Book Review - The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich

The Dead House

Author: Dawn Kurtagich

Genres: Young Adult, Horror, Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal.  

Published: August 6 2015

Pages: 440 pages (Paperback) (Orion Children's Books)

Read: October 2015

Rating: 5 Stars

Part-psychological thriller, part-urban legend, this is an unsettling narrative made up of diary entries, interview transcripts, film footage transcripts and medical notes. Twenty-five years ago, Elmbridge High burned down. Three people were killed and one pupil, Carly Johnson, disappeared. Now a diary has been found in the ruins of the school. The diary belongs to Kaitlyn Johnson, Carly’s identical twin sister. But Carly didn’t have a twin . . . 

Re-opened police records, psychiatric reports, transcripts of video footage and fragments of diary reveal a web of deceit and intrigue, violence and murder, raising a whole lot more questions than it answers.

Who was Kaitlyn and why did she only appear at night? Did she really exist or was she a figment of a disturbed mind? What were the illicit rituals taking place at the school? And just what did happen at Elmbridge in the events leading up to ‘the Johnson Incident’?

Chilling, creepy and utterly compelling, THE DEAD HOUSE is one of those very special books that finds all the dark places in your imagination, and haunts you long after you've finished reading.

Book 41/60 - 2015 Goodreads Reading Challenge

The Dead House is Dawn Kurtagich's first debut novel. It is a horror / psychological thriller based on two girls and a tradegy of a part of their school buring down, killing a number of people.

I picked up this book as soon as I saw it on the shelves of one of my local bookstores because I wanted to read this spooky, thriller filled book around the time of Halloween and even though I read it at the start of October, it still kept me up at night!

The aspect of this book that I loved the most and what I found to be the most unique about this book was that the story was told through a police evidence folder. This story was told through Kaitlyn and Carly's diaries, through interviews and video recordings, through mental assesments and meetings with psychiatrists and it was just such an amazing way to put a story together. The story does jump from before to after a few times and the first time I have to admit, made me confused, but confusion is a part of reading this book. WTF is a part of reading this book. 

And I loved it. I loved Dawn Kurtagich's writing style for this novel. I loved the way she was completely descriptive in everything she write so that you could actually imagine every detail in this book (which scared the living crap out of me sometimes and had me startling myself awake at night!)

The characters in this book were so deep aswell. They were all so different too and it was easy to connect with them through Kaitlyn. But even though I suspected bad things would happen in this book and not to get attached to characters, I did and I was left heartbroken, sad, betrayed, and every other feeling imaginable. But it was still just so good!

Then the ending arrived and it still leaves you hanging in a small bit of a mystery. This book leaves the reader imagine what happens at that last event, whether you want a nice, bittersweet ending or one that is a complete turmoil, it is up to your own mind. Me being me, I finished and was like hell on earth and imagined the worst thing possible. 

Do I have to say this again?? I loved this book! And I would recommend it to everyone I meet! It's gripping, absolutely addicting and surprisingly really easy to read through too, so guys I'm leaving it with this - if you have this book on your TBR, read it and Beware! The Dead House!.

P.S I just found out last night that Dawn Kurtagich has a second novel due for release in July 2016 called The Creeper Man!! Definitely one I shall be reading when it releases!