Hi all!

Welcome back to the book club! In June, we read The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden for The You’ll Read Too Bookclub! Spoilers ahead!

Quick Reminder: This month we are reading ‘Ghost Station’ by S.A. Barnes.

Today I’m going to give a quick plot summary, plus my overall star/scare-factor ratings. Then I will share the discussion topics and trivia questions. Please include all of your answers and opinions down below. I want to know exactly what you thought. I’ll also leave the answers to the trivia questions at the very bottom of the post. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

THE HOUSE OF LAST RESORT BY CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN – JUNE 2024

PLOT SUMMARY

Across Italy, there are many half-empty towns, nearly abandoned by those who migrate to the coast or to cities. The beautiful, crumbling hilltop town of Becchina is among them, but its mayor has taken drastic measures to rebuild – selling abandoned homes to anyone in the world for a single Euro, as long as the buyer promises to live there for at least five years. It’s a no-brainer for American couple, Tommy and Kate Puglisi. Both work remotely, and Becchina is the home of Tommy’s grandparents, his closest living relatives. It feels like a romantic adventure, an opportunity the young couple would be crazy not to seize. But from the moment they move in, they both feel a shadow has fallen on them. Tommy’s grandmother is furious, even a little frightened, when she realises which house they’ve bought.

There are rooms in an annex at the back of the house that they didn’t know were there. The place makes strange noises at night, locked doors are suddenly open, and when they go to a family gathering, they’re certain people are whispering about them, and about their house, which one neighbor refers to as The House of Last Resort. Soon, they learn that the home was owned for generations by the Church, but the real secret is unlocked when they finally learn what the priests were doing in the house for all those long years and how many people died in the strange chapel inside.

OVERALL STAR RATING 

I gave the book 4/5 stars. My husband and I moved away from our family for a lifestyle change, so I could relate to the main characters. I also have Sicilian roots, hence my adoration for the fictional setting of Becchina. The pacing was steady and interesting enough to keep me hooked. Furthermore, I was completely shocked by the ending. It stayed with me. I had to give it extra points for that. 

OVERALL SCARE-FACTOR RATING 

I also gave it a scare-factor rating of 4/5. There was a scene with the main character’s grandfather that completely unnerved me. Also, as mentioned above, the ending was so dark and disturbing, it left me in stark disbelief.

DISCUSSION TOPICS 

1.) If an opportunity to buy a house in Italy for such a cheap price existed, would you do it? Why/why not? 

Having already moved away with my husband for a lifestyle change, we would absolutely do this. As two Italians, it would be such a dream come true – minus the demons!

2.) What were your thoughts on the extremely dark ending? 

The ending was so dark and unexpected. At first, I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. However, after some time, I greatly appreciated it. Horror rarely ends well and Golden stays true to that. Some may feel it was rushed but I was happy with it. I like that I didn’t see it coming.

3.) What plot holes/inconsistencies did you discover in Golden’s writing? 

I’ve heard Golden’s writing is full of plot holes and inconsistencies. The earthquake at the beginning made no sense. The couple didn’t know how to act in the face of a natural disaster. They ran to the doorway, which is the worst place you can go. Also, this wasn’t a plot hole, but I hated that the female lead didn’t help her friends in peril. She left one of them dying on the road. It was so unnatural and not something someone would do in real life.

TRIVIA QUESTIONS 

Easy: What was the name given to those who moved to Becchina for the real estate opportunity? 

Medium: What was the name of the demon possessing Tommy? 

Hard: What did Kate and Tommy do for a living?

I hope you enjoyed the book club discussion. As mentioned above, share all of your thoughts in the comments below! If you have any feedback/suggestions to improve the book club, please let me know. I look forward to talking to you all next month! Thanks for reading!

Peace & Love xoxo

TRIVIA ANSWERS: Easy: The Imports. Medium: Alberith. Hard: Trick question – it was never revealed.