I'm not really sure what I thought of this to be honest. It wasn't really what I was expecting so I think this is why I struggled with it.

I like the James Patterson of old, the crime thrillers with twists so I'm not too sure if maybe he is trying to appeal to too many people and I think her writing style is getting lost on the way...

I had high hopes for this book - being a fan of YA, dystopia and James Patterson, it should have been incredible. However, I was left distinctly underwhelmed by it.

The characters felt very two-dimensional, so there wasn't much to attach any emotional investment to. The use of first person narrative for the twins was confusing for the section of the book where they were pretending to hate each other - why would the characters be thinking what they don't really feel? It made no sense.

The ending seems rushed, and unfinished. The prison break - rallying the cellfolk - returning to the prison wasn't believable (even in YA dystopian terms), and the revelation-cliffhanger ending left me feeling frustrated, and like I was missing another few chapters.

I don't like to leave negative reviews, but I can't find much positive to say about it I'm afraid. The tone of the book was patronising in places, and the concept not particularly original (like The Hunger Games, only with many more 'districts/cells').

DISCLAIMER: I love James Patterson, he is definitely my most owned author. When I saw Crazy House on NetGalley I jumped at the chance to request it. But my impatience got the better of me and I rushed out and bought the hardcover as soon as possible. Whats more it is YA dystopia... and that is my jam. 

The book is set in the future where people live in fenced self-contained towns called cells. Each being in charge of a different sector, in the case it was agriculture (think Hunger Games districts). The plot follows two twins Cassie and Becca, both raised in the cell, having no knowledge of life outside.

When Becca vanishes Cassie will do everything in her power to find her sister, in turn setting the wheels in motion for something much bigger.

I loved the dual points of view and really enjoyed the relationship between the twins. It was nice to read a book that was equally plot and character driven. As a bonus to the heavy dystopia vibe there was also minimal romance, which is a big win for me.

The story was perfect parts intrigue with out being overly complicated. I enjoyed the simple writing style and it was a great pallet cleanser between heavy reads.

I just loved this book. It was perfect me and exactly what I look for in a book. I think this is a stand alone but I would love for there to be a second!!

Becca and Cassie are twins, they live in a small town, known as a cell. It is controlled by a Provost, it has curfews, barbed wire on the boundaries, the children have no choice in school lessons or their career path.

When Becca goes missing, Cassie is rightfully concerned, she is now the 9th person to have disappeared. When Cassie approaches the authorities, she is told,her sister is an enemy of the state, an “Outsider”. An outsider is one who does not conform to the rules, a blanket label for anyone who is trouble. With no-one to help her, Cassie, the reliable miss goody two shoes, breaks the rules to go and seek out the truth about her sister’s disappearance.

She finds help from a surprising source, she is shocked at what actually happens to those who have disappeared. They are sent to prison, a maximum security prison, where they are on Death Row. The treatment is cruel and barbaric, but the sisters are a force to be reckoned with, they will not go quietly or without a fight.

This is a great paced story with some quite descriptive scenes. The characters are well described and developed. The overall story has a Hunger Games feel with a twist of 1984 added to it. The setting for the story has a very austere and bleak feel to it, down to the great writing. There is a short history for the girls and a mention of how they were raised, but not a lot of information on the other characters, just brief mentions.

I would recommend this book to readers of YA Fantasy, Dysotopian. It is gritty and quite brutal in places where fight scenes take place also some scenes of punishment.

So, what about the concept? Broadly speaking, you can pare this down to the core concepts of Maximum Ride, it's a bunch of young adults trying to understand/fight against a mysterious larger entity that for whatever reason thinks it is doing the right thing. Sadly, no wings in this book but that attitude of 'just cause you're young doesn't mean you can't question authority' which was and is an empowering thought.

The tone of these characters is fractionally less slang-filled and chatty than Maximum Ride however, which I appreciated because it didn't make me feel like I was just reading the same book again. The character's, particularly our two heroines, are well conceived as well, sometimes twins are hard to pull off because you either make unrealistic polar opposites or you end up with two of the same character which isn't worth reading. I think Patterson manages to create a believable set of twin sisters, though I turn to real world twins to tell me if I'm right?

Even without the torrent of quips and one liners there's a good deal of wit and snappy moments in this book. The dialogue was actually one of my favourite parts and there's definitely some quotes I might be stealing for use in my daily life.

Plot, I enjoyed. I'd forgotten how much a good 'why on earth is the world this way' plot can be. There's spades of mystery and a lot that has yet to be explained. There's oodles I can't tell you without spoiling anything! Suffice to say, if you're interested in creepy science fiction, alternative visions for the future and the like you'll probably be into Crazy House.

This book definitely reminded me of that appeal that the early Maximum Ride books had. I don't know if Patterson is planning to drag this series out as much as he did those but I can say that the first book is well worth a read!

My rating: 4/5 stars

By the way, I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is the first James Patterson Young Adult book I have read. It was an enjoyable book and one I will encourage my kids to read.

Three Point Five Stars.

Crazy House is a young adult dystopia horror story. Twins Cassie and Rebecca (Becca) Greenfield live in an agricultural cell, under the umbrella of the ‘United’. They live on their smallholding alone; their mother was taken away for ‘mood-adjustment’ and never returned. Their father tried to take his own life and is slowly dying in a bed at Healthcare United.

We soon learn that Becca has disappeared, as have other children from the cell. Whilst desperately searching for her, Cassie is approached by Nate, who tells her of a rebel group the ‘Outsiders’. He opens her eyes to how controlling life in the cell is, and explains plans to expose the brainwashing regime of the ‘United’.

The dystopia genre is mostly set in challenging or bad places, often controlled by a totalitarian state and this book fits well. It does contain some violent scenes which may not be suitable for younger readers. There were a few instances when the severity of injuries and the character’s following actions were a little questionable, but for the sake of the pacing of the book I can see why they were written this way.

Recommended for readers who are interested in this genre, I can see this as being book one of a series.

One of those books that immediately grabbed me. Telling the story from the perspective of both Becca and Cassie was interesting, We gain an insight into their world, though more information would have been welcome. An intriguing cast of characters, and plenty of action. Great fun, and I'm grateful to NetGalley for allowing me access to it.

I hadn't read a James Patterson book for several years but always enjoyed them. This was like putting on a favourite old coat and I found myself unable to put it down. Becca Greenfield goes missing from home much to her twin sister Cassie's annoyance. She has however been thrown into a prison and is put on Death Row. Cassie is desperate to find her sister and puts her own safe life in jeopardy by trying to discover what has happened to her twin. Becca, meanwhile is being tortured along with other teenagers and is living in a nightmare world. The story evolves with much drama, tension and violence. I enjoyed the book and gave it 4 stars. One dropped as I couldn't see how anyone could recover so quickly from such intense violent acts and also the ending was way too abrubt with unanswered questions.

This is the first book I have read by James Patterson but I have heard many good things about him from other readers. I was drawn to this book as I am a fan of YA fiction & dystopian style novels. I have been told that this is different to what Patterson usually produces and so, as a result, I will also be purchasing some of his other books.

Becca Greenfield was kidnapped from her home and thrown into prison known as the Crazy House and that was when her life became a living hell. Then her sister is taken and joins Cassie in jail where they were both on Death Row, fighting for survival.

I enjoyed the fast pace and the characters in this novel. It had been said that this was the next Hunger Games. I must be the only person who hasn't seen a single episode of it or read the books! I am going to get on it and make sure The Hunger Games is added to my TBR list. This is one of the first books I have read with this mix of genres - YA/thriller/dystopian outlook - but it won't be the last. I will be on the lookout for more releases from Patterson in the future.

Thank you to James Patterson, Random House UK, Cornerstone & NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My hubby is a great fan and told me to put aside my don't like anything scary notions and read. I did and WOW. I am now hooked, and a fan. Excellent well paced... a great read

Another dystopian story. Sorry, not for me. Very unsatisfying ending. James Patterson didn't write this.

Not the most obvious choice of book for me. I’ll admit that I was drawn in the authors – James Patterson co-writing with Gabrielle Charbonnet. Crazy House is set in yet another dystopian future with downtrodden communities ruled by tyrants. Bizarrely I enjoyed this one.
Seventeen year old Becca Greenfield is the wild adventurous type, the twin who doesn’t toe the line and who is always getting into trouble. When she gets kidnapped from her sleepy home town in the Cell she realises just how much trouble she is in. Now in a maximum security jail with loads of other kids her own age it isn’t long until she finds that she is on Death Row and the sadistic jailers do not hesitate to put the kids to death.
Her only hope for freedom is that Cassie will come searching for her but her twin sister doesn’t break the rules. It is what Becca is counting on as it is the only thing that will keep Cassie safe.
The concept for the universe that the story is set in is quite interesting. A strictly controlled community ruled by a Provost. Couples have to apply for a licence to have a baby and this is only granted when someone else has died. Vans drive around approaching people that might be depressed offering them the chance to accept euthanasia as a way out – that way they can allow a new born to live!
Crazy House is a good thriller that will keep you turning you the pages to find out what happens – a true James Patterson book. Likeable and believable characters make it much easier to engage with a very hackneyed concept.
Supplied by Net Galley and Random House UK in exchange for an honest review.
UK Publication Date: May 18 2017. 354 pages
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I found this book interesting and very different from other James Patterson books that I have read. I was however disappointed with the ending because the story seemed to finish very abruptly. Perhaps there is going to be a sequel. However I felt positively short changed at the end. I had enjoyed getting to know the characters and following the plot only for it all to finish with so many questions unanswered.

In many ways, this is a typical James Patterson novel in that the action begins on the first page and never lets up. This book tells the tale of twins Cassie and Becca, living in a world where every aspect of their lives is regulated by the cell Provost. Becca is kidnapped and Cassie must try to find her. The writing is really accessible and, while it is a little bit condescending in tone on occasion, I found the plot compelling enough to allow me past that. The characters are well constructed and individualised, if pretty stereotypical. I think more than anything, this is just a page-turner. It doesn't purport to make statements about life or try to be anything it isn't. What it is, is a highly enjoyable and probably instantly forgettable YA novel.

I have been a huge fan of the author for many years, and his books always shoot straight to the top of my to be read list as soon as they come out. I was delighted to get the chance to read this book before it was published. As a fan of YA and dystopian stories I was even more happy to discover that this story was both.

The premise is an interesting one. Children are being snatched and taken to a prison. They are told they are in death row and forced to survive by going up against each other. They have to watch some horrific things happening to people they regard as friends as well. However all is not as it first appears. The author has created something which drew me in, and I was delighted to reach the end to discover there is more to come. I can't wait to read future parts of this story.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy.

Are there more books to follow. I wanted to continue reading. I was left with thoughts and questions about the characters. Life is very complex for some. Heartbreakingly so for those with no support.

I don’t know how I feel after reading Crazy House. It might have helped if I’d known that it is the first book in a new series. At least I think it is. It has to be! With an ending like this, there has to come at least one more book. Did I like the story? Yes, yes I did. The story was very well written (as expected) and I didn’t want to stop reading. I wanted to know what was going on. Was Cassie really the good twin everybody thought she was? What about Nate, is he really a friend or will he betray her feelings. Then there is Ms Strepp. I might have some kind of understanding why she does the thing with the kids on death row, but I absolutely can’t agree with how she tries to reach her goals. And thinking of all the kids scared, hungry and abused, facing death on a daily bases - it broke my heart. There seems to be no way out. Everything is so wrong, but there is no one to help. The twist in the end was not something I saw, it shows that nothing is what it seems and you always have to see the whole picture to understand what’s going on. I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK!

This was not the usual Petterson, still, it was a really good story.

Becca Greenfield was taken from her home. Her twin, Cassie, went out to find her. Except she did not exactly find her, she was kidnapped too, and to her horror, she joined her sister in a prison just for kids, where they had to fight for their survival. Because they were both on the Death Row.

This gloomy version of the future was interesting, and the character were, mostly, fascinating. The story was told alternatively by Cassie, Becca, Nathaniel (another kid from their cell) and Ms Strepp, the prison warden. She was definitely the most intriguing among all the characters, i couldn't really figure her out. The end, however, answered some questions about her.

And i also liked how the story unfolded. That gradual passage from the normal routine of the everyday life that was changed by Becca disappearance, until we get to that horrors of theat Crazy House!

Now, about the end. That was another interesting thing about this book. I imagined it to be a stand alone YA. But, the end was in fact, just the beginning of the story. I don't know if there would be a follow up of the story, but i am really curious about it now.

Overall, it was an enjoyable story. Fans of the Hunger Games would certainly love it.