No Way Out: 12/08/23

No Way Out by Dan Poblocki (2017) is the third book in the Shadow House horror series. Three remain: Poppy, Dash, and Azumi. They're out of the house and just need to get back to the driveway gate. Except they can't. Larkspur won't let them.

This series started off strong with each main character being haunted one way or another. They were each sold a different dubious story to lure them to Larkspur. And then Larkspur instantly tried to trap them.

The second book explored the relationship of the twins, Dash and Dylan and slowly turned Dylan into another one of Larkspur's monsters. This book, though, has no where to go.

The logical direction would be to let the children think they're going to escape Larkspur only to pull them and the reader away from that. Instead, the property tosses in a bunch of obstacles, starting with a carnival tent for reasons that are never explained.

Basically, No Way Out lacks direction. Instead of it being a character study of five haunted children trapped by an evil house, this volume is three children run from one set piece to another to either bicker amongst themselves or to have another encounter with a ghost or monster.

This volume like the previous two sits on the Road Narrative Spectrum. The fact that volume three returns to the same placement as the first volume is another sign that there is no motion in plot or character development.

Again it's scarecrows vs minotaurs (66) (children trying to help monsterized ghosts and free them) trying to get home (away from Larkspur) (66) via the maze (the various sets, including a literal mirror maze (CC).

The final volume is The Missing (2017).

Three stars

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