Jarad's Choice Monday Book Club

Jarad Johnson, our senior youth correspondent, chooses another book he thinks you might enjoy!  Thanks for digging in and doing all that reading for us.


The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich 
Review by Jarad Johnson
 
“They think I don’t exist…….they think I’m like a disease. I’m infecting Carly.”  
 
            This story is told from two perspectives entwined into one.  Carly Johnson has a sister, Kaitlin, who lives only in her mind.  Carly’s split personality disorder effectively allows her to live during the day while her sister lives at night.  But while “they” are at a party something terrible happens and only Kaitlin is left.  Stripped of her sister and dismissed by her doctors, Kaitlin embarks on a horrifying journey to find her sister and bring her back.
 
While this is a good book for anyone who likes action stories, the book would probably be especially appealing to teenagers struggling to figure out who they really are.  Multiple Personality disorder becomes a metaphor for the struggle for identity.  Kaitlin is trying to hold onto a version of herself that she sees as all-important, and when it is taken away she spends all her efforts in an attempt to retrieve it.
            The novel does a good job expressing emotions and the use of imagery and expressive language makes the tension palpable.  The book is extremely unique, narrative-wise.  The entire story is told through diary entries, video footage and interview transcripts.  It gives the story a distinctive voice, as though you are reading a case file; however, sometimes the interviews or transcripts jump around and are not fluid.  While this can add the plot and the tension, it also removes chapters or scenes that might ground the reader.
            All in all, I recommend this book.  I leave you with the advice contained within it:
 “I curse anyone who reads this book. If you touch it, hell will be waiting. Screw you. Happy reading.” 

Purchase the book here:
http://www.amazon.com/Dead-House-Dawn-Kurtagich/dp/0316298689/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457369593&sr=1-1&keywords=the+dead+house

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Jarad attends Fayetteville High School, loves tea, and tries to spend every spare second reading.  Jarad wants to be an English major.  Bless his heart!  Let's all light a candle for him and send him happy thoughts!

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