For six volumes now, readers of Robert Liparulo’s Dreamhouse Kings series have been caught up in the adventures of the King family, a knuckle-whitening rollercoaster ride through different time periods and cultures.
The series recently wrapped up with Frenzy, out in paperback this November. Although marketed to teens, the books have struck a chord with readers young and old. “I believe adults like the books because I didn’t try to write for kids, as much as about them,” the author told TheBigThrill.“I vowed to not ‘write down’ to young readers.”
To make the time travel, Liparulo made a point to keep the rest of story grounded in reality: Everything the kids go through to rescue their parents—from the physical hurts to the emotional turmoil of their ordeal(s)—is realistic. The result is a pulse-pounding adventure that keeps readers turning the pages. “I hear over and over again from kids, especially boys, who say they hate reading but can’t put these books down,” Liparulo says.
Not only did books fly off shelves, but also led to a fan-penned music soundtrack; games inspired by the series; and a motion picture development deal.
Liparulo’s next YA series, Hunter, features two teens trying to survive in a world in which most of mankind has been wiped out by a virus. “They have to find the cure before it mutates and kills everyone else—and before a band of bad guys finds it,” Liparulo says. “Of course, it’ll have a lot of adventure and suspense.” Don’t think that means the end of the Kings: Each Hunter book will include a Dreamhouse Kings short story. Then, after Hunter? “I’m planning on writing another Dreamhouse series,” Liparulo says. “Long live the Kings!”
