The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich is a psychological thriller written in epistolary form. Epistolary novels are novels made up of letters (mostly), but can also include diary entries, emails, blog posts, interviews and reports.
I really enjoyed this style of writing because it provided many different character viewpoints, allowing me to get into each of their heads and understand their character better. Since the different forms of writing were short, this ensured they were straight to the point, which made for quick reading.
The main character of the story is a teenage girl with multiple personality disorder. During the day, she’s known as Carly. She is happy and lively. She attends Elmbridge High School with her best friend, Naida. At night, she’s known as Kaitlyn. Carly, Ari (her love interest) and Naida are the only people who know of her existence. She roams the attic and basement. The Dead House is the name given to Kaitlyn’s mind. It’s a rickety and repulsive house on the verge of the Dead Sea. It’s distorted with many locked rooms and many hidden secrets.
When Kaitlyn loses Carly, she will do anything to get her sister back. Kaitlyn, Naida and their friends delve into the depths of the Dead House to try and get Carly back. Kaitlyn learns no one can be trusted, not even herself. Who will make it out alive? And who won’t make it out at all?
The book consists of diary entries, interviews, video footage and police reports. This layout is different from most books and makes it a more interesting read.
It was written in a non-linear narrative which messed with my mind just that little bit more. The characters were well crafted, proving we all hold a little insanity in ourselves. Witchcraft also played a part in the story and it was a nice surprise because I enjoy reading about witchcraft.
I love how it was an epistolary psychological thriller because it made the story move quickly. There was no shortage of plot twists, specifically near the end. It’s a book which will haunt you long after you’ve finished reading it. I want to read more books by this author because I want to see what psychological plot twists and turns she comes up with next.
I would recommend this book to anyone who’s 15 years and older and is a fan of psychological thrillers.
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