3.5 stars rounded up.

The premise of this was great, the execution was good, but it doesn’t feel complete. ( )

Two teenagers bang underwater.
Oh yeah, some cool cosmic horror stuff thrown in there as well. ( )

The ending really ruined the entire book for me.

Overall it was a coming of age story of discovering your first love, and having an adventure that only the two of you would hold onto the memories of. Creepiness throughout the story, the characters are written well, to their age. Rushing into things adults would stop and question the why's on. I enjoyed the make up of the mystery of the house, and the relationship. There were plenty of things that you have to suspend your disbelief on as far as the kids go, but otherwise a nice quick read.

The ending just made it all fall apart. Kind of felt like after the climax of the book, the author didn't know how to end it so splat. Here's a no answers cliff hanger for you to puzzle over. These type of ending can be great if the suspense, and information are layered in throughout the book, but that didn't happen here. You can't puzzle over the lack of information.

It was more of a first love story, and the suspense was just the background noise. So the reader is left with nothing to puzzle over other than 'what's going to happen next.' which is a cheap puzzler to end a stand alone book on. ( )

2.5 stars

Advance copy from NetGalley

I don’t know, man. I think I missed something, especially at the end. If the house is a metaphor, and I’m understanding it correctly (I just read an interview with the author, and I guess I am) it’s a bummer, and I don’t like it. Yes, yes, first love usually isn’t for forever, and falling in love has its scary side, but this metaphor feels overly pessimistic.
But the scenes inside the house were really well done, building the ominous tone more and more every time the kids went back. Describing the book to my husband increased my appreciation of these scenes, which really did have a powerful affect on me.
It was scary, and a quick read, but like a lot of horror I try (many reviewers question if this should be marketed as horror—some called it magical realism, which I’m more inclined to like, but whatever. Let’s call it horror), I finished it with a question mark and a harrumph. ( )

Some books defy definition and this is one. Some will love this; others loathe it. I honestly don’t know what I just read. I know I enjoyed it, but was it good, or was it bad? There are some creepy moments, in part (I feel) owing to the strange setting. The underlying sense of threat in being able to drown down in the dark is present like a character all its own, but drown in what? In water? In horror? In the hope and hopelessness of love? The book reads like an allegory of love. There is menace here, but those expecting a true horror novel may be disappointed. Those approaching the story with an open mind may be better rewarded. ( )