Dawn Kurtagich

Welcome to the Dead House. Three students: dead. Carly Johnson: vanished without a trace. Two decades have passed since an inferno swept through Elmbridge High, claiming the lives of three teenagers and causing one student, Carly Johnson, to disappear. The main suspect: Kaitlyn, "the girl of nowhere." Kaitlyn's diary, discovered in the ruins of Elmbridge High, reveals the thoughts of a disturbed mind. Its charred pages tell a sinister version of events that took place that tragic night, and the girl of nowhere is caught in the center of it all. But many claim Kaitlyn doesn't exist, and in a way, she doesn't - because she is the alter ego of Carly Johnson. Carly gets the day. Kaitlyn has the night. It's during the night that a mystery surrounding the Dead House unravels and a dark, twisted magic ruins the lives of each student that dares touch it. Debut author Dawn Kurtagich masterfully weaves together a thrilling and terrifying story using psychiatric reports, witness testimonials, video footage, and the discovered diary - and as the mystery grows, the horrifying truth about what happened that night unfolds.

The Dead House

Part-psychological thriller, part-urban legend, this is a brilliantly atmospheric and accomplished debut, told through an unsettling narrative made up of diary entries, interview transcripts, film footage transcripts and medical notes. Twenty-five years ago, Elmbridge High burned down. Five people were killed and one pupil, Carly Johnson, disappeared. Now a diary has been found in the ruins of the school. The diary asserts that Carly had an identical twin sister, Kaitlyn, who only came out at night. The diary is Kaitlyn's. The material revisits the events leading up to 'the Johnson Incident' and reveals a web of deceit and intrigue, violence and murder, raising a whole lot more questions than it answers. Chilling, creepy and utterly compelling, THE DEAD HOUSE is one of those very special books that finds all the dark places in your imagination, and haunts you long after you've finished reading.

Dead House

Emelie

The plot sounds so good and it makes the book more appealing. But boy was I wrong.

It was fine until about halfway then it just went downhill. It was no surprising plot twist and the plot itself was just not believable. 

The ending could've been done soooo much better and I'm a little sad it wasn't!

"What an evil and original story. You can't stop reading Kaitlyn's diary. But is she real? It's a mystery inside a mystery--and the shocks keep coming. Scary stuff!" --R.L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps and Fear Street series Welcome to the Dead House. Three students: dead. Carly Johnson: vanished without a trace. Two decades have passed since an inferno swept through Elmbridge High, claiming the lives of three teenagers and causing one student, Carly Johnson, to disappear. The main suspect: Kaitlyn, "the girl of nowhere." Kaitlyn's diary, discovered in the ruins of Elmbridge High, reveals the thoughts of a disturbed mind. Its charred pages tell a sinister version of events that took place that tragic night, and the girl of nowhere is caught in the center of it all. But many claim Kaitlyn doesn't exist, and in a way, she doesn't - because she is the alter ego of Carly Johnson. Carly gets the day. Kaitlyn has the night. It's during the night that a mystery surrounding the Dead House unravels and a dark, twisted magic ruins the lives of each student that dares touch it. Debut author Dawn Kurtagich masterfully weaves together a thrilling and terrifying story using psychiatric reports, witness testimonials, video footage, and the discovered diary - and as the mystery grows, the horrifying truth about what happened that night unfolds.

Courtney Gendreau

Really enthralling read, perfect for those who may just be getting into reading, or are not avid readers. See full review below. 


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McKenzie McWhorter

This book was far different than I anticipated. I really enjoyed the first half or so but there was too much going on plot wise by the end and some parts really dragged on. The ending felt rushed and confusing.

Amanda

This definitely had a creepy factor. Unfortunately I found the plot really long winded, and i was hoping for some sort of conclusion and the end and for me that fell a little flat too.

courtney garrison

This book centers around Carly/Kaitlyn. Carly has DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder), which is brought on by extreme trauma. In this Case, because of her parent’s death, but Carly claims Kaitlyn was around before then. You go through these novel reading transcripts, emails, police documents, carly and kaitlyns diary. You are essential reading everything that reads up to carly/kaitlyn taking her own life and others in a fiery blaze.

The writing is very amazing throughout this novel and you go a little nuts yourself trying to keep up with the events. Kaitlyn/Carly and all her friends think she is possessed, with some type of olen or demon is inside her and taken Carly away. You go through a series of events and you are essentially put into Carly’s mind. You see everything from her point fo view. You see very strange things happen to her along her journey, staring at walls, self-harming, killing, escaping a mental hospital. You see her essentially losing her mind, she is severely ill and needs help, but no one will get her back to the hospital.

This novel had me confused, amazed and downright chilled at moments. The Writing is so descriptive and has you feeling like you are right there in the room with all of them. It also gives you a glimpse of what it is like for someone with DID, Now I do not suffer from this Disorder, so I can not tell you if they rep is good or bad. (if you have read this novel, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments). If you are someone who loves mystery/horror type books, I highly recommend them.

篠田美月

Was it good? Eh.
Did I have fun? I mean I did finish it in like 4 hours so... indubitably.

Steysha

This. Book. Is. Pure. MADNESS!!!

It messed with my brain and left me speechless! I mean, if you`d asked me to retell the story, I wouldn`t have been able to. Just because I don`t know myself what really happened there. This book is a trickster, and we have a very unreliable main character. 

Seriously, people, it blew my mind. I don`t even know what to think. This is so messed up. I have no idea what is true and what`s not. If you`re a fan of mysteries, then this story is for you. 
Okay, let`s start.



Firstly, the story is told in a very unusual way. We are provided by footages, interviews and diary entries. Don`t know about you guys, but this made it interesting for me. It also annoyed me a bit that the timeline of the book was very chaotic. You could read the records from one year, and then they were abruptly interrupted by records from the past years or the future. It can mess with your head and it confused me even more. Pictures at the beginning of each footage were awesome and atmospheric - I looooooved it, keep it up! It`s interesting and unconventional.

Generally speaking, this is a story about a girl. Or two. The story is told from Kaitlyn`s behalf. Or from Carly`s. Honestly, I have no idea :D But the bottom line is this:
In one terrible day Carly Johnson's parents die. She does not remember what happened, and that brings her in a mental facility, where she is diagnosed with DID - Dissociative identity disorder – because she claims that she has a sister Kaitlyn and they share one body. Doctors say it is all because of stress after the death of her parents. But they do not know that Kaitlyn has always been with Carly...




  «Carly and I pretend to be recovering from a sickness we don’t have. But when no one will believe you, you become the liar they think you are.»


Carly gets the day, Kaitlyn has the night. They see each other as sisters and communicate via notes. The girls are completely different: Carly is good, demure and friendly, Kaitlyn is cheeky, fidget and paranoid. Her behavior often can be called inadequate, and she loves to harm herself. Both girls are willing to get out of Claydon and flee to London, where they will finally be free.


  «Carly and I are closer than sisters. Closer than twins. We might as well be the same person, because we share the same body. But we are different. You might say she’s my better half. We share one life, each getting part.
Carly gets the day.
I get the night.»


But the girls are sent to school, and everything would have been fine, if not for Kaitlyn`s mental state. She hears the Voice - Aka Manah. She does not know where it came from, and to be honest, it wasn`t like she was really worried about it. Well, phew, some mysterious Voice, that shouldn`t be here, whispers some terrible things to you at night. Who cares?

And then... Kaitlyn wakes up in the morning. And Carly is gone. Without a trace. To regain her "sister," Kaitlyn must resort to voodoo-magic and go to the Dead House. Will she be able to maintain sanity when faced with such horrors?

Nuh-uh. In my opinion, there is nothing to maintain. The girl is sick. Sometimes you read a passage of the book, and she is quite normal, and for the next 50 pages you find yourself in the mind of a schizophrenic person. I admit, I like it, she is completely unpredictable, because she defies logic.




  «I’ve looked at my arms.
So… maybe…
Maybe I am crazy broken. Maybe I do need help fixing.»


I will omit some details, but Kaitlyn always sees different hallucinations, like dead girls aka The Ring, and, of course, the Dead House (or Madhouse, as I prefer it). Doctors say that she is sick, her friends – that it's all voodoo-magic, and that there is a dark magician among the students. Who is right? Does Kaitlyn suffer from the pills? Or because of magic? Or because of her own folly? Here are the questions you ask yourself throughout the book. You are entangled in this story, and at the end you just swim with the current, not even trying to understand the plot. As it`s said in the summery, this story raises a whole lot more questions than it answers, and it really haunts you long after you've finished reading.



I could guess who was "the bad guy", but that wasn`t the most interesting storyline. I was way more interested in Kaitlyn and Carly`s story. Unfortunately, I can`t say that the author revealed their history. We know almost nothing about them before the death of their parents, as it left me with a couple of questions that have not received any responses. It`s like the author decided to keep some intrigue and says: come on, readers, use your own heads an think as you prefer!

I don`t want to talk too much about the plot and the characters, since this information is interconnected and can be spoilery, so you will not find any detailed specifications in this review. It`s all about admiration and bewildered cries :)

But if you're looking for a book that will drive you crazy - bingo, here it is! And yet, if you are going to read it before sleep - make sure you won`t have to get up out of bed, because you might start to look for monsters in the dark corners :)



Fans of Mara Dyer – you`ll love The Dead House! Only this one is way more creepy and crazy, and the romance is almost nonexistent. I was scared of dark after this shit! Also, I think fans of psychological thrillers like Gone Girl or Dangerous Girls will find this story fascinating. 

I highly recommend you to read this book. I`ve never read anything like that before. Also, if you have any questions after the end of the book (and believe me, you WILL), feel free to write to me, because I`d love to chat about it :)


Hey Guys!Check out my interview with the amazing Dawn Kurtagich about her Debut Novel The Dead House!

Sabetha Danes

This is a well laid out book, I'm still unsure of what the truth is. I'm left with more questions than answers, but I say that's the sign of a good physiological book. It's a warped read, with 3 - 4 different views that could all be the truth of the situation.

Renee K Hopper

Interesting story. I listened to this and thought the voice acting was great.

Twenty-five years ago, Elmbridge High School burned down. The blaze killed three and injured twenty, and one pupil, Carly Johnson, disappeared. For two decades, little was revealed about what became known as the Johnson Incident. Until now. A diary has been found in the ruins of the school. In this diary, Kaitlyn Johnson, Carly's twin, tells of the strange and disturbing sequence of events leading to the incident. But Kaitlyn doesn't exist. She never has. Chilling, creepy and compelling, THE DEAD HOUSE is one of those very special books that finds all the dark places in your imagination, and haunts you long after you've finished reading.

Emir Andrés Ibañez

Tenía todo para ser genial. Pero no lo fue.

Stefanie

Like, what actually happened? I want answers! This story is so frustrating yet exciting...

Also thank you for reviving my fear of reflections and  the dark  :O

Candyce Kirk

3.5 stars

Review will be posted soon on thebookdutchesses.wordpress.com

Viry

"DID--dissociative identity disorder. I'm a coping mechanism... an alternative personality. I'm a symptom. They think I'm like a disease--I'm infecting Carly.

WOW. This book was amazingly creepy and fascinating. I nearly read it in one sitting but once nighttime came around I had to stop because I was scared out of my mind. SO GOOD.


  My Spoiler Free Review Video
 https://youtu.be/YddoBrumlSQ

laura

I really love both formatting of this book and also the story. As both a reader and somebody who loves psy. stories that have a touch of magic to them maybe. I loved the line this book walked. Such a fast pace read.

Neva Davies

While reading The Dead House, I found myself hooked. I tried solving the mystery and was really hoping for a happy ending. I do recommend this for anyone who read and enjoyed And The Trees Crept In.

Mollee Clingenpeel

** spoiler alert **
           Ok well first off this was not what I expected at all! I liked the first half better than the second half of the book though. It got really scary! I don't know if I believe the narrator or not. Maybe Carly/Kaitlyn was possessed, maybe they were just mentally ill. I honestly don't know what to believe. I think I like the book better if she was just crazy. I think it gives a more "psychological horror" vibe rather than "paranormal horror" which I definitely am a bigger fan of. However I really don't know what I believe! Overall it was an alright book. A little scary for my usual taste, I still read it pretty quickly though. I thought the dossier style was fun. It reminded me of Illuminae. I'd say probably a 3.75 stars on this one. The second half of the book just got a little too scary for me to rate it higher. (I didn't know it'd be that scary going in)

Witch

This was a lot of fun. It kind of lost steam for me about 3/4 of the way in but I really enjoyed it!

Sierra Horst

This book was so unique! I loved the way it was told and grabbed me right from the beginning. It’s told 100% through interviews, journal entries, and video footage transcribed. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised! 

Jessica Nottingham

The one downside to enjoying horror themed books and movies so much is that it takes a lot to impress me. Take a minute to think about the very onslaught of "found footage" horror movies that have been made in the recent past. In order for this pseudo-documentary style to work, the creator has to put in the effort to make the experience seem real. We all know what happens when they don't. Enter, The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich. Very much the book equivalent of the "found footage" movie, I wasn't sure to make of this book at first. It pieces together interviews, diary entries, random notes, and even video transcriptions. I'm still not convinced that it entirely succeeded either.
 
Let's start with the good. Our main character is a fascinating individual. Carly/Kaitie is a perfectly unreliable narrator. Is she two souls living in one body? Is one of her identities the cause of mental illness? Kurtagich sets up a reality where the reader never really knows. Oh, you might think you've figured it out. I did. Then something new is unearthed and suddenly it's back to wandering in the dark. I'll admit that, above all else, what kept me reading was the simple fact that I wanted to know what was going on with our protagonist. Was she insane? Or was there something else, something deeper, at work here?
 
Which is why I think that the style of this book was so rough for me. Only getting to know Carly/Kaitie through weird and broken snippets was frustrating. I understand that it was supposed to build tension. For a while, it did. Especially towards the middle, as things slowly descended into madness. However I was also never able to get a handle on who these girls really were, and what made them so different. By the time that the ending came and went, I was baffled. I'm all for twists. I like something to be turned on its head. Still, setting a character up in a certain light and then waiting until the end to throw in a shocking tidbit is just maddening. Add in the fact that I was never actually given any sort of ultimate climax, and you'll see why this book and I are still having a staring contest.
 
For what it's worth, this would be an excellent horror novel for people out there who don't read them very often. If you're put off by blood, and gore, you won't have to worry about that here. There are a few passages that mention some slightly violent things, but overall this is more of a thriller than anything else. Lots of mystery built up. Plenty of unsolved deaths. Even a bit of romance. I do believe that readers who enjoy being lost in a character's head might like this book. Just don't expect it to take off right away. It's one of those that is a slow build up. I'll leave it to you to decide whether or not it's all worth it in the end.

Coralie | she/her

4/5 

I AM SO SCARED! This book was so f**ing scary. I am really easily scared by stories about ghost and spirits, so this is not THAT scary in real. 
So yeah, I was terrified at some moments, but this is because Dawn Kurtagich's writing is really good. I loved the layout of this book. We're actually reading a police statement which includes newspaper articles, diaries, videos, audios etc. connected to the fire at Elmbridge highschool.
So yeah, if you like to have chills and all, READ IT!

The Dead House

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