A very entertaining and imaginative horror novel with some great twists in the story and some good suspense. By about 300 pages in though, the novel becomes overtly Christian and starts to preach, a lot.

Without the cringe iducing final 50 or so pages I would have given this 5 stars. It gets 4 because it was excellent up until then.

I have read several books from both authors. Because of this my expectations are high. Dekker is normally a master of plot twists and clearly presenting good vs.evil. Dekker sometimes struggles with full character development. The plot twists were lost on me because the character development was so poor. I was hoping that the serial killer would win in this book so that the whining of multiple characters would end and the book would end. I didn't appreciate a single character.

Jack and Stephanie are husband and wife and no reason for either of them to be hero's in this book. Because they lost a child, we as readers are supposed to see them as potential heros??? Jack spends most of the book looking at the other woman. Stephanie should have stayed locked in the closet in this book. Randy is not staged correctly to poise him as a tool for evil later on in the book.


The person that seems to be the most repentant for their own situation, dies first. So much for redemption.

Actually liked the evil tin man for a while until he started pouting and throwing a tantrum in one of the closing chapters. I would say more, yet would give away too much of the book.

Go read these authors' other books!(Thr3e, Adam, Visitation, A child called Blessed, A man called blessed, obsessed, blink, showdown)

There is some hope for the movie coming out because the visuals could be interesting. Debating if I am going to see the movie.

This was a page turner. They did a good job with the description, some parts are really creepy.
The ending, however, wasn't too good.

For me, House was strange, repetitive, and disappointing. The same scenes seem to happen over and over, and the action is difficult to follow. The narrator did a good job, but there were a few editing mistakes. I didn't finish the story - and don't need to find out how it ends. Try some other works by these authors - they can both write a great book, but this work does not reflect their talent.

I like to find Christian authors for enlightenment combined with entertainment. I have not read any of Ted Dekker other books; however, I have read almost all of Peretti and was disappointed from this book to the point where I would actually write a review. Finished the book like a bad movie just to get it over with.

I have to agree with some of the other reviewers that this book is just too much... too dark, too violent. I absolutely love most of Frank Peretti's books. This Present Darkness was a life changing read for me, I loved how it helped me visualize the spiritual world.

But House is just too reminiscent of today's horror movies. I understand the appeal for a lot of people who like that kind of violence but I have no desire to see it. I have read Ted Dekker's Black, Red and White series and I enjoyed those books but others of his, The Martyrs Song series, again are just too violent. I can understand how the 2 authors together would produce this kind of book. Again just not at all to my taste.

I finished this book a few weeks ago, but I couldn't write a review then because I didn't know what to say. I'll make a list. Hope this helps someone.

1. This book is terribly written. It reads like young adult fiction, but that's insulting to young adults around the world. Some YA books are quite good. Anyway, the first 100 pages of House are garbage. I almost gave up, but by then I had too much time invested. The opening scenes committed the unforgivable sin of not making me want to care.

2. Once you pass page 100 or so, the writing doesn't improve much, but the story gets a little more interesting. A little. It got better enough to make me want to finish, but I can't say that's how everyone will feel. I can't really argue with all the one star reviews. They have their merits.

3. I appreciate what this book is trying to do. It's a pretty neat idea, and I like what the house and characters represent. I wish it was presented better.

4. As a Christian, I really wanted to support the Christian arts. With so much Christian music being sub-standard (not on message, on quality), I was hoping Christian fiction wouldn't be the same. This is my first Christian novel, and I really hope they all aren't written this poorly.

5. I don't consider my time wasted on this. The story was decent, and I got a taste of what the Christian market is like. I've heard the hype about Dekker for awhile, and if this represents his best, I'll pass on the others. If not for the reasonably well done spiritual aspect, this book would deserve no stars. If I had the option, I'd give this two-and-a-half stars. Since I don't, I can't bring myself to give it three. It just isn't that good.

I bought this because it sounded kind of "SAW" 'ish. Right off the bat, I felt MORE like I was reading a movie, and after googling the book (don't know why?) I found that it IS going to be a movie coming out October 2008!

So my premonition was right! What else was I right about, that it is wordy and goes on a on page after page, saying a LOT about NOTHING at all!
The story is really bland and takes place entirely in the house, which starts off somewhat normal then the authors must have gotten drunk or bored, and decided to throw in things like the house being alive and changing, and the people stuck inside seem to replicate themselves, oh and let's not forget the dead not being there when you come back to check on them after they were killed there where you are standing! Several biblical quotes to remind you that the Righteous author is sendind you subliminal messsages while you are reading mindlessly in circles!

A boring read, that I cannot even believe I bothered to finish!

Don't buy it, don't see the movie, MAYBE rent the DVD, if you must!

I bought the book "House" expecting a scary thriller. Its like the authors made it up as they went along. I did not feel for the characters in any way. There many pointless and repetitive "action" and "susepense" scenes. The writing style is really poor. I can't believe this book was actually publsihed. Don't waste your money or time on this book. I threw mine in the trash.

I have tried to read a few of Mr. Perettis books and just don't get them. His books go directly against Phillipians which tells us to think on those things which are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. I couldn't get past the second chapter, it repulsed me. If you are a Christian, don't waste your money or time. Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind!

If you are thinking of buying this book because you like Peretti's other books, DON'T. It sounds nothing like Peretti. I thought the writing was, to use another reviewer's word, dreadful. The story made no sense. The characters were unlikable and unreal. The Christianity tacked on at the end was likewise unreal. It sounded like my favorite type of book, a supernatural Christian thriller, but it is one of the worst books I have ever read.

This book has left me really irritated. About halfway through, I thought it was the greatest mystery/horror story ever. Great characters, imagery, compelling story, etc... Then the authors started all this religious craziness disguised as a metaphor. First, the victimized characters in the book are not evil and the idea that they are and are responsible for "creating" this situation is just stupid. And when they started yelling, "Son of Man, Son of Man, Have Mercy on me, blah, blah, blah.." I was just so disappointed because I felt like a truly brilliant novel was obliterated by the authors' need to turn it into a morality tale. Great writers tell stories. Sermons are for preachers. Going into this, I had never read "Christian Fiction," a term I thought was redundant. If you are religious, you'll probably like this, but why bother? There is plenty of great fiction in the Bible.

This book is a great one!!! It was my first book by Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti. It was full of action, suspense, and adventure that kept me glued to the book the whole time I was reading it. I especially enjoyed the ending of the book! I TOTALLY reccomend this book for Ted Dekker or Frank Peretti fans!!!

There are times when I find myself reading a book, and thinking to myself, "What kind of movie would this make?". I experienced this throughout much of "House," and I must say, as a movie, this book would be almost unfilmable.

The book itself, in many instances, is almost unreadable. It has a decent-enough (if very cliched) setup, taking us to a secluded house run by a trio of Texas Chainsaw rejects, where two couples have arrived after running into pre-calculated car trouble. Next thing you know, a sinister man shows up with a set of rules for a twisted game of killing, the couples go running through a labyrinthian basement, people fight, shoot guns, etc.

The primary pothole that plagues "House" is its frenetic pacing and rotation of various plot threads. The amount of storylines and characters the authors juggle becomes problematic; the absurd nature of the plot itself only adds to the book's many issues. The characters themselves range from shallow to self-centered, leaving very little for readers to connect with. It's not for a lack of effort on the part of the authors; they seem intent to describe every single internal detail of these characters' thoughts, so much that it becomes a burden to the pacing of the story.

In addition to an ending that deserves a better story, but has been done before and far better, everything about "House" stinks of wasted potential. With a few less characters and less preposterous plot twists, this could have been a very involving read.

This book has some of the most unrealistic characters I have ever had the misfortune of reading about. People just do not act that way. And the end! Lets just get on our knees and pray for all the baddies to go away! God does not work that way. Not scary, by a long shot either. If I could give it less than one star I would.

I checked this book out from the library in hopes that it would live up to my expectations of a horror/thriller book because I am a hardcore horror/thriller fanatic. However, the beginning was so boring my brain felt like it was caving in. All I can say is that after three boring uneventful chapters, i couldn't go on reading it. Save yourself the time and read something else.

You will love this! You will have to tell yourself, " It's only a book, it's only a book!"

Excellent read. Don't read it in a storm though. I don't remember ever reading a suspense novel that I had to put down. This one I did. I enjoyed this book.

I love this book. Theres suspense, action, drama- everything a good book needs. It was so hard not to set this book down- I was constantly reading it. I recommend it to anyone!

I didn't think it was possible to create a Christian horror/suspense book until I read House. This was very well done. I was on my toes the entire time, waiting for the next turn around the hall to see if something unexpected (and otherworldly) would show up. I became a fan of both authors when I was done with it. Yes, there is an excellent moral underneath the action. Sin needs to be removed by the redeeming work of Jesus Christ on the cross. This was very well done through the analogy of Susan. No, I didn't take it that Susan was supposed to be Christ but she is a good representation of Him.

I love suspense and I love to get spooked once in awhile. This book did that for me and it's a great relief to see interesting Christian books out there for a change. I can't wait for the movie version of this book to come out!

The Ultimate Scare: A Collection of Christian Suspense Stories

This was my first taste of both Mr. Peretti and Mr. Dekker. I actually purchased this book on a whim, as I was looking for something to bide my time with as I waited for a couple of my favorite authors to release new work. What I wound up reading was a thrilling piece of horror lit... that is, until the cliched ending--a "twist" you can see coming shortly after reading the first few chapters--brought everything to a crashing halt.

Peretti and Dekker do an excellent job developing characters we can relate to (or, in the case of the "inbreds", loathe). Jack and Stephanie are the strained couple with a secret and Randy and Leslie are the couple who are seemingly perfect but have a lot of issues in their own right. Throw the four of them into a house where things aren't what they seem with a family that's a cross between the Beverly Hillbillies and the brood from The Devil's Rejects and you have pretty good groundwork for a frightening tale... and that's precisely what this is right up until the closing chapters, when Peretti and Dekker ruin all their hard work with an overused horror "twist."

Do I still recommend this book? Definitely. The character development alone is worth the price of admission. However, don't expect anything new or exciting as far as the ending goes. You'll probably expect it fifty pages into the book. Just enjoy the ride from that point on.

The imagery in this book was so heavy that I found myself lost in it. I was somewhat let down because I wanted more of the flavor of "This Present Darkness". This was the first book that I have read of Peretti and Dekker together. I could not put it down and read it in a couple of days.
Elaine Littau
Author of "Nan's Journey"

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked up this book. I knew it should be good, because both of these authors have established themselves as excellent writes, specifically for Christian audiences. Though I could tell by the development of the storyline and plot that this book was specifically aimed at both Christian and non-Christian audiences, it still had much of the feel of a Christian book.

That being said, it is definitely better written than most Christian fiction and would probably be a great book to recommend to non-Christians. The writing bears more of Dekker's style than Peretti's, though the overall setting and story arc bear Peretti's fingerprints admirably.

The story itself centers around the estranged marriage of Jack and Stephanie, a starting point that many Americans (at least) are familiar with and can probably relate to rather easily. They get stranded on the road under mysterious circumstances and end up seeking shelter for the night in a Inn they come across. Yep, sounds like the makings of a horror story if I've ever heard 'em!

The plot and action move quickly and the characters unfold and develop unobtrusively. There is a lot of tension and panic, common to the horror genre, but it never gets out of control. What it seems that Perretti and Dekker were aiming at was to reveal how easily the facade of character an individual has can crumble and wash away in the presence of true terror, and how a person needs something (or someone) other than themselves to lean on and trust in to help them through situations.

In the end I don't think this is either author's best work. Peretti's Oath was just brilliant, and Dekker's Circle Trilogy has a depth and movement to it which many secular works lack. This was a teaming of two incredible talents, but I think in the end the struggle to harness and mesh their particular creative talents (which definitely run in different directions) produced a worthy story, but just one that doesn't quite reach the potential of either.

I do recommend this book, though I think your time would be just as well spent reading other works by the authors. Due to the violence and some more mature sexual themes, I would definitely not recommend this to anyone not in High School.

This is a good story that keeps you wondering what is going to happen next. Frank Peretti is a good writer in stories of good and evil....and evil is everywhere even in the "House".

Dark! This book is so involved in darkness that I decided not to finish it. Some may like this but it wasn't for me. You might say it is too well written.