Welcome to the Dark House

As if the murder of Ivy’s parents wasn’t horrifying enough, seven years later, she has to face her worst nightmare come true. Seventeen-year-old Ivy Jensen witnessed her own parents’ death at the age of twelve. Ever since, Ivy has lived in fear that the killer may one day come back for her. She can’t bare living in constant fear and with endless anxiety,(P.S. Therapists don’t help her). Later, Ivy enters a contest: Submit your worst nightmare in a thousand words or less for the chance to meet a famous horror film director and see his confidential new project. Ivy enters because she wants to be able to live with fear rather than in fear, and she hopes to learn how to do that from those who love all-things scary. She wins the contest and finds herself staying at a hotel with the five other “lucky” contest winners. One day all the contest winners are taken to an amusement park to meet the famous movie director and see his new work. Little do they know, the amusement park holds many secrets: the only way to escape is to face the nightmare submitted for the contest. The contest winners start to figure out what’s going on, but by that time it’s too late to get out.

Welcome to the Dark House, by Laurie Faria Stolarz, is a heart-pounding suspense story that intrigues the reader from the very first page. Suspense starts when the contest winners learn what’s actually happening in the creepy amusement park and that in order to escape, they must literally face their worst fears. Welcome to the Dark House is perfect for horror fans that enjoy a little taste of adventure or fantasy. My excitement built up and I could not put the book down. Also, the author leaves the reader asking for more at the end of each chapter and the suspense keeps the reader hooked. For example, when the contest winners enter their nightmare, the author  keeps the suspense and anxiety flowing. Next, the characters that are accepted for the contest  each have their own style and personality which really brings the story together. Ivy is the nervous one, Garth and Natalie are the disturbed ones, Shayla is the happy one, and Parker and Frankie are the horror-seekers. This book  brings out the scary adventure inside everyone and it is definitely recommended to read.