Irisheyz77 > Books: mixed-media‎ (6)

THE DEAD HOUSE by Dawn Kurtagich is the a YA debut murder mystery story. Its told using mixed media or "found" documents after there is a fire at a boarding school that resulted in the deaths of a couple of students and another,Carly, to disappear without a trace. Twenty years after the events in question Carly's diary is found and that is the main source material used to tell this story. The reader quickly learns that Carly isn't your average teenager. Because at night she's no longer Carly and she becomes Kaitlyn. The two girls, though they share a body, are two very different people and they lead two very different lives and yet they somehow manage to coexist. It is never clear throughout the telling of THE DEAD HOUSE which personality is the original and which is the alter.

THE DEAD HOUSE is a quick read because of its format and I thought that the story was well written and engaging as I was reading it. However, the more time that passes between my reading of the book the more story itself fades into the background. When I finished THE DEAD HOUSE I wasn't sure what to make of the story and now a few months later I am still unsure of it. There didn't seem to be much in the way of resolution and it felt a little open ended as if there might be a sequel at some point in the future. I also expected THE DEAD HOUSE to be a creepier story than it was and maybe the audio version incorporates the creep factor in better. Though I'm not sure how well this mixed media style would work in audio form.

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Overall, I was left a little underwhelmed with THE DEAD HOUSE. It was interesting and yet at the same time its also forgettable. I feel like I'm missing something when I see all the rave reviews of this story. Because for me there wasn't a whole ton of substance. We got the facts and nothing but and we never really got a solution to the mystery at large. Who was Carly/Kaitlyn really? Where did she go after the fire? Or was she a victim that was never found? In the end I was left with more questions than answers so was left thinking that the whole story was just average.

Other than the main mystery of the fire, there are several other things going on from potential paranormal aspects to cults and mysterious events that happened years before the fire. There is a lot of detail given and yet not a lot at the same time. THE DEAD HOUSE is a weird little novel that I liked but didn't love and maybe it is one that I should re-read to see if its one of those stories that makes more sense the more its read. Although, I really don't have a whole heck of a lot of desire to re-read this one. THE DEAD HOUSE wasn't a bad book but it wasn't what I was expecting either and so maybe that's part of where my disappointment comes in. If you liked mixed media and ghost stories then maybe you'll like this one too.

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Add The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender to Goodreads.

Add Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics to Goodreads.

This review was originally posted on Ticket to Anywhere

First Line(s): "So here's the file that almost killed me, Director."

When I first picked up ILLUMINAE by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff I wasn't sure what to expect but I do adore a good sci-fi and I was intrigued by the mixed media concept. So I crossed my fingers that I wouldn't be disappointed by another poorly done sci-fi story and I dove in expecting to read this one slowly over the course of the month.

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Well the joke was on me because it wasn't long before I found myself unable to put this book down. I was totally immersed in ILLUMINAE and this series of gives pretty much sums up how I felt once I was fully invested in the story:

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Seriously. I was a puddle of emotion and even now I find it really hard to put all my thoughts into words. This book just took me by surprise and even now long after I've finished it I am still locked in its grip. There is action and mystery and horror and romance and suspense and just so much more. The books formatting makes for a quick read and while there are times when mixed media can feel cold and impersonal in a book it really works well with this story. Despite the entire story being told in "found documents" (emails, video transcripts, IMs, etc) you really get to know all of these characters. Oh how I felt for Kady and Ezra and OH MY STARS how terrified I became of Aidan!

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ILLUMINAE is a book that took me totally by surprise and literally made me gasp aloud. I can't tell you the last time that happened with a book. It also brought me to tears and made my heart ache so very much. It was filled with everything that I love in a story and was also so much more. The story...the characters...the setting...it was just all so right and even though this book is 600 pages in length I devoured this book in just 2 days. And let me tell you the ending...oh that ending...it was the worst part. Cliffhanger.

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Which I hate because I have the patience of gnat but at the same time it was just so fitting for the story. ILLUMINAE is filled with lots of delightful twists and turns and I can not wait to see where things will go in the next book. This is one of those books that you really need to read to understand just how amazing it was and if you trust my reviews at all then trust when I tell you that you need to read this book. It was just that good.

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Add Across the Universe by Beth Revis to Goodreads. (Click here for my review.)

Add The Rowan by Anne McCaffrey to Goodreads.

 

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This review was originally posted on Ticket to Anywhere