Synopsis:
The new house is a fresh start for Claire and her family. It’s a move towards the quiet suburban life she has craved since her turbulent childhood; a step up the corporate ladder for her husband, Tom; and a safe haven for their two children.
Yet, as they unpack their boxes, she senses something is wrong . . .
Fresh flowers dry up, store-bought eggs are inexplicably hollow and her daughter’s favourite toy disappears. Claire soon confronts a series of impossible truths: the house is hungry. It’s devouring anything that was once alive. And only Claire and Tom, the owners of the house, will remember that this ‘food’ ever existed.
When Claire exploits the house’s power in a moment of weakness, she and the house forge a fragile bond. But as its hunger intensifies and Claire starts to lose control, she fears who else might be drawn to her home – and what sinister appetites they’ll bring.
Review:
Tor Nightfire sent me a copy of The House That Eats the Dead in exchange for an honest review.
I was totally hooked on this book, so much so that during my break at work I was asked what the book was about because I was so absorbed by it. I read half of it in just a day or so and it had me asking my boyfriend ‘what would you do if you had a house that erased people?’
As the reader you know from the start that the house is eating dead things, from items made of organic materials to bodies themselves, and you watch as Claire and her husband begin to realise that the things that are disappearing as erased from the memories of those around them. It’s so engaging because you watch Claire spiral as she befriends the house and starts to cross moral lines that can never be undone.
The story mainly centres around the family with a few extra characters to help keep the story going. From the old house owner to prospective buyers (who definitely know what the house can do) there’s no shortage of outside influences on Claire. It’s one of those books that makes you think because Claire manages to justify her actions but there comes a point where as a reader you know that she’s crossed a line.
While The House That Eats the Dead won’t keep you up at night it will get you thinking about morality and what you would do if you were in Claire’s position.
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