HOUSE OF GLASS review

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5

🏠I love a bingeable thriller and that’s exactly what HOUSE OF GLASS was! I was invested immediately after the first chapter or so! I needed to keep reading to find out what would happen next. 👀

🏠Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
A young nanny has fallen to her death while working, but was her death an accident or intentional?? The only witness was a 9 year old girl who refuses to speak. When no one in the house can be trusted, how can the truth ever come to light?

🏠I loooove stories about families hiding big secrets. 🫢 There were a looooot of secrets in this one! The ending really surprised me and almost felt like it came out of left field? I enjoyed it overall but the ending lost me a tiny bit! I’d still recommend picking this one up!

🏠Thanks to @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for my digital copies!

This is my first book by Sarah and definitely won’t be my last.I was sucked in right away. So many fingers to be pointed, who’s to blame for the nanny’s death? I spend the whole book questioning every character.

The audio sucked me in from the beginning. Laura did a great job helping me connect with all the characters.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my copy of this book.

If you’re looking for a fast paced, easy to read thriller then this one is for you!

I loved the mystery surrounding the old nanny’s death. The plot twists kept coming, yet I seemed to be able to figure out the ending. There was a bit of a lull halfway through but it finished out strong.

The audiobook was fantastic. I really enjoyed how the narrator helped bring the characters to life!

I really enjoyed this, even though I figured out what was going on around 2/3rds through. It was still a good twist! I listened to it in one day and stayed wrapped up in the story. I enjoy when an author doesn't throw a lot of unnecessary characters into the mix and you can easily get caught up in the book. The writing and pace were great. I didn't ever feel bored or like there was a lot of fluff that could have been edited out, so that was nice!

I recommend picking this one (and her other books) up if you are a fan of thrillers!

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen is a compelling and emotional domestic thriller that explores secrets, betrayal, and the complexity of family dynamics. The story follows the Glass family, whose seemingly perfect life unravels after a shocking event. As the narrative unfolds through multiple perspectives, the characters’ hidden truths and past mistakes come to light, revealing how far they’ll go to protect their own. Pekkanen’s writing is both gripping and insightful, capturing the nuances of family relationships with depth and intensity. This book is a must-read for fans of psychological dramas with twists and emotional depth.

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen was my first (solo) book by the author. I listened to the audiobook and I enjoyed that format. Considered a psychological thriller, there were definitely some unpredictable twists! The house and family in the house have lots of secrets. A nanny to the daughter in the home, was killed after falling from a window in the house. A lawyer is sent in to spend time with and interview the family to see if there is any foul play. While this is the lawyer's normal age to work with, she has been called in for similarities to the case. Rose (the daughter) has stopped speaking and started collecting sharp objects. Lots of mysteries and twists for the lawyer to uncover. I recommend it for readers of psychological fiction.

𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘶𝘱, 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳’𝘴.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘵𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺.

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘪𝘵. 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘺-𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱.

𝘈 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴, 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳, 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭-𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵.

Sarah Pekkanen’s House of Glass is a gripping domestic thriller that centres on Stella Hudson, a best-interest attorney representing vulnerable children in high-stakes custody battles.

Stella is assigned to the case of nine-year-old Rose Barclay, who has become mute following the mysterious death of her nanny amidst her parents’ acrimonious divorce. As Stella becomes involved, she uncovers unsettling truths about the Barclay family.

In addition to her stage and screen work, Laura Benanti brings her skill as a narrator to House of Glass with an expressive and nuanced delivery.

I stayed up last night to finish this one! I rarely do that as my body and mind are trained to regularly fall asleep to music or an audio book, but I couldn’t stop and kept pushing myself to stay awake to finish the last few chapters.
This one intrigued me from the start, got a little stale as I thought I knew what the outcome was going to be, but then… a few sentences and I was wrong! The twist! And I couldn’t stop! I had to hear more! I did end up figuring it out before it was totally revealed, but @SarahPekkanen threw in bits and pieces to make me doubt. She is good!

Thank you to @NetGalley and @MacmillanAudio for the audio arc!

3.5. A fast-paced domestic thriller that hooks you early with its tension and twists. Some plot points feel a bit predictable/rushed, but were still very enjoyable. I also liked how you couldn't really trust any of the characters. The chilling setting and suspense made it a face past read and a solid choice for thriller readers.

4 out of 5 stars! Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook of House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen, narrated by Laura Benanti.

This was wild and creepy. My first book by this author and she did NOT disappoint! The narrator did an amazing job with this one! I really enjoyed it and was on edge with it. I will be checking out Sarah's other books because this was so good and suspenseful. Highly Recommend!

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was such a creepy book! lmao i still think of this book when i see a box cutter!!

OMG this was a wild read, and I was totally here for it! Sarah Pekkanen does not disappoint with this book. She is now on my always-read list and am adding all of her books to my TBR! I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Enjoyable and thrilling listen. This was my first book by this author but I will certainly read more! Loved this one highly recommend

Loved, loved, loved the House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen. I particularly enjoy thrillers on audio and this story/narrator did not disappoint! Thank you Macmillan Audio, Sarah Pekkanen, & NetGalley for an ARC audio of this title.

I loved this one...so creepy and strange in many ways. A house with no glass, only plastic. A 9 year old traumatic mute little girl. A dead nanny...murdered? The little girl possibly witnessed a murder and at the worst time because her parents were going through a bitter divorce. I always have said, "You never know what goes on behind closed doors" and this family is one that is looked at as perfect. But are they perfect in the sense people would think of as perfect? I was so curious to get to the answers and I was hooked from the beginning. The new nanny never really worked with children as young as Rose, but since the new nanny, Stella, had been through a similar situation the judge on the case thought she'd be the only on to get through to Rose.

To add to the deeper levels of the investigation, it turns out that the lawyer also had a terrible past. I don't want to say too much to spoil the plot, but it was really good! Stella was about to find out all family secrets and watching as the mute Rose helped her through discovering what really happened when the deceased nanny plunged to her death was interesting. To add to the "fun" of getting to the truth of the mystery, everyone seemed to be lying so who, if anyone, was telling the truth?

The narrator enhanced the story and it really helped my interest in the story as her voice helped differentiate between characters. She had good voice inflections as well and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to her as I read along. I will definitely listen to Laura Benanti again.

House of Glass
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Sarah Pekkanen

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: On the outside they were the golden family with the perfect life. On the inside they built the perfect lie. A young nanny who plunged to her death, or was she pushed? A nine-year-old girl who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak. A lawyer whose job it is to uncover who in the family is a victim and who is a murderer. But how can you find out the truth when everyone here is lying?

Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny - in the midst of her parent's bitter divorce - and immediately stopped speaking. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. She never accepts clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood, but Stella's mentor, a revered judge, believes Stella is the only one who can help.

From the moment Stella passes through the iron security gate and steps into the gilded, historic DC home of the Barclays, she realizes the case is even more twisted, and the Barclay family far more troubled, than she feared. And there's something eerie about the house itself: It's a plastic house, with not a single bit of glass to be found. As Stella comes closer to uncovering the secrets the Barclays are desperate to hide, danger wraps around her like a shroud, and her past and present are set on a collision course in ways she never expected. Everyone is a suspect in the nanny's murder. The mother, the father, the grandmother, the nanny's boyfriend. Even Rose. Is the person Stella's supposed to protect the one she may need protection from?

My Thoughts: I am behind on reviews, I am slowly getting caught up. Rose Barclay witnessed the death of her nanny while her parents are engrossed in a nasty divorce. Rose stopped speaking. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, she is the voice of children in divorce cases. Stella normally will not take on any clients under the age of 13 but when her long-time mentor personally requests her for this sensitive case, Stella reluctantly agrees. From the moment Stella entered the Barclay estate, she knew this family was really troubled. As Stella uncovers secret after secret, when the past and present collide in an explosive way, Stella must wade through everything to determine the best interests of Rose. Will Stella be able to preserve the child’s best interests while not trenching her own traumatic past up? This follows the tropes of a claustrophobic whodunit.

The story is narrated through the POV of Stella. The Barclays have removed all of the glass from their home when Rose started to collect sharp objects after the death of her nanny. The tone and setting is a chilling atmospheric vibe. The characters were well developed with depth, were mysterious, secretive, and intriguing. To say that the characters are sinister barely scratches the surface. Every character is a suspect with their own motives. The author’s writing style was complex, multifaceted, twisty, chilling, and disturbing. The author does an amazing job at creating a creepy atmospheric environment with a child you will feel cautious of. The intense scenes are built with tension and intensity that creates a chilling, creepy setting and when you mix in the host of characters, Beth (Rose’s mother); Ian (Rose’s father); Harriet (Rose’s grandmother); and Rose herself, it just provides an explosion of twists and turns, as secrets are divulged and the truth boils to the surface. The character’s backstories are established through a slow burn, the plot is delivered is twisty layers, and the conclusion was satisfying.

I had the pleasure of having the digital and audio ARCs. I leaned on the audio more. The narrator, Laura Benanti, did an amazing job. Her voice variation through character distinction was impressive. The flow and pitch was perfection at 2x listening speed. This psychological thriller carries all of the traits we have come to expect from Pekkanen, slow burn, intense scenes, angst and tension built up, and the twists had twists, equaling thriller perfection. I always enjoy reading Pekkanen’s novels and this one was no different. She knocked it out of the park and I would highly recommend to other readers.

Stella is an attorney who specializes in working with traumatized children because she was one herself. Her newest client is 9-year-old Rose Barclay, who has not spoken since her nanny died in mysterious circumstances. Stella realizes right away that something is not right in the Barclay household, and as she is trying to determine which would be the best custodial parent, she also tries to figure out what happened to the nanny.

Sarah Pekkanen delivers a twisty and suspenseful novel that had me guessing until the end. Every character is used as a red herring, making it almost impossible to figure out the ending. Laura Benati's narration beings the characters to life. This is a must-read for thriller lovers!

Who killed the nanny? And why is the child now mute? This twisty thriller takes you on a wild ride. The ride is sometimes too wild, and more unrealistic as it goes on. This is not my favorite by Sarah Pekkanen, but I will definitely be reading more.

The narration was good. I did find my mind wondering while listening to it.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for an advanced reading and listening copies of this book.

A good mystery with a good narrator. I am a big fan of this author’s books, but this one was not a favorite.

This was a interesting thriller that had a couple of different storylines. When a nanny falls to her death at her employers' home, there's some question as to whether it was accidental. Her charge, a 9-year-old girl, has been rendered mute by the trauma of witnessing her nanny's death. Because her parents are in the midst of a divorce, a "best interest" attorney is brought in to both serve as her advocate during the proceedings, and to hopefully support her as her therapist attempts to help her overcome her trauma. As things evolve in the case and more and more secrets come to light, the attorney embarks on her own journey to try to answer some questions from her own traumatic childhood. Pekkanen weaves the two stories together nicely. The audiobook is beautifully narrated by Laura Benanti; I do hope she'll continue to do more audiobook narrations. Reading on the page my rating would've probably been somewhere between 3 & 4 stars, but the narration bumped it to 4 for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a digital copy for an unbiased review.