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The Dead House  By  cover art

The Dead House

By: Dawn Kurtagich
Narrated by: Charlotte Parry, Christian Coulson
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Publisher's summary

Debut author Dawn Kurtagich is dead on in this terrifying psychological thriller!

Over two decades have passed since the fire at Elmbridge High, an inferno that took the lives of five teenagers. Not much was known about the events leading up to the tragedy - only that one student, Carly Johnson, vanished without a trace....

...until a diary is found hidden in the ruins.

But the diary, badly scorched, does not belong to Carly Johnson. It belongs to Kaitlyn Johnson, a girl who shouldn't exist. Who was Kaitlyn? Why did she come out only at night? What is her connection to Carly?

The case has been reopened. Police records are being reexamined: psychiatric reports, video footage, text messages, emails. And the diary.

The diary that paints a much more sinister version of events than was ever made publicly known.

©2015 Dawn Kurtagich (P)2015 Hachette Audio

What listeners say about The Dead House

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Sucked in, spit out, sucked in...

I picked up this book only a couple of days ago. It is one of the best audiobooks I have ever listened to, due in huge part to the performances and the production. There are seriously intense/paranormal/spooky elements to this book; it's not for the squeamish. This style of book is normally not something I would read, but I HAD to know what would happen next.
It jumps forward and backward in time, sometimes making you feel like you've got to have a scorecard to keep up, but the narrator always tells you how far before/after the "incident" the events take place.
I plan on re-reading this book on a cold, stormy night - maybe in the winter - so I can pick up on all the little details I missed the first time.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Terrifically narrated!

I thoroughly enjoyed this audio book. I think it would have lost something had I read it in print. It was engaging, spooky, and very atmospheric when heard narrated, and I definitely recommend the audiobook version over print.

It seemed to fizzle right at the end, but not so much that it detracted from my enjoyment of the story as a whole. There were plenty of twists and surprises as the plot unfolded, and though certain characters were much better developed than others, it was definitely worth a credit.

If you're interested in stories about mental illness, magic, haunted houses, or just plot twists and mysteries, you'll enjoy The Dead House.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A very ambitious and well performed story.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Dead House to be better than the print version?

Yes, absolutely.

What did you like best about this story?

The unexpected twists, relatable characters, and edge of your seat tension maintained throughout most of the book. I found myself cheering for characters at moments and hating them at others, this is mostly due to the outstanding performance from Charlotte and Christian.

Have you listened to any of Charlotte Parry and Christian Coulson ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No but I will in the future, their performance was spot on.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It's a bit long for that, this book is perfect for long road trips.

Any additional comments?

This is worth the listen for anyone who might like a book about: hauntings, psychological thrillers, or mystery.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Exquisite Horror and Terrifyingly Produced

Before I start, I want to clarify the meaning of "terrifyingly produced." If I could type more in the title, I would have put production made me terrified. I will get more into that later, but I don't want anyone thinking that I thought the production was terrifying/terrible/bad... or anything else. Another detail I want to point out is that I’m worried that this book was placed under the teen section. In some ways, I do not have a problem with this; however, if I were to give it a film rating, I would definitely say that it was a SCARY PG-13, so I guess it belongs in teen, but it is very terrifying.

MY SYNOPSIS:

The Dead House takes place twenty-five years after an impossibly unbelievable occurrence has taken place; there are a few details here and there, but the main thing the reader knows as that there were a few deaths, some people are missing, there is no culprit, and there was a fire and other structural damage that has closed a school down for good. This incredibly unique gem of a book is about Carly and Kaitlyn Johnson, two sisters who spent time in a psychiatric hospital after an apparent breakdown responding to the death of her parents. One detail is important about the sisters: only Carly is registered as being alive and there is no mention of of a Kaitlyn anywhere in records. This is because these two girls live in the same body: Carly is the reserved, sweet girl awake during the day and Kaitlyn is the frustrated teen, only aware once the son has gone down. They live two completely different lives and have no memories of each others movements from he previous night or day. That is why Carly (and Kaitlyn's) therapist, Dr. Annabeth Lansing, is convinced that Carly is suffering with Dissociative Identity Disorder (D.I.D.). Carly and Kaitlyn keep trying and trying to convince her that this is different; the "alters" (what Dr. Lansing refers the other personalities as). Each appears at the same time each day, but she is convinced that this is a slightly unusual case of DID.

The story alternated between sessions with Dr. Lansing, Naida's camera footage that she's using for a school project, and a few other things, but the majority is from Kaitlyn's diary (the night sister), which she has come to call 'D.' There are also periodic intervals of the investigation of "the incident," where the detective rudely investigates this strange occurrence. With very strange things happening and no one, not even Kaitlyn herself understanding, it seems like some things will never be solved...

REVIEW

Dawn Kurtagich has given a crazy ride into the minds of some very disturbed kids and I was obsessed from the first few chapters. I usually can see at least some things coming, but I was very surprised by all of this and I LOVED everything about it. I will say that there were some confusing things and some were not resolved to satisfaction, but they were minor and I'm not going to waste any time discussing any of that. Ms. Kurtagich is a very talented writer and I am absolutely obsessed with this author and I'm hoping her new book will at least be half as good as this one.

I'm going to give the story a grade of an A/A-. I know that's weird, but I've been debating with myself for two weeks which one it deserves and I can't, so it's going to go right in the middle. As far as narration and production, I didn't wan to talk too much about it, because I want the listener not to know anything about it. I will say that the production (music especially) was incredible and it made the book so scary; I'm sure the book would be really scary if you read it, but I really think this is a book that should be listened to for sure. I suffer from sleep paralysis and, some may say that this is my own fault... (and it was), but this book was so scary that I had night terror and got stuck in sleep paralysis, which scared the living "H" out of me for a night. As far as the narrators, Christian Coulson is going to receive an A- from me; he was a spectacular narrator and I think his parts were fantastic. The only reason why I didn't give him an A or A+ was because Charlotte Parry was SO good that she outshone him a little. I still am flabbergasted at her talent and her ability to cary the story and convey the terror of a teenage girl...real terror.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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A psychological delight

I was drawn to this book because of my interest in psychology. I read the reviews, but still didn't expect start the book with high expectations. Between the twisted storyline and amazing performances, this book has made it into my top 10 favorites. I found several chapters to be a bit creepy, the concept was different and intriguing, and the writing was great.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A truly suspenseful delight!

This is an intriguing and twisting story. You won't be able to turn it off!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

The Best Book

You have to get this this book , It held me on and I did not want to put it down. Ooh you might not want to read this or listen to this incredible book at night, if you do make sure someone else is home..

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Creepy, mind-bending, & exactly what I hoped for

Where does The Dead House rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is a tricky question. If we're talking about the book, it was great and probably ranks somewhere in the middle (since I tend to ditch books I don't like). But if we're talking about performances, it's one of the best. You can hear and feel Kaitlyn's struggle to hang on to her sanity in Charlotte Parry's performance. Including Christian Coulson as the narrator was a great idea because it enhances the whole case file feel to the story - you really feel like you're trying to piece together what happened. And I know for a fact that these excellent narrators were one of the main reasons why I wouldn't listen to this book after it got dark.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Dead House?

Well, I can't really answer that without giving away spoilers. But there is a general ambiance of darkness and creepiness that the author maintains throughout the story that sets it apart from other books I've read. You're constantly wondering what's going to happen next, what was the incident, who dies, and if Kaitlyn is actually insane. I loved it.

Have you listened to any of Charlotte Parry and Christian Coulson ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. I should probably rectify that.

Any additional comments?

Regarding the ending, if you like neat, little bows on everything, this book isn't for you. If you like your horror with some ambiguity, this is for you. I think I can say with confidence what the author wants us to believe, but it comes with a dash of conspiracy theory-ness to it. I will definitely be keeping an eye on this author.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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still scratching my head

so I'm not really sure what to think. first part is really good, then it gets weird. but I think I like it.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Much better than the publisher's summary

Gave this a shot despite a predictable and dull-looking summary. Well written and well read, you may know what's going to happen (I did) but the ride is well worth it. Good use of a credit.

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