I was excited for this book as I'm a fan of Ania Ahlborn. The first half was amazing but then I felt like everything went downhill for the second half. The ending was meh. Isla isn't a very likeable character either.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I have loved Ania Ahlborn’s work ever since I read Brother, and this book is no exception. It is very well written, easy to read, and kept me engaged from start to finish. I definitely would recommend this book to others!

Thank you, NetGalley and Publishers for this ARC! I love this author, and I devoured this book in one sitting. The author has a way of engrossing you within the story, it’s atmospheric and unnerving. The characters are amazing and the plot is great! Her books are easy to read and they are so unique. I would highly recommend this book along with her other books that she has written if you love horror books with a lot of plot , that are well written and will make you lock your doors at night!!! Great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an ARC of The Unseen.

I have heard amazing things about this author's work and was immediately drawn in by the summary so I was super excited to jump into this one! The first half had me in a chokehold to where I literally dreamed about the story at night. Unfortunately the second half went downhill so fast for me. I wasn't emotionally invested in any of the characters and the middle of the story felt very repetitive and slow. The story had such promise initially but I truly hated the direction it took at the end. Ultimately it felt a lot more like cheesey sci-fi than the horror book I was expecting.

2.5 big bummer stars

Wow, this is dark, creepy, and extremely scary!

I went into this one blind and, happily, found that it never went exactly where I expected it to.

This is one of those books where you'll start to think you're seeing weird shadows or hearing odd noises as you read - it's so atmospheric!

While I hated Isla, I enjoyed reading her. Even after discovering why she was the person she was, I never warmed to her or felt particularly sympathetic. I did, however, feel so bad for her family. I adored all of them and that made me loathe Isla even more.

As for our mysterious foster child? Yeah...that's a big no for me.

An excellent and very eerie read that should probably be a movie as well because in a dark theater, people would scream and scream and scream.

Ania Ahlborn proves once again why she is a standout in modern horror with The Unseen, a chilling, slow-burn descent into grief, paranoia, and the supernatural.

In a remote Colorado ranch house, Isla is a mother of six—now five—still reeling from the sudden, devastating loss of her young son. Her world has narrowed to grief, leaving her disconnected from the children she still has. But when a mysterious boy appears at the edge of their property, Isla feels an immediate, unshakable need to keep him. Against all reason, she brings Rowan into their home.

But Rowan does not bring comfort. As strange occurrences begin to plague the house, shadows creep closer, and her remaining children each experience disturbing, inexplicable events, Isla refuses to let go of the boy—despite the increasingly sinister signs that something is very, very wrong.

Woven throughout the novel are media interviews, newspaper articles, and police reports on missing children, adding a chilling layer of realism that pulls the reader deeper into the growing dread. The Unseen is a relentless, atmospheric horror story, full of family secrets, eerie folklore, and the kind of quiet terror that lingers long after the final page. Ahlborn delivers a masterful blend of psychological and supernatural horror, making The Unseen an absolute must-read for fans of dark, unsettling fiction. #GalleryBooks #TheUnseen #AniaAhlborn #HorrorReads

I’ve read all of Ania Ahlborn’s scary novels and liked every one of them. Her newest novel, The Unseen, kept me guessing as the tension escalated for Isla, Luke and their 5 children once a very strange orphan was added to the family. Ania writes so well I could visualize the action and the characters as I read. Anyone who likes well written spooky books is encouraged to check out this talented author.

3.5 stars. I think that this was a good book, but I just do not think that it was the right book for me. I think it leans a little too far into the horror genre for my liking.