This House is Haunted

This book I read a while back - it's by the author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and has so much resonance to when I read The Woman in Black that it is frankly, one of the best horror/thriller novels I've ever read. I really enjoyed this book - so hope for a positive review. 

Characters:

My favourite character was Eliza. At the beginning, when she's pushed in front of a moving train - she discovers something strange is going on with Gaudin Hall (the place she's heading). Eliza's character is strategically unaware and yet fully aware at the same time. She's in denial, but then not in denial - she seeks some sort of non-conflicting ground for this sense of the supernatural. Which, I think - embodies the belief in the supernatural in modern societies all over the world. We seek some sort of definition, but cannot strictly put out these conflicts that constantly surround and haze our ability to "see".

Themes:

I loved the theme of belief. How much does Eliza want to believe? We track her and this theme almost simultaneously through the entire novel, trying to make our own minds up to whether we believe this story of haunting. I think, the title helps with this a lot. It offers some sort of declarative - in which we are almost subliminally forced into believing Eliza was pushed by a supernatural entity. It is a beautifully crafted theme by an amazing writer. 

Storyline: 

I loved the storyline purely for the fact that even the storyline sometimes didn't believe the story it was telling. Don't know what I mean? Sometimes, the language sounds disbelieving and it's quite nice to have inner-conflicting viewpoints. I also love how you feel like you're simply reading the book - when actually, your beliefs in the haunting are being controlled by its language. *laughs moronically* 

Verdict:

I give this book 9.

100% for characters: I think Eliza's character was crafted perfectly alongside her ideas on the supernatural and the language use of the entire book.

100% for themes: Probably my favourite part of the novel, I give this an upvote! (Oh no. Not reddit.) 4/3! 

I give this book 10/9.

100% for storyline: I loved the sense of constant control. Truly, this book scared me more than the I  watched "The Shining" for the first time.