Robert Liparulo Reviews

Page Two

Added September 17, 2008

House of Dark Shadows

Dreamhouse Kings Book 1

Author: Robert Liparulo
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers
Available At: Bookstores everywhere
Publishing Date: Available now
Genre: Young Adult/Christian/Suspense
Format: Printed Case Hardcover
Price: $14.99
ISBN-13: 978-1-59554-494-0
Author Email/Website:
Reviewer: Joyce Handzo
Rating: 9 Gargoyles

House of Dark Shadows will have young readers checking their closets for possible secret passageways. Author Robert Liparulo takes his imagination to tweens and teens in this fast-paced novel with fantastic ideas. The suspense is the right size for this audience and the level of tension twangs like a rubber band in the hands of an otherworldly ogre.

When the King family moves into an old Victorian fixer-upper, they get more than some extra living space. The house has portals throughout, increasing the dimensions by eternity. Within these portals, the past protrudes, bringing an angry level of thwarted purposes and unresolved mysteries. The last page of this first book in the series ends with the echoes of a scream that won't be silenced until this world meets the other one in a strange arena.

As a Robert Lipaurlo fan, I know how the pen of this author can make grownups tremble and I was more than curious to see how his storytelling translated to a younger crowd. I wasn't disappointed. This book has all the right elements for an exciting story with endless possibilities.

Readers will resonant with the pseudo-sophistication of fifteen-year-old Xander and the youthful innocence of his brother and sister. The tiny and isolated town of Pinedale is the perfect place to drop portals to <>whevever. Time travel, danger and a disturbing mystery take form as the pages turn, exploding near the end with a shriek of surprise.

It's only fair to warn readers that this first book doesn't even come close to solving the abduction of a woman thirty years ago who is now hopelessly (?) trapped in this house. It's best to have the second book, Watcher in the Woods ready to open when this book closes.

Readers, keep knocking on the door to the House of Dark Shadows to see what's really inside. But if something knocks back, don't run into your closet-that's the first place "they" will find you!

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Added October 5, 2007

Deadfall

Author: Robert Liparulo
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers
Available At: Bookstores everywhere
Publishing Date: November 6, 2007
Genre: Fiction: Christian/Thriller
Format: Hardcover
Price: $24.99
ISBN-13: 978-0-7852-6179-7
Author Email/Website: http://www.robertliparulo.com/
Reviewer: Joyce Handzo
Rating: 9 Gargoyles

Deadfall is drop dead great! Chilling and conflicting worldviews clash with explosive intensity causing this powerful thriller to pulse with possibilities. In a riveting rampage between the forces of good and greed, this mini-drama mirrors some basic struggles that society faces. Yet, the terror and technology is like nothing ever seen before.

A hunting trip turns deadly for four friends as a group of wealthy and witless gamers play a high tech game of seek and destroy. A unique and experimental satellite laser cannon is unleashed on a small town, paralyzing the citizens with fear. Thoughts of escape remain pointless as an array of technology tracks everyone's steps. Yet, as desperation turns into determination, a showdown for survival brings this twisted game into the realm of reality.

Set in a remote section of the Canadian wilderness, the atmosphere of isolation and vulnerability shrouds this story with a sinister secrecy. To further compound the scenario, the ultimate killing machine is unveiled, a combination of electrical engineering that seems impossible to defeat. As the main characters are forced to use their wits, along with mere bows and arrows, readers will be privy to a plan of survival that leaves no room for error.

Author Robert Liparulo's sense of suspense is highly evident in this novel, causing the pages to turn with urgency. The characters are drawn with enough details for readers to feel they are alongside them-- walking, running and stumbling to a place of safety. The theme of a moral meltdown is significantly shown and stressed by the laser cannon, a death device that is able to thoroughly disintegrate its victims. The wealthy gamers cross the line between creativity and crazy, as the playing field gets muddied up with mixed messages and devastating directives.

Deadfall is a free fall into terror!

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This page was last updated on November 17, 2008

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