Long before the film there was the written word. Long before we settled down in
front of video or now DVD players for our fright-fests, we would read tales of 
terror by candlelight.
For most, this has been lost, however there are still those that prefer the pages
to celluloid or even both and why not?
This section then is for you. To help you to search through the rubbish and find
stories worth your time to read. If you're an avid reader of horror novels then
why not join 'Castle Dracula' as an official 'staff member' reviewing them.
To do so, just click on the 'Join My Staff' link in the menu to the left for details
of this and other vacancies.

- The House -
- Bentley Little -

The plot is pretty complex. Five people who seemingly have nothing in common have
strange visions/memories/what-nots. They are all compelled to go to a house from 
their youth that has been haunting them. Once in that house it becomes...well, one 
house and traps them there. Together they try to band together to fight an evil 
source that means obvious harm. But throughout all this they try and fight off 
their addiction to this source -- which offers the most evil of temptations. 
The plot is confusing at times and something you really need to focus on to fully 
grasp. Little toys with your mind but in a good way. However, if you put the book 
down for too long before picking up again, the murkiness that clouds your mind may 
be more frustrating than enjoyable. 
It begins with one of the most creepy prologues ever. I can't see how anyone could 
not keep reading after finishing it. For a plot rating, I give this one a solid 
thumbs up. Unique as hell, powerful, and unforgettable. 
And the atmosphere? 
The Atmosphere, oh the atmosphere!! 
Very creepy, dark, sexual, and forbidden. The pages are almost visually covered in 
grime and nastiness. 
The 'little girl' was freaky as all hell and did what she was supposed to. She even 
made ME feel dirty at times, not just the characters!
'Daniel' was one of my favorites of the five. With a family and a deep compassion, 
I really enjoyed reading about his trials and history -- I cared about him more 
than I did for some of the others. 
'Laurie,' a career woman with one of the most interesting and tragic pasts, pushed 
the story forward. I really got a shock out of what she found going home in the 
first chapter. 
'Norton' was a bit more boring than some of the others but he did some interesting 
things towards the end. 
'Stormy' was also likeable and I enjoyed his scenes. 
'Mark' was a nice guy but some of his scenes were a little too drawn out. 
Every one of them had a demented and tragic past that helped shape the first half 
of the book. The second half shows the actions of them as adults and how they turned 
out. 
The pace hurts "The House" just a little bit. At times it's a bit too slow and grows 
slightly frustrating. Also, hopping constantly from five characters can be a bit 
tough at times. Many authors employ this method, and there's a certain art to doing 
it well enough not to frustrate the reader. 
Overall Bentley succeeds but there are some rough patches where briars in shifting 
sticks out. In the end, "The House" is violent, gritty, but also psychologically 
tormenting. It's not something you sit down and forget about. Many scenes stick out 
in your head and every few chapters I found something that made my eyes widen. 
Bentley really has nerve and many times I had trouble believing he actually "went 
there". The end result was me being a very satisfied reader aching for more, but 
not until after that shower I needed to scrub the dirty feeling away.

Reviewed By Erin Williams.

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