Not for me. This novel sounded so interesting and started well. But around the 30% mark, the plot just fell flat. I started caring less and less about the characters..

The blurb of this book had me sold. When @netgalley sent me the digital ARC, I was super excited and this ended up being my first read of 2021. I had some preconceived thoughts about this book, which were dispelled when I was 10% in. This, however, did not take away from the story, at all.

Elise, a young orphan, returns to her house (where she has the happiest memories) but another family is staying there so she survives by living in the Walls. Secreting herself in the nooks and crannies of the house she knows and loves. The family living there has two boys who are sure of something amiss in their house and that’s when things spiral out of control. The end had my heart pounding and had me racing towards how it would all reveal
Itself. This is a literary thriller, dealing with loneliness and grief, in a very different manner. I was sucked into the world of Elise and I couldn’t read fast enough to know how the story pans out.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

An unusual and enjoyable story about a young girl who decides to return to the huge house she thinks of her home. Alone after the death of her parents in a car crash, she goes to the only place she feels comfortable. Having to live there in stealth, avoiding the current residents of the house, she finds a way to survive in spite of the odds.

An intriguing and heart rending story that looks into the mind of an 11-year-old who suddenly finds herself alone and orphaned. A suspenseful read as well, well written and plotted.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Eddie lives in a house where he thinks is being haunted by a girl. He thinks he is seeing things until he talks to his brother. This book is a nail bitter.

The story is an interesting one, and an interesting challenge for the writer, since the protagonist spends so much time alone, observing her world rather than acting in it. Much of the story is written in a style that forced me to slow down and consider the language. I spent time, as I read, wondering about how much the language is made deliberately obscure and unusual to reflect the protagonist's alienation from others, as well her lack of practice communicating to others--or whether it was just the writer's style.

Take this sentence:

"But she thought about how, even if she were out there, lying on her back on the lawn with her eyes closed, beside the lilies the boys' mother, Mrs. Laura, had planted along the edge of the driveway, she still wouldn't hear any sound that would cue her that the cat was passing just an arms's reach away."

Even in context this was a difficult sentence for me to parse without a few re-reads. As I typed the sentence out just now I found myself thinking, hmm, this sentence would be right at home in the pages of GRAVITY'S RAINBOW. So while it was an intriguing read for me, it was also one that I'll need to re-read before I'm sure what to think about it.

I received an advance copy of, Girl in the Walls, by A. J. Gnuse. I really wanted to like this book, but it was too depressing. I did not care foe some of the language either.

This is soooo clever, sooooo original, soooo extraordinary! I haven’t read something so remarkable, refreshing, outrageous but also intense, dark, thrilling and emotional at the same time!

I haven’t gotten so much tensed for a long time! I think after gritting so hard, my teeth can fall down at any second! I’m so scared to move from my couch! My husband dearest acts like he didn’t hear my scream for help! ( actually I cannot form any words because not only my blood but also my vocal cords are frozen! I cannot make a sound! )

Okay! This book is about survival and grief but the tension the author meticulously built scare the living daylights out of you! You feel like watching A Quite Place’s longer version alone in the dark over and over again!

The plot line is so clever, bizarre, mind spinning! It also gives you Bong Joon Ho’s Academy Award winner screenplay “Parasite”!

Poor little Elsie becomes orphan after losing her family at a traffic accident, starts living in the wall of the house once they lived as a family.

But now another family of four moved to this place: The Masons: Nick and Laura: the parents, Eddie and Marshal are two sons. The brothers are not in good terms! Their characteristics are quiet unique and they cannot meet in the middle, pushing away each other!

On the other hand, Elsie keeps looking for traces left behind her family, living like a ghost, making noises without getting attention of the house’s inhabitants. Talking to her one eyed friend Odin, squeezing tighter, sensing the upcoming storm!

Thankfully she knows the dodgy floors, scraps help her move without being noticed! But the brothers finally sense her existence and they bond a partnership to do something about it.

The most terrifying thing about this book was not the brothers or threatening tropic storm! It was actually the house truly horrifies us. It is eerie breathing, functioning organism! Even the trees seem like alive, watching each move of the characters, waiting for the right time to attack!

Overall ; it was perfectly written, haunting, gripping, shocking novel with well developed characterization! I’m so sure this is gonna be one of the most fascinating reads of the next year which I highly recommend ! I haven’t read something freaking good for a long time! It’s a big winner for me!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.