Customer Reviews

Watcher in the Woods (Dreamhouse Kings)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Xander and David King can't believe this is happening. Their family has recently moved into a creepy old house with secrets around every corner. Sounds are never what they seem in the house. The hall linen closet is a portal to a locker at their school. And who could forget the strange clearing in the woods out back where you can actually float on air? All of that seems normal compared to the secret rooms that act as portals to other worlds. Now a member of the family has been kidnapped by someone from these other worlds and the King's must work together to bring them back.

If things weren't bad enough, a stranger shows up who tries to run the family out of the house. He seems intent on destroying the family's reputation and soon has the local authorities on his side. Now the King's must deal with a new school and unfair perceptions as they secretly band together to find a way to bring back their missing loved one. The more they search the more they begin to understand just how dangerous this house is.

Robert Liparulo opens this second installment right where the first left off. Immediately we are sucked back into the tension and mystery that made House of Dark Shadows so enjoyable. Round two is just as exciting as we are taken on another whirlwind thrill ride that never lets up. David King gets most of the spotlight here and it's a blast getting to know this character more. We are treated to more alternate world adventures that are chocked full of action and suspense. Even more secrets are revealed and more questions created, adding to the clever plotlines that Liparulo masterfully weaves. Never is it obvious where the story is going and that's what makes it so addicting. As with the first book, the themes of love and family are beautifully explored bringing a welcome dose of heart to the story.

Some readers may be turned off by the "juvenile fiction" tag on the back of the book. Don't let the marketing fool you! This is a quality series that readers of all ages will enjoy. There are enough thrills, chills, mysteries, and action to keep all ages coming back for more. Liparulo's die hard fans will love this series and new readers will be charging to the nearest book store to discover his other works. This is top-notch storytelling on every level!

I missed the humor that was so evident in the first book in this series House Of Dark Shadows,but my interest never wavered in this second book despite it's noticeable absence.

There are plenty of edge-of-your-seat moments,and some very interesting twists to the story,plus the father's history with the house,was appreciated.

My only complaint is with that cliff-hanger of an ending,LOL!

As Mr. Liparulo's books marketed more for adults don't really interest me,with the excessive gore warned about for Comes A Horseman,for example,I am hoping that he will write many more YA series like this one.

This story picks up as if it's just the next chapter of "House of Dark Shadows." That's good, if you had "Watcher in the Woods" handy, because you're going to want to go from one to the next asap. That's also the drawback, when you finish "Watcher" you're even more so going to want the next installment - and it comes out in January 2009. Write faster, Bob! Just kidding, I'm sure he's doing everything he can to keep us going.

I have come to really enjoy this family - they bond and grow together throughout this book, and they way they pull together seems to be the antithesis of the disfunctional family we all read about.

The adventures in this book become more recognizable by period and character, and I really look forward to the next 2-3 books as I'm sure you will if you buy these books.

Watcher in the Woods is the continuing story of the King family.

David King, 12-years-old is facing huge traumas while attempting to keep the outside world from destroying his chance of happiness.

Grasping hold of the King family legacy of bravery, David dives into the unknown to save his family at great cost to himself.

From the first word to the final "not the end" I cheered and cringed for the Kings.

I hope the next book releases very soon. This is book two in the series I'm going to recommend regardless of age or gender. I'd also love to see it turned into a movie.

Easily frightened readers might struggle with the intensity, otherwise, this is a powerful story well told.

The second book in the Dreamhouse series is as good if not better than the premier book.
The story of how a family pulls together during a major crisis has many twists and turns and holds your interest to the last page.
Although the book is labeled as Juvenile Fiction, the story telling is anything but juvenile. Liparulo's plot line keeps you always wondering what is going to happen next.
Like the old time movie serials you have a hard time waiting for the next installment.

"Watcher in the Woods" by Robert Liparulo is the second book of the Dreamhouse Kings Young Adult series.

I won't summarize the book here, but I will tell you that "Watcher" is packed full of action, excitement and creepiness as the first book in the series, "House of Dark Shadows".

Watcher is a book that will pull emotions out of you. Most notably you will be angry with the bull dog politics that put the King's in a corner. Anyone who's ever lived in a small town will understand their plight, and the ending will leave you pumped for the third book, "Gatekeepers" due to release in January of 2009.

As with all of Liparulo's writing, this book is written well, and you will not find yourself bored with the prose. Even though it is labeled as a Young Adult book, anyone can pick it up and enjoy it. I highly recommend you do.

If you haven't experianced Liparulo's other works: Comes a Horseman, Germ and Deadfall; picking them up while waiting on Gatekeepers will leave you wanting more by this talented author. Parents can rest assured that teens reading the full novels will not be assaulted with foulness, as Liparulo takes a clean, albeit vivid, approach to writing Thrillers.

I highly recommend this book and am sure you will enjoy it. Robert Liparulo once again makes it very easy to say: "Five Stars."

I read the first book in this series on my Kindle. I know it was written for young adults but I'm an older adult and I was fascinated by the unique story line. I finished the first book and immediately ordered the hard copy of this second book. It came quickly and is in perfect condition, as stated.Guess I'm hooked!

I like this entire series but I have to say this one is my least favorite (which is not to say I didn't enjoy it) out of the 6 books.

Of course, this book is absolutely crucial as it introduces you to the main antagonist (Taksidian) as well as the man who holds the answers to everything.

The reason I didn't enjoy it as much is because it was an introductions book. It opened the door for a lot of questions but didn't actually hold any answers. For example, you learn who the 'bad guy' is, where he comes from, what he was...but you never learn his purpose for being at the King's house and why he wants the house so badly. He does bad things to the King's to try and kick him out but I spent the whole book wondering why he was doing what he was doing, I knew he was bad, but he didn't seem to have a purpose. It also doesn't really explain how he got to be so powerful. You could assume it was from the portals...but how...and how did he learn English? Of course, most of these questions (and many more that are raised from this book) are answered later on in the books but that means that this book is not able to be a stand-alone book (of course, all these books are cliffhangers anyhow so really none of them are...but this one...even less so).

I appreciate a series that has books that connect with one another, painting a complete story...however, I also like it when each book can actually exist as a book in and of itself. This book wasn't boring or dull though, it will still make you want to read more (probably more so since now you have a bunch of questions).

My recommendation: buy all 6 and just turn it into one big book since none of the books really have an ending anyhow...except the last one.

I purchased House of Dark Shadows (#1 in the series) to see if I was interested in the entire series. That book was so exciting that I ordered the other five and was extremely impatient until they arrived. This is an exciting series that is fun for all ages. I'm a grandmother and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have a niece who teaches and she felt the same way and will be recommending it to her students.

I typically stick with this genre of books because they are usually free of bad language and sex and, since they don't rely on those to fill pages, I find they are much more entertaining. After reading this series, I read Glenn Beck's new book, The Overton Window, advertised to be a thriller, and frankly, as much as I like Glenn Beck, I found these books much more exciting and "edge of seat."

I was sorry to reach the end of #6 and will look forward to future writing by Robert Liparulo.

I found this book to continue to hold my attention. I did not tire of the characters nor of the plot even though the book progresses slowly through time. There is one adventure right after the other. The middle child, David, can hardly get up before he gets knocked down again. David comments that to experience fear while in the house is beginning to feel like a normal way of life.
Of note, is the family's love & devotion to one another; of their willingness to put themselves in harms way to protect one another, & to even risk their lives to save their mother. While Mr. King wants to be slow & methodical & learn all they can about the otherworlds in order to find his wife & mother of his children, his young sons feel that time is short & feel the necessity to hastely locate their mother. The boys rush head first into trouble time & time again. The family remembers their faith & values as imparted to them by their mother. They ultimately learn to work together despite their differences of opinions.
While the family is eager to locate their mother & leave, their efforts are hindered by a man who wants them out of the house immediately. But the family is not to be outdone. They firmly stand their ground. Help is on the way in the form of a family menber, Uncle Jesse, who built the house & knows its family secrets.
The book ends in a cliff hanger which leaves me breathless & eagerly waiting to read the next book.