Title: The House that Jack Built

Author: Dale Robertson

Release date: June 6, 2018

I would wager that almost from day one on Twitter, when I started out promoting my own writing instead of my athletic pursuits, Dale connected and started supporting. I could’ve sworn I already had this book, it was listed on my TBR, but when I finally (and it took me a shamefully long time to get to it) arrived, I found it wasn’t on my Kindle. So, I snagged it and dove in.

This thing hums along. Robertson really crafted an engaging and exciting story here.

What I liked: ‘The House that Jack Built’ tells us the story of three pre-teens, Seb, Tommy and Regan, who want to make a name for themselves at school. The way to do that? Go to where the legend of Old Man Jack started and spend some time at night in his old house.

Robertson starts this off with a very familiar trope but manages to rework it enough for it to feel fresh and vibrant. I was drawn in immediately and the writing was fantastic.

Of course, things don’t go as they should. This is a horror book after all.

In order to conjure/call forth Jack, three scary stories must be told. So, each of the students tells a story, each one unique and enjoyable, and then they wait. Robertson did a great job of telling the three stories in different writer voices, which also allowed us to feel more connection with each of the kids.

As the story moves on, we get some incredibly creepy moments and Dale doesn’t let up until the ending arrives.

What I didn’t like: Truthfully, I didn’t like the character of Regan one bit. Some of it was purposeful on Dale’s part, some of it was my annoyance at the way the character interacted and some of their dialog, but in the end this made the finale of the story really grind my gears. Some of you will really dig it, but I felt it was a bit too straightforward and apparent.

Why you should buy this: This was a really fun time and a great take on a tried and true story plot. Robertson injected a lot of enjoyment in this, which kept me engaged and on board the entire time. I truly had a blast and I think this one should definitely be checked out.

4/5