Book Review: House of Secrets By Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini

Time flies when you're having fun! This time last year, I remember being excited by the prospect of this book and the subsequent dream collaboration between two great writing icons. The first writer being Chris Columbus, who has written and produced so many great classic household blockbusters, such as the first two Harry Potter films, Gremlins and one of my all time favourites, The Goonies. 

To add more excitement to the pot, he has teamed up with Ned Vizzini, the US bestselling author of young-adult books and screen programmes such as Teen Wolf and the ABC'S Last Resort. Last year, HarperCollins struck up a three book deal which created a great deal of discussion and conjured up a lot of eager anticipation. One year on, the first book has finally arrived and I certainly couldn't wait to read it.

This is the first in the series of the House Of Secrets to be published by HarperCollins. It will be hitting the bookshop shelves in late April. It's a very fast paced read and doesn't take long to hurtle through the 560 pages. From the offset, you uncover many secrets and mysteries - it's like an epic film script. There are some tasty glimpses of the pedigree of both writers who, at times, share slightly different visions. One writes in a film-like style, whilst the other writes in a more traditional storytelling way. At times, there might be too much emphasis on the big screen. Although, in my opinion, this will certainly be a forthcoming option for this book.

The Walker kids had it all: loving parents, a big house in San Francisco, all the latest video games . . . but everything changed when their father lost his job as a result of an inexplicable transgression. Now the family is moving into Kristoff House, a mysterious place built nearly a century earlier by Denver Kristoff, a troubled writer with a penchant for the occult. By the time the Walkers realize that one of their neighbours has sinister plans for them they're banished to a primeval forest way off the grid. 

The story begins with a mysterious start. It contains little bits of cheeky humour and some good story lines. However, in parts, a slightly darker flavour is perhaps needed to really get into the essence of the story. The characters, as a reader of 9 years and up, can easily be related to and the story concludes satisfyingly. However, there are a few negative elements to the story, in my opinion.

I felt that the story read like a mixture of different stories which, at times, all collided into one. The collaborative writing, to me, read like a jumble of ideas which were all thrown together. I have no doubt that this would work particular well as a film, but I struggled to make it work in my head. Therefore, it hindered the flow and spoilt the story in my opinion. I also felt that there was a distinct lack of voice from any one character - they really didn't stick in my memory and were easily replaced.

However, for a middle-age fantasy, this book ticks all of the right boxes and shows a lot of promise. It contains high adventure scenes, which share a similar theme to that of Pirates of the Caribbean. These are loaded with engaging action sequences that I particularly enjoyed. 

This book was an enjoyable read, but not as good as the hype. I was slightly disappointed, but I'm still looking forward to the next book in the series.          

HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks (25 April 2013)                                        

Angela McAllister - The Runaway

Mr Ripley's Review

I have to say I really enjoyed reading this book, I only read it by chance. Which is sometimes the best way to begin with a book, as no preconceptions are gathered about what is to be found.
It's a great combination of styles. A hint of David Almond in the dark detail and a touch of Marcus Sedgwick for the story plot. The main character Megan is running away from everything she knows. She finds herself in a derelict house which has more then a story to tell. Lurking in the dark it has many untold secrets and lots of questions that Megan wants to find the answers to. Angela draws upon the human emotions to carry along this great read. When Megan finds an old blind lady living there, the story then really starts to weave its magic through to the heart. The story was so well told that I almost believed it could be true.
I don't want to give too much away as I heartily recommend it to read. My only fault with great reads like this is that the book comes to a close after 192 pages, and I wanted more... so I will only give it Four out Of Five. I know what you're thinking!



Synopsis

After the death of her young brother, Megan runs away. She has always had the power to heal - but not when it came to him. And now she punishes herself - pulling handful after handful of nettles from the hedgerows, so she feels pain, seeing always, at the corner of her vision, a pale winged boy. His wings are broken. Eventually she arrives at what she believes to be a deserted, burned out house in the village of Morne. But part of the mansion is occupied by a blind woman, whose companions are two owls. She tells Megan, who is terrified of birds, they are her eyes. They will see everything she does. Theirs is a strange relationship - the woman is bitter, she has a secret to hide, but then so does Megan. Gradually they come to depend on each other, until the arrival of Tom. Megan is keen for company her own age and his friendship, but she doesn't know that he knows Marguerite's secret and is determined to reveal it and destroy her in the process. Set in C19th, with richly drawn characters and a well plotted story, Angela McAllister's second novel explores the frailties of human emotions, but is ultimately about healing rifts and friendship.

Published by Orion Books 7 June 2009

Biography
Novels

Mungo Moonboots (1991)

Dinny's Diplodocus (1992)

Maggie's Meglasaurus (1996)

Scaredy Ghost (1998)

Jack and Lily (2001)

The Tide Turner Orion (2006)

The Runaway Orion (2009)

Angela is more well Know in her work with picture books having done over forty four picture books since 1988.
Angela McAllister has written over thirty children's books. She lives in Hampshire with her husband and their two children, who are often the inspiration for her stories.