The Big House

The Big House is refreshingly original. I really enjoyed the writing and the overall story and premise. Page turning addicting. Must read!

Absolutely fantastic had me gripped!!! Loved it! Can't wait for more from.this author. Storyline was great, characters were easy to.connect with

Thank you for the advanced copy

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

This ARC is courtesy of netgalley - all thoughts and opinions are mine and unbiased

This is part of a series but I think also standalone as a great read

The cover is what drew me in initially and certainly does the job - congratulations to whoever is responsible

This is clever and original. Grabbed my attention from the first page to last. I now need to go back to book 1 and read, reread this and then get hold of book 3. Then I will be completely satisfied !!!

A fantastic summer read

I didn’t realise this was a sequel til I got to the end. It’s listed as Adult Fiction but I fthink it would be better suited for YA audience.
Honestly I’m not sure what to put for this review since I didn’t enjoy it and found characters irritating. Would have been nice to have a normal realistic person or two...

Evidently The Big House by Larche Davies is a sequel to her first book, The Fathers House. I did not realize that while reading this book although upon reaching the last chapter it was clearly written with at least one more book to come.

I found it to be a quick read, I read it in one day, it took perhaps 4 hours in total. It seems to be written as a YA but I think adults will find it interesting as well. It is about four children, three of whom are teenagers who have escaped from a cult. Two of the children grew up together in a communal setting while the other two sound as if they are more recently connected with each other and who grew up alone. They are expected to testify against the cult, have been on the run and now will be hidden away together until after the trials.

There is some action as the cultists obviously do not want the children to testify and are prepared to stop them by any means necessary.

I won't give away any details but what is it with books that everyone is special in some particular way, no one is ordinary and things have a way of working out, often in some spectacular fashion? I guess since it doesn't happen in real life, it my as well happen in print. That is where it lost me... As much as I may want everything to work out well, especially for characters I like or feel bad for, everything can't be peachy for everyone. The odds are against it and real life just isn't that tidy.

I probably should have read Larche Davies's previous book, The Fathers House, so that I had some reference to characters and events, but The Big House was still a fun read.

Lucy and her friends are fighting against Magnifico and his fanatical sect. Knowing that their lives are in danger, they are sent out of town and into foster care in Wales - one place that Magnifico's followers do not exist. Knowing they can't reveal any of the secrets of their lives within the sect, they are challenged with the outside world. And as is always the case....Magnifico's followers know exactly how to find and get the information that they need.

Clearly this is written to be part of a series and I may go back and read the first book. Cults and out of the ordinary religions are fascinating and this is an exciting a new way to dig in.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

WOW! I didn't realise this book was a sequel and in my opinion that didn't matter. I easily read and, thoroughly enjoyed this novel as a stand alone book although I must confess I'm quite eager to read the first and I have my fingers and toes crossed for a third in the series. The book opens with four children ( two sets of bothers and sisters) whom have been raised and recently escaped from a cult, being sent to Wales to hide prior to providing evidence at the ensuring trials of the cult leaders. The plot follows this move along with the new situations the children then find themselves in and what they do to accept and thrive in them. A brilliantly positive book with a great cast of characters driven by the children themselves. I enjoyed every aspect of this read and it really made me nostalgic for novels of my childhood such as the Famous Five etc all be it with more mature characters and subject matter. A brilliant read for both YA and adults alike. Thankyou to Netgalley for this advanced copy.

The Big House was an enjoyable read, and to an extent it had the feel of a YA novel. Four young people have escaped from a religious sect that keeps children locked up in communes, and disposes of them by lethal injection when they have become surplus to requirements. Dorothy, David, Lucy and Paul have made a vow never to be separated and to keep one another safe at all costs. Plenty of thrills and suspense, this was a book that was never dull. Dealing with the issue of trust and reconnecting with the outside world, it developed beautifully into a tale of courage and resilience against the odds. Ultimately, the feel good ending was saved from being too saccharine by the fact that one of the Magnifico's minions was still at large. There is potential for this story to continue and I would be interested in reading the continuing saga if there was to be another book. Whilst the sect and their manner of disposal was brutal, this was an easy read and I devoured it in one sitting. For fans of suspense and thrills and spills I don't hesitate to recommend it.

This was a good mystery, it was well written with great characters and a great plot. I really felt the danger and was on the edge of my seat reading it.

This book had me gripped from the get go. Trying to distinguish who were the bad guys and who were the good guys was more tricky than I thought at first. A good few unexpected twists and turns for good measure too. I'll be looking out for the author in the future.

The Big House is a great story. I too read it as a stand-alone and not as part of the series. However, not reading the other book makes no difference at all.
The story follows 4 kids who belonged to two different families but have integrated to become a family all-together, after suffering family problems revolving around a religious sect. They are in need of protection, and thus, move to a 'safe house' in a new area far from home.
While they try to start a 'normal' different life, they are being searched for and once discovered, the story takes a lot of twists and turns until the very end. The unity these teenagers show in the face of uncertainty is greatly inspiring.
Overall, the story was a quick read, has no complexity to confuse, and is a straight-forward but action and dramatic paced write. I would definitely recommend it to a friend.

Thanking NetGalley and Larche Davies for a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC, which I have enjoyed reading.
The book, The Big House by Larche Davies is about four children, who have escaped a cult and after different trials, that the two older ones appear as witnesses, set out to rebuild their lives.
I read this book as a stand alone book and not as part of the series, it is a young adult book and is a fascinating story about how the four children from two families come together to become one strong unit.
Recommended.

Lucy & her brother Paul, along with Dorothy & David are in hiding. They are about to give evidence in a trial against a fanatical religious sect. They have been brought up in this environment, away from the worls normal teenagers experience.

They are brought to a foster home in Wales. This house is owned by two eccentric sisters. Miss Marilyn is an academic who has little time for them & the other sister is a fanatical cook, who none the less manages to provide some sort stable environment for the four of them.

Always on the lookout for members of the sect the four begin to experience a slightly more normal life. However members of the sect are determined to keep their secrets & are not afraid to remove anyone who challenges this.

I didn't realise that this was part of a trilogy. I thoroughly enjoyed it as a stand alone & I think I will keep it that way- although there is always the possibility that my curiosity will get the better of me when book three appears!

Thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for letting me read & review this book

I couldn't quite get into this. Its not a bad read but just wasn't for me. Perhaps this is petty but the name "Magnifico" just sounded so childish to me and I couldn't take it seriously. Perhaps it would have helped if I had read the prior books in the series.

The Big House was a fun and quick read. The story follows 4 siblings who escape a cult, that are put into protective custody because they are standing trial as key witnesses to testify against "Magnifico", the cult leader.

I had no idea this was a series, I read as a stand-alone. This is a rare YA Novel, that's a mystery thriller that keeps the reader engaged with the story.

This is my honest opinion.

Rating 3.5

This story features four young adults who come from separate families and ultimately become one unit vowing never to leave each other.
I enjoyed reading the book and the progress the story takes. It has suspense and mystery to the book as well! It has the potential to have another book written with ending, so look forward to a sequel!
Thank you NetGalley for the book exchange for a review

This work of fiction is definitely written in a style aimed at a younger audience. Principally about 4 young people who have escaped (I presume a tale told in a previous novel?) from a form of cult. This religious order is one of extremes including multiple deaths do it is potentially a frightening read for a child rather than resilient teen. I enjoyed the read for what it was, but was pleased to finish it and move on to something with more depth.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review this book.

A book that is sure to entertain someone looking for a different read. It has a unusual plot and a crazy cult. You got to love a good crazy cult book, Right?

I didn’t know there was a first book to this until after I read this one, but this can be read as a stand-alone I loved this book so much I will go back and read the first and anxiously wait for the third.

This was a quick read and it was hard to tell who the good guys and who the bad guys were until the very end. Plop down on a rainy day and get ready for a thrilling read.

I've since found out that this is part of a series but having not read the others, it definitely worked ok as a standalone. The book is about four children where three of them grew up in a cult. They've to testify in court about the cult so are placed in a safe house in Wales. It's a fairly quick read and although its branded as YA I think it would be of interest to adults too. It's a gripping read and quite an unusual concept.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

The Big House is a truly unique book. The storyline was SO interesting, and I honestly could not stop reading.

I found the writing style to be refreshing, and the story itself was easy to follow.

I'll definitely read more by this author!

I read this book as a single book and not part of a series. But it did not detract from me enjoying it! I loved the religious sect element as I love learning about them at university so this really played into that. I think it was an original concept. It was pacy and fits with the thriller genre. My only point is that it felt really quick and that the plot was a bit easy to predict. But thrillers are a set recipe so I still enjoyed it.

The storyline was fabulous and had me (forgive the cliche) on the edge of my seat. Had to read with the lights on. If you love thrillers, this is a new one for you to look out for.

Good storyline premise. Felt a little like young adult fiction rather than adult mystery and thriller.