Amber House (Amber House, Book 1) Paperback – August 27, 2013

This book has something for everyone. It has love triangles, history, magic, "haunted" houses, drama and mystery. The main character of our story is Sarah Parson whose family has lived in and owned a house called Amber House for many generations. Sarah and her family stay in the house for a little while after her grandmother dies. While living there Sarah learns that she is no ordinary girl but actually someone special. She comes from a long line of women who can see the past of those who lived in the house just by touching certain artifacts in the house. Sarah uses this gift to find a hidden treasure that is rumored to be on the estate. Everyone thinks the house is haunted because of its long history but the only ghosts in the house are the memories of those who used to live there. For those who are into love triangles in steps Richard and Jackson. These boys are so different and come from two very different worlds. Richard is the poster boy that most girls drool over. He is blonde, tall, smooth, charming, and rich. I had my issues with him in the beginning. Everything came easy for him. The girls loved him and he had everything money could buy. This made him cocky and he had a dangerous streak that could get him into trouble. As I continued to read it turns out that things are not as perfect for Richard as it seems but if you want to know what is not perfect you will have to read the story. Then you have Jackson who I liked from the beginning and rooted for throughout the whole story. He is the opposite of Richard he is tall and dark. He has scars on him from an accident as a child. He is hard to get to know because in the beginning he kind of is distant but he opens up throughout the book and you get to see his sweet funny side. Turns out he has a secret though. Again if you want to know his secret definitely read this book. There are other important characters also that I should mention. First there is Sarah's mom. From the beginning she comes off as cold and unfeeling. It is very hard to like her. She never thinks of anyone else and she doesn't think before she speaks so sometimes she says the meanest things to or about her children. As the story progresses you think that there is no redeeming quality in this woman. Then Sarah sees something with her gift that sheds a new light on Sarah's mom and why she is the way she is. A deep tragedy that affects Sarah's whole family. The other character that was dear to my heart was little Sammy, Sarah's five year old brother. Sammy is a little autistic. He is a sweetheart though. He is always reminding Sarah to say thank you. Also when they came to Amber House he "gave" Sarah her room. Throughout the book Sammy is acting weird and no one seems to realize it. I loved this book. The authors Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, and Larkin Reed do an amazing job getting you interested right from the beginning. The first sentence of this book is, "I was almost sixteen the first time my grandmother died". Now this could mean anything such as she died and the doctors were able to revive her or it could be something more magical. I had to find out what they meant by this sentence. Also they do such wonderful jobs on the characters. There is Sarah who is at an age where she is trying to figure out who she is and she is thrown into a world where she is more than just an ordinary girl and all these memories keep popping up of her ancestors. You feel for her and want her to succeed. Then there is Sammy who is a dear right from the beginning and is the perfect little brother. Next you have Sarah's mom and Richard. I just could not like them in the beginning but as the book progressed I started to like them. It takes some very good writing to make you like someone who was just not likable in the beginning. Lastly the way they describe the house and all the rooms in it. I wanted to live in the house even with all its memories of the past whether good or bad. I am looking forward to the next book where hopefully they will tell more about Jackson. It cannot be released fast enough for me. I recommend this book to all girls of all ages. You do not have to be a young adult to read this book and like it.

One day, I was browsing through Wikipedia to find some more books that has a "time-travel" concept and came to a small description next to the recent entry on the science fiction list: "A teen girl uses psychometry to alter events in the past, changing the present and future." A psychometry is an ability to see "things" (in this case, the past) by touching an object. Sure enough, I became curious, especially about the idea of changing the present with a psychometric ability. Admittedly, if I had looked at the cover image alone, I would have passed on this as another one of those "paranormal romance young adult" books. But then, I looked on Amazon and noticed the one line being stood out to me from the description: "I was sixteen the first time my grandmother died..." That, in itself, contains such a riveting mystery. So, I recently purchased this book and found myself so utterly absorbed in the story...as if I was "Sarah" herself.The details in this novel are so engrossing and enchanting. The characters so rich, the visions so lulling, and the house so haunting. It is a beautiful story with many intriguing elements. It's a story of a teenage girl's discovery of the darkest secrets in her family histories in the historic, infamous Amber House. First arriving in Maryland from Seattle with her mother and her brother, Sammy, she attends a funeral of her grandmother and stays in a family house that her mother loathed. There, she discovered many things and even experience the past, watching her distant relatives in different areas of the house. Throughout the book, a love-triangle becomes evident with Richard, a senator's son, and with Jackson, an orphan. And, a relationship between Sarah and Sammy is very sweet and profound...strong enough for Sarah to "sense" him, especially during the games of "hide-and-seek." It's because of her love for Sammy that compels her to discover the truths and finding a way to save him, which will have an unexpected and shocking ending...It's really an amazing story with such an intense plot - full of suspense and twists. It is not a "science fiction" novel, but it's more like a "paranormal"-like story with a strong sense of normalcy. It's certainly a book that cannot be put down. I have really enjoyed reading it and looking forward to the sequel.