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!”