A book full of tension and intrigue. Following the untimely death of Elsie's parents she starts living in the walls of her family home. The house is now inhabited by a new family and life becomes very complicated. At times terrifying, as the house seems alive and evil. Be prepared to be afraid, astounded and enlightened all at the same time. You can't see her but you know she is there.

So original. So different. So intriguing and SUCH a great read!

If you’re after a terrifying type gothic novel, I would say this one isn’t for you, at first I thought it was going to be a lot more gothic vibes hence me saying this. But if you’re in the mood for a slightly gothic touching novel but hitting more sorrowful notes, then this is it for you.

A story of grief, Elise was the only witness to her parents demise, and she finds herself orphaned with no family coming forward and being drawn to the comfort of the house she grew up in, she finds her way inside its inviting walls with it’s current occupants highly unaware of her presence there.

I found this such an enjoyable and different read, at times very slow paced, which isn’t a bad thing for myself, but a big point for those who don’t love to sit and dwell int he finer details of a story, but I would recommend this to anyone who wants to sit down to a book that is beautifully written with eery vibes and melancholy tones

Ok, this is a book that is impossible to review without spoilers, so don't read on if you don't want to see them!


Seriously, I'm going to summarise the whole book, so spoilers!



SPOILERS AHEAD!



Ok, so I went into this expecting a good old fashioned ghost story, imagining Elise to be the ghostly young girl who just couldn't move on, and Eddie the only member of the family aware of her existence. And I was sort of right, except for one key fact - Elise is not a ghost. Nor's Eddie or his family, in case that's what you're thinking. Everyone who lives in the house is alive and kicking. Essentially, what happens is Elise's parents die in a car accident, she spends a night in a foster home but isn't a big fan, so decides to move back in to her family home. The fact that the Mason's have moved in isn't an issue, because she lives in the walls instead.

Cue some quick googling, which led me to discover the intensely creepy thing that is crawlspaces (I live in the UK, and I don't know if they're not common over here or if I've just not heard of them, but the idea of having enough room in your walls or under the floor for someone to be shimmying around in them freaked me right out). So, Elise has a little nest in the attic, and moves around the house by sliding up and down walls and popping out of the back of wardrobes and cupboards (yep, I checked all of mine after reading about that!). She then ventures out into the rest of the house once the family are out for the day, spending her time reading, stealing bits of food, and generally having a strange yet (to her) pleasant existence. Until Eddie and his brother being to twig that something spooky is going on. But instead of assuming ghost, as I thought they would (yes I still held out hope that it was a ghost story in disguise), they worked out pretty quickly that it was a real person hiding in the walls, and managed to find a guy online who promised to help get rid. He turns up, is a total nutcase, nearly catches Elise but then doesn't, he does a runner, the parents come home (still don't believe that there's someone in the walls, not sure what exactly they think is going on at this point) and everything carries on as it was, just with the boys being thoroughly freaked out by the knowledge that yes, there is someone living in the walls. Until there's a massive storm, the family evacuate, everything floods, creepy man comes back, nearly gets Elise again but instead drowns. The family come home, Elise has gone. And there's a rather sweet side plot with Elise making friends with a neighbours kid who keeps popping up. And an epilogue that catches up with Eddie and Elise years later, which wraps things up nicely.

So yeah... it was weird. Not even remotely what I expected, and in that sense I was a bit disappointed as I do love a good ghost story. It's hard to describe what I made of it if I'm honest, as while I enjoyed elements of it, it definitely wasn't as good as I expected. Part of the issue is how much the synopsis and marketing for this novel portrayed it as a gothic novel. It makes you expect something creepy and tense, and when you instead get something that instead is quite odd and almost flat in tone, it's bound to lead to disappointment.

A further part of the issue was the pacing. Most of the book was incredibly slow and repetitive, until creepy bloke turned up then it tried to become this almost thriller style read. And speaking of creepy bloke, there's so much left unexplained in relation to his character that it just felt like lazy writing. This was something I also felt in relation to Elise. She's incredibly hard to connect to, as she felt like a very underdeveloped character, coming across as very unemotional and flat at times. Obviously she's grieving, and there's some quite poignant parts of the plot where that really hits home (her search for things of her parents that might be left in the house, as mementos of happier times), but at other times she just comes across as a very one dimensional and hard to understand character. Partly because you have limited insight into why she does what she does, such as why she went back to the house and lived in the walls and why she suddenly decides to leave at the end. It left certain elements of the plot feeling quite hollow and rushed, and others completely unfinished.

All in all, a very strange book that for me failed to live up to it's potential. At it's heart is a very unique idea, but it fell victim to an overly long and drawn out plot and, at times, poor execution. It reads to me like a book that couldn't decide what it wanted to be, and that disjointed feeling lead to what I felt was quite an unsatisfying read.

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to be provided with an advance reading copy of this book by NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

‘But people who go missing, they don’t always disappear.’

The idea of someone else living in your house unawares has become an urban legend and a bit of a creepy pasta, but it does have its roots in some creepy real-life stories! In the author’s notes at the end of Girl in the Walls, AJ Gnuse writes that he created Elise as a way to comfort him when hearing odd noises around his home. Although Elise is probably the nicest person you could hope to be unknowingly sharing your house with, this book certainly made me happy I live in a small flat with no gaps between the walls or dark corners for someone to lurk in! From newly freed jailed exes to convicted felons I think given the choice I’d rather have sweet Elise in my walls as well – she is young, quiet and respectful but it’s still a creepy situation.

Girl in the Walls is actually a story about trying to deal with grief and moving on with your life. Elise’s family die in a car crash and with nowhere else to go and no-one to turn to she instead returns to her family’s home to be around her childhood roots. It’s very touching and melancholic in places and it’s written very beautifully. It does feel a little like it drags in parts but then the action builds up with the introduction of JT. I was perhaps expecting more of a horror element of this book (I kept waiting for the twist that Elise had been dead all along or something) but actually it’s more of a human story than a horror.

JT was a scary villain and the idea of him trashing the beautiful old mansion was very sad. I liked that the author says he is the ‘what could be’ for Eddie – someone so obsessed with the idea of people living in the walls that he becomes deranged. I perhaps didn’t get this enough in the writing itself, just from the author’s notes at the end and I felt it needed to become a little clearer when we are introduced to him or in his email chains to the boys. There were a couple of plot holes as well – I understand that Eddie didn’t want to acknowledge that Elise might have been real but when his brother gets involved why do they not set up hidden cameras rather than inviting a stranger into their home? That would have saved a lot of grief! I also really liked the ending (no spoilers!) but I found it hard to believe the change in Elise’s character to just adapt to real life with no support system or base.

Overall, The Girl in the Walls is a hauntingly sad story which made me look at my own house in a completely different way! Thank you to NetGalley and 4th Estate for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This interesting novel is set within the walls of a house, home to Eddie, his brother and their parents, and also to Elise, although nobody else knows this. Eddie is a young teenager, and really too old to be believing in the girl he sometimes see out of the corner of his eye, but when his brother starts to sense that something unusual is occurring in their home, together they face the grim task of how to deal with it.

Girl in the Walls is a fascinating book, edgy and brooding throughout, and the short chapters with alternating point as of view add to the agitation and tension. Each chapter is expertly written, and could in fact be standalone stories themselves. The themes covered are all quite dark; grief, anxiety, fear, and in some parts, obsession and anger, which together accumulate for a savage and turbulent climax. Ghosts of past and present haunt every page of this novel, and this is horror without twists or gimmicks.

There are nods to the Southern Gothic style, to literary villains and the classic haunted house narrative, and yet this is completely original. I’m excited to see what comes next from this author. 4 big stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this arc, thoughts and opinions are all my own.

Such a sad story and so creepy and atmospheric. I did think this was going to be more of a ghost story from the cover but after re-reading the blurb I was back on track. I have seen to covers for this book and I don't feel either really represent what this book is about. By the end of the book I wanted to take Elise under my wing and be her friend.

A beautiful creepy book not something I pick up very often but was a great change. Totally hooked. Very well written

I was expecting some different and it didn’t end up being the book for me.
The writing is good and the plot is pretty unique, so I’d say it probably concerns just my personal taste.

I enjoyed this book. It has short chapters and follows Elise, an orphan after a car accident who lives in the walls of a house where she lived with her family. She is there as she feels safe and is looking to find a connection with her family members, but a new family has moved in - Nick and Laura Mason and their two children - Eddie and Marshall.
I enjoyed the original idea of this book, a clever plot and i found it dark and creepy at times.
The house itself is a character that is one of my favourite tropes and the writing lent itself to making the reading very atmospheric.
A tense and slow-paced book but one that I enjoyed and one I would recommend.
It is about survival and grief so some readers may need to be aware of this.
Many Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy in return for an honest review.

Wow! What an intriguing book. My 1st read from this author but I shall be looking for more
How can an orphan just disappear, how can she survive alone? By returning to her former home and hiding within the walls that’s how
Elise knows every inch of the house, she knows which boards will crack and where the gaps are in the walls, she knows secrets about the house that the new family have yet to discover. Using this knowledge she hides away and survives by sneaking out when they are asleep or out.
However is she as hidden as she thinks?
Youngest son of the new family thinks he sees something out of the corner of his eye, hears a noise he cannot explain, when older brother Mason admits he’s been sensing things the brothers begin to investigate, but will their parents believe them? Who can help? What will become of the girl in the walls?
There were times I was reading this and thinking how can this happen, how is this possible? But I couldn’t stop reading and the pull I had to Eliza, I wanted to take her under my wing and keep her safe.
I engaged with both the boys and found their characters to be highly believable and acting appropriately for their ages.
The parents were so absorbed in their jobs, the renovation of their new home that they failed to see what was going on around them.
So well written. I highly recommend
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I requested an arc of this from NetGalley for honest review. I was so sold on the premise, I was here for the gothic vibes. This would be one definitely catching my eye if I saw it on bookstore shelves. Unfortunately this book wasn’t what I wanted it to be.

For starters, there is no ambiguity to what’s going on. We follow a young girl who lives in the walls of her old house after an accident that kills her family.

The reason this was a three star read and not a two star was the description. The author can write great prose. The description of the house was excellent, it felt like a character in its own right. There is potential for this author to be exceptional.

However everything else sort of fell flat. The characters (aside from the main character) were all very stock, they had nothing to them and were cliché. The ‘villain’ of the story was the worst. They weren’t even needed and really ruined the whole thing.

Not what I went into this book expecting which is partly my own fault. Disappointed but curious to see further works from this author.

Not for me I’m afraid. I think I went into this book expecting something different. The plot line dealing with grief and family was good but the writing didn’t keep me gripped. I found the story slow and only really engaged at about 70%

However, I have seen a lot of reviews from people who absolutely loved this book so maybe a Marmite one and worth a try?

I was really looking forward to reading this book. Sadly, it just didn't grip me. I found it slow and struggled to get into it at all.

5/5⭐️’s

Have you heard about the people who live in the walls of houses, in the lofts and cupboards? I remember my dad telling me stories about these people and me thinking it isn’t real. But it is.

The Girl in the Walls is such a powerful and compelling story about Elise, who lives inside the cavities of her childhood house after losing her parents. Elise knows every inch of the house. She knows which boards will creak. She knows where the gaps are in the walls. She knows which parts can take her in, hide her away. It’s home, after all.

The home her parents made for her. And home is where you stay, no matter what.

Eddie calls the same house his home. Eddie is almost a teenager now. He must no longer believe in the girl he sometimes sees from the corner of his eye.

He needs her to disappear. But when his older brother senses her, too, they are faced with a question: how do they get rid of someone they aren’t sure even exists?
And, if they cast her out, what other threats might they invite in?

This was a beautifully written and well thought-out book. I enjoyed every minute of it. Elise is such a sweet little girl who tragically loses her parents and only feels at home, in her home which is now occupied by the Masons. I got a real sense of belonging and the feeling of home. The house played a huge part and a character in its own right. I didn’t want it to reveal Elise and just hide her away forever.

I was gripped throughout and concerned for the girls safety when the villain of the book arrives. A definite ghost story to tell.

I found this book so easy to read. The words flowed beautifully and the chapters are short, but beware they will keep you turning those pages until the end.

Thank you so much to 4th Estate and @netgalley for gifting me an arc ebook to read and give an honest review.

Q. What would you do if you thought someone was living in your home?

This is perfect for fans of very slow-burn literary fiction, who enjoy savouring the quality of the writing. Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to read an early copy..

I’ve wanted to read this book for ages because it sounded so interesting and was delighted to be approved via NetGalley. This is a debut and I cannot wait to see what the author comes up with next because this was totally original and engrossing. I did think this would be a ghost story along the lines of something Susan Hill would write. It’s not, it’s a very different book entirely and I was a tiny bit disappointed for a couple of pages until I got yanked right into the book. I loved the atmosphere the author creates. I also loved the up’s and down’s and twists. I love the weird feel of it all. Totally worth a read.

I found the Girl in the Walls genuinely quite hard to read. Not because it wasn't beautifully written, it is descriptively stunning, but because of the anguish the author managed to portray.

Elise is deep in grief, buried in it like she's buried herself within her family home. The new owners of the house have their own family issues, sibling rivalry and tension building. Honestly, the most compelling part for me was the ways in which she slipped, unnoticed, around the house. It kept me up for several nights reading and several more listening in case someone was moving within my walls!

I was drawn to this book because of the unique premise and the Jess Kidd quote however I must admit I struggled to get into it straight away. However, I'm glad I persisted as I really enjoyed it! The main character Elsie, hides in the walls of her family home after the death of her parents. She is left an orphan and decides to hide as she grieves and struggles to move on. From here, she watches the new family move in and waits for moments in the day when she can come out to eat, drink and feel normal. But how long can this secret life last?
Original concept, absorbing writing and satisfying ending. Recommend!
Thanks to Netgalley and the pubisher for this advanced copy.

I’ve just finished the ‘Girl in the Walls’. This was an intriguing read with an interesting premise, when a small girl literally moves in to the walls of her old family home when her parents are sadly killed in an accident.

As the teenage sons of the family now living in the house start to realise that they are not alone, events unfold with horrifying consequences.

The book made me feel uneasy and uncomfortable at times. I felt that the idea was good, and very original. However there were some events which requires you to suspend disbelief. The author writes well, it’s easy to visualise the story as it unravels but I felt it ended a little abruptly with some unanswered questions.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Girl in the Walls was a sad, heart wrenching and tense read that had me turning the pages. The author dragged me into the story from the first page and didn’t let go until the end. I didn’t see half of the things coming. It was so chilling I had to turn the light back on! 

The setting was incredible. The house felt like a living, breathing character. It was creepy with so much history, and I imagine it had way more than what was covered in this book. 

Overall, this book was so unique. It was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an emotionally charged but chilling novel that will keep them absorbed until the very end.