In general I am a sucker for a novel with quirky characters, or even better, a thriller with a quickly moving plot that ultimately ties up its loose ends. Unfortunately, Catherine House disappointed me.
Initially it felt more like a young adult novel to me; the plot, setting,
…more and characters seemed to speak to a younger audience. I currently work part time in an independent school's middle/upper school library, so I've read more than my share of ya books. I thought the plot line would really appeal to our students, however, the character development fell short, and the plot dragged.
At the end of the book I felt cheated. The narratives were inconsistent; most did not really add to the flow of the book. I could not identify with any of the characters or even feel sympathetic toward any of them. That was probably what made the book "average" instead of "good" for me.
I suppose if you were captivated by the students tangled up in the plot, you might be able to overlook the weaknesses of the book, but it was not really for me. (less)