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feigndark's reviews
49 reviews
House of Stairs by William Sleator
2.0
I heard about this book somewhere - I can't remember where - but thought I'd give it a try. It was a fascinating enough concept to keep me reading until the end, but there... really wasn't much I enjoyed about it. Which is a shame because like I said, the initial concept and idea was intriguing, but it ended up being executed in a way that made it fall short. I'm honestly shocked that there aren't more negative/critical reviews on this than there is.
So, the idea of the book was one of the only pros for me. Peter's odd trances were as well, they caught my attention and I found myself wanting to learn more. I honestly could have left this book altogether and probably enjoyed a story about Peter's past with Jasper way more.
Cons... the biggest one is the characters. They were basically all obnoxious and unlikeable in one way or another. I didn't find myself particularly rooting for anyone, only vaguely hoping that Peter and Lola could win out against the machine but not particularly bothered about whether they did or not. Peter was the most tolerable; in part because of his past and in part probably because he was quieter and didn't constantly gripe or yell like the others.
Lola's temper got annoying, and there were several instances I just wanted her to shut up and let go of something. But while I didn't particularly care what happened to her, I downright hated the other characters in general. I'm sure I don't need to say why - Blossom was the worst by far but she and Oliver were wholly unlikeable and Abigail soon ended up that way too. I think I lost what scrap of a chance of liking her when she kept going back to Oliver despite him being a raging dic*hea*.
Add to that the fact that barely any of the characters were developed and were generally just flat, and you get a recipe for not being engaged with a book or caring about how it ends.
Another con was the ending. It seemed like there wasn't really a resolution. Peter and Lola went through all that duress only to find out they don't get to be free, or even some semblance of a reward for beating the machine - they're just carted off to an island with everyone else, presumably for another type of life where they get no freedom.
I get that this is an allegory. That the whole point is psychology, the way humanity will react if put into these situations, the fact that a future like the one briefly touched on in the book - another far more interesting plot point I would have preferred to see - is very possible with the way the government and society acts, the fact that good, actually moral behaviour (such as refusing to be cruel even in the most difficult of circumstances) is often rarely rewarded and instead seen as inferior... I get it.
But it doesn't change the fact that the story ultimately fell flat. If a book has boring or outright unlikeable characters, not even the most intriguing plot in the world can save it. If I don't care one iota whether the characters survive or not, then the plot doesn't matter. It's just a bunch of filler, world building, and things happening from a distance while annoying or dull characters kind of mill around in the foreground.
Overall, I wish I could have enjoyed this book more. I wish I could have understood why others liked it so much but alas. I just... didn't care. I read it all because I'm at work and bored, and it was something to do, and I hoped maybe it'd get better/hoped to hear more about Peter's past.
I hope I find a book someday with a similar premise that actually engages me and makes me feel something because it really is a wonderful concept.
So, the idea of the book was one of the only pros for me. Peter's odd trances were as well, they caught my attention and I found myself wanting to learn more. I honestly could have left this book altogether and probably enjoyed a story about Peter's past with Jasper way more.
Cons... the biggest one is the characters. They were basically all obnoxious and unlikeable in one way or another. I didn't find myself particularly rooting for anyone, only vaguely hoping that Peter and Lola could win out against the machine but not particularly bothered about whether they did or not. Peter was the most tolerable; in part because of his past and in part probably because he was quieter and didn't constantly gripe or yell like the others.
Lola's temper got annoying, and there were several instances I just wanted her to shut up and let go of something. But while I didn't particularly care what happened to her, I downright hated the other characters in general. I'm sure I don't need to say why - Blossom was the worst by far but she and Oliver were wholly unlikeable and Abigail soon ended up that way too. I think I lost what scrap of a chance of liking her when she kept going back to Oliver despite him being a raging dic*hea*.
Add to that the fact that barely any of the characters were developed and were generally just flat, and you get a recipe for not being engaged with a book or caring about how it ends.
Another con was the ending. It seemed like there wasn't really a resolution. Peter and Lola went through all that duress only to find out they don't get to be free, or even some semblance of a reward for beating the machine - they're just carted off to an island with everyone else, presumably for another type of life where they get no freedom.
I get that this is an allegory. That the whole point is psychology, the way humanity will react if put into these situations, the fact that a future like the one briefly touched on in the book - another far more interesting plot point I would have preferred to see - is very possible with the way the government and society acts, the fact that good, actually moral behaviour (such as refusing to be cruel even in the most difficult of circumstances) is often rarely rewarded and instead seen as inferior... I get it.
But it doesn't change the fact that the story ultimately fell flat. If a book has boring or outright unlikeable characters, not even the most intriguing plot in the world can save it. If I don't care one iota whether the characters survive or not, then the plot doesn't matter. It's just a bunch of filler, world building, and things happening from a distance while annoying or dull characters kind of mill around in the foreground.
Overall, I wish I could have enjoyed this book more. I wish I could have understood why others liked it so much but alas. I just... didn't care. I read it all because I'm at work and bored, and it was something to do, and I hoped maybe it'd get better/hoped to hear more about Peter's past.
I hope I find a book someday with a similar premise that actually engages me and makes me feel something because it really is a wonderful concept.