I love a good thriller that keeps a reader guessing without overt manipulation. You know the kinds of books that I mean. The books that throw a last minute character or event in to tie it all together? I find those to be dishonest.
The Dream House definitely kept me guessing, but only because the plot was masterfully crafted. I knew that everything was going to tie together somehow, but the writer did an excellent job of sneaking those ties in subtly. As I have mentioned, I leave notes on my Kindle as I read so when I write my reviews, I can remember what I was thinking/feeling at the time of reading.
In this book, I have six separate times where I left a “Wow!” or “No way…” (and even one “Holy Shit!!!!”) in my notes.
Now, y’all know that I read a lot. And I’m pretty good at guessing plot twists. I will admit that I guessed one, and half guessed another. But the others totally took me by surprise. And that’s just freaking awesome in my bookish world.
I also want to discuss the subject matter. I imagine that domestic violence is a difficult subject matter to write about. It’s a fine line between wanting to get the cruelty and depth of abuse across clearly while still treating it with respect to the victims – all while making sure it doesn’t become overly dramatic or cartoonish.
I think the author thoroughly succeeded in getting the points across succinctly and without it becoming overwrought. I especially liked how the various types of abuse were explored (again, subtly) so that characters in the present showed signs of committing the same abuses that they were against.
I know that sounds a little complicated, but psychological abuse, making excuses for the abuser, and abuse causing personality changes (among other things) are all woven into the plot, creating a tapestry of abuse-related actions that are inter-related.
This is not to say that’s all the book is. Far from it. It’s an excellent character study with a tight plot, deep characters, and twists galore – a psych thriller that truly earns the moniker “unputdownable.”
Oh, and one more thing: The title of the book switched from The Guest to The Dream House. The new title has a double meaning (which you will understand when you read the book) and I think it was a good choice to change it.
The Dream House by Jess RyderMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
There are psych thrillers that are “unputdownable,” and then there are ones that keep giving you one-two jabs of “holy heck what just happened?!?” The Dream House is the perfect combination of the two. I read it in two sittings (only due to a prior commitment) otherwise I would have read straight through. It is masterfully crafted with a plot that is both brutally realistic and hauntingly beautiful. It should probably be mentioned that the subject matter (domestic violence) might be triggering to some readers; descriptions can be rather frank. But the author deals with it in an honest and true-to-life way. Visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews for more thoughts on this excellent book. Thank you to Bookouture (via NetGalley) for a complimentary pre-release digital ARC of this book (formerly titled The Guest).
View all my reviews
