The Dead House, by Anne Cassidy

July 2009, Hodder Children's Books
264 pages
Review copy

Young Adult

Cushions: 3/5
Paperclips: 3/5
Tissues: 3/5
Smiles: 1/5
Yunaleska's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

I'm definitely getting braver in the types of books I pick out. This isn't a cover to look at after dark if you're prone to wild imagination. It isn't as scary as I thought it would (thankfully).

The Dead House follows the story of Lauren. When she was little, her father murdered her family, and she witnessed it. So she moved from London to Cornwall with her mother's sister and boyfriend. For job reasons, the three of them move back to London when she's 17. Lauren's school is close by to her old home, and she decides to take a look at it. She encounters Nathan, who now lives in her old home. Initially she doesn't want anything to do with him, but over time curiosity takes over and she lets herself return to the house from her past.

The secrets which come out on account of her actions are astonishing. Nothing was as it seemed, both in the past and the present. For poor Lauren has to help her aunt come to terms with her boyfriend having an affair. And there is the matter of Lauren's father, currently in prison. There is another person in the picture, who could be responsible for her mother and baby sister's murder.

This is a gripping tale which focuses heavily on suspense and emotion. The portrayal of Lauren's aunt, and the way she deals with her boyfriend's 'news' pulled on my heart strings. The way the solicitors chase Lauren seems a little unethical, but helps build tension. The numerous nightmares Lauren suffers because of the murder show that anyone's past, even if it didn't include murder, shapes who we are in the present. Additionally, it was a total shock as to who really killed her mother and baby sister - I like not being able to guess who did it.

The paperclip rating is higher because of the relationship between Lauren and Nathan which nearly gets taken to the next level, but doesn't quite in this book. There's also a small reference to men who like children (mercifully very brief and no details).

Check out all of Anne Cassidy's books over on her website.

Buy from Amazon.uk or Amazon.com
Buy from Borders.uk (couldn't find it on Borders.com)

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