Sponsored Post- The House at the End of Hope Street

I was recently sent a copy of The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna Van Praag from Penguin and must say, it probably wasn't for me. It wasn't horrible, we just didn't click and it had some flaws. The story follows Alba Ashby, a PhD prospect in the UK, who has just been through something devastating that we're not made privy to until much, much later (and when I found out what it was I was quite underwhelmed). She also happens to have a sort of sixth sense, being able to see auras and whatnot (I didn't know this going into this book; with the exception of magical realism and a few authors, I don't generally do supernatural books). Alba ends up at a mysterious house that no one can see unless they're allowed entrance, where she's permitted to stay for not quite a hundred days so she can learn more about herself and heal. Meanwhile, the other inhabitants are introduced and we start learning about their troubled pasts. 

As I already said, the supernatural and Alba's big secret were both ho-hum for me, but the problems ran deeper. I thought most of the characters lacked depth, the dialogue was a bit contrived, and the plot (and ending) quite predictable (and a little flat). The book, and author, wanted something greater and grander, it just wasn't achieved.

I did appreciate the fact that the book centered around literature and reading, the house having temporarily housed hundreds of female writers in the past, who still talk in their picture frames (Harry Potter style). Alba is an academic and adores libraries. And the cover, at least the one I have, is very cute. It was also a very quick read.