Darkhouse
Darkhouse by Karina HalleSeries: Experiment in Terror #1
Genre: Paranormal (Ghost)
Age Group: New Adult
Release Date: May 13th 2011
Length: 346 pages
Format: Kindle
Source: FREEBIE
Review Date: January 30th 2014
Overall Rating: 2.5 STARS
Review:
This one had me scratching my head half the time, and the other half I was just bored and wanted to put it down. The saving grace for it was that I was actually interested in the story enough to want to see how it all played out. Unfortunately, I shouldn't have bothered.
I picked up this book because it was on my TBR and comes highly recommended by people I trust in the book community. I feel the need to say that because it may just be me, and maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it... IDK :-(
I know that Karina Halle's Artist Trilogy is a HUGE hit, and I will still read it. It has been on my TBR for awhile. This book hasn't changed my desire to read that series at all. But this was written before that and I think that she has probably evolved as a writer. She shows promise but this one didn't do it for me.
First, what I liked about it was the dry wit, and the sardonic humor. I literally LOL a few times, and I liked the banter between Perry and Dex the two main characters. Did I necessary like the characters themselves? NO.
Perry has recently graduated from college and is working as a receptionist. She only took the job because it has room for advancement but she hates it, and she lets us know this frequently. It came off as annoying and I thought she was full of self-pity. I mean she really didn't have it that bad.Her mom was a bitch but... Not everyone's parents are perfect.
So the basic storyline is that Perry sees things that noone else does. And she is drawn to this lighthouse on her uncle's property where she literally bumps into Dex, a novice ghosthunter and experienced cameraman. They don't exactly hit it off, but they have the same agenda so they decide to work together to find out what the heck is going on in this creepy lighthouse.
I was never really scared, so I wouldn't classify this as a horror novel. Some scary things happen but I never really felt like I was in the story so it fell short of actually making me scared. If you have ever watched on of those ghost hunter shows on TV than you get what Perry and Dex were trying to accomplish. And you know they don't really make you scared. They are just kinda creepy.
Let me get to what really bothered me. There was plot hole after plot hole that had me shaking my head and wondering if I was reading it right. For example, when Dex and Perry first meet he literally disappears into thin air. He calls her a few days later like it never happened, AND she DOESN'T EVEN FUCKING ASK HIM ABOUT IT!!!! It's not even in her inner monologue so it's like she just FORGOT ABOUT IT!?!? Never to be spoken of again??? *eye-roll*
Another example, they go back to the lighthouse with a bunch of equipment, camera's tripods and such. But THEY DON'T EVER BRING A FLASHLIGHT TO A HAUNTED PLACE AT NIGHT!?!? 8-O It's not like they said to themselves "shit we forgot a flashlight," they used their cell phones and the camera light. But the cell phone's didn't put out much light, and the camera wasn't always on so they were frequently in the dark for no apparent reason??? I could go on and on but you get it.
Overall, it has some fun scenes but I didn't like it. I was rolling my eyes way too much. This is only the beginning to Dex and Perry's journey so there was no closure, for anything... I won't be reading the next one to get any either. And if your looking for romance (which I wasn't) this isn't the book for you. There is some chemistry between the main characters but it is mild and not really expounded upon. However, I believe this one is always a freebie so you can make up your own mind about it without spending a dime.
~StacyHgg
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