Let me begin this review by highlighting these characters should not be in their late 20's - it just doesn't work! They all sound like late teens which, for me, detracted from the story. Right, now that's out of the way, the novel itself sounds like a horror fans dream - mysterious house falls from the sky. However, it then moves in an odd direction with a 'sinister' organisation offering a cash prize to stay overnight in this house - a plot point which takes a long time to come. This novel is 500 pages long and, being honest, I felt that - the dialogue was long-winded, the main character frustrating especially when other characters felt more suited to the main, and the awkward dialogue for their supposed ages really threw me off. I did enjoy the house horror and this review is worth a star for this aspect alone. The issue I guess is it takes too long to build the journey and then feels like it doesn't go anywhere. Interested to read another novel by the author so long as the characters ages fit their tone!

Patrick R. Delaney has written a story with a huge concept and some more regular ones we all know, grief, friendships and the choices we make.

Scarlett Vantassel has a fantastic horror YouTube channel which she has taken a break from in an attempt to reconnect with the people she once loved. Its not long before a creepy house appears in her town of Winterview, bring unease and mystery. Pulled to this house by her friend Hannah, Scarlett must face horrors unimaginable.

It really warmed me to read of these characters friendships and bond. It is very clear that the main group of Scarletts friends are the real deal. The type of friends who really have your back. It annoys me and causes tension when one becomes unreasonable, but perfectly understandable as the experience grief. The character development really shows towards the end of the book.

What an unique plot. I felt that some description parts went on too long but I also felt that the author had such a great vision and understanding of this story that it needed to be in there to make sense. I really enjoyed the suspense of, how is this going to end? Why is the house there? When a book makes you question these things you generally don't give up on it and this kept my interest dispute the long descriptions.

I gave this 3 stars on Goodreads. Only because of the heavy description that did not suit me as a reader but it does not mean it won't suit someone else! If you like stranger things, this will be right up your alley. If you enjoy big descriptions that really set the horror and bizarre experiences these characters have, add it to your want to read list and sink your teeth in.

Thank you to Net Galley and Oblivion publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I enjoyed this book. The characters were well likeable and the pace was spot on. The spooky vibe is what kept me reading. You know when you are watching a horror movie and it is the music or sound that puts you on edge? That noise makes it hard to turn away and that is what it felt like reading this book.

Ultimately, I felt like the ending was missing something. I've taken some time to put my finger on this feeling and I'm not sure I wanted a different ending but I do feel a little dissatisfied. I would still recommend this book though because it was a great journey!

Reading this book felt like a rollercoaster. But a long one. Is that good or bad? Depends on if you like rollercoasters! I do. It starts off strong. Scarlett is feeling pretty down. Her entire life is changing and she doesn't know where to go next. Back living with her father and working a dead end job. While thinking of filming her final vlog something huge happens. A loud noise, loss of power, weird lights, and then there is a giant house that seems to have just fallen from the sky. Sounds intriguing. You know they are getting into that house, right?

So, part of the lull was the time it took to get back to the house. At first it is all action, the army and some shady private security company descend on the town. Then....nothing. We do get to know more about the relationships between the four main characters (her dad just kind of disappears after being pretty cool in the beginning.) But this is where I put it down a lot in favor of other things. It's not that it isn't interesting and that there isn't a lot to learn about the characters, Scarlett's brother, his girlfriend, her best friend...but sometimes they just talked about stuff instead of showing us things and letting us experience it. Because of that, I don't think I ever really liked any of the characters that much.

Don't worry, though, it picks up again about halfway through.

The House. This house reminded me of House of Leaves without having to turn the book every direction to read it. It becomes a psychological thriller. You don't know what is real and what is just the house messing with you. That's the fun part. Everything is not tied up for you in a neat little bow, but it shouldn't be in a story like this. If you like haunted houses and narratives that mess with your mind, this is for you. It was for me.

I have been trying to finish this book since the beginning of August. That should have told me something right there. I finally just gave up and DNFed it at 30 percent. I was hoping for a really cool haunted house mystery a la [book:Hell House|33547] or [book:The Haunting of Hill House|89717] and that's not this book at all. I think the idea of a house falling from the sky was a good one, but the overall execution fell flat. I just didn't care enough to continue.

"The House that Fell from the Sky" follows Scarlett Vantassel. Scarlett is feeling restless with her life when one day in October a house falls from the sky. Of course the media and others wonder about the mysterious house (yeah if COVID taught me anything, it has taught me that humans are not as smart as we should be about things like this) and people are intrigued and want to know about the house. Scarlett's friend Hannah becomes obsessed with the house and when a private company buys the house (do not ask) they decide to do a lottery for people who will receive a large cash reward if they enter the house. Honestly this is some everyone is a moron book. Who would agree to do this? Not I says the woman who freaked out when she thought she heard her closet door opening by itself the other night.

I think the thing that just took me out of the book is that anyone would be all cool mysterious house that fell from the sky. It's up there with the people who keep finding unopened Egyptian tombs and wanting to go in. Maybe just leave things alone.

The development of Scarlett, Hannah, and Scarlett's brother and another friend was meh. I think what gets me the most is that I think Scarlett is 29 or 30 and she acts like a teen. I don't know if this book would have worked better if Delaney had aged down the character or what. I can't see adults being this reckless, but then again, COVID.

The writing was okay, I just got bored and DNFed at 30 percent. This book is over 500 pages and at that point it felt like nothing was happening and I refused to keep pushing myself to read and finish this book when it was obviously not working for me.

This one is really hard to rate. I didn't like the book until 75% into it. By then I had a bad attitude about it and just wanted it done and over with. I felt so confused on what was going on and why. it went back and forth in time. One section was dated which had me very confused. There were so many architectural terms and descriptions that I really didn't care for. It was a well described house. I was much more interested in the story of what was going on then that vivid of a description. The last 25% I was glued to my book though to see what the outcome was, so there was some redeeming there. It could have been a much shorter book than 573 pages. It took me forever to get through this because I just wasn't intrigued until the 75% mark. Thank you NetGalley for the copy of this book.

As the summary announced, a house mysteriously appeared out of nowhere and landed right in the city center.

If at the start, the only mystery lies in the origin of its appearance, an atmosphere of horror gradually settles while the first intrusions are made in the house, resulting in death and cases of sudden insanity.

I was initially embarrassed by the behavior of the heroes. They're supposed to be in their late twenties but quite honestly seemed to be barely half that age.

This house is a huge mystery. Initially, we try to understand the reason for its sudden appearance. Haloed with a frightening aura, all those who approach it feel something happening within them. A diffuse feeling. A dark feeling. Many feelings that cannot be explained but that leave a lasting impression. Anyone in their right mind would avoid this house.

Except Scarlett and her friends. This is exactly where the real age of heroes bothers me because I think any adult would exercise caution.

The action captivated me but at the same time, I felt like I was emerging from a huge fog. I felt like I didn't understand everything and at the same time, like I saw clearly in this story. This story arouses all possible emotions and their opposite and I think it is intended. The message we get from it is that we must reach the bottom of the abyss to finally find the way to the light.

The end of the story is bittersweet. Some elements leave us with a smile but others are sad to cry. It's incredible!

What I will say about The house that fell from the sky is that it's more than just a simple horror story. It is also an initiatory journey that we would never have guessed. A story about the importance of not losing yourself and staying loyal to the people you love.

I was so excited to read this book, as it featured many elements I often enjoy in my horror fiction: spooky houses, inexplicable events, and a troubled cast of characters haunted by their personal demons.

Sadly, this book fell flat for me. I didn't look forward to reading it, and I wasn't engaged. Usually, I cannot put down horror fiction and read them within a couple of days.

This missed the mark for me in all aspects.

DNF. The pace was to slow for me and it couldn’t hold my interest. I was given an advance copy by #netgalley in trade for an honest review.

Thanks, @netgalley and Oblivion Publishing for the ARC.

Publisher: Oblivion Publishing
Publish Date: September 1, 2020
Genre: Horror
Ratings: 3.5 stars

Synopsis from Google:
When twenty-nine-year-old Scarlett Vantassel comes to the conclusion that her life doesn't resemble any of the things she actually wanted for herself, she drops out of school and moves back home, attempting to reconnect with the people she left behind

My Thought:
Personally I think it didn’t have to be that long. The characters here are really good, I really liked that. It’s kinda hard to get into the book, at first, it’s a bit slow. The opening with the house arriving was good. Maybe if certain parts had been condensed a bit, it would've kept the pace and tenseness at a higher level.

I liked the relationship between the characters. One mention is that I really wish we'd gotten into the house a little bit sooner than we do because I read a couple of hundred pages and kept wondering if it was around the corner. Rather than build tension for me, this sort of just started making me want to rush past the stuff that didn't really seem to have anything to do with the actual plot. Mentions of character's appearances were a bit repetitive, and I could've done without certain bits that felt a little more like trimmable bulk than necessary weight.

It was so not what I expected and surprised myself by how much I ended up enjoying it. Yeah okay yeah a house shows up out of nowhere but if you get past that it leaves you with a creepy and eerie story. Definitely worth checking out. Happy reading!

A mysterious house appears out of nowhere in a quiet community.  Those who go near it either die or go insane.  But a small group of friends win the chance to spend a night and discover what's within.  Will they survive?       That's the premise of the story.  For some reason, it made  me think of the show "Channel Zero: No-End House," so I thought I'd give it a shot...and wound up with mixed feelings.   
 First, the positive.  Once the narration gets inside the house, I really got into the story.  Each room is different, with varying degrees of horror and psychological terror.  Very descriptive, very creepy.   
Now for the downside:  the characters.  All of them.  Well, maybe not the magician.  The friends are all nearly thirty, yet talk and act like immature 15 year olds.  Even the father acted like an immature idiot trying to fit in with "the kids."  And with nearly two thirds of the 500+ page novel  centered around the character backstories, it gets a little old and lot annoying after a bit.   
There was a lot of potential with the horror aspect, sadly it was overshadowed by unlikable characters and distracting, sometimes unnecessary backstories and subplots. 
  Thanks to NetGalley and Oblivion Publishing for sending me an  ecopy for review.

This was not the best horror I have read, but it still made for a decent, fairly original read. A huge mansion type of house just lands on top of a part of a town and no one can figure out where it came or what the motivation was. It will not let anyone get inside at first, even with the military and scientists trying everything they know. I cannot really say I ever really connected with any of the characters. Pretty much all of the main characters have issues/drama going on, and the author spends a good bit of time on that and a little less on the actual house than I would have liked. So that made it a little harder to want to pick up and read some days if I was not in the best of mood in the first place, knowing I would be reading about others' drama issues. It still made for a good book though. Just one of those horrors with a little more drama in it than I like.

A very good story, gripping and entertaining. I liked the spooky atmosphere, the style of writing and the world building.
It's a page turner that kept me on the edge till the end.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

It’s a very slow start. I mean VERY slow. But if you make it past the 15% mark you will fall in love with this eerie book. It defies genre and is part science fiction, part fantasy, part mystery ...and so on. I read the book but I think it would be even better as an audiobook. I think the characters would be even more vibrant if you heard from Scarlett directly. I am still thinking about this book even a week after finishing it. And for me that’s a sign of an amazing story. No wonder it’s received so many positive reviews. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Reading this book felt like watching a movie (i really liked this) and the concept of this book is superb! With that being said I did feel like this book didn't need to be this long and the characters (while I really enjoyed them) were supposed to be around their 30s but they felt like college kids to me (18-21) which I would have preferred! The last 100 pages are definitely the best part! I'm a sucker for a bitter sweet ending. If you enjoy slow burn horror about creepy houses I would definitely reccomend this!

This one really had me intrigued. A house that randomly comes into a town? What couldn’t be more creepier??

I will say, that as this is a clunker of a book, there is a ton of buildup until the actually “good stuff” takes place, and there were points in reading in that had me wondering if it was worth the wait..

But when it all finally picked up, the content had the ups and downs.

While I enjoyed the dark, gothic vibes of the writing, I felt like this wasn’t as creepy of a story that I originally thought. When the town creates a game out of the situation, I felt like it sort of lost the momentum of scary and turned more of a repetitive, ‘who will survive‘ theme.

I knew that a lot of readers compared this to a haunted, wild, adult Willy Wonka trip, and I do have to agree with them. The events inside the actual house had that never-ending scenario coupled with the creepy crawlies of a more classic (and somewhat unrealistic) vibes that we tend to see with the older horror movies.

Overall, I think that this author is one to watch grow into the horror genre. I think the buildup he had just took a different direction than what I initially expected, but also creating a soldi 3 out of 5 star book.

The House that fell from the sky - there, this is the focal point. I requested this book just by seeing the title. I’m a big sucker for anything that involves gothic mansions and creepy/haunting houses.

Scarlett, a horror book/movie blogger feels like she hit a dead end and wants to stop the routine, one a night while filming her last vlog, she and the entire town of Winterview notices other worldly disturbances, which is caused by a giant house literally falling from the sky!

The story is developed carefully and is divided into 4 parts. First, deals with the people of Winterview and their view on the house. Second, provides a background of our 4 main characters - Scarlett, her brother Tommy, his girlfriend Hannah and their friend Jackson, who is in love with Scarlett since forever. All these characters supplemented the story with their unique traits. Third, there’s a new bad boy corporate in town who claims the house to do “experiments” and to make it “interesting” the Crow Corporation announces their own version of “Hunger Games” - 4 people, 1 night. 1 million each!! The final part, happens inside the house with the 4 participants.

The house itself gave me Haunting of the Hill House feels and I think its safe to say that its a love-child of Lovecraft & Willy Wonka. Weird + creative + insanely creepy. They weren’t that horrific for me, but the happenings definitely churned me!! The house has a indefinite reality - it can change as it pleases, and resets itself when someone ends. After all “the house is alive”. I loved the concept, but my only complaint is that this is a big book, easily 500+ pages which sometimes minimised my interest and hold to the story.

4/5 ⭐️

Thank you Oblivion Publishers, Patrick Delaney & Netgalley for the arc. This is my own honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oblivion Publishing for this e-arc copy. My first DNF of the year and I am not happy about it. I got 30% of the way through and gave up. The premise seemed strong and I was engaged as far as the plot went. The house was creepy and the plot was intriguing enough that I wanted to know what would happen next. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get past the characters in this one. 29?! They sound like they’re 16 with no life experience. The plot just wasn’t hooking enough for me to trudge through the rest of the novel to find out what this house was about with awful characters. A solid editing pass-through this could’ve made this book a lot stronger than the words I read and I don’t see myself returning to this one.

2.5 Stars

I had a hard time getting into this book and as I read I found it too long and so boring. I didn't get any scary vibes and frankly found it a little weird, but maybe that's what the author was going for? I felt like I was reading a book for young adults. The characters seems more like caricatures and very childish for their age. As many other reviewers have mentioned this just wasn't my cup of tea. It was supposed to be horror and it felt a little flat to me. I really like the idea for the book but not the execution. On a more positive note I do love the cover.