You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
cristalindberg's review against another edition
4.0
This book is so amazing! The tension and points leading up to the events are very well written. I think all the imagination Clive Barker used to make this horror/fantasy is great. When I was reading this piece of literature I felt like I was Harvey the main character. There is a lot of metaphors and interpreting that you have to do, but I think that is one of the reasons I love this text.
goodthymereads's review against another edition
5.0
This was my first Clive Barker novel, a great introduction to an amazing horror author. I stumbled upon this book through social media and on goodreads, with so many praising the book I had to check it out!
“Evil, however powerful it seemed, could be undone by its own appetite.”
Harvey Swick is just your regular ten year old, bored on a dreary, gray, rainy day. While mulling over this beast of February, Rictus comes and visits Young Swick and lures him into taking a trip to the Holiday House, a thousand year old place built for playing games and having adventures. Every kids dream, really. Harvey was instantly mesmerized by the excitement and the perfection that is this world bubbled inside this now forgotten gray unexciting day. He soon befriends Wendell, who along with Lulu, dive into adventures of their own. That is, until they realize all is not what it seems. Now, desperate to escape, they must face Mr. Hood and the mysterious holiday house to getaway with their lives as they left them.
The book has great illustrations, a great story and a fantastic ending with a nice level of suspense that makes this book easy to read through in one sitting.
“Evil, however powerful it seemed, could be undone by its own appetite.”
Harvey Swick is just your regular ten year old, bored on a dreary, gray, rainy day. While mulling over this beast of February, Rictus comes and visits Young Swick and lures him into taking a trip to the Holiday House, a thousand year old place built for playing games and having adventures. Every kids dream, really. Harvey was instantly mesmerized by the excitement and the perfection that is this world bubbled inside this now forgotten gray unexciting day. He soon befriends Wendell, who along with Lulu, dive into adventures of their own. That is, until they realize all is not what it seems. Now, desperate to escape, they must face Mr. Hood and the mysterious holiday house to getaway with their lives as they left them.
The book has great illustrations, a great story and a fantastic ending with a nice level of suspense that makes this book easy to read through in one sitting.
welsh_witch's review against another edition
A really wonderful middle grade horror novel! I think I would’ve liked it when I was a kid, and I found it exciting and poignant as an adult. Harvey is a great child protagonist, solving problems with cleverness and sweetness.
sharkrylance's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death and Kidnapping
justincox's review against another edition
5.0
YA before YA was a thing.
I read this book multiple times in elementary school, always enjoying Harvey's adventure with the Holiday House and inevitable battle with the Vampire King. This was the first time I've returned to that world in two decades and it is still an enjoyable story.
I read this book multiple times in elementary school, always enjoying Harvey's adventure with the Holiday House and inevitable battle with the Vampire King. This was the first time I've returned to that world in two decades and it is still an enjoyable story.
fearless_chicken's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I picked up this book on a whim, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm a fan of Coraline, and this is very similar, but it came out 10 years earlier. I wonder if Neil Gaimen got some inspiration from it. If Coraline is tainted for you at all I highly recommend this. It's a pretty quick read amd kept me hooked the whole way through. It had some good spooky and suspenseful parts, but it left me feeling warm and fuzzy at the end.
bookbearreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I was surprised that this was a Barker novel. It is definitely lighter than his typical work, but still had a great amount of tension and horror. It has some really good themes to fall on and makes you think about time. It was a little slow at first but then really picked up.
itsmebrittany's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
mistymtn103's review against another edition
4.0
I'd been meaning to read this book since sixth grade, literally, when I saw one of my classmates with it. For some reason I just never picked it up...until now, and I'm so glad I did. Great first line, great story with creepy and sympathetic characters. There's just something not-quite-right from the very beginning, though you can't put your finger on it (this takes Harvey a bit longer). The escape and choice to return is classic, as is the "trick" Hood plays on the children. Some great lessons are learned by the end after great adventures.
krestfell's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0