in the house, which is clearly haunted, they win a million dollars.
Also, as you do, you select your contestants via lottery. I mean, it worked for Willy Wonka.
Before you get to all that however, there is a lot of build-up.
We follow Scarlett, her brother, Tommy, his ex-girlfriend, Hannah, and Scarlett's best friend, Jackson, as they contemplate their lives, their friendships and the secret of the house.
We get the history of their relationships, what has caused them to be strained now and their own personal desires to discover the truth behind The House that Fell from the Sky.
The character with the biggest drive to get into the house is Hannah. She believes the house holds the secret to life after death. She's hoping to be able to make contact with her recently deceased mother while within its walls.
Coming in at over 500-pages, this novel really leaves no stone unturned.
While I believe it could have been edited down, and certain areas tightened up, I did find the premise behind this extremely intriguing.
If I had my way, I would have had either Tommy or Jackson be the main protagonist and I also would have had the entire friend group be around the age of 21. That's the age they seemed, although their stated ages were closer to 30.
I also found both Tommy and Jackson more believable heroes than Scarlett, and don't get me started on Hannah. Frankly, I'm not sure why anyone was friends with her.
Their time in the house was intriguing. It was sort of a Lovecraftian-Overlook Hotel, run by Willy Wonka on acid.
If that doesn't have you lifting your brows, I don't know what will!?
One of the aspects I enjoyed the most about the friend's time in the mansion was the cyclical nature of it. They would experience a bunch of horrifying things, then it was like someone hit a reset button and they would start all over again.
This thought of a never-ending trap makes me extremely agitated; like a hallway that never ends. That really freaks me out.
And while they were stuck, with no sense of time, the events and surroundings were actually continually changing. They continued to face new monsters and challenges while their sanity was pushed to the brink.
Even though I had fun reading these sections, I did feel like it was a bit more fever dream quality than I would have preferred. There was so much, it was almost too much.
With all of this being said, this is a good book and an ambitious debut.
The author, Patrick Delaney, is clearly wildly creative and I know as his career progresses, his material will continue to get stronger and stronger.
I for one, will be along for the journey. Looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Oblivion Publishing, as well as the author, Patrick Delaney, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I truly appreciate it!!
Scarlett Vantassel is in a rut. At 29-years old, after a recent break-up, she has returned to her hometown, moved in with her family and resumed working at a dead-end job.
Needless to say, for a girl who once dreamed of greatness, things are not going as planned.
Even her popular YouTube channel, has lost its glow. Sinister Scarlett's spark is gone.
On the night that she is set to film her farewell vlog, something truly insane happens, which interrupts her filming.
Just as she starts recording her swan song, there is a grand disturbance in Winterview City, where she lives.
It affects the power and can be felt in the air. Immediately setting off to investigate, Scarlett never does return to vlogging.
Once the dust settles, the city discovers an enormous gothic mansion has suddenly appeared in the downtown area. No one can explain it. Where did it come from?
The media dubs it, The House that Fell from the Sky.
Eventually a mysterious organization, Crow Corp, is somehow allowed to take ownership of the property.
And as you do, when you acquire a creepy, gothic mansion, you host a horrifying contest. If someone can survive one night in the house, which is clearly haunted, they win a million dollars.
Also, as you do, you select your contestants via lottery. I mean, it worked for Willy Wonka.
Before you get to all that however, there is a lot of build-up.
We follow Scarlett, her brother, Tommy, his ex-girlfriend, Hannah, and Scarlett's best friend, Jackson, as they contemplate their lives, their friendships and the secret of the house.
We get the history of their relationships, what has caused them to be strained now and their own personal desires to discover the truth behind The House that Fell from the Sky.
The character with the biggest drive to get into the house is Hannah. She believes the house holds the secret to life after death. She's hoping to be able to make contact with her recently deceased mother while within its walls.
Coming in at over 500-pages, this novel really leaves no stone unturned.
While I believe it could have been edited down, and certain areas tightened up, I did find the premise behind this extremely intriguing.
If I had my way, I would have had either Tommy or Jackson be the main protagonist and I also would have had the entire friend group be around the age of 21. That's the age they seemed, although their stated ages were closer to 30.
I also found both Tommy and Jackson more believable heroes than Scarlett, and don't get me started on Hannah. Frankly, I'm not sure why anyone was friends with her.
Their time in the house was intriguing. It was sort of a Lovecraftian-Overlook Hotel, run by Willy Wonka on acid.
If that doesn't have you lifting your brows, I don't know what will!?
One of the aspects I enjoyed the most about the friend's time in the mansion was the cyclical nature of it. They would experience a bunch of horrifying things, then it was like someone hit a reset button and they would start all over again.
This thought of a never-ending trap makes me extremely agitated; like a hallway that never ends. That really freaks me out.
And while they were stuck, with no sense of time, the events and surroundings were actually continually changing. They continued to face new monsters and challenges while their sanity was pushed to the brink.
Even though I had fun reading these sections, I did feel like it was a bit more fever dream quality than I would have preferred. There was so much, it was almost too much.
With all of this being said, this is a good book and an ambitious debut.
The author, Patrick Delaney, is clearly wildly creative and I know as his career progresses, his material will continue to get stronger and stronger.
I for one, will be along for the journey. Looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Oblivion Publishing, as well as the author, Patrick Delaney, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I truly appreciate it!!
July 27, 2020
This book was nominated by Night Worms reviewer, Mindi (@gowsy33) for a Night Worms Book Party. Thank you to the author for generously sending physical copies to the whole review team in exchange for our honest reviews.
Lately, authors in the horror genre have been delivering new twists on a familiar trope: The Haunted House. I think the reason haunted house stories are so popular is that our homes are our safe places. We feel comfortable in our personal spaces. After being out in the world, engaging with situations and circumstances outside our control, we return to our comfort zone where everything is as it should be; where we left it.
The haunted house strips us of familiarity and comfort, making our already vulnerable position (like sleeping in our beds) that much more vulnerable.
THE HOUSE THAT FELL FROM THE SKY is an interesting concept. A house suddenly appears in the middle of a city creating a media frenzy as people try to figure out the mystery behind it.
The main character is a young woman named Scarlett who moves back to her hometown and picks up with her old school friend, Hannah. Hannah, as it turns out, becomes quite obsessed with gaining access to the house by whatever means necessary due to the belief the house has something to do with explaining life after death.
*Whew*
This is quite the chunky book. I believe it's close to 500 but it reads much faster. I'm not sure if it was the larger print or the format of the ARC but it did feel like a 300+
However, that's not to say it wasn't without some serious lulls. This book takes a minute to get started. As I was reading, it felt like the author came to the writing desk full of ideas, good ideas and then maybe didn't exactly know how to execute on them at first, but then eventually found their way as the story took shape and developed.
The characters are not immediately compelling, the dialog between them somewhat forced but then later, things do get more interesting--Vincent the Magician (for example).
One needling, little issue is that the characters seem too young compared to their revealed age and season of life. The synopsis states "twenty-nine" but compared to my own context (married and mother of three children, finishing school and working a part-time job by thirty) it was hard not to judge Scarlett as being a wee bit spoiled and young for her age.
As I mentioned, the set-up is the longest portion of the book but it did give me some Charlie and the Chocolate Factory vibes that I enjoyed--especially since there is this lottery held by a mysterious corporate agency giving away the coveted privilege of exploring the mystery house. Also, I enjoyed the portions of the book that give a detailed account of the different rooms contained in the house--but I don't want to be spoilerly so that's as far as that sharing can go.
I do wish that exploration of the house had more of an emphasis. Almost 300 pages into a 450+ book and the reader FINALLY gets in. That's a long-ass time to build anticipation.
My overall impression is that this author has an amazing imagination with a lot of exciting story ideas but perhaps needed a little more time narrowing the story down--whittling away at the non-essentials and getting to the real meat of the story-because therein lies the delicious horror. Had the writing been more succinct, the characters more clearly defined/developed, I could see this story really standing out as something new but as is, there isn't anything particularly groundbreaking; just the potential for more to come. I'm eager to read more from Patrick R. Delaney.
Lately, authors in the horror genre have been delivering new twists on a familiar trope: The Haunted House. I think the reason haunted house stories are so popular is that our homes are our safe places. We feel comfortable in our personal spaces. After being out in the world, engaging with situations and circumstances outside our control, we return to our comfort zone where everything is as it should be; where we left it.
The haunted house strips us of familiarity and comfort, making our already vulnerable position (like sleeping in our beds) that much more vulnerable.
THE HOUSE THAT FELL FROM THE SKY is an interesting concept. A house suddenly appears in the middle of a city creating a media frenzy as people try to figure out the mystery behind it.
The main character is a young woman named Scarlett who moves back to her hometown and picks up with her old school friend, Hannah. Hannah, as it turns out, becomes quite obsessed with gaining access to the house by whatever means necessary due to the belief the house has something to do with explaining life after death.
*Whew*
This is quite the chunky book. I believe it's close to 500 but it reads much faster. I'm not sure if it was the larger print or the format of the ARC but it did feel like a 300+
However, that's not to say it wasn't without some serious lulls. This book takes a minute to get started. As I was reading, it felt like the author came to the writing desk full of ideas, good ideas and then maybe didn't exactly know how to execute on them at first, but then eventually found their way as the story took shape and developed.
The characters are not immediately compelling, the dialog between them somewhat forced but then later, things do get more interesting--Vincent the Magician (for example).
One needling, little issue is that the characters seem too young compared to their revealed age and season of life. The synopsis states "twenty-nine" but compared to my own context (married and mother of three children, finishing school and working a part-time job by thirty) it was hard not to judge Scarlett as being a wee bit spoiled and young for her age.
As I mentioned, the set-up is the longest portion of the book but it did give me some Charlie and the Chocolate Factory vibes that I enjoyed--especially since there is this lottery held by a mysterious corporate agency giving away the coveted privilege of exploring the mystery house. Also, I enjoyed the portions of the book that give a detailed account of the different rooms contained in the house--but I don't want to be spoilerly so that's as far as that sharing can go.
I do wish that exploration of the house had more of an emphasis. Almost 300 pages into a 450+ book and the reader FINALLY gets in. That's a long-ass time to build anticipation.
My overall impression is that this author has an amazing imagination with a lot of exciting story ideas but perhaps needed a little more time narrowing the story down--whittling away at the non-essentials and getting to the real meat of the story-because therein lies the delicious horror. Had the writing been more succinct, the characters more clearly defined/developed, I could see this story really standing out as something new but as is, there isn't anything particularly groundbreaking; just the potential for more to come. I'm eager to read more from Patrick R. Delaney.
June 10, 2021
"MY NAME IS Scarlett Vantassel."
Review to come May/June 2021 :)
"My name is Scarlett Vantassel, and this, is the story of the house that fell from the sky."
Review to come May/June 2021 :)
"My name is Scarlett Vantassel, and this, is the story of the house that fell from the sky."
September 21, 2020
The House That Fell From the Sky by Patrick Delaney is a story that is both vividly descriptive and eerily suspenseful. I really thrive on stories like this because I crave the extra time an author takes to build a scene or help a reader with imagery. I often don't do well putting a clear picture in my mind but this is something I thought Delaney did extremely well. It was actually beautiful how he stitched each sentence together into a nice rythme creating the perfect flow. This made for an excellent reading experience. I wasn't really on edge throughout the book but I enjoyed the suspense that consistently crept along as I read each chapter. I've read a lot reviews that talk about the length of the book and although it is an intimidating size, I wasn't bothered by it. I really like the authors writing style. It was calming which is weird to say about a horror book but it was just nice to relax and read without the anxiousness I normally get from books in the genre. I'm a sucker for series of books and I've heard he has another book written in the same world coming out soon called Silvers Hollow which I can't wait to get my hands on after reading this delightful supernatural tale.
The House That Fell From The Sky by Patrick Delaney is a comforting horror tale that I think readers are going to find creepy and delightful at the same time. I recommend this book to fans of the genre looking for a ominous supernatural story not like anything else you've read recently, I promise. Delaney is an incredible storyteller that leaves nothing to the imagination. I'm confident readers will find this book to be gratifying in that the author knows how to set the reader up for a satisfying experience.
The House That Fell From The Sky by Patrick Delaney
⭐⭐⭐⭐
FOLLOW ME
Www.twitter.com/thebookdad
Www.instagram.com/The_BookDad
Www.goodreads.com/andrewfowlow
The House That Fell From The Sky by Patrick Delaney is a comforting horror tale that I think readers are going to find creepy and delightful at the same time. I recommend this book to fans of the genre looking for a ominous supernatural story not like anything else you've read recently, I promise. Delaney is an incredible storyteller that leaves nothing to the imagination. I'm confident readers will find this book to be gratifying in that the author knows how to set the reader up for a satisfying experience.
The House That Fell From The Sky by Patrick Delaney
⭐⭐⭐⭐
FOLLOW ME
Www.twitter.com/thebookdad
Www.instagram.com/The_BookDad
Www.goodreads.com/andrewfowlow
December 7, 2022
This is really a case of you having to "suspend your disbelief', put it in the closet and lock the door, or you will spend the entire book saying, "this is ridiculous"..."this just can't happen"...what was this author drinking while writing this book?". After you've had these conversations with yourself, you can begin to see that the best way to approach this book is by just letting it take control when going into it and it will become an amazing experience. Just the idea of a giant house suddenly appearing in the middle of nowhere had me hooked, and I couldn’t wait to find out what was inside. The beginning is somewhat of a slow burner. Don't give up. It takes about half of the book to actually get the characters inside the house. However, that’s not to say the first half is at all bad. There are plenty of creepy scenes and events mixed in. I actually liked having the time to establish the four main characters and build their personalities and relationships to one another. It's in the second half of the book where things truly get horrifying. I like horrifying! It's now time for the characters to actually enter the house...can't wait.... but then I still have about 250 pages left. That left a lot of space for the something else really spectacular to happen....and that is why the book got 4 stars instead of the 5 I was leaning toward by this point. The inside of the house is incredibly imaginative, and the author does a great job of describing the wide variety of rooms that I could easily picture; however, he had the characters spend way too long exploring thus causing the book to slow considerably. It definitely picks back up and it has a final act that was worth all the time and the money spent for this book. Lots and lots of crazy. impossible and unexpected twists and turns. Reminders of Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, one of my all-time favorites that has been reread so many times I've lost count. If you are a fan of ghosts, ghouls, creepy crawley's, and monsters, you will enjoy this treasure with over 500 pages of these "haunting delights"...but keep in mind that it's a book that you are either going to really like or really not relate to at all. I don't believe there is any middle ground here.
July 3, 2020
Loved the spiel, sounded right up my street. Unfortunately it wasnt. The subject matter was for sure. It was the storytelling that wasnt.
I`m sure you all know the gist of it. Giant "haunted" mansion appears in the middle of a town overnight. Anyone who goes near it or tries to enter it either goes mad or dies.
We have a group of four teenage friends, sorry they are in their late 20s apparently, and for a convoluted reason they win a raffle to enter the house for a night to win a million dollars each.
Ok, my problems with this book are many.
The main characters are very poorly written and as somewhat sarcastically alluded to by me earlier, come across as teenagers rather than adults in their late 20s. None of them are interesting. They are all angsty for one reason or another, which we find out about throughout the book through flashbacks. None of it that interesting at all and added little if anything to the characters.
The first half of the book deals with the arrival of the house and are main group, along with another couple of characters before we eventually get to the very convoluted set up for the second half of the book where they enter the house.
I thought the book might pick up when they did finally enter but if anything it got worse. No tension. No pacing. Endless pages describing the walls, ceilings, floors, paintings, statues of a new room they entered. Like I`m talking 3 or 4 pages of description every time they moved. I was pleading with them to stay put so I wouldnt be subjected to more pages of inane description of the horrible walls etc. The one thing I did care about in the book by the second half was the house itself and this killed it stone dead.
I`m sorry but the second half of the book was a complete snooze fest. Rinse and repeat chapter after chapter a formula that wasnt working. This was very close to becoming my first ever dnf but I soldiered on to the end, relieved more than anything that it was over. Awful pacing, over writing, the book is probably a couple of hundred pages too long.
I dont take any pleasure in writing this negative review. I wanted to like this book so much but its up their with the worst I have read and I have to be honest. It is getting a lot of very positive reviews so Im sure it will do well.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Oblivion Publishing and Patrick R. Delaney for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I`m sure you all know the gist of it. Giant "haunted" mansion appears in the middle of a town overnight. Anyone who goes near it or tries to enter it either goes mad or dies.
We have a group of four teenage friends, sorry they are in their late 20s apparently, and for a convoluted reason they win a raffle to enter the house for a night to win a million dollars each.
Ok, my problems with this book are many.
The main characters are very poorly written and as somewhat sarcastically alluded to by me earlier, come across as teenagers rather than adults in their late 20s. None of them are interesting. They are all angsty for one reason or another, which we find out about throughout the book through flashbacks. None of it that interesting at all and added little if anything to the characters.
The first half of the book deals with the arrival of the house and are main group, along with another couple of characters before we eventually get to the very convoluted set up for the second half of the book where they enter the house.
I thought the book might pick up when they did finally enter but if anything it got worse. No tension. No pacing. Endless pages describing the walls, ceilings, floors, paintings, statues of a new room they entered. Like I`m talking 3 or 4 pages of description every time they moved. I was pleading with them to stay put so I wouldnt be subjected to more pages of inane description of the horrible walls etc. The one thing I did care about in the book by the second half was the house itself and this killed it stone dead.
I`m sorry but the second half of the book was a complete snooze fest. Rinse and repeat chapter after chapter a formula that wasnt working. This was very close to becoming my first ever dnf but I soldiered on to the end, relieved more than anything that it was over. Awful pacing, over writing, the book is probably a couple of hundred pages too long.
I dont take any pleasure in writing this negative review. I wanted to like this book so much but its up their with the worst I have read and I have to be honest. It is getting a lot of very positive reviews so Im sure it will do well.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Oblivion Publishing and Patrick R. Delaney for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 31, 2020
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.
The house that fell from the sky takes place in a city called winterview. One day a an ominous house appears from no where. The house has awful effects on anyone whe gets near it, particularly if they manage to get inside. The story centres around friends Scarlet, Tommy, Jackson and Hannah depicting the events which lead to them entering the house and the challenges they face inside.
The part leading up to the characters entering the house is quite lengthy but i think that this is necessary as it helps to build the characters and helps the reader to understand each characters individual perspective.
I really liked the characters especially Scarlett and my heart went out to Jackson throughout the book.
The descriptions and scene setting are really detailed its really easy to visualise what the author is trying to portray.
This book keeps you hanging through twists and turns that you wont see coming. Overall i really enjoyed reading this book.
The house that fell from the sky takes place in a city called winterview. One day a an ominous house appears from no where. The house has awful effects on anyone whe gets near it, particularly if they manage to get inside. The story centres around friends Scarlet, Tommy, Jackson and Hannah depicting the events which lead to them entering the house and the challenges they face inside.
The part leading up to the characters entering the house is quite lengthy but i think that this is necessary as it helps to build the characters and helps the reader to understand each characters individual perspective.
I really liked the characters especially Scarlett and my heart went out to Jackson throughout the book.
The descriptions and scene setting are really detailed its really easy to visualise what the author is trying to portray.
This book keeps you hanging through twists and turns that you wont see coming. Overall i really enjoyed reading this book.
September 16, 2020
Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.
I have been trying to finish this book since the beginning of August. That should have told me something right there. I finally just gave up and DNFed it at 30 percent. I was hoping for a really cool haunted house mystery a la Hell House or The Haunting of Hill House and that's not this book at all. I think the idea of a house falling from the sky was a good one, but the overall execution fell flat. I just didn't care enough to continue.
"The House that Fell from the Sky" follows Scarlett Vantassel. Scarlett is feeling restless with her life when one day in October a house falls from the sky. Of course the media and others wonder about the mysterious house (yeah if COVID taught me anything, it has taught me that humans are not as smart as we should be about things like this) and people are intrigued and want to know about the house. Scarlett's friend Hannah becomes obsessed with the house and when a private company buys the house (do not ask) they decide to do a lottery for people who will receive a large cash reward if they enter the house. Honestly this is some everyone is a moron book. Who would agree to do this? Not I says the woman who freaked out when she thought she heard her closet door opening by itself the other night.
I think the thing that just took me out of the book is that anyone would be all cool mysterious house that fell from the sky. It's up there with the people who keep finding unopened Egyptian tombs and wanting to go in. Maybe just leave things alone.
The development of Scarlett, Hannah, and Scarlett's brother and another friend was meh. I think what gets me the most is that I think Scarlett is 29 or 30 and she acts like a teen. I don't know if this book would have worked better if Delaney had aged down the character or what. I can't see adults being this reckless, but then again, COVID.
The writing was okay, I just got bored and DNFed at 30 percent. This book is over 500 pages and at that point it felt like nothing was happening and I refused to keep pushing myself to read and finish this book when it was obviously not working for me.
I have been trying to finish this book since the beginning of August. That should have told me something right there. I finally just gave up and DNFed it at 30 percent. I was hoping for a really cool haunted house mystery a la Hell House or The Haunting of Hill House and that's not this book at all. I think the idea of a house falling from the sky was a good one, but the overall execution fell flat. I just didn't care enough to continue.
"The House that Fell from the Sky" follows Scarlett Vantassel. Scarlett is feeling restless with her life when one day in October a house falls from the sky. Of course the media and others wonder about the mysterious house (yeah if COVID taught me anything, it has taught me that humans are not as smart as we should be about things like this) and people are intrigued and want to know about the house. Scarlett's friend Hannah becomes obsessed with the house and when a private company buys the house (do not ask) they decide to do a lottery for people who will receive a large cash reward if they enter the house. Honestly this is some everyone is a moron book. Who would agree to do this? Not I says the woman who freaked out when she thought she heard her closet door opening by itself the other night.
I think the thing that just took me out of the book is that anyone would be all cool mysterious house that fell from the sky. It's up there with the people who keep finding unopened Egyptian tombs and wanting to go in. Maybe just leave things alone.
The development of Scarlett, Hannah, and Scarlett's brother and another friend was meh. I think what gets me the most is that I think Scarlett is 29 or 30 and she acts like a teen. I don't know if this book would have worked better if Delaney had aged down the character or what. I can't see adults being this reckless, but then again, COVID.
The writing was okay, I just got bored and DNFed at 30 percent. This book is over 500 pages and at that point it felt like nothing was happening and I refused to keep pushing myself to read and finish this book when it was obviously not working for me.
Read
December 16, 2020I'm going to regretfully DNF this book because it is simply not for me at this point in time. I'm not rating it either. My brain is far too distracted to focus on a 500 page story that isn't grabbing me and forcing it isn't helping anyone. I may return to it eventually when life calms down and I thank both the publisher and the author for generously sending me a physical ARC and I will pay it forward eventually at a Little Free Library.
My thoughts & my stumbling blocks, if you must know:
*This book started out great. A house falls from the sky! I mean, what?! How can you not want to read more?! Is it full of monsters, is it haunted, are there aliens?! I NEED TO KNOW!
*We meet the four main characters and a possible fifth (a disgraced magician). The four main people could've been interesting if their ages had been cut by a decade, their backstories cut dramatically and their dialogue improved. As written though I found myself cringing at times and the only one who interested me was the magician and he's set on the backburner which saddened me.
*I'm super nosy. I love backstories and emotional ties but I didn't feel the friendship here so reading over 250 pages of these 4 and their awkward and strained ties and endless bickering was too much for me. Communication and empathy would've gone a long way here but these 4 seemed emotionally stunted and I lost patience with all of them and that was a huge problem for me.
*What's in the house?! It's why I'm here *cries in anguish and impatience* I am too nosy for my own good and the wait is killing me!
*I kept getting confused and had to backtrack. This could be my faulty brain though, I'm not even going to pretend it was anything else. This sometimes happens when I'm forcing pages.
*Please, tell me something about the house. Throw me a scrap! Throw a monster at me. Something. Why must I be this impatient?
*This book is 500 pages and that's a real big chunkster of a book for me. When I reached past the 200+ page mark and realized I had learned next to nothing about the house despite the fact that one of the characters is supposed to be obsessed and investigating it and greedily keeping these secrets to herself (if she's found any), I felt defeated because the house was what I'm here for. I needed a few breadcrumbs to keep going but I wasn't getting them.
*WHAT'S UP WITH THE HOUSE? I'M SORRY BUT I CAN WAIT NO LONGER. I AM A FAILURE AND NOW I'LL NEVER KNOW AND IT'S ALL MY OWN FAULT!
With all that said, I quit at the halfway point which is about 200 pages more than I usually give a book because I kept wishing and hoping things would start happening but no answers were given, there were too few creeps and the character issues just seem to get more complicated and confusing and I couldn't go on when I'm sitting here with a million books and very little free time to read them all. I can't and won't speak to the rest of the book. I see many readers are giving it all the stars so if the blurb appeals and you don't mind a slow start, ignore me and check out their reviews instead.
My thoughts & my stumbling blocks, if you must know:
*This book started out great. A house falls from the sky! I mean, what?! How can you not want to read more?! Is it full of monsters, is it haunted, are there aliens?! I NEED TO KNOW!
*We meet the four main characters and a possible fifth (a disgraced magician). The four main people could've been interesting if their ages had been cut by a decade, their backstories cut dramatically and their dialogue improved. As written though I found myself cringing at times and the only one who interested me was the magician and he's set on the backburner which saddened me.
*I'm super nosy. I love backstories and emotional ties but I didn't feel the friendship here so reading over 250 pages of these 4 and their awkward and strained ties and endless bickering was too much for me. Communication and empathy would've gone a long way here but these 4 seemed emotionally stunted and I lost patience with all of them and that was a huge problem for me.
*What's in the house?! It's why I'm here *cries in anguish and impatience* I am too nosy for my own good and the wait is killing me!
*I kept getting confused and had to backtrack. This could be my faulty brain though, I'm not even going to pretend it was anything else. This sometimes happens when I'm forcing pages.
*Please, tell me something about the house. Throw me a scrap! Throw a monster at me. Something. Why must I be this impatient?
*This book is 500 pages and that's a real big chunkster of a book for me. When I reached past the 200+ page mark and realized I had learned next to nothing about the house despite the fact that one of the characters is supposed to be obsessed and investigating it and greedily keeping these secrets to herself (if she's found any), I felt defeated because the house was what I'm here for. I needed a few breadcrumbs to keep going but I wasn't getting them.
*WHAT'S UP WITH THE HOUSE? I'M SORRY BUT I CAN WAIT NO LONGER. I AM A FAILURE AND NOW I'LL NEVER KNOW AND IT'S ALL MY OWN FAULT!
With all that said, I quit at the halfway point which is about 200 pages more than I usually give a book because I kept wishing and hoping things would start happening but no answers were given, there were too few creeps and the character issues just seem to get more complicated and confusing and I couldn't go on when I'm sitting here with a million books and very little free time to read them all. I can't and won't speak to the rest of the book. I see many readers are giving it all the stars so if the blurb appeals and you don't mind a slow start, ignore me and check out their reviews instead.
July 28, 2020
What a book! I took one look at this cover and immediately wanted to add it to my collection. I hadn't read anything else before by the author, but I'm very grateful to him, as well as to the publisher & the Night Worms organizers, for sending this one over to do a #nightwormsbookparty!
The idea behind this one is pretty simple: a mysterious, dark, spooky, Gothic-type mansion pops up in the middle of a city one night out of thin air. Nobody knows why it's there, where it came from, or what to do with it - only that something's not quite right due to some really disturbing things that start happening. Eventually, a corporation starts a Willy Wonka-esque contest to find a few folks to enter the house - as expected, lots of wild things ensue!
Our cast of characters is pretty varied, including a horror booktuber at the end of her personal rope, a former MLB player, a bartender, and a few others. While we get quite a lot of detail on these characters through flashbacks, descriptions, and conversations, I felt that they could have been fleshed out a bit more thoroughly. As other reviewers have mentioned, the age range was a bit tough to believe here - I honestly had forgotten that the characters were supposed to be in their late 20s, and spent the entire time reading thinking they were in their teens. This isn't to say that they are poorly written - just that the intended age range missed the mark slightly, and a tiny bit of editing to make them slightly younger in the story might make things a little more consistent from the reader's experience.
I enjoyed the relationships between characters - as someone with brothers, I related to some of the jabs and loving conversational bits to the dialogue between Scarlett and her brother, Tommy. While there were a couple times part of the chatter felt a bit forced between people, the bonds seemed to shine through for me creating high stakes regarding the personal safety of each person in the story.
One mention is that I really wish we'd gotten into the house a little bit sooner than we do, because I read a couple hundred pages and kept wondering if it was around the corner (spoiler: it wasn't). Rather than build tension for me, this sort of just started making me want to rush past the stuff that didn't really seem to have anything to do with the actual plot. Mentions of character's appearances were a bit repetitive, and I could've done without certain bits that felt a little more like trimmable bulk than necessary weight.
Something the author absolutely excels at is the ability to describe things in such a way that the reader is able to envision it perfectly - I felt like I were walking through the house at times, peeking over shoulders into the rooms and marveling at the absolutely horrifying happenings that were witnessed. Although this is a haunted house story that doesn't follow a directly linear path, I didn't find myself struggling to keep up, or to understand what was going on in the story; I will admit that there was this almost bizarro-esque, otherwordly feel to some of the parts and things inside the house that definitely caused me to raise my eyebrows (not in a bad way!).
Overall, this is one to check out if you're a fan of the haunted house trope and want a very unique spin on it - specifically, if you're looking to sink a chunk of time to invest in backstory and build-up, love absolutely horrifying creatures and situations, and love lots of descriptions. If you're more of a fan of quick, immediate horror without a lot of exposition that's easy to tidily wrap up with a bow at the end of the book, this may not be the one for you - but don't take my word for it! Check it out for yourself, it's out this September!
The idea behind this one is pretty simple: a mysterious, dark, spooky, Gothic-type mansion pops up in the middle of a city one night out of thin air. Nobody knows why it's there, where it came from, or what to do with it - only that something's not quite right due to some really disturbing things that start happening. Eventually, a corporation starts a Willy Wonka-esque contest to find a few folks to enter the house - as expected, lots of wild things ensue!
Our cast of characters is pretty varied, including a horror booktuber at the end of her personal rope, a former MLB player, a bartender, and a few others. While we get quite a lot of detail on these characters through flashbacks, descriptions, and conversations, I felt that they could have been fleshed out a bit more thoroughly. As other reviewers have mentioned, the age range was a bit tough to believe here - I honestly had forgotten that the characters were supposed to be in their late 20s, and spent the entire time reading thinking they were in their teens. This isn't to say that they are poorly written - just that the intended age range missed the mark slightly, and a tiny bit of editing to make them slightly younger in the story might make things a little more consistent from the reader's experience.
I enjoyed the relationships between characters - as someone with brothers, I related to some of the jabs and loving conversational bits to the dialogue between Scarlett and her brother, Tommy. While there were a couple times part of the chatter felt a bit forced between people, the bonds seemed to shine through for me creating high stakes regarding the personal safety of each person in the story.
One mention is that I really wish we'd gotten into the house a little bit sooner than we do, because I read a couple hundred pages and kept wondering if it was around the corner (spoiler: it wasn't). Rather than build tension for me, this sort of just started making me want to rush past the stuff that didn't really seem to have anything to do with the actual plot. Mentions of character's appearances were a bit repetitive, and I could've done without certain bits that felt a little more like trimmable bulk than necessary weight.
Something the author absolutely excels at is the ability to describe things in such a way that the reader is able to envision it perfectly - I felt like I were walking through the house at times, peeking over shoulders into the rooms and marveling at the absolutely horrifying happenings that were witnessed. Although this is a haunted house story that doesn't follow a directly linear path, I didn't find myself struggling to keep up, or to understand what was going on in the story; I will admit that there was this almost bizarro-esque, otherwordly feel to some of the parts and things inside the house that definitely caused me to raise my eyebrows (not in a bad way!).
Overall, this is one to check out if you're a fan of the haunted house trope and want a very unique spin on it - specifically, if you're looking to sink a chunk of time to invest in backstory and build-up, love absolutely horrifying creatures and situations, and love lots of descriptions. If you're more of a fan of quick, immediate horror without a lot of exposition that's easy to tidily wrap up with a bow at the end of the book, this may not be the one for you - but don't take my word for it! Check it out for yourself, it's out this September!
November 7, 2020
This book is about four friends who, with the help of an enigmatic magician, try to understand the house that suddenly appeared out of nowhere one dark and stormy night. The house is strange enough on the outside, but once it’s doors finally unlock they realize the true nightmares lay within. A quick creepy read
July 29, 2020
Patrick Delaney's THE HOUSE THAT FELL FROM THE SKY has an excellent premise and some wonderfully written scenes! It took about 100 pages for me to get into it, but besides the need for a bit of editing, it's a great read.
Twenty-something Scarlett Vantassel is struggling at life, so she decides to move back home to renew old friendships. But she soon discovers her childhood friends have struggles of their own and are vulnerable to the foreboding darkness to come. A mysterious house literally falls from the sky, right in the middle of the city, which causes upheaval in the town and media chaos. And this house is not your average suburban cookie-cutter tract home either; it's a gothic-style mansion oozing with disquieting undertones, nefarious intentions, and puzzling questions. Scarlett is cautious while others want to score a ticket to see the show. Scarlett’s friend Hannah is determined to gain admission as she believes it answers the age old question - what happens in the afterlife?
Remember Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Well, Delaney crafted a clever story with a similar, sinister vibe - but with horror! We received pretty cool swag, including a lottery ticket with the book, so I assume that connection is purposeful, which is awesome. The chapters that focus on the house itself are fantastic, easily five stars! However, character development is unbalanced brought it down to three stars. Some details are gratuitous, while others are missing altogether. If this book were restructured with a focus on the house from the start, it would be a better reading experience. Also, editing down about 150 pages would provide a more succinct story and sharpen the pace. Although, for a being a 500-some-odd page book, it was an easy read. As an aside, major props to the cover art as it is a stunner!
All in all, this is a fun ride in the end. Read it so we can talk about it!
Special thanks to the author for my review copy.
Twenty-something Scarlett Vantassel is struggling at life, so she decides to move back home to renew old friendships. But she soon discovers her childhood friends have struggles of their own and are vulnerable to the foreboding darkness to come. A mysterious house literally falls from the sky, right in the middle of the city, which causes upheaval in the town and media chaos. And this house is not your average suburban cookie-cutter tract home either; it's a gothic-style mansion oozing with disquieting undertones, nefarious intentions, and puzzling questions. Scarlett is cautious while others want to score a ticket to see the show. Scarlett’s friend Hannah is determined to gain admission as she believes it answers the age old question - what happens in the afterlife?
Remember Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Well, Delaney crafted a clever story with a similar, sinister vibe - but with horror! We received pretty cool swag, including a lottery ticket with the book, so I assume that connection is purposeful, which is awesome. The chapters that focus on the house itself are fantastic, easily five stars! However, character development is unbalanced brought it down to three stars. Some details are gratuitous, while others are missing altogether. If this book were restructured with a focus on the house from the start, it would be a better reading experience. Also, editing down about 150 pages would provide a more succinct story and sharpen the pace. Although, for a being a 500-some-odd page book, it was an easy read. As an aside, major props to the cover art as it is a stunner!
All in all, this is a fun ride in the end. Read it so we can talk about it!
Special thanks to the author for my review copy.
May 25, 2020
I have to be honest, this book never worked for me. The plot took a long time to get started - I was a third of the way in before it even reached what was described in the blurb - and once it did, it was disappointingly predictable. The characters had great promise but all read ten years younger than they actually were, making them completely unbelievable. The writing focused too much on description and not enough on action, bogging me down in descriptions of 'chocolate eyes' or reminding me how beautiful a character was when they were undergoing something horrific. The idea was brilliant - the house truly creative with some genuinely horrifying elements - but the execution fell horrifically flat for me.
The story focuses on Scarlett Vantassel, a twenty-nine-year-old horror vlogger suffering major burnout and not sure what she wants to do with her life. She's back in her small town after a breakup and feeling disconnected from everyone and everything around her. Her old friends - her brother Tommy, his girlfriend Hannah, and Jackson, the son of the local police chief - have changed, and they're not as close as they used to be. The cracks in their friendship are magnified when, with no rational explanation, a house suddenly appears in their neighbourhood - a house with a sinister aura and a growing association with death.
In principle, Scarlett was a great character. She was chatty, vivacious, and determined to be her own person. However, she never really grew past the stereotypical flighty Millenial. She went to college but didn't graduate, left town after a boyfriend but then the relationship broke down and she was forced back, and - in the eyes of her friends - cared more about herself than she did about them. Her character should have been relatable - and in a way it was, but more as an insecure twenty-year-old than twenty-nine-going-on-thirty. This was exacerbated by her relationship with her dad, Dale. At one point, another character makes a throwaway comment that Scarlett leaving home with her boyfriend broke her dads heart. A woman in her late twenties shouldn't break her parents' heart. Yes, it probably hurts, but parents want their children to have their own independent lives and success - Scarlett was definitely old enough to make that decision for herself.
The other characters also had promise, but were never fully developed. Hannah's character was distilled down to the fact that she was smart AND beautiful, but her mum had died and she'd lost her spark. I could excuse her flatness as apathy after the death of a loved one, but the other characters - with the exception of Jackson - were just as flat. Tommy was the 2D brother and boyfriend, Vincent was wasted potential and contradictions, the other characters just served plot purpose.
Jackson was probably my favourite character - his motives felt believable, and he was a genuinely nice guy. I spent the entire novel rooting for him. This might have been a stronger book written from his perspective instead of Scarlett's - or possibly just written with all the characters ten years younger and rotating points of view.
The writing was my biggest issue. There were some very suspect similes, and piles of unnecessary description, without which the book could probably be a good third shorter. The dramatic moments were regularly thrown away because lengthy description stole all the suspense. Of course, there were well written sections - the descriptions of the horrors of the house were a highlight - but it was unnecessary to keep describing everyone's appearance, or eyes, or detailing some minutiae of their past which never turned out to be relevant. The entire thing needed tightening up, sharpening into something that packed a punch.
I don't want to give too much away about the plot, but it starts slowly, and even once it gets going there are semi-regular flashback scenes which are entirely unnecessary and quite distracting. For the most part, the plot was predictable - and where it wasn't, it almost felt like wasted potential to do something more exciting. There wasn't a single twist that shocked me. In fact, for a horror novel, the plot left me singularly un-horrified. I rarely even felt uncomfortable. For some people, the slow build and simple plot will probably work - but I wanted a bit more shock and suspense.
Overall, this was not the book for me. I hope that this finds its audience, but I am not it.
*Thanks to the publisher, Oblivion, and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC. This in no way affects my rating or the content of this review*
The story focuses on Scarlett Vantassel, a twenty-nine-year-old horror vlogger suffering major burnout and not sure what she wants to do with her life. She's back in her small town after a breakup and feeling disconnected from everyone and everything around her. Her old friends - her brother Tommy, his girlfriend Hannah, and Jackson, the son of the local police chief - have changed, and they're not as close as they used to be. The cracks in their friendship are magnified when, with no rational explanation, a house suddenly appears in their neighbourhood - a house with a sinister aura and a growing association with death.
In principle, Scarlett was a great character. She was chatty, vivacious, and determined to be her own person. However, she never really grew past the stereotypical flighty Millenial. She went to college but didn't graduate, left town after a boyfriend but then the relationship broke down and she was forced back, and - in the eyes of her friends - cared more about herself than she did about them. Her character should have been relatable - and in a way it was, but more as an insecure twenty-year-old than twenty-nine-going-on-thirty. This was exacerbated by her relationship with her dad, Dale. At one point, another character makes a throwaway comment that Scarlett leaving home with her boyfriend broke her dads heart. A woman in her late twenties shouldn't break her parents' heart. Yes, it probably hurts, but parents want their children to have their own independent lives and success - Scarlett was definitely old enough to make that decision for herself.
The other characters also had promise, but were never fully developed. Hannah's character was distilled down to the fact that she was smart AND beautiful, but her mum had died and she'd lost her spark. I could excuse her flatness as apathy after the death of a loved one, but the other characters - with the exception of Jackson - were just as flat. Tommy was the 2D brother and boyfriend, Vincent was wasted potential and contradictions, the other characters just served plot purpose.
Jackson was probably my favourite character - his motives felt believable, and he was a genuinely nice guy. I spent the entire novel rooting for him. This might have been a stronger book written from his perspective instead of Scarlett's - or possibly just written with all the characters ten years younger and rotating points of view.
The writing was my biggest issue. There were some very suspect similes, and piles of unnecessary description, without which the book could probably be a good third shorter. The dramatic moments were regularly thrown away because lengthy description stole all the suspense. Of course, there were well written sections - the descriptions of the horrors of the house were a highlight - but it was unnecessary to keep describing everyone's appearance, or eyes, or detailing some minutiae of their past which never turned out to be relevant. The entire thing needed tightening up, sharpening into something that packed a punch.
I don't want to give too much away about the plot, but it starts slowly, and even once it gets going there are semi-regular flashback scenes which are entirely unnecessary and quite distracting. For the most part, the plot was predictable - and where it wasn't, it almost felt like wasted potential to do something more exciting. There wasn't a single twist that shocked me. In fact, for a horror novel, the plot left me singularly un-horrified. I rarely even felt uncomfortable. For some people, the slow build and simple plot will probably work - but I wanted a bit more shock and suspense.
Overall, this was not the book for me. I hope that this finds its audience, but I am not it.
*Thanks to the publisher, Oblivion, and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC. This in no way affects my rating or the content of this review*
June 22, 2020
I struggled A TON with this one.
I was expecting a spooky horror story, although I wasn't expecting much because really a haunted house is just dropped from nowhere and they decide to have a lottery to see who will enter it first? Come on. But if it was creepy that would more than make up for it.
But I just couldn't get into it. The characters are around 30 years of age so about the same age as I am but talked and acted like 16 years old with dumb decisions and silly dialogue. Then very little happens for the first 250+ pages, so by the time they actually enter the house I was already very disengaged with this book. This is a 500+ page book where nothing happens until 54%. That isn't okay!
The house didn't deliver for me either because I was so disinterested by that point. It tried to give off a Lovecraft vibe, but for me it didn't succeed at all. Add on top of this the author's need to draw constant attention to his character's looks - she looks with her "baby blues", she moves her "lithe figure", she sniffs with her "cute nose". Very jarring when you're running from tentacles and shit.
The time jumps didn't work for me either. The characterization could have been better, it actually wasn't that bad as I could see why they acted the way they did, but that's all the praise I have.
This wasn't for me at all.
I was expecting a spooky horror story, although I wasn't expecting much because really a haunted house is just dropped from nowhere and they decide to have a lottery to see who will enter it first? Come on. But if it was creepy that would more than make up for it.
But I just couldn't get into it. The characters are around 30 years of age so about the same age as I am but talked and acted like 16 years old with dumb decisions and silly dialogue. Then very little happens for the first 250+ pages, so by the time they actually enter the house I was already very disengaged with this book. This is a 500+ page book where nothing happens until 54%. That isn't okay!
The house didn't deliver for me either because I was so disinterested by that point. It tried to give off a Lovecraft vibe, but for me it didn't succeed at all. Add on top of this the author's need to draw constant attention to his character's looks - she looks with her "baby blues", she moves her "lithe figure", she sniffs with her "cute nose". Very jarring when you're running from tentacles and shit.
The time jumps didn't work for me either. The characterization could have been better, it actually wasn't that bad as I could see why they acted the way they did, but that's all the praise I have.
This wasn't for me at all.
August 21, 2020
ARC received in exchange for an honest review
Wow this is so disappointing. This was one of my most anticipated ARCS but I can barely get through it. Despite being marketed as an adult horror novel this reads like teenaged fan fiction. The dialogue is stupid and tries way too hard and Scarlett as an MC is unbearable. She’s “not like other girls” and represents all my most hated characteristics. This book is supposed to be about a terrifying haunted house and yet I’m having to slog through a “buying dresses” scene? I’m sorry but I’m just not surprised this wasn’t picked up by a major publisher.
Thank you to NetGalley for opportunity to R&R
Wow this is so disappointing. This was one of my most anticipated ARCS but I can barely get through it. Despite being marketed as an adult horror novel this reads like teenaged fan fiction. The dialogue is stupid and tries way too hard and Scarlett as an MC is unbearable. She’s “not like other girls” and represents all my most hated characteristics. This book is supposed to be about a terrifying haunted house and yet I’m having to slog through a “buying dresses” scene? I’m sorry but I’m just not surprised this wasn’t picked up by a major publisher.
Thank you to NetGalley for opportunity to R&R
November 26, 2020
(I was given an advanced e-ARC on Netgalley for an honest review)
"Our very own Hill House right smack-dab in the middle of the city."
This is one house of ungodly horrors no one would ever wish to enter, not even those with a passion for jump scares and love for those creepy, unnatural creatures that would send any sane person running. "The House that Fell from the Sky" takes the topper for the most wickedly terrifying and deranged haunted house of horrors!
The story follows four friends whose lives didn't turn out the way they hoped, leaving them stuck and hopeless for a better future. Hannah, who's shut herself up in her family home as she loses herself to grief over the loss of her mother. Tommy, a man destined for an amazing sports career until an accident that changes his life. Jackson, a failure in the eyes of his father for not taking a "successful" path in life. And finally, Scarlett, who struggles from a recent breakup and a lack of creativity as the most popular horror reviewer on YouTube.
When a house falls from the sky, it gains immediate popularity worldwide. Hannah becomes one of many who becomes obsessed with where the house came from and why it's there. She begins to convince herself it holds the key to reuniting her with her mother and whether there is life after death. When Hannah jumps on the first chance to get inside the house, her friends follow, because no one ever lets their friend enter a spooky and potentially life-threatening house alone.
This is a story guaranteed to have readers on edge, gritting their teeth through one ghastly horror after another as the four friends journey inside a house they may not come out of. Delaney is superb with his creation of equally entertaining, witty, and complex characters who are all having a rough go at life whom readers will be able to connect with. While most horror stories lack a pliable reason for characters doing the insane and setting themselves up for an event they may not live through, Delaney's characters are so uniquely their own that their decision to enter a house that unsettles them all seems completely rationable.
The house itself is a wonderful, enticing mix of supernatural and psychological horror that makes it clear this is not the kind of house anyone should mess with. I'd love to say more, but this is definitely a novel where the reader has to enter the house themselves.
"Our very own Hill House right smack-dab in the middle of the city."
This is one house of ungodly horrors no one would ever wish to enter, not even those with a passion for jump scares and love for those creepy, unnatural creatures that would send any sane person running. "The House that Fell from the Sky" takes the topper for the most wickedly terrifying and deranged haunted house of horrors!
The story follows four friends whose lives didn't turn out the way they hoped, leaving them stuck and hopeless for a better future. Hannah, who's shut herself up in her family home as she loses herself to grief over the loss of her mother. Tommy, a man destined for an amazing sports career until an accident that changes his life. Jackson, a failure in the eyes of his father for not taking a "successful" path in life. And finally, Scarlett, who struggles from a recent breakup and a lack of creativity as the most popular horror reviewer on YouTube.
When a house falls from the sky, it gains immediate popularity worldwide. Hannah becomes one of many who becomes obsessed with where the house came from and why it's there. She begins to convince herself it holds the key to reuniting her with her mother and whether there is life after death. When Hannah jumps on the first chance to get inside the house, her friends follow, because no one ever lets their friend enter a spooky and potentially life-threatening house alone.
This is a story guaranteed to have readers on edge, gritting their teeth through one ghastly horror after another as the four friends journey inside a house they may not come out of. Delaney is superb with his creation of equally entertaining, witty, and complex characters who are all having a rough go at life whom readers will be able to connect with. While most horror stories lack a pliable reason for characters doing the insane and setting themselves up for an event they may not live through, Delaney's characters are so uniquely their own that their decision to enter a house that unsettles them all seems completely rationable.
The house itself is a wonderful, enticing mix of supernatural and psychological horror that makes it clear this is not the kind of house anyone should mess with. I'd love to say more, but this is definitely a novel where the reader has to enter the house themselves.
July 2, 2020
Review of “The House that Fell from the Sky by Patrick Delaney @patrickrdelaney ” release date 9/1/20
“𝙇𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣’𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙚𝙚.”
This book starts off with a bang of confusion. A loud noise, flash of light and oh, a house appears in the middle of town. I mean, I would definitely be curious if a random spooky gothic victorian house appeared out of nowhere in my town. I’ve seen my fair share of scary movies and I’d still be that sucker to check it out. Sign me up! The anticipation and curiosity is killing me!
𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨: Scarlet’s childhood best friend , Hanna, becomes consumed with entering the house. Hanna is convinced the house can bring her mother back from the dead. A company takes over the house and hands out lottery tickets for a lucky few to be the first to enter the worlds most haunted house.
The part that I loved most about this book was the character connections. I related most with the main character, Scarlet. She’s a horror fanatic similar to all of us. I think the author was on to something when he made this character parallel to its readers. She has her own misfortunes in life and questions about the future. The book had a mix of “Silent Hill” and “The Evil Within”. If you’ve seen either one of those, you will understand how physical laws do not apply. The delusions formed in your mind while reading is enough to create things that aren’t really there. I was impressed with the pacing since this is a thick book and it only slowed down in one area for me. I don’t normally read big books because the pacing seems to become an after thought but this book didn’t do too bad with it. The ending was everything I had hoped for and more. I gave it a 4.5/5 ⭐️!
My mind has been chewed up and spit back out. I feel the walls vibrating and the shadows are moving in my periphery. How long have I been here? 1 minute? 2 years? Time is lost here.
#nightwormsbookparty Thank you @patrickdalney and @nightwoms for this book in exchange for a review consideration!
“𝙇𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣’𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙚𝙚.”
This book starts off with a bang of confusion. A loud noise, flash of light and oh, a house appears in the middle of town. I mean, I would definitely be curious if a random spooky gothic victorian house appeared out of nowhere in my town. I’ve seen my fair share of scary movies and I’d still be that sucker to check it out. Sign me up! The anticipation and curiosity is killing me!
𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨: Scarlet’s childhood best friend , Hanna, becomes consumed with entering the house. Hanna is convinced the house can bring her mother back from the dead. A company takes over the house and hands out lottery tickets for a lucky few to be the first to enter the worlds most haunted house.
The part that I loved most about this book was the character connections. I related most with the main character, Scarlet. She’s a horror fanatic similar to all of us. I think the author was on to something when he made this character parallel to its readers. She has her own misfortunes in life and questions about the future. The book had a mix of “Silent Hill” and “The Evil Within”. If you’ve seen either one of those, you will understand how physical laws do not apply. The delusions formed in your mind while reading is enough to create things that aren’t really there. I was impressed with the pacing since this is a thick book and it only slowed down in one area for me. I don’t normally read big books because the pacing seems to become an after thought but this book didn’t do too bad with it. The ending was everything I had hoped for and more. I gave it a 4.5/5 ⭐️!
My mind has been chewed up and spit back out. I feel the walls vibrating and the shadows are moving in my periphery. How long have I been here? 1 minute? 2 years? Time is lost here.
#nightwormsbookparty Thank you @patrickdalney and @nightwoms for this book in exchange for a review consideration!
July 28, 2020
With the title of The House That Fell From The Sky, I wanted more of the house! For a book that's a little over 500 pages, we finally get this unknown in all its glory around the 300 page mark. I feel the book would've benefited had we had this sooner within the read. HOWEVER, the opening with the house arriving was a great intro and it's looming presence even within the first 300 pages and how it affects each of the characters over time simply by being there, with tiny movements that keep the neighborhood on their toes is a nice touch. Maybe if certain parts had been condensed a bit, it would've kept the pace and tenseness at a higher level.
Once we do get into the house, I do wish that we still had more of it! While we get vast descriptions that were fun, there were a lot of flashbacks riddled within. And don't get me wrong, I understand why the author did this, but I think maybe the over descriptions and too many things in between just took away from the continuity in feel of the atmosphere.
Honestly, this was a fun read for me. Though the characters are in their late 20's/early 30's, this reads like a YA novel. Personally, it didn't bother me at all. While I might have forgotten what age bracket these characters were supposed to be in, who cares? Maybe the dialogue felt a little juvenile at times but hell, I'm 45 and have some conversations that don't feel so "adult" all the time. *shrug* I liked this unique take on a see if you can survive the night in a house that wants to eat you alive. I mean, if a house just landed in your neighborhood one night, wouldn't YOU be curious? I certainly would be... especially if it was a potential to a promise I really wanted.
Once we do get into the house, I do wish that we still had more of it! While we get vast descriptions that were fun, there were a lot of flashbacks riddled within. And don't get me wrong, I understand why the author did this, but I think maybe the over descriptions and too many things in between just took away from the continuity in feel of the atmosphere.
Honestly, this was a fun read for me. Though the characters are in their late 20's/early 30's, this reads like a YA novel. Personally, it didn't bother me at all. While I might have forgotten what age bracket these characters were supposed to be in, who cares? Maybe the dialogue felt a little juvenile at times but hell, I'm 45 and have some conversations that don't feel so "adult" all the time. *shrug* I liked this unique take on a see if you can survive the night in a house that wants to eat you alive. I mean, if a house just landed in your neighborhood one night, wouldn't YOU be curious? I certainly would be... especially if it was a potential to a promise I really wanted.
May 22, 2020
Loving the cover of this book and description on the back was not enough to carry me through. I found the main character a tad bit annoying (her rival dies and she blames herself even though its not her fault) and I wanted more information on the house, which I wasn't getting (The main character is looking up articles about the house, but we aren't given any information!). There are some flashbacks that are a bit weird and I don't see how it is related to the story at all, like the one where the characters are all of a sudden trying on dresses. I tried skipping forward and speed reading, but then found that I was upon Part II and still not interested enough. Unfortunately this was not my kind of read, and the description that this was Hill House-esque made me believe that the house would be its own character.
October 12, 2020
I had high hopes for this book and even thought this would be the perfect Halloween read. Sadly it's not as great as I thought it would be. First of all, I think the author is really creative. For a debut, this is really imaginative. But I found the execution of the plot underwhelming. First, I didn't like the story going from the present to the past and back and forth. I didn't see the need for it. And so I think the book, this very long book could've edited more and shorter.
I also found the characters uninteresting and really can't see them as almost in their thirties. They're more like teenagers in my mind which is weird. I think no one among the main characters stood out. Scarlett is a bit lacking as the main character. Her character could do more polishing. I don't her to be perfect but it turns out that I would've loved Jackson or even Tommy to be the main character. Hannah, I don't like her at all.
Overall, this book is just an OK read. It's imaginative but definitely not creepy at all. It's a bit weird but not as interesting as I wanted it to be.
I also found the characters uninteresting and really can't see them as almost in their thirties. They're more like teenagers in my mind which is weird. I think no one among the main characters stood out. Scarlett is a bit lacking as the main character. Her character could do more polishing. I don't her to be perfect but it turns out that I would've loved Jackson or even Tommy to be the main character. Hannah, I don't like her at all.
Overall, this book is just an OK read. It's imaginative but definitely not creepy at all. It's a bit weird but not as interesting as I wanted it to be.
July 27, 2020
"Does anyone else feel like we're trapped in some demented version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?"
The House that Fell from the Sky has such an interesting premise to me. As the title indicates, one night a house appears in the middle of the street which no one can enter and no windows can break. It seems to have literally fallen from the sky. Early on, two people do make it inside, but they do not have the best outcome. It seems the house chooses who it wants to let in and who it wants to keep out. And the house has secrets within its walls.
A year has passed and an agency known as the Crow Corporation has taken control of the building. They are hosting a lottery for a select amount of people who can win $1 million if they stay overnight. Kinda like Willy Wonka, right?! WRONG! No amount of money or chocolate could have lured me into that house... but the group of our protagonists, with the help of a magician, have different plans and different goals.
The first half of the book explores a group of friends, their relationships to each other, and just gives a pretty good insight into what makes them tick. That is important to know because the house can sort of feed of time and memories. The house itself serves as a character, too. Similar to Hill House, Rose Red, The Overlook, etc, the house has a will of its own and its own intentions. Full of Gothic descriptions and rooms aplenty, this is not the house you want to go wandering off alone in because you may never be seen again.
I thought this was a super fun book but I would have loved even more time IN the house exploring all its nooks, crannies, passages, and rooms. I love a book when the house is like this! This story has a lot going on and there are definitely puzzle pieces for the reader to connect - but it worked and it was enjoyable! 4 stars!
The House that Fell from the Sky has such an interesting premise to me. As the title indicates, one night a house appears in the middle of the street which no one can enter and no windows can break. It seems to have literally fallen from the sky. Early on, two people do make it inside, but they do not have the best outcome. It seems the house chooses who it wants to let in and who it wants to keep out. And the house has secrets within its walls.
A year has passed and an agency known as the Crow Corporation has taken control of the building. They are hosting a lottery for a select amount of people who can win $1 million if they stay overnight. Kinda like Willy Wonka, right?! WRONG! No amount of money or chocolate could have lured me into that house... but the group of our protagonists, with the help of a magician, have different plans and different goals.
The first half of the book explores a group of friends, their relationships to each other, and just gives a pretty good insight into what makes them tick. That is important to know because the house can sort of feed of time and memories. The house itself serves as a character, too. Similar to Hill House, Rose Red, The Overlook, etc, the house has a will of its own and its own intentions. Full of Gothic descriptions and rooms aplenty, this is not the house you want to go wandering off alone in because you may never be seen again.
I thought this was a super fun book but I would have loved even more time IN the house exploring all its nooks, crannies, passages, and rooms. I love a book when the house is like this! This story has a lot going on and there are definitely puzzle pieces for the reader to connect - but it worked and it was enjoyable! 4 stars!
August 6, 2020
The fact that it took me a month to read this book when I can usually knock out a book in a day or two says it all, honestly. The only reason why I continued this book was because it was an ARC. Suffice it to say, this is easily the worst book I have read so far this year.
I am doubly disappointed because the premise of this book immediately drew me in: One day, out of the blue, a mysterious house appears in the middle of a small town. No one knows where it comes from, only that it’s creepy and sinister and anyone who goes inside dies. A group of four friends is soon drawn into this mystery when one of them, Hannah, believes she will be able to find her dead mother inside.
Unfortunately, this book disappointed me on basically every level. Literally nothing happened for 60% of the novel. 60%! We follow our four main characters (Scarlett, Jackson, Tommy, and Hannah) as they sit around a dinner talking about what drove them apart several years ago. They snipe at each other. They wonder about the mysterious house that fell from the sky, but months go by and literally everything is normal, apart from a growing media upsurge about the house. They don’t even enter the house until the 60% mark, and by then, I just wanted the book to end.
The characters were wooden. Despite spending so much time with them (too much time!), I never felt like I understood their motivations or cared about them. Their relationships never felt real to me. The way they responded to things was just very robotic and unrealistic. For a group of friends who supposedly care so much about each other, they didn’t really show it. In addition, other reviewers have noted that they sound more like teenagers than adults nearing their thirties, and I wholeheartedly agree.
Even when the characters enter the house, the plot is bogged down by irrelevant details about decor and architecture. We get pages upon pages describing creepy black liquid that oozes out of every surface. They “die” every other page only to be resurrected and then spend four more pages just chatting about irrelevant moments from their past. The horror elements are so cliched, from a creepy doll-like child to weird, amphibious creatures. Nothing is explained. Nothing makes sense. By the end, it turns into this weird science fiction plot that doesn’t really go with anything before it. It’s like the author just wrote down the first random thought that came into his head, regardless of whether it makes sense. By the end, we don’t know more than we did at the beginning, and it all just felt like a colossal waste of time.
If this book had been given a better edit, it could easily have been a tighter work of around 300 pages, not a gargantuan 500 pages. Or maybe it would have been better as a short story. I wanted to know more about Hannah's backstory as a horror vlogger, because that sounds right up my alley. I wanted more horror and suspense that made me feel on the edge of my seat and anxious. I don’t know. Unfortunately, all the potential this book had was squandered on a slower-than-molasses first half and a nonsensical plot in the second half. This book was painful to get through and I skipped multiple sections because I just wanted it to be over. I hate giving negative reviews, but I’d give this one a miss, for sure.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
I am doubly disappointed because the premise of this book immediately drew me in: One day, out of the blue, a mysterious house appears in the middle of a small town. No one knows where it comes from, only that it’s creepy and sinister and anyone who goes inside dies. A group of four friends is soon drawn into this mystery when one of them, Hannah, believes she will be able to find her dead mother inside.
Unfortunately, this book disappointed me on basically every level. Literally nothing happened for 60% of the novel. 60%! We follow our four main characters (Scarlett, Jackson, Tommy, and Hannah) as they sit around a dinner talking about what drove them apart several years ago. They snipe at each other. They wonder about the mysterious house that fell from the sky, but months go by and literally everything is normal, apart from a growing media upsurge about the house. They don’t even enter the house until the 60% mark, and by then, I just wanted the book to end.
The characters were wooden. Despite spending so much time with them (too much time!), I never felt like I understood their motivations or cared about them. Their relationships never felt real to me. The way they responded to things was just very robotic and unrealistic. For a group of friends who supposedly care so much about each other, they didn’t really show it. In addition, other reviewers have noted that they sound more like teenagers than adults nearing their thirties, and I wholeheartedly agree.
Even when the characters enter the house, the plot is bogged down by irrelevant details about decor and architecture. We get pages upon pages describing creepy black liquid that oozes out of every surface. They “die” every other page only to be resurrected and then spend four more pages just chatting about irrelevant moments from their past. The horror elements are so cliched, from a creepy doll-like child to weird, amphibious creatures. Nothing is explained. Nothing makes sense. By the end, it turns into this weird science fiction plot that doesn’t really go with anything before it. It’s like the author just wrote down the first random thought that came into his head, regardless of whether it makes sense. By the end, we don’t know more than we did at the beginning, and it all just felt like a colossal waste of time.
If this book had been given a better edit, it could easily have been a tighter work of around 300 pages, not a gargantuan 500 pages. Or maybe it would have been better as a short story. I wanted to know more about Hannah's backstory as a horror vlogger, because that sounds right up my alley. I wanted more horror and suspense that made me feel on the edge of my seat and anxious. I don’t know. Unfortunately, all the potential this book had was squandered on a slower-than-molasses first half and a nonsensical plot in the second half. This book was painful to get through and I skipped multiple sections because I just wanted it to be over. I hate giving negative reviews, but I’d give this one a miss, for sure.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2020
The cover of this book is brilliant. It drew me to the book. I absolutely love a good haunted house story so I was definitely excited to read this book.
The unique premise that a house falls from the sky, it immediately attracts worldwide attention. How did it get there? Why is it there. Upon starting the book, I immediately got a creepy erie vibe.
There was a substantial amount of buildup to the house. However, I wish the story had spent more time in the house. The book had several flashbacks and memories that were well written, which would have been preferred to have the same description go into the section with the house. Needless to say, the house did emit a creepy, erie atmosphere.
The House that Fell From the Sky started off with a good amount of action that kept me fully invested in the story. This tension seemed to die down as the characters entered the house.
I appreciated the care that went into the character development. The characters formed friendships with each other. Their complex personalities made them seem realistic.
The ending nicely tied it all together and leaves room for a sequel.
4 stars
July 27, 2020
The first 400 pages of this book flew by! I was engrossed in the strange world of Winterview and the Scooby-Doo (minus the dog) cast of characters:
* Scarlett, a former popular horror booktuber
* her brother Tommy, a former MLB player who now works at a Chinese restaurant
* Tommy's girlfriend and Scarlett's bff Hannah, a moody wealthy lady grieving the late death of her mother
* Jackson, the head of police's son who works as a bartender and is hopelessly in love with Scarlett.
And there's more!
Together they all are intrigued when a gigantic gothic mansion literally falls from the sky and drops into their quiet town making people behave erratically and die. Sounds like quite the setup right?
A year later a mysterious corporation steps in, claims control of the house, and holds a Willy Wonka-style contest for town residents to go inside. Of course Scarlett and her friends are among the chosen! This is where I got really excited to see wtf was going on inside this twisted Lovecraftian mansion and also where things fell apart for me.
As the group explores the house things are described in either exquisite detail or hardly at all. One minute there's insane tentacled creatures emerging from voids out for blood and the next page they are just chilling and talking about the weather.
It's not often I read a book that leaves me with more questions than answers, but this one did. There's still so much of the mystery that I don't understand and so many things left dangling, characters introduced and then never mentioned again, spooky things I wanted explained and also... you can't just tease a romance the whole book and then end it without a kiss scene! 🙄
However, perhaps a sequel is in the works and my questions will be answered. Let's hope so because The House That Fell from the Sky was a solidly strange spooky story that left me amused and annoyed.
⭐⭐⭐
* Scarlett, a former popular horror booktuber
* her brother Tommy, a former MLB player who now works at a Chinese restaurant
* Tommy's girlfriend and Scarlett's bff Hannah, a moody wealthy lady grieving the late death of her mother
* Jackson, the head of police's son who works as a bartender and is hopelessly in love with Scarlett.
And there's more!
Together they all are intrigued when a gigantic gothic mansion literally falls from the sky and drops into their quiet town making people behave erratically and die. Sounds like quite the setup right?
A year later a mysterious corporation steps in, claims control of the house, and holds a Willy Wonka-style contest for town residents to go inside. Of course Scarlett and her friends are among the chosen! This is where I got really excited to see wtf was going on inside this twisted Lovecraftian mansion and also where things fell apart for me.
As the group explores the house things are described in either exquisite detail or hardly at all. One minute there's insane tentacled creatures emerging from voids out for blood and the next page they are just chilling and talking about the weather.
It's not often I read a book that leaves me with more questions than answers, but this one did. There's still so much of the mystery that I don't understand and so many things left dangling, characters introduced and then never mentioned again, spooky things I wanted explained and also... you can't just tease a romance the whole book and then end it without a kiss scene! 🙄
However, perhaps a sequel is in the works and my questions will be answered. Let's hope so because The House That Fell from the Sky was a solidly strange spooky story that left me amused and annoyed.
⭐⭐⭐
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2020
Review tk
May 28, 2020
The House that fell from the sky made a HUGE impression on me. I can say without a doubt it will be part of my 10 favorite books of the year.
The mood of the story is set pretty quickly : dark, eerie and slightly paranormal. That odd creepy mood stays consistent during the whole book, and I absolutely loved it. The tension never truly goes away, and what a pleasure that is !
I need to point out how clever that book is. The installation of the plot, with the whole media circus around the mysterious house that fell from the sky is captivating, and provides a great way to introduce how the event is perceived by each of the characters that will have some importance in the story.
In a way, that book reminded me of Dark Matter, because once the characters get inside the house, they are on unfamiliar ground, need to start comprehending things that are way beyond their current comprehension of the world and need to piece fragments of their minds together to keep their sanity and understand the events going on.
I loved reading about characters that are over 25, are somewhat mature, yet still have flaws and weaknesses. The characters are 70% of what makes that book great. We have a small group of friends, who have known each other for years, and have gone through much before the current events. They have such a strong bond, such a deep history between them ! That is definitely what makes characters more realistic, more likeable, more EVERYTHING for me.
Hannah does stand out from the others. She is that shy-ish girl, that mostly keeps to herself after having dealt with her mother's death, and her best friend Scarlett leaving their hometown to go to college with her boyfriend. You know instantly Hannah is different from her friends, and from time to time, we get some insight of the way she acts when there's no one around, of the way her brain works. Those moments were really interesting to me, and they highlight the house-related events all the more. Hannah's brilliant.
More than the creepy exciting story, more than the characters, more than Hannah, what drew me the most in The House that Fell from the Sky is the author's writing. I've become quite picky when it comes to reading lately, but the writing here sucked me in immediately, and I must admit I became a little addicted to that story. I never knew where the story was going, and kept being surprised as I read on. There's no better green flag for a book ! Until the very end, I had absolutely no idea what would happen.
This is a perfect read for fans of paranormal and thrillers. If you like Stephen King, I think there's a strong chance you will like this book, and maybe more of Patrick R. Delaney's work !
The mood of the story is set pretty quickly : dark, eerie and slightly paranormal. That odd creepy mood stays consistent during the whole book, and I absolutely loved it. The tension never truly goes away, and what a pleasure that is !
I need to point out how clever that book is. The installation of the plot, with the whole media circus around the mysterious house that fell from the sky is captivating, and provides a great way to introduce how the event is perceived by each of the characters that will have some importance in the story.
In a way, that book reminded me of Dark Matter, because once the characters get inside the house, they are on unfamiliar ground, need to start comprehending things that are way beyond their current comprehension of the world and need to piece fragments of their minds together to keep their sanity and understand the events going on.
I loved reading about characters that are over 25, are somewhat mature, yet still have flaws and weaknesses. The characters are 70% of what makes that book great. We have a small group of friends, who have known each other for years, and have gone through much before the current events. They have such a strong bond, such a deep history between them ! That is definitely what makes characters more realistic, more likeable, more EVERYTHING for me.
Hannah does stand out from the others. She is that shy-ish girl, that mostly keeps to herself after having dealt with her mother's death, and her best friend Scarlett leaving their hometown to go to college with her boyfriend. You know instantly Hannah is different from her friends, and from time to time, we get some insight of the way she acts when there's no one around, of the way her brain works. Those moments were really interesting to me, and they highlight the house-related events all the more. Hannah's brilliant.
More than the creepy exciting story, more than the characters, more than Hannah, what drew me the most in The House that Fell from the Sky is the author's writing. I've become quite picky when it comes to reading lately, but the writing here sucked me in immediately, and I must admit I became a little addicted to that story. I never knew where the story was going, and kept being surprised as I read on. There's no better green flag for a book ! Until the very end, I had absolutely no idea what would happen.
This is a perfect read for fans of paranormal and thrillers. If you like Stephen King, I think there's a strong chance you will like this book, and maybe more of Patrick R. Delaney's work !
July 8, 2020
The best way to approach this book is by knowing as little as possible going into it. That’s what I did and it was an amazing experience! Just the premise of a giant house suddenly appearing in the middle of nowhere had me hooked, and I couldn't wait to find out what was inside. The book is somewhat of a slow burner, as it takes about half of it to actually get the characters inside the house. But that's not to say the first half is bad (and there are plenty of creepy scenes and events mixed in). I actually appreciate the time it takes to establish our four main characters and build their personalities and relationships to one another. This groundwork enabled me to care much more for them in the second half of the book where things truly get horrifying. I think Scarlet is definitely my favorite of the four. Her spunky attitude is quite charming.
By the time the characters finally enter the house I was bursting with anticipation. I also realized that there were 250 pages left, so I was quite curious to know what all else was going to happen. And therein lies my main fault with the book. While the inside of the house is incredibly imaginative (and author Delaney does a great job of describing a wide variety of rooms in a way that I could easily picture in my mind), the characters spend a little too long exploring and the book begins to drag. But it definitely kicks back up the pace and it has a final act that blew my mind multiple times! Lots of crazy twists and turns!
This book hit a lot of personal likes of mine: from a focus on character building, to themes of family, friendship, and grief (a la Haunting of Hill House) to an irresistible mystery that needs solving, to terrifying images of monsters and dark chaos. I love that there’s such a cool mix of horrors (ghosts, ghouls, creepy crawlers, monsters, eldrich terrors, etc). Also healthy doses of Silent Hill, Lovecraft, King, and more. At over 500 pages it drags just a bit in some spots, but overall I was definitely down for this epic tale! (4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 for Goodreads)
By the time the characters finally enter the house I was bursting with anticipation. I also realized that there were 250 pages left, so I was quite curious to know what all else was going to happen. And therein lies my main fault with the book. While the inside of the house is incredibly imaginative (and author Delaney does a great job of describing a wide variety of rooms in a way that I could easily picture in my mind), the characters spend a little too long exploring and the book begins to drag. But it definitely kicks back up the pace and it has a final act that blew my mind multiple times! Lots of crazy twists and turns!
This book hit a lot of personal likes of mine: from a focus on character building, to themes of family, friendship, and grief (a la Haunting of Hill House) to an irresistible mystery that needs solving, to terrifying images of monsters and dark chaos. I love that there’s such a cool mix of horrors (ghosts, ghouls, creepy crawlers, monsters, eldrich terrors, etc). Also healthy doses of Silent Hill, Lovecraft, King, and more. At over 500 pages it drags just a bit in some spots, but overall I was definitely down for this epic tale! (4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 for Goodreads)
June 11, 2020
Wow, if I've ever found a good book to read late at night, this is definitely it.
Especially the opening, the first chapter was my favorite part of the entire book. It defined our setting, characters, relationship, and main conflict without it ever seeming like the author was pushing it too hard. Definitely one of the best spooky intros that I've read, especially fitting for a book this crazy and unique.
The rest of the book was accordingly paced, it never felt as long as 500 pages and we got the perfect amount of time between the house and the characters. Speaking of characters, that was another strong point for this book. This book is very action-packed and very crazy like I talked about, but the author deals with this by putting flashbacks of happy or traumatic memories in between. I particularly enjoyed those, giving depth to characters that might not have had a lot earlier.
My only critiques are some better dialogue and a slower pace when we got to the house. As much as I loved the characters, I felt that the flashbacks was the only thing that held them together. I needed more distinguishable dialogue during conversations so when I heard someone saying something I'd instantly know who was saying it because of their personality. And, this is a small critique because it's only about the plot, but at some rooms in the house, I think it would've been necessary to slow down a little bit to make sure the reader was getting a full grasp of what was going on.
Great book, I've had little luck with finding good Net-Galleys and I was super pumped to receive this one.
Especially the opening, the first chapter was my favorite part of the entire book. It defined our setting, characters, relationship, and main conflict without it ever seeming like the author was pushing it too hard. Definitely one of the best spooky intros that I've read, especially fitting for a book this crazy and unique.
The rest of the book was accordingly paced, it never felt as long as 500 pages and we got the perfect amount of time between the house and the characters. Speaking of characters, that was another strong point for this book. This book is very action-packed and very crazy like I talked about, but the author deals with this by putting flashbacks of happy or traumatic memories in between. I particularly enjoyed those, giving depth to characters that might not have had a lot earlier.
My only critiques are some better dialogue and a slower pace when we got to the house. As much as I loved the characters, I felt that the flashbacks was the only thing that held them together. I needed more distinguishable dialogue during conversations so when I heard someone saying something I'd instantly know who was saying it because of their personality. And, this is a small critique because it's only about the plot, but at some rooms in the house, I think it would've been necessary to slow down a little bit to make sure the reader was getting a full grasp of what was going on.
Great book, I've had little luck with finding good Net-Galleys and I was super pumped to receive this one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews