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3.5 

The Agony House

By Cherie Priest & Tara O'Connor
The Agony House by Cherie Priest & Tara O'Connor digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

A New Orleans haunted house, a killer ghost, and a long-lost comic book come to life in this blend of mystery and comics by the author of I Am Princess X.

Denise Farber has just moved back to New Orleans with her mom and stepdad. 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 to 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 abandoned 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 them—if she and her family are to survive . . .

Open this book and dare to enter The Agony House, another spectacular mix of novel and comics form Cherie Priest.

Praise for The Agony House

“Priest pairs with O’Connor to neatly weave together the history of comic books and contemporary concerns about gentrification into an eerie ghost story set in a ramshackle house that’s as much a character as the people living in it . . . At its heart, though, this is a ghost story, and Priest excels at building palpable atmosphere . . . Dynamic characters and a surprising mystery round out this sharp, satisfying, and engrossingly spooky story.” —Booklist, starred review

“Priest ably weaves contemporary issues and a feminist strand into this fantasy . . . A wonderfully melodramatic climax . . . Conflicts, ectoplasmic and otherwise, laid to rest in a deliciously creepy setting.” —Kirkus Reviews

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60 Reviews

3.5
“Coming home to New Orleans has not been the grand welcome that Denise, her mother Sally and stepfather Mike would hope for. They have purchased a broken down house with the goal of refurbishing it and turning it into a bed and breakfast with the meager funds they are getting through a small business loan. Denise is less than happy to be leaving her friends behind, starting at a new school, and living in a funky, dirty, falling down house. Add on to the fact that it's haunted by two presences: a small woman and a big man. While the woman seems benevolent, the man is far from it. She finds a comic book in the attic from an artist and author who was quite popular in the 1950s, one that may unlock the mysteries of the house, which seems to fall apart quicker than they can fix it. This was such an entertaining read. I listened to the audiobook, and I loved how there was actually a dramatic reenactment of the comic book with different actors. That was my favorite part of the book. I enjoyed the twist of the ongoing series in which its lead is the intrepid young woman who constantly has to save her boyfriend, who constantly is the one in danger. A nice turnaround from the typical scenario. Careful attention to this plot device will reveal much of the underlying themes and mystery in the book. Along with the ghost story and mystery of the house, there's a good story about a young teen finding her feet in a new place and making friends. There is also some great commentary about Hurricane Katrina and the upheaval that the city has not fully recovered from. Additionally, the story explores themes of gentrification and racial profiling, but in a very organic manner. I do think some of that was simplified, but that's understandable as this is appealing to a younger audience. I loved the characters, from Denise to her parents (both kind and caring with good sense of humor), to the friends she makes, her nosy neighbor Terry (an aspiring ghost hunter), Norman (a hunky young man who had about eight thousand jobs and is a potential love interest), and Dominique (who starts out as an abrasive potential enemy but becomes a friend in the end). I thought the ghostly presences were well done, and how things seem to escalate as the story unfolds. Despite this being a ghost story with some dark themes, there's a lot of light here as the focus on family, connection and community prevails over the very present evil that the characters face. It wasn't exactly scary, but it was nicely spooky and a very good read for October spooky season.”

About Cherie Priest

Cherie Priest is the author of I Am Princess X, her debut young adult novel which earned three starred reviews and was a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. She is also the author of more than a dozen adult science fiction, fantasy, and horror novels, including Boneshaker, which won the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. She lives in Seattle, Washington and can be found online at www.cheriepriest.com and @cmpriest.
Tara O'Connor is a comic maker and illustrator currently residing in the New Jersey wilderness. When she's not drawing or teaching comics, she's probably working on an illustration of some sort. She is the author of Roots and The Altered History of Willow Sparks. You can find more of Tara's art online at www.taraocomics.com.

Tara O'Connor

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