This was a good read. I enjoyed the story of the house at 758 and what it held. This novel handles trauma, love, relationships, and family life in a really nice way with various different characters. I really love the way the grandfather is presented in the novel as well as the bird Charlie I think they both symbolize growth extremely well. I also love the history of the grandfather as well as the reveal of Krista's family towards the end. A wonderful read.

In all honesty, I didn't have high expectations for this one. It wasn't a top choice when I first read its description on NetGalley, just a whim request.

I'm really glad I requested it.

The House at 758 is an English translation of the Spanish La Casa 758 (I'm not totally sure why the book was originally written in Spanish, as its author appears to be an anglophile from the San Francisco Bay Area, but maybe I misunderstood something, and this really has nothing to do with anything beyond my own inherent curiosity). It's a book about grief, told from the eyes of a teenager.

Krista is 16-going-on-17 and still reeling from the death of her mother a couple years prior. It's summer vacation, so her best friend's out of town, she's stuck at home, and her physician father is in and out (along with his new live-in girlfriend and the two kids she has partial custody over). Everyone seems to be moving on and looking toward the future except Krista. Krista doesn't want to. She doesn't want to forget, or let go of her grief and anger over what transpired that led to her mother's death.

Poorly written novels on this topic could go one of two ways: they could let readers know upfront what happened in plain English and hyper-focus on the details throughout the story or they could repeatedly yank the chain and keep readers guessing (when, let's be honest, we all know it's going to be cancer, a car accident, or some random mugging, depending on the clues an author drops liberally throughout the story).

The House at 758 takes a different approach. We know something's wrong at the outset. We know it's Krista's mother who died. For a little while, it's not explicitly stated what happened, but that gets revealed organically as the plot winds along. I liked that. I also appreciated the introduction of a romantic interest for Krista that helped her heal rather than focusing on romance as an overwhelming part of the story. Krista crushes just enough for it to be realistic without crushing so hard I want to throw a hammer at her. We also see her father's girlfriend's actions and words interpreted through Krista's partiality, which transitions from highly critical to a growing understanding. That's great emotional character development, in my opinion, especially when we're dealing with a teenage narrator.

The introduction of a visit from Krista's grandfather came about later in the story than I'd anticipated given the novel's summary, but it worked well, and helped Krista along on her emotional recovery.

I also appreciated the subtly of how socio-ecnomic status was introduced in this story. Krista comes from an affluent family, and that's reflected in a couple ways, from the neighborhood where she lives to the car she drives, then contrasted with a couple other characters whose families aren't quite as well off financially. I would've loved for the author to explore this even more explicitly, but I realize that wasn't the point of this story and appreciate that it was introduced at all.

There were just a few things that kept me from giving this an outright 5-stars, and one's a bit subjective - nothing emotionally impacted me as much as other books I've read that I've given the 5-star rating to (told you). The other is an issue with what I imagine was meant to be a surprise reveal near the end that I didn't really buy. I won't give spoilers here, but I didn't feel like enough clues were offered beforehand (or in a way that made me question what was happening enough to appreciate the addition of a surprise twist to the grief Krista was experiencing, is perhaps a better way to put it). That meant when it actually got sprung near the end of the story I had a "wait, huh?" moment, then found myself shrugging a bit and moving on. It felt like it cheapened what was otherwise a very well written story about the long-lasting effects of grief. Unnecessary. Also probably not the emotional impact the author was going for.

On the whole though, this is the best YA story I've read in awhile, and one I'd recommend to anyone looking for a contemporary, character-driven novel with a teenage protagonist. High praise, considering how picky I've been about what I'm reading in this genre lately.

I am all about coming of age stories, and this one definitely goes on top 10 on my list. The characters are not complex to understand and they are extremely relatable. I read this book in a blink of an eye. I only kept this book down when I had to. An effortless read with a delightful ending definitely appeals to YA audience. I love to read about summer of teens, lost, yet to be found, protagonists. Author has created evolved characters and draws excellent parallels between past and present, it also has an unexpected twist. You would crack it before hand if you are looking for hints consciously. Even though the plot is a tragedy the story leaves you feeling better somehow.

An enjoyable read, no huge surprises but the links to history provided a little more scope than the average teen romance" likeable characters and growth and enough to shed a tear to.

Another YA novel I fiercely enjoyed reading even though two decades have passed since my adolescence. This story is thoughtful, finely tuned and heartbreaking. I also liked the way the author composed the words:

'I have hatred in my heart for the man who lives at 758 (..) It came from the same place in my mind where the grief and doubt and anger also grew out of absolute numbness. Is there a stem cell for feelings? Can we intercept them before they grow out of control?' (77%)

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

After only being available in Spanish, it’s good to see a publishing house realized what a moving story this was and deserved a shot in the English-language market so more people can have their heart broken and healed by Berla’s talent.

Particularly with everything going on in the world right now, grief is becoming a mainstay of the human conscious and Berla shows how different people handle tragic events with no right or wrong way to move through the process. She has created an emotionally moving piece that could have been just another sorrowful story but she manages through some uplifting character work to turn it into something heartwarming and educational by showcasing trauma through the balance of love and family.

By examining tragic experiences from another’s perspective it added this whole other dimension of beauty and healing. As a parent I found the story uplifting as it reminded me that parents and kids heal from the same situation differently and come out with different needs so we should be respectful and understanding that how I process things as an adult and what I want to do to move on isn’t necessarily going to work for my kids so I should give them the space to find what will.

Berla’s story was so rooted in realism you could easily walk away from this book and apply some of the character lessons to the world around us in hopes of helping others.

A sweet story about learning to cope with loss.

I found Krista to be a relatable character, with good character development. I enjoyed her relationship with the other characters in the book.

A late-nighter for me.  That's what this one was.  In fact, I'm pretty sure I finished it in less than a day.  It was that good. 

Krista's life isn't going so well.  Still grieving the unexpected death of her mother, she's also trying to cope with her dad's new live-in girlfriend.  Her best friend is gone for the summer leaving Krista with nobody to confide in.  Rather than facing her problems head on, she escapes.  To a tent she's pitched on her roof, to her car, anywhere but where her issues lie.  

Her dad has tried to convince her to resume therapy but she's not interested.  She'd rather, quite obsessively, watch the house at 758.  Why does this particular house hold her interest?   And what is she hoping to accomplish?

When she meets Jake, she begins to have a purpose.  Still, she has so many things she's dealing with that having any kind of a romance proves difficult.  Then her grandpa comes for a visit.  He's also mourning the loss of her mother, his daughter.  Can he help Krista find her way back to those she cares about?

Lots of things going on with this story, but they blend together seamlessly.  I loved reading Krista's thoughts, especially in her self-imposed isolation on the roof.  She's grieving but also avoiding grieving at the same time.  And the house at 758?  There's a reason she can't stay away.  It won't take you long to connect the dots, but the full story doesn't come until closer to the end. 

Note:  Although this is the debut novel from this author, the Spanish version was released several years ago.  This new release is the English version.

"The House at 758" opens like a thriller and I'm so glad it veered into a very character driven YA drama. Main character, Krista, 16, is battling grief because her mother died the previous year. Krista begins to take care of herself and reach out to others during a very stressful and confusing time. Her relationships with her father, his gf, the gf's children--scary, will they become step-siblings?--and a neighbor deepen the narrative. Also of interest is a first love, and very compelling exploration of her visiting grandfather's youth in Nazi-occupied Hungary. There is much to love in this novel, recommended for fans of Jandy Nelson and Joan Bauer. Note: sex goes as far as making out and there are no drugs or drinking.

This was a really touching story. Krista has recently lost her mother and she is trying to deal with the emotional loss in the aftermath. It is summer so she is out of school and her best friend is going away for the summer. This book is really well-written and very sweet to read. Krista's father's girlfriend moves into their house as well, something else for her to deal with along with her father pressuring her to find something to do for the summer. There is a bit of mystery about who actually lives in the house at 758 and why Krista is kind of obsessed with it. She starts dating super nice Jake who is really supportive and also helps Krista to start to heal. Her grandfather comes to visit from Venezuela and she helps take care of him which is good for her as well. Plot twist at the end answered a lot of questions... Krista was a great character, honest, angry, emotional etc, and that really came through in the writing. Definitely liked this book! Great coming of age story.

Interesting story, coming of age, love and loss, and well written. It was interesting how instead of wanting to tackle the emotions that Krista was dealing with in her own life she decides to stalk The House at 758 . I loved Krista's grandfather and the storyline between the two of them. Jake was well placed as the love interest and and I wish that there had been more between the two of them, but I enjoyed the parts he was in.

A light quick read, would recommend!

This was a lovely young adult read about family, love, death and regret. I liked that we had to wait to find out what happened to her mother and sister, and we had little hints dropped along the way. Her Grandfather's story about the Holocaust was particularly interesting too and he was a wonderful character to hear about. Overall I'd recommend this book for a shorter, but still sweet read.

This is a great book. It deals with some very troublesome issues at an important way. Completely authentic storytelling without preaching or condoning. While it includes some complex issues and borderline behavior, overall this is a great read, wholeheartedly recommended.

Krista's life is a mess. She lives on the roof of her house and refuses to sleep in her own room because of something that has happened to her family. Her Dr father has a new relationship with his secretary and Krista seems to have only one friend at school due to a tragedy that has occurred.
It is Summer two years later, and after shoplifting something from a store in the mall, a boy called Jake comes into her life. But does she deserve happiness? And what of her Grandfather from Venezuela, who has a history that Krista's mother was recording before her death? And finally why is it that Krista feels compelled to keep driving to the House at 758?
Interesting if somewhat depressing at times book about families and the terrible things that can change their lives in an instant and the blame games that occur afterwards. I loved the part where Krista takes Chad and Emma ( her Dad's girlfriends' children) to the House and the resulting friendship that develops between Chad and Krista as a result.
The cockatoo part was laboring the regrowth metaphor a bit, but it was still a lovely story and I could easily recommend this to a girl from Year 7 upwards as it was very clean. ( Heck was used instead of Hell).😜
I also liked the part where Krista reminisces about family LORE and how certain stories are kept and elaborated on and retold. And how there are appropriate responses such as laughter to them now, whereas when they were actually happening, that may not have been the case. Lovely.

A really great read about first love, loss and the importance of family. Also, how lovely is the cover?!

A few things prevented this from being a 5-star though, mainly the many sub plots that all could have been fleshed out a bit for a more satisfying conclusion and Krista's relationship with Jake felt pretty fake and predictable. Her grandfather's illness and diagnosis seemed like it was going to be a major deal, but I was left a little disappointed by him returning to Venezuela and that being the end of it. The confrontation with Omar was also a bit flat an underwhelming. That said, I did really enjoy it.

"keep adding to your life - a little bit this, a little bit that,"

I didn't know what to feel about this book at first, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. It made me feel giddy and nervous at the same time and that's really rare for me.

I like the family aspect of the book because not a lot of YA books do that nowadays. The book is focused on both the teen individual's life and the family in general. The plot is something that I know a low of teenagers who are going through the same thing would be able to relate to.

There are certain things about the 'love story' that I still find too cliche but even I have to admit that it was pretty cute and again, still managed to make me feel giddy.

This was so mysterious.


"but dont go with hate in your heart"


this is a lowkey beautiful book

Going into this one, I was trepidatious. I wasn't sure I like our heroine, Krista, I wasn't sure I was in the mood to deal with angsty teen grief. However, the more I read, the more I read. Pretty soon it was far later than I should have been up and I was done and very satisfied. For me, it was her relationship with Chad and her grandfather that really made her a better and a more real character. The character development happened naturally, and it allowed the reader to learn to truly appreciate Krista and her situation.

I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book when I started reading it but I really enjoyed it in the end. A sad but happy tale about loss and the aftermath.

This book was something really special. Its a story of a young girls loss and heartache. Krista is full of hate and guilt over the death of her mother. Blaming the young driver of the car and blaming herself.
After her mother's accident all of kristas relationships are strained. she pushed away her friends, her neighbor and mother best friend and her father who she hates for moving on in her opinion too quickly. Krista visits the house at 758 everyday trying to get closure and some form of justice for her mother. but she only ends up hurting herself. so when her grandfather comes to visit, krista trys to distract herself by finishing the story of his life her mother started. she soon realizes that you cant live your life with hate in your heart and must forgive others to be able to move on.
The house at 758 is a moving and unforgettable read that will really stay with you.

I've been in a reading slump for a little while now and this book finally got me out of my slump. I really liked this book, it is written really well and the characters are written perfectly. There's a hint of mystery in the book as we get subtle clues throughout about Krista's grief and by the end, we know what happened and why the house at 758 is so important and why she visits so often.

I really enjoyed this book. I was hooked right away. I guessed early on what the heroine was doing, stalking out the house at 758, but was really surprised by the reveal that her sister also died, not just her mother, and surprised by the actual circumstances of their deaths. It was a good character arc for the heroine and a satisfying read.

A beautiful, quietly moving book about dealing with loss.

I wish that Krista's grandpa had arrived earlier in the story - I loved their relationship, and the glimpses into his history, and feel like exploring this more rather than spending most of the time on the love story would have been better, but it was still an enjoyable read.

I wasn’t sure if request this book or not but what I did wanted was a different story. This is a book about love and loss which is narrated in a special way.

We have the main character – Krista – who’s devastated because of the death of her mother and now she’s living with her dad’s girlfriend in the same house. She decides to stalk the house at 758 every day she can and stay there for hours. That’s the moment when she’s going to meet Jake.

I loved the main character because she is different in all the ways. I liked the way she expressed her feelings as they are very realistic and I could feel such sympathy for her. Jake was a good character. Although I would rather more of the two of them – Krista and him. It was a good relationship but the author could have gotten into detail.

One of the thing that I most liked was the profound style of Kathrin Berla. This was a really good story which also is set in summer so that makes it more enjoyable. I’m glad I choose well.