Scan barcode
mhmissey's review against another edition
5.0
really liked the book in a book, also a nice perspective on Katrina and the aftermath for young adults
lisawreading's review against another edition
4.0
Similarly to her work in the terrific I Am Princess X, in The Agony House author Cherie Priest tells a gripping story with comic book illustrations mixed in to tell a piece of the tale. When Denise discovers the hidden comic book in the creepy attic of her new house (which she bluntly refers to as a "craphole" at all times), the book seems to be a clue to the unexplainable events happening to the family as they try to make the old place livable once again.
Denise is a great main character -- clearly very smart, devoted to her family, but unhappy with being dragged away from her friends back in Houston and forced to live in this awful house. As she settles in and gets to know some of the teens in her neighborhood, we get a picture of the devastation left by the Storm (as they refer to it), even after so many years. The book deals with issues around economic hardship, gentrification, and privilege, not in a preachy way, but by showing the struggles and resentments of the characters and the new understandings they need to reach in order to get along. The social lessons here feel organic and important to the story, and I appreciated seeing the characters come to terms with one another in all sorts of interesting ways.
I'd place The Agony House somewhere between middle grade and young adult fiction. The main characters are high school seniors, but the events and the narrative would be fine for younger readers, middle school or above, so long as they're okay with ghosts and spookiness. I really enjoyed the comic book pages and how they relate to the main story, and thought it was all very cleverly put together. As an adult reader, I saw the plot resolution twist coming pretty early on, but that didn't lessen the satisfaction of seeing it all work out, and I think it'll be a great surprise for readers in the target audience.
Denise is a great main character -- clearly very smart, devoted to her family, but unhappy with being dragged away from her friends back in Houston and forced to live in this awful house. As she settles in and gets to know some of the teens in her neighborhood, we get a picture of the devastation left by the Storm (as they refer to it), even after so many years. The book deals with issues around economic hardship, gentrification, and privilege, not in a preachy way, but by showing the struggles and resentments of the characters and the new understandings they need to reach in order to get along. The social lessons here feel organic and important to the story, and I appreciated seeing the characters come to terms with one another in all sorts of interesting ways.
I'd place The Agony House somewhere between middle grade and young adult fiction. The main characters are high school seniors, but the events and the narrative would be fine for younger readers, middle school or above, so long as they're okay with ghosts and spookiness. I really enjoyed the comic book pages and how they relate to the main story, and thought it was all very cleverly put together. As an adult reader, I saw the plot resolution twist coming pretty early on, but that didn't lessen the satisfaction of seeing it all work out, and I think it'll be a great surprise for readers in the target audience.
esthergreenwoodx's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. I didn't like it. It's very plainly and simply written, so it ends up closer to middle grade than YA even though the main character Denise is going into her senior year (which might make it more appealing to a reluctant reader, but it didn't work for me). The 3rd person narration doesn't work. The premise of an author dying mysteriously in your new house and leaving a comic behind is super cool, but this is a ghost story that barely talks about ghosts. It's more about how Denise's family is barely making ends meet, repeated ad nauseum (I know how living paycheck to paycheck can fill your entire life up with anxiety over money, but reading about it on almost every single page just bogs the story down). Peppered in are some weird interactions where Denise feels sorry for herself because she's white; the discussions around issues like gentrification, race, and class aren't executed well.
popthebutterfly's review against another edition
3.0
Disclaimer: I received this book through KidLitExchange and the publishing company. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Rating: 3/5
Publication Date: September 25, 2018
Genre: MG Mystery
Recommended Age: 12+ (mystery, some spooky moments)
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 272
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Denise Farber has just moved back to New Orleans with her mom and step-dad. They left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and have finally returned, wagering the last of their family's money on fixing up an old, rundown house and converting it to a bed and breakfast.Nothing seems to work around the place, which doesn't seem too weird to Denise. The unexplained noises are a little more out of the ordinary, but again, nothing too unusual. But when floors collapse, deadly objects rain down, and she hears creepy voices, it's clear to Denise that something more sinister lurks hidden here.Answers may lie in an old comic book Denise finds concealed in the attic: the lost, final project of a famous artist who disappeared in the 1950s. Denise isn't budging from her new home, so she must unravel the mystery-on the pages and off-if she and her family are to survive...
Review: For the most part this book was cute and enjoyable. The book had a good mystery in it and the characters are fairly well developed. The story is engaging as well and it would be a cute mystery for younger readers.
However, I didn’t like how the book brought up the topic of white people coming in to “white up” the neighborhood but didn’t go anywhere with it. It seemed like the book could have done better on some of the more social conscious issues but it failed to push those. Instead the book pushed random/unimportant aspects to the point where I felt that it was just trying to fill the book.
Verdict: A cute mystery.
Rating: 3/5
Publication Date: September 25, 2018
Genre: MG Mystery
Recommended Age: 12+ (mystery, some spooky moments)
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 272
Amazon Link
Synopsis: Denise Farber has just moved back to New Orleans with her mom and step-dad. They left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and have finally returned, wagering the last of their family's money on fixing up an old, rundown house and converting it to a bed and breakfast.Nothing seems to work around the place, which doesn't seem too weird to Denise. The unexplained noises are a little more out of the ordinary, but again, nothing too unusual. But when floors collapse, deadly objects rain down, and she hears creepy voices, it's clear to Denise that something more sinister lurks hidden here.Answers may lie in an old comic book Denise finds concealed in the attic: the lost, final project of a famous artist who disappeared in the 1950s. Denise isn't budging from her new home, so she must unravel the mystery-on the pages and off-if she and her family are to survive...
Review: For the most part this book was cute and enjoyable. The book had a good mystery in it and the characters are fairly well developed. The story is engaging as well and it would be a cute mystery for younger readers.
However, I didn’t like how the book brought up the topic of white people coming in to “white up” the neighborhood but didn’t go anywhere with it. It seemed like the book could have done better on some of the more social conscious issues but it failed to push those. Instead the book pushed random/unimportant aspects to the point where I felt that it was just trying to fill the book.
Verdict: A cute mystery.
falana's review against another edition
3.0
The audio was well done. The main character reads much younger than college-bound.
sasha_in_a_box's review against another edition
3.0
I loved Princess X, and I had high expectations. It's a good book, with fantastic insight into the Comics Code Authority, the creative process, and a rather delicious haunting. But it didn't have the momentum and passion of Cherie's previous work, and I was frankly bored and waiting for action to happen between the hauntings and happenings.
lattelibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
Denise and her family moved into quite the fixer-upper. Her future classmates are convinced Denise is a rich gentrifier except for those in her neighborhood who know exactly what house they purchased. Abandoned in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and decomposing ever since, The Agony House is home to rotting wood, falling chandeliers, and... ghosts? When Denise finds an unpublished comic book, she and her friends soon come to realize that something happened in this house. Something bad. And whatever it was, it won't stop until it has its revenge.
Alternating between Denise's story and comic book, this makes for a fun format-bending read. Discussing topics like gentrification, classism, racism, and ghost-hunting, The Agony House makes a case for the importance of community and history.
This one unfortunately fell a little flat for me, hence the 3 stars, but I still think that this book is worth a read for the experimental style alone! Even still, at its heart, the themes are true and important.
Could definitely be a fun read for fans of [b:Pulp|32970644|Pulp|Robin Talley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1527184143l/32970644._SY75_.jpg|53607735]!
Alternating between Denise's story and comic book, this makes for a fun format-bending read. Discussing topics like gentrification, classism, racism, and ghost-hunting, The Agony House makes a case for the importance of community and history.
This one unfortunately fell a little flat for me, hence the 3 stars, but I still think that this book is worth a read for the experimental style alone! Even still, at its heart, the themes are true and important.
Could definitely be a fun read for fans of [b:Pulp|32970644|Pulp|Robin Talley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1527184143l/32970644._SY75_.jpg|53607735]!
withthebanned's review against another edition
4.0
The Agony House was so great. I loved how there was a story within a story, it added to the entire depth of the novel. I liked Denise, and loved how her parents were not "absent parents," their relationship, especially with her stepdad, was very endearing. It is no surprise that my favorite parts of Agony House were the creepy bits! I loved the New Orleans setting and enjoyed traipsing about the old house with Denise. Recommended.