Title: Amber House (The Amber House Trilogy #1)
Author: Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed & Larkin ReedPublisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Publication Date: October 1st, 2012
Page Count: 349
Genre: paranormal fantasy
Audience: young adult
Source: bought
Rating: 3.5 I would friend this book on Facebook & invite myself to all its parties
Goodreads Summary:
"I was sixteen the first time my grandmother died..."
Sarah Parsons has never seen Amber House, the grand Maryland estate that's been in her family for three centuries. She's never walked its hedge maze nor found its secret chambers; she's never glimpsed the shades that haunt it, nor hunted for lost diamonds in its walls.
But all of that is about to change. After her grandmother passes away, Sarah and her friend Jackson decide to search for the diamonds--and the house comes alive. She discovers that she can see visions of the house's past, like the eighteenth-century sea captain who hid the jewels, or the glamorous great-grandmother driven mad by grief. She grows closer to both Jackson and a young man named Richard Hathaway, whose family histories are each deeply entwined with her own. But when the visions start to threaten the person she holds most dear, Sarah must do everything she can to get to the bottom of the house's secrets, and stop the course of history before it is cemented forever.
My thoughts: I was soooo excited to read this book. Which is probably part of the reason I was a little disappointed by it. I loved the premise and really enjoyed the family history historical plot. However, I was a bit put off by most of the characters. Throughout most of the story, our protagonist Sarah acts like a spoiled brat. It's sweet how she cares for her brother...but aside from that, she comes off as incredibly selfish. Part of that is because of her mother. Although you get some explanation on why her mother is not the nicest person, she still never redeemed herself in my eyes. There are some moments that are, I assume, meant to show a little of that mother-daughter bond, but it always came off as cheap to me. These people are so materialistic that it's not even funny.
I also found it hard to believe that (especially with her mother's past), the mother would be so terrible at interacting with her autistic son. Also, I realize that every individual with autism is different, I found Sammy kind of hard to believe in the beginning. Making a deal with his sister to play at throwing a tantrum? That didn't feel very realistic. (And also made Sarah look like a royal you-know-what for using her brother's autism to get her way.) The only character I really liked was Jackson, and Sarah is rude to him on multiple occasions.
Enough about the characters. The storyline is incredibly detailed and complex. Moore has created a truly unique story, and I really appreciate the book on that note. I just wish her characters were more likable! I loved the epilogue. I want to read the rest of the trilogy to find out what happens, especially after that crazy ending! It's not really a cliffhanger, but it does make you want to know what happens to this family and to Amber House. If you like paranormal fantasy, this is a very different take on the idea of paranormal abilities. Also, the entire story revolves around a centuries-old mansion and the family history of the women of Amber House. This adds some wonderful Gothic elements that are definitely intriguing. However, if you're a fan of traditional Gothic romancey-type books, don't expect the same caliber of characters; just enjoy the story.
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