Title: The House at 758
Author: Kathryn Berla
Genre: Young adult contemporary fiction
Published: By Amberjack Publishing on October 17th, 2017
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
(adapted from Goodreads)
Sixteen year old Krista is still grieving the untimely death of her mother when her father’s new girlfriend moves into their home. Distancing herself from those around her, Krista spends all of her time obsessively watching a mysterious house, the house at 758. When a fellow classmate, Jake, takes a sudden interest in her, Krista feels excited for the first time in two years, but feelings of guilt consume her. It isn’t until her grandfather makes a surprise visit from Venezuela that Krista is finally able to confront her grief and begin to let things go.
Note: I received a free e-copy of the book via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review
I adored the perspective of Krista. Her grief, anger and inability to move on made her likeable very quickly. The influence of her grandfather was another thing I appreciated. Jake was so supportive throughout and I liked how their relationship developed. I was a huge fan of all the story threads in this one. I felt like they added something more to the book rather than become messy and complicated. I admire how well the author writes some amazing and thought-provoking lines, usually at the beginning or the end of a chapter. This is a book that I will keep thinking about for a long time to come.
For those looking for something that is realistic about grief that comes from a loved person’s death, this is the perfect book. However, be warned of being triggered if you’re not in a good and healthy place before picking this book up. Put on some sad songs that speak to you as an accompaniment to this. For the snack, pile up on your favourite comfort food (like chocolate), so you can feel better as the book tugs at your heartstrings.
Author: Website | Goodreads | Twitter
I’ve mentioned this before in my review of Dream Me (which you can find here) by the same author, but I’m still gushing over the fact that she even replied to me, so I’m going to show you what she had to say again. I hope that nudges you a little more to pick up this book and support her.
Is this book on your radar? If you’ve already read it, what do you think about it? Would you be interested in this book based on your review? Let me know in the comments section below.
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