Something in the Walls is a dark and ominous story of a young girl who is convinced she is being possessed by a witch. I initially enjoyed the story, but it took a turn that was a bit too unsettling for my taste.

I was hoping more for a thrill ride and less for a horror show, so this one ultimately didn't work for me. I think fans of supernatural thrillers will enjoy this one.

I love it when an author is willing to "go there" in her story. I appreciate the off the wall/unhinged plot that happens in this book, but that being said... I didn't love this. I wanted to love this book, but I just couldn't connect with the characters and I really didn't like how it ended.

SOMETHING IN THE WALLS
Daisy Pearce, Author
Ana Clements, Narrator
Mystery/Thriller

Follow Mina, fresh to the profession of child psychology, where she has no experience, and Sam a journalist with a mission. The mission is 13 year old named Alice who claims she is being haunted.

I really enjoyed this book. Psychological Thrillers are my favorite genre and this one did not disappoint. I would give this book a solid 5 out of 5 stars.

This was a really interesting premise, but I ended up not finishing it because I got bored with the story and felt like nothing was really happening. Might try to listen again at some point.

Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce is a book that delivers a gripping, fast-paced narrative set against an eerie, isolated backdrop that heightens the suspense. The author skillfully blends a chilling atmosphere with psychological tension, keeping the reader engaged throughout.

A standout element is the nuanced exploration of historical witch persecution, which goes beyond fear and superstition to highlight the broader context of women’s marginalization. This historical depth adds a powerful, thought-provoking layer to the story.

The novel balances supernatural dread with societal horror, creating a psychologically immersive experience that lingers long after the final page. Both thrilling and unsettling, it’s a compelling read I won’t soon forget.

Loved this book. Narrator was easy to listen to. Kept me in the edge of my seat. A must read/ listen

Creepy,ominous, just plain scary. This book had me turning on the lights in my house. Modern day witch hunt did not disappoint.

3.5 Stars

This book is classified as horror, and I didn't see it in that category. Yes, some gruesome things happen at the end, but this was more of a psychological thriller to me. Let us start from the beginning. This book follows Mina, a brand new child psychologist who has no clinical experience and is recruited by a journalist, Sam, to help a young girl named Alice. Alice believes that she is possessed, or her whole village believes she's possessed. The town is remote and believes in the "old ways"; they have hag stones to keep away witches, talk about traditions of burning witches, etc. Mina is the last ditch effort to help Alice. During a session, Alice says she can see eyes watching her through the walls, and some noises come from the chimney, and other creepy things happen. All of this occurs after she accidentally breaks an ancient witches' jar in an abandoned house, so now she thinks she is possessed by this witch. Alice does seem to know things that she shouldn't, especially about the dead. As time goes by, Mina and Sam discover some horrific things that have occurred in the town, and no one is safe.

So, I was hoping that we would have a more supernatural presence in this. I wanted that good old-fashioned creepy witch haunting. Unfortunately, though sinister, the town has much darker secrets than witches. I found the beginning creepy, and this tension was built up perfectly, but then the reveal happened, and I felt disappointed. I did see it coming; the author foreshadowed it pretty hard, but still, I had higher hopes. The ending was a rush, though just so much happened, and with all the other bad stuff happening, the ending could go any way. I didn't find that Mina's relationship with Oscar added anything to the story. We escaped from the horrors of the village to Mina calling Oscar, or Mina thinking about Oscar, but that whole line of the story was insignificant and had no bearing on the actual story. Overall, it's entertaining, gruesome in parts, lots of anticipation and intrigue. There was more potential for creepy supernatural stuff to happen, but in the end, people are just terrible.

From start to finish, this book kept me on the edge of my seat. The fast-paced narrative pulls you in right away, and the isolated setting is perfect for creating a sense of dread and suspense. The author expertly blends a chilling atmosphere with psychological tension, keeping the reader hooked from one page to the next.

One of the standout aspects of the novel is its exploration of historical witch persecution. The author doesn't just tell a story of fear and superstition; instead, they weave it into a larger tapestry of women's history. The recognition of the ways in which women were marginalized, feared, and misunderstood throughout history adds a layer of depth to the story that is both thought-provoking and powerful.

The spooky elements of the book are complemented by its psychological horror. The fear isn’t just of the supernatural, but also of the societal forces at play. The tension between these two types of horror creates a hauntingly immersive experience that lingers long after you finish reading.

Overall, this book is an outstanding read. It’s both thrilling and unsettling, with a great mix of historical intrigue and psychological suspense. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this author!

The narration was also a boon!

This was a great audiobook. I loved the narrator and thought it was really well done. This one was super creepy and left me feeling a little unnerved. However there were many times that the plot did not seem plausible. I just didn't really connect with any of the characters. I know I'm definitely the minority.

3 out of 5 stars! Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook of Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce narrated by Ana Clements.

It was just meh for me. Probably because I had already read the book and wanted to give the audiobook a chance. It was just so slow in my opinion. I was speeding the pace to just finish it. The narrator did a pretty good job, but I do wish this had multiple narrators.

I would recommend reading the actual book for this one!

I did not finish this audiobook, but I would like to give feedback, as I did finish it to over 50%, so I feel that I can offer input. The biggest issue that I have, and the reason I abandoned it, was that it was too slow. Nothing really happened in the half of the book I read. Nothing was particularly suspenseful or scary. And I didn't honestly care a lot about the characters. If I am considering not finishing a book, I always ask myself "am I going to think about this later and wonder what happened in the end?" and the answer here was no. I'm okay with a slow book, I'm okay with a slow build. But the tension has to be there, the intrigue has to be there. And this was just...boring.

This was such a creepy audiobook. Great for people who like folk horror and the kinds of things that can go unchecked in small towns.

Mina was a great MC. Her background as a newly minted psychologist and everything that was going on with her marriage complicated her character just enough that, while she was obviously trying her best to help Alice through the "haunting," which she may or may not have really been experiencing, you could tell that she struggled and was a flawed protagonist.

The history of witches in the town, their treatment of and for them, and the ways the witches manifest were all very unique and eerie.

something in the walls was an excellent read. The writing was propulsive and the character development was rich. I would read more from this author.

This was not a win for me. Daisy Pearce’s *Something in the Walls* starts with a compelling premise but struggles in execution. While the eerie atmosphere and village superstition add intrigue, the pacing drags, the protagonist’s choices feel unrealistic, and the plot relies too much on coincidences. The ambiguous ending may leave readers unsatisfied rather than spooked. It's a promising concept that doesn’t quite deliver for me.

Something in the Walls is one of those creepy tension filled stories that has you hooked from the first chapter! I could not get enough of the impending dread I felt the whole time I was listening to this book while questioning what was real and what wasn't.

How was the pace?

Slow burn

What to expect:

Tension
Impending dread
Atmosphere
Hints of horror

Thank you to @macmillanaudio for the gifted copy!
This was absolutely enthralling right from the start. I couldn't put this down - the mystery deepened and at times I got midsommar vibes. Parts of this were SO creepy! I thoroughly enjoyed the story and found this novel engaging, spooky, and ultimately satisfying.
This has some dark themes and some potentially triggering implied events (off-page). Take care when reading and be sure to check trigger warnings.

This book began with such a promising premise that it immediately drew me in. I was hooked from the start and found myself completely intrigued. The pacing, the aura, and the way the story unfolded kept me kept me invested. But when I reached the ending, I have to say, it was a letdown. Everything was progressing so well, and I was eagerly expecting a satisfying conclusion. Unfortunately, the ending left me feeling disappointed. A little unsettling - borderline ick.

Rating: 3.75 stars? 4 stars?

Ill start with "dang." This book had so much potential. The horror elements had me afraid to go into dark rooms alone. The witch's bottle, the long snakey fingers in the fireplace, the death. If the first 70% of the book carried its vibes all the way to the end, the book would have easily been a 5 star for me. The ending felt like every other "horror book" ending.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio/St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thirteen year old Alice Webber claims to be haunted by a witch. MIna is a child psychologist with very little experience, so her friend Sam invites her to check out Alice's story. Against her fiancé Sam's wishes of course Mina accepts. There is a lot more going on here beyond Alice's claims and while it was spooky and dark in places, it left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. I did listen to the audio, so I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it. I may try the print edition though! I also look very forward to reading more by this author