This was an engrossing read and I didn't guess everything that was happening (which is what I like- surprise me!) But I think this went slightly overboard with the twists and turns by the end. I know this is just a matter of reader preference, some people love being hit with reveal after reveal, but it just didn't work for me here. I will say that the author did allow time at the end to process and wrap up the turns that were taken. The story continued longer than I expected after the technical conclusion.

Quality of Writing 4/5
Pacing 3/5
Plot Development 2/5
Character Development 3/5
Narration 5/5
Overall Enjoyability 3/5

I thoroughly enjoyed the FMC. It was intriguing hearing her back story and watching how she sorted through the family dynamic. I was trying to figure out who was the "bad guy" as she was trying to sort it out. I was shocked and even gasped by the major twist. This story truly kept me guessing at every turn. Sarah Pekkahen has a wonderful way of keeping you guessing. The narrator also did a remarkable job portraying the characters and their emotions. I loved this book!

I received this ARC in audiobook format from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully listening to this audiobook.

Had me guessing until the very end. These are the types of stories that I love. Some might say they are predictable but I find them so entertaining and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute. The narrator added extra intrigue and even made some parts feel eerie. I want to check out more from this author.

📚 Review: House Of Glass 🪞
This was an okay read for me. I honestly liked it better than I was expecting, but still wasn’t wowed by it. It wasn’t that it was bad by any means. I have seen tons of reviews of people loving this book. But, I think I read too many thrillers where if there is not some kind of big twist that blows my mind, I’m a little underwhelmed. And that’s kind of how I felt with this one. But that’s a me problem. It reminded me of The Perfect Child a bit by Lucinda Berry. But not done as well. I was expecting more deviousness from the little girl, but things were just more speculated than anything else.
For those not familiar, this book is about lawyer named Stella Hudson. She works with children of parents who are getting divorced. But, this case she’s working on is a little unusual because Rose,the nine year old girl, who Stella is there to represent , may have witnessed her nanny’s death. Rose has now become mute and seems to have an obsession with sharp objects. So much so, that her parents can’t have anything that’s glass in the house. But as Stella is investigating, she finds out that everyone in this house seems a little “off” and may possibly be a suspect. Everyone has motive. Even Rose.
Like I said, for me, it was okay. It wasn’t awful by any means. I’ve seen people love it, so if it’s on your tbr, find out if you like it for yourself, don’t go by this review. I’m probably an outlier. But this was ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5 stars for me!

Even though I got this as my BOTM, I ended up getting approved for the audiobook. So, thank you to @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Have you read this one yet? What were your thoughts?

3 stars.

This one didn't stand out to me and felt very "meh" but I can see why others might like this one. I wasn't vibing with any of the characters and I found the plot to be uninteresting. The twist at the end was worth it at the end but not enough to where I can say I enjoyed the story.

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.

The setting is eerie, the family is sketchy, Rose is creepy, an overall interesting story line. It’s Stella’s job to figure out who Rose should live with after her parent’s divorce. But something is suspicious, and it’s Stella’s job to find out what. She spends a lot of time at the house getting to know the family - they have a lot of drama and no one is really likable. There were several parts of this story I found to be unnecessary. This wasn’t an action packed, edge of your seat sort of read I was hoping for. I found the majority of the story to be slow moving (minus the bit of excitement in the end). Just seemed like the author was trying to cram a lot into one story. This was has its fans - just wasn’t for me.

House of Glass was my most recent audiobook and thriller. This fast paced novel centers around a custody case of the child of extremely wealthy parents. Nine year old Rose Barclay witnessed what may have been her Nanny’s murder and has become selectively mute because of the trauma of the event. Stella Hudson is an attorney sent in to determine the best interest of Rose in her parent’s contentious divorce. A child of trauma herself, Stella feels an immediate bond and empathy for Rose and determines that in order to help her, she must find out what Rose may have seen or done the night if her nanny’s death.

I listened to this book on audio and it was really well done. Laura Benanti, the narrator did a wonderful job. Each character was distinct and well performed and it completely immersed me in the story.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. Pekkanen has written a fast and complex thriller that weaves together many different threads. I really liked the character of Stella. She was multilayered and it was interesting to see how her personal backstory and it’s ongoing repercussions helped her to connect with Rose. There was real heart here which can be unusual in a domestic thriller. I cared.

My only quibble with this one was the ending. It took too long to wrap up. Even after the big reveal to the mystery was disclosed there was still a lot of other answers to come and I began to lose interest. One element of Stella’s story was superfluous and unneeded to make her story successful and that bugged me a bit. Still, overall this one was a really fun and well done.
Thank you to @macmillan.audio for an audio arc of this book. The audiobook debuts on August 6th.
#bookstagram #thrillerbookstagram #thrillerbooks #thrillernovel #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #bibliophile #macaudio2024

“House of Glass” presented an eclectic mix of unexpected plot twists and a suspenseful ambiance that captured my interest in its mysterious narrative. The story effectively built tension, with each unexpected turn adding layers to the mystery. Of particular interest was the character Rose, a silent yet complex figure who added depth to the plot.

I appreciated the detailed perspective provided by the main character, Stella, which enhanced the analysis of the Barclay family dynamics and the investigation into the nanny’s death. The first-person viewpoint allowed for a more immersive and interactive experience in sleuthing and solving the mystery alongside Stella.

However, the subplot involving Stella’s mother, while initially intriguing, felt somewhat forced as the plot unfolded. Moreover, its integration with the main narrative could have been smoother for a more cohesive storytelling experience, as presently it detracts from the story and causes it to lose momentum and flow.

The narrator, Laura Benanti, skillfully heightened the mysterious elements and eerie atmosphere of the book, enhancing the audiobook experience tenfold. Her performance added complexity and drew me further into the storyline, creating a sense of collaboration with Stella’s sleuthing antics.

While many characters in the novel may not have been relatable or likable, it is important to note that this is a mystery thriller in the style of a classic whodunit, so that could be expected. The central character, Stella, lacked appeal, especially coupled with the complications of her mother’s subplot.

Despite efforts to understand Stella’s perspective, her interactions often came across as self-centered, relying too heavily on her experiences and trauma to justify her decisions, even when they were not in the best interest of the child and family she was assessing. A more nuanced approach to her character development could have enhanced her belief and emotional depth.

Furthermore, the ending of the story spent a significant amount of time on the “big bad” antagonist’s monologue, which felt forced and unrealistic considering the circumstances of the story’s unraveling. This exposition-heavy conclusion significantly weakened the impact of the climax.

In summary, “House of Glass” offered an engaging and thrilling reading experience for fans of mystery and suspense, despite some areas that could benefit from further development and exploration, such as character growth and plot cohesion. This book is recommended for those who appreciate suspenseful, cat-and-mouse mystery novels.

I was provided with a free complimentary advanced listener's copy (ALC) of this book from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley in exchange for providing my honest review. All opinions expressed are voluntary and my own.

Thank you, Sarah Pekkanen, for giving us another great thriller; I enjoyed this one!

Let's start with the characters -- The characters were all unreliable, which made for an incredibly suspenseful story. I kept changing my mind about who actually killed the nanny, which is a testament to Pekkanen's skill in crafting a complex and intriguing narrative. The suspicion built up steadily throughout the novel, keeping my attention glued to the story as I tried to piece together the truth. There were many characters involved in this novel, but Pekkanen made it pretty easy to keep up with them.

If I could change one thing about "House of Glass," it would be the connection between the surprise love interest that forms toward the end of the novel. While I liked the relationship itself, it felt somewhat forced, as if it was added as an afterthought or pushed into the story by an editor. I wish it had been developed a bit more thoroughly throughout the novel to make it feel more natural. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I'll leave out the names, but this is a minor critique of an otherwise stellar book.

I listened to this book, Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio, and the narrator did a great job with tone and pacing. The combination of a gripping plot, unreliable characters, and excellent narration made it a memorable listening experience, and I recommend it to others who enjoy thrillers!

Thank you, #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio, for a chance to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This one kept me guessing all the way through. Every time I convinced myself that a certain member of the family was involved I became more convinced it was someone else. Well done! Bravo! I loved the main character, Stella, and how much she cared not just about Rose and determining the optimal custody situation for her divorcing parents, but also about catching the killer of the nanny in a case that had essentially gone cold because Rose had selective mutism after witnessing her death.

This was just what I needed when reading a thriller to shake up my fantasy reads and now I kind of want to see the author right a thriller in a fantasy setting. That would be a lot of fun.

The audiobook was so good! The narrator, Laura Benanti kept me enthralled in the story and lured me into a nice safe feeling before we reached some truly exciting and thrilling moments. The end of the story flew by so quickly with all of the action at the end and it left my heart racing!

FOUR AND A HALF STARS

Thank you to @macmillan.audio for the #gifted ALC. All thoughts are my own.

Sadly this wasn't my most favorite book. The outline of the story is great, the telling is not. I found the descriptive details overdone and over used. This reminded me of creative writing exercises in school, the more description used the higher the mark on the paper. The narrator is not the best fit for a creepy murder mystery and this may be influencing my thoughts on the book. Perhaps if I had read it on paper, I might feel better about the book. The title is perfect and the cover just ominous enough to spark curiosity.

After the death of her nanny, Rose Barclay suffers from traumatic mutism. Stella's, a best interest attorney is appointed to the case. As Stella works with Rose she begins to wonder…..Why are the Barclay’s so over protective of Rose and why are they so hesitant to allow Stella to be around Rose? What really happened to the nanny and who could possibly do harm to her?
This book kept me very interested and entertained from start to finish.
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this audio ARC.
Pub date: 8-6-24

Thank you NetGalley for the complimentary e-audiobook of, House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen.

Great psychological thriller with lots of surprises and very compelling characters!

The Barclays live in the historic DC area in what appears to be the perfect life on the outside, but on the inside it’s a web of lies. They have a young nanny, Tina who ends up dead- it’s uncertain if she plunged to her death, or was she pushed? Then there’s Rose, the Barclays daughter who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak. Rose is nine years old and possibly witnessed the death of her nanny, Tina.

Rose’s parents are going through a divorce and a best interest attorney is requested for her. Stella comes into the picture as Rose’s attorney, but she usually doesn’t accept clients under the age of thriteen, because of her own past.

This was definitely a page-turner, but I didn’t want it to end. Great read!

Stella Hudson is an attorney assigned to 9-year-old Rose Barclay as both her parents fight for sole custody of her. Stella has her work cut out for her after she learns that not only does Rose suffer from traumatic mutism, but she also witnessed her former nanny's death after she fell from a window. Stella was apprehensive to take the case, being that she went through something very similar when she was a child. She, too, suffered from traumatic mutism after her mother's death. As traumatic as her experience was, Stella knows she is the only person who can help Rose and possibly find out what happened to the nanny. She believes Rose was not the one who pushed her nanny out the window, but if she didn't, who did?

House of Glass is a captivating physiological thriller that will grip you completely and have you questioning each character and their motive. I did guess who committed the crime halfway through the book, however, the book was so well written and suspenseful that it didn't ruin it for me. I wanted to keep reading on to find the motive and how that person got to that point. I also enjoyed how Stella was forced to face her past and finally search for her own answers after her interactions with Rose. She grew a lot as an individual by the end and it was great to watch. This book definitely took me on an emotional rollercoaster ride but I enjoyed every minute of it! A well written mystery that kept me engaged the whole way through, with creepy vibes and heartfelt moments! 100% recommend!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I rather enjoyed this mystery / thriller. I wasn't sure if Pekkanen was going to add a big twist or not, so I wasn't sure where the story was going.

I do think the story dragged a bit in the middle just due to the repetitiveness of themes. There were a few thoughts that the MC had that were repeated unnecessarily. I believe the story would have benefitted from cleaning that up a bit. Otherwise, I was engaged in the story and read it fairly quickly.

I think, as is typical with this genre, you need to be able to suspend your disbelief while reading, but I like the way the ending played out.

I was fortunate enough to receive an audio copy of this book along with the ebook. The audio was narrated by Laura Benanti and she did a wonderful job. I enjoyed listening to this one and spent more time with the audio than the ebook. I do think the audio enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

I would love to give this one 3.5★. I will round up for narration.

Actual Rating 2.5

What I liked most about this work was the house and how well it was used as part of the setting. The author also introduced many peculiar aspects relating to Rose and her family, things that made you question them all as people. It did get a bit heavy-handed though, to the point where it felt like the author was trying too hard to point in one direction that you knew it wasn’t going to be the solution from early on. The ending also got pretty OTT as is the case with these types of books.

One thing that I didn’t notice at first was how excessively flowery the author’s language was. I was about a third of the way through the book when it hit me how often similes were being used, and it easily felt like it was multiple times a page. The descriptions and similes quickly became too much, and once I noticed it, I couldn’t stop focusing on it.

While this book didn’t particularly do anything new, it was entertaining overall. If you’re interested in a slow but OTT psychological mystery with as many similes as there are bees in an active hive, you’ll probably enjoy this one. The narrator did an excellent job, so if you’re going to check this out, I do recommend the audio version. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I enjoyed this book, but I'd say it seemed to be more like a family drama than the thrillers I'm used to from Pekkanen when she writes with Hendricks. Honestly, I don't normally like family dramas, but this one worked for me because I love a good story about a creepy kid! The kid made this one bingeable for me! Yes, I wanted to find out what happened to the poor, murdered, nanny, but I REALLY wanted to know why Rose was hoarding sharp objects and not speaking.
Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc and MacMillan audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen
Narrator: Laura Benanti
Rating: 4 stars
Pub date: 8/6

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy and to Macmillan Audio for my complimentary audiobook. #macaudio2024
House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen is an addictive psychological thriller. The story follows Stella Hudson, a best interest attorney with a traumatic past, who is appointed to represent Rose Barclay, a nine-year-old girl who stops speaking after witnessing the mysterious death of her nanny during her parents' nasty divorce.

From the moment Stella steps into the Barclay's historic DC home, which is strangely devoid of glass, you know you're in for a twisty ride. The family dynamics are messed up, and everyone seems to be hiding something. Pekkanen does a great job of building suspense as Stella tries to figure out who among the Barclays is a victim and who might be a murderer.

The characters are well-developed, especially Stella, whose own past adds depth to her role. The tension keeps building, and just when you think you have it all figured out, another twist comes along. The story is fast-paced and keeps you hooked right up to the last page.

I listened to the audiobook version and I think Laura Benanti did an amazing job bringing all of the characters, and the creepy atmosphere, to life.

If you love psychological thrillers with complex characters and lots of twists, you should definitely pick up House of Glass. It's a gripping read that will stay with you long after you finish it. Highly recommended!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was hooked from start to finish. Sarah Pekkanen always does a fantastic job with characters, setting, plot and pacing. I didn’t feel like there were any real big twists but there was a good moment of suspense which I liked and I was constantly second guessing who did it. I liked the narrator and felt she did a great job at bringing the story to life.

This was such an amazing story and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I really love a good psychological thriller/mystery and that was exactly what this book was. I went into it not knowing anything about the story other than it sounded really interesting and it definitely lived up to the hype. I really liked Stella and was impressed how she remained calm and neutral throughout the course of the story. I didn’t see the twist coming either and I thought that was very well done. Would highly recommend this!