A review by akira_outofthegravity
House of Secrets by Chris Columbus

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

World building is nice! Characters are reminiscent of the Spiderwick Chronicles. Three children, who are sent into the books written by the previous inhabitants of the house they moved into, have to rescue their parents who’ve been kidnapped by a witch, with the help of a lost WW1 pilot, a rebel girl, a giant, and some pirates. 

However it’s clear that the authors have never written a well-rounded woman in their life.
Penelope is there for Cordelia to get jealous of and die three chapters later. Cordelia goes from being level headed to making stupid decisions in seconds. Not to mention, her relationship with Will is played like an enemies-to-lovers but they can’t create meaningful drama between the two characters. Instead they make Will a misogynist - which comes out of nowhere!
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