Natalie Wright

Emily’s House

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Emily’s House’. (Technically, the tour is for the second book, and the review of that will go live tomorrow).

Emily comes home to a grumpy old aunt and an odd creature in her tree house. She’s about to head off cross country, and indeed, across time and space, in a journey that will make her look at her whole life differently. Emily must find herself, and prevent a great evil from surfacing after more than 1000 years.

The official blurb:

Fourteen-year-old Emily Adams is flunking math – and life. But Emily has a secret, one that she has kept even from her best friends. Soon the ancient legacy coursing through her veins will force her secret to be revealed. Dormant for over a thousand years, an evil has arisen and this time, it will destroy anyone – or anything – that stands in its way.

Three teens embark on a dangerous journey and risk everything. For Emily, the fate of her friends – and her world – lies in her hands.

Travel with Emily as she unlocks the secrets of her Celtic ancestors as she goes on a mystical journey to the inner house and beyond.

Join the Journey . .

My review:

I was expecting something in the realm of a spunky heroine who was willing to take on anything to protect her family and friends. I sort of got that, but I felt that Emily could have had a bit more spine for a 14 year old. More spine Emily! Less weeping about things that can’t be changed and more kicking butt. Also, less being pigheaded about the benefits of meditation and more doing.

Fanny was just irritating. It didn’t help that I was fond of Fanny in Enid Blyton’s classic, The Faraway tree, and comparing this Fanny – well, she was a bit flat. I much preferred Jake to either of the two girls, he seemed hard and sensible.

The concepts of time and space brought up in this novel are very interesting ones, and that’s what made the novel to me. Physics is something I have difficulty understanding (and never linked) but I have a healthy respect for those who do). The continuum between this world and other worlds is always interesting.

Much of this novel is about Emily’s training in the Netherworld. The world there is like one your couldn’t imagine, but could. You’d understand if you read it. Confusing isn’t it? The journey to the Netherworld is pretty exciting – but it’s never cleared up how much money Fanny spent (or where they were in the first place).

For me, this book wasn’t a gripper. I would probably recommend it for mature children and early teens. There are references to ‘making love’ and ‘making-out’ but that’s about as bad as it gets. Plenty of ass jokes/references, so I guess if you’re sensitive to those, don’t read it. The teenage language might be more suitable to teenagers – maybe I’m getting too old for this type of book?

Find it on:

About the Author

Natalie is the author of The Akasha Chronicles, a young adult fantasy trilogy. When not writing, blogging, Facebooking, Tweeting, Wattpadding or eating chocolate, Natalie nurtures her young daughter, feeds her dog too many treats, and can’t resist watching Ancient Aliens, no matter how absurd the show becomes.

Natalie enjoys travel, good wine, and excellent food shared with family and friends. She was raised an Ohio farm girl, now lives in the desert Southwest, and dreams of living in a high rise in a big city.

“Books are my friends, ideas my passion.”