Pretending everything's all right is harder than it sounds. But the Kings know that even if they told the truth about the bizarre things happening in their house, no one would believe them. They're hyper-focused on rescuing their lost family member before anyone finds out what's going on.
But when a stranger shows up to take their house, their options start dwindling fast. Why would he be so interested in a run-down old place? And what secret is he hiding--just as he hides the scars that crisscross his body?
The mystery gets stranger with each passing day. Will the Kings be able to find a way to harness the house's secrets and discover who is watching their every move before another gets snatched into an unknown world?
Well, I wouldn’t stay in the house. But then again a strange hulking figure from one of the mysterious portals hasn’t kidnapped my mother either. Robert Liparulo wastes no time throwing the Kings back into even more perilous danger as the second installment of the Dream House Kings series, Watcher in the Woods, takes off right where House of Dark Shadows left off.
Mom is gone and the Kings have to save her. But doing so requires that they stop running full-tilt into situations they don’t understand and risking life and limb. They have to slow down – just a bit – and figure out exactly how these portals work. Is it an alternate reality? Is it actual history? Who is the behemoth who kidnapped their mother and why?
But the action rarely lets up, because as the Kings struggle to understand the house, they find that it might be even more dangerous than they thought. Compound this with a strange and influential man named Taksidian who seems intent on taking over the house. And Taksidian appears to know more than he’s letting on…way more. The search for answers only leads to more questions and more danger.
If House of Dark Shadows focused on oldest child Xander’s perspective, Watcher in the Woods shifts slightly to tell the story with a focus on middle child David. In the end, book two is as much a roller coaster ride as the first. Liparulo masterfully weaves an engaging story that all climaxes into a resounding crescendo of…NOT THE END?! Things are either all coming together or all falling apart, but it’ll take book 3, Gatekeepers, to find out exactly which.
The Dream House Kings saga is a continuous story, so if you haven’t read House of Dark Shadows, it’s rather imperative you pick up that book first. But I will caution you, Liparulo’s writing is much like the portals found in the Kings’ Victorian mansion: If you stick your head in too far, you’ll be sucked right into the world he’s created.
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May 2, 2022Bethany DavidsonChildren's Books, ReviewsComments Off on The Prisoners, the Earthquake, and the Midnight Song Board Book: A True Story about How God Uses People to Save People – Bob Hartman and Catalina Echeverri
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