This was pegged for fans of Karen McManus, who I love, so I jumped right in. I really enjoyed the story and the journey that it took me on

I got so engrossed in this book that I read it in one sitting! It's a quick and enjoyable read although the mystery and thriller aspects could've been improved upon (especially considering how good Penny Joelson's previous book - I Have No Secrets - was).

It's a decent YA book and it was great to see on page chronic illness which I think is something that is underrepresented in fiction. Some of the other topics tackled such as human trafficking were really interesting in a book for teenagers as well. I'd definitely read another book by this author and look forward to what they'll publish in the future.

This is quite a young YA thriller and although initially enjoyable i got bored a lot and wasn’t enough thriller parts throughout the story. I did enjoy the writing though so for that I would recommend it.

This was a quick and enjoyable read, the plot is intriguing to keep you going. Would recommend as a summer read for teens and adults.

A great story, raising awareness of how hard life can be when you have ME and live a mostly housebound (often bedbound) life and also how quiet streets can hold the darkest of secrets, but also the best of friends, The Girl in the Window has so much packed into it for just one short book. Although I found it didn't have as big an impact on me as I Have No Secrets did, I found it a really interesting and well written story of living with ME.

What I really loved about this book was how kind and caring Kasia was. I've been housebound myself for a while with Agoraphobia, so though I don't know how it feels like to have ME, I do know what it's like to be trapped at home and the boredom and the pain of living within four walls that Kasia feels is so very accurate. But despite how small her world has gotten she still reaches out to her neighbour and offers so much kindness to the lonely old woman who lives next door, completely changing the woman's life with a pureness of heart that is so wonderful to see. And of course that's not the only person Kasia reaches out to, there's the mysterious girl in the window....

The mystery of the girl across the street isn't so dramatic as I Have No Secrets. There's no real danger towards Kasia until near the end of the book. Most of the core mystery is just looking out of the window wondering about the girl she catches glimpses of, but this doesn't make it too slow like it would with another book. I think partly because Kasia's life is slow, really slow. The nature of her illness makes it so that it has to be. And so you fall quickly into Kasia's routine. It adds to the feel of the novel rather than detracts from it.

With this second fantastic book, Penny Joelson is fast becoming a favourite author of mine.

I thought this was so fascinating and so well written. It's so rare to see chronic illness portrayed, but this book did it perfectly. I also loved the tough topics it dealt with, but Penny really did them justice!

I really enjoyed this book - I am the parent of a child with a long term chronic condition and so could sympathise with Kasia’s struggle with ME. This leaves her with plenty of opportunity to see what goes on in her neighbourhood. It draws her into meeting and supporting her elderly next door neighbour and to questioning what is going on in the house opposite. She demonstrates that you can have a positive impact whatever your situation.

Kasha seemed very real to me - a typical teenager in so many ways but very adult in others.

The book introduced us to the issue of human trafficking in a low key but effective manner.

A good read which I will be purchasing for my school library.

When Kasia one night see's a young girl looking like she's being kidnapped she also sees a person in the window facing hers across the road.



Ellie her best friend visits her as Kasia can't leave her bedroom, after suffering tonsillitis, she developed an infection leading to CFS/ME. Leaving her chronically tired and weak.



As she begins to pace herself into getting downstairs and then to visit Mrs Gayatri next door, she also wonders who's in the window opposite hers as no girl ever leaves and the owners deny her being there. It is thanks to Mrs Gayatri she meets Navin and gains a new friend.



As new friends are made, new hobbies found and even getting themselves into serious danger to save many people, this book proves much drama despite Kasia having ME/CFS and being confined just to her house some days she has an adventurous time finding out about the girl in the window.



I loved Penny's last book so much, this one I'm glad to say didn't disappoint me at all either and instead I got quite emotional reading about Kasia's struggle with ME/CFS. As a sufferer of Fibromyalgia of which ME/CFS goes with hand in hand, I know what it's like to be in constant pain, be never endingly tired and dream of a life living not just existing and plans on hold. It was definitely relatable and new to young adult fiction being brought up as I haven't come across another book to mention or include a character with ME/CFS. It was a great story concept and shows how little trafficking is mentioned in fiction for young adults so brought a whole new element to the mix and not just making it a ghost storyline again like in a lot of books. I found myself reading it in one sitting, full of drama and mystery it's a thrilling read.

The book dealt with the subject of human trafficking very well and showed the danger girls can be in realistically.

Girl in the Window is a brilliant book that touches on a number of very current issues in the most engaging and accessible way. It's an excellent mix of mystery and 'day in the life' contemporary that had me hooked.

The protagonist, Kasia, has ME / chronic fatigue and I loved reading from her perspective. The book highlights Kasia's struggles with ME and the reactions of others to invisible illnesses. Kasia is a strong, developed, interesting character in her own right. Her illness is an important part of her, but it does not feel like the only part.

Without wishing to spoil anything, another sadly very relevant topic is at the centre of this book. Girl in the Window has a light, positive spin to it and wraps up nicely, but I think this is what makes it so accessible to younger readers. It allows an exploration of the topic without being intimidating.

This is the second novel by Penny Joelson, and another protagonist offering a unique perspective. I will certainly be looking out for any future novels.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for letting me read this early.
Like Joelsen’s ‘I Have No Secrets’ our main character is not someone who is able to fully participate in life. In this instance, our main character has ME and is, for the most part, confined to her bedroom. She watches people from her window and is determined to get well enough to go back to school but this seems a long way off when we see her at the start of the book.
One day she sees a young girl dragged into a car. She calls the police but nobody is reported missing. The girl across the road (who also saw it) doesn’t seem to exist. To begin with you weren’t quite sure what was going on or what to believe.
Through two voices we watch our main character Kasia living with ME. We see the day-to-day experience, the lack of understanding and the frustration for all around her as one good day can result in a setback. We also get the second voice of the girl opposite, and slowly learn just why she is rarely seen outside.
Girl in the Window raises some timely questions about community, friendships and support for vulnerable people, and does it in a way that is informative and entertaining. The target audience perhaps results in a fairly sanitised look at a truly awful topic, but it certainly introduces the idea to those who may not otherwise have thought about it.

Thanks from Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

I absolutely loved Penny Joelson's first book, 'I have no secrets', and had been very much looking forward to reading this. There's always a slight anxiety about reading a second book by an author whose first was so phenomenally good, but I really needn't have worried - this is every bit as good as 'I have no secrets'. Kasia and Nav are great characters - Kasia, a bit like Jemma, is very much constrained by her health, and it's not easy for her to solve the intriguing mystery of the girl in the window. There are shades of The Secret Garden here, with the healing power of a garden (and baking!) being a lovely thread of the book. But don't for a minute think that this some baking and gardening story. It's an absolutely gripping page-turner that I read in one binge-sitting - I literally couldn't put it down. All the threads of the plot come together so neatly at the end, and that final line is just perfect. And what I love about Penny Joelson's books is that while they're great mystery/thrillers, they're so much more than that, too.

Anybody looking for a great summer read for their young teens - look no further. This is the perfect poolside read, but also one that will stay with you.