"What do you mean if it doesn't want us to leave?" said Dylan. "How can a house not want us to leave?”

The first book in the Shadowhouse series, The Gathering, is the story of Poppy, Marcus, Azumi, Dylan & Dash. Five youngsters aged 12 to 13, who have been invited/lured to Lakespur House. A house where mysterious kids with masks appear and dissapear. Where there are windows that don't break, walls that move and doors that vanish. Needless to say that once you are in, it will be very hard to ever find your way out. Initially the kids all have very different reasons for entering Lakespure House but by the end of the book they discover that it's what they have in common that brought them to this house.

I don't tend to pick up scary books very often. But the cover creeped me out to the point that it lured me in. If that makes any sense. Since this tale starts out in true middle grade fashion (The kids travel by themselves, the parents are not really in the picture ... you know the stuff that wouldn’t happen in real life), my expectations were along the lines of mild goosebumps. This however was not the case. Apart from spine-chills, I actually jumped when one of my own kids entered the room while I was reading. Bottom line is that this book is kinda frightening for the most part and as far as I am concerned not always in a very middle grade way. That is, if ghost and things that go bump in the night terrify you. All I know is that if I had read this when I was aged 8 - 12, I would have pissed my pants! This goes as much as for the hardcover book with the eerie pictures as for the very vivid audio production.

Since there is a part two in the Shadowhouse series I don't think every plot point needed to be wrapped up in this installment. However I do think, considering the middle grade audience, some of the plot points could've been explored or explained a little bit more.

How deep the rabbit hole might go becomes a bit more clear when you unlock the sigils in the app. The Shadowhouse app for phone or ipad can be downloaded for free and has about 12 more haunting stories, just in case peeing your pants once might not be enough. The sound and visual effects that come with the app, turn regular storytelling into a blood-curling experience, especially when you decide to play and unlock the sigils (pieces of a puzzle you can find on every picture in the book) in the evening.

I especially liked that Dan Poblocki started out spooky right of the bat and went uphill on the creep-o-meter as the story progressed. That is however not the only reason I kept turning those pages, I basically just wanted to know what the hell was going on and why. Unfortunately by the end of this installment the only thing I am pretty sure of is that these kids are in very deep doodoo. Luckily I already own part two and I am very eager to learn how this story ends.

Yep, gave this one a solid 4 stars and I think this would make a perfect Halloween read.