‘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.

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.

This book follows Elise, the girl in the walls, as she comes to terms with hiding and avoiding the family who currently lives in her family home.

This house Elise knows like the back of her hand, she knows which floorboards creek, she knows how to get from one room to another using just the spaces between the walls.

Eddie is a teenager now and can't believe in ghosts, but he knows that there is something or someone there living in the house apart from his brother, Marshall, and their parents, Laura and Nick. He can't tell anyone because they won't believe him and they will call him a child.

This book is heartbreaking and beautiful. Gnuse had me biting my nails with tension and I was scared and nervous for Elise.

Marshall one day comes to sit with Eddie and asks him if he has noticed anything strange going on like food going missing and objects being moved around, Eddie confirms that he has noticed things, but when Marshall invites a stranger into their house to have a look around, everything starts falling apart.

This strange man hammers through walls and messes up their whole house and there is nothing Marshall and Eddie can do to stop him. Elise meanwhile, in the walls is trying to avoid this man who wants to catch her.

I loved the character growth in Marshall I feel that he actually started to become an adult, while he still makes childish decisions you can see his process and realize that he's not quite the adult he thinks he is.

Elise's growth is beautiful, I really felt for her throughout the book, and there were so many times that I wanted to scoop her up and take care of her.

There were a few times towards the end of the book that I thought would be good endings but the actual ending was very good!

This was not what I was expecting. I thought it would be a comforting read from the blurb about emotional connections and unconventional friendships, but it turned out to be a thriller that I wasn't expecting.

Elise lives in the walls of the house she used to live in before her parents died. Here she finds the nooks and crannies nobody sees to live and sleep in, steals things to eat and read, and uses the families lack of communication to get away with hiding in their house.

The Masons are a four-personal family. The Mum likes DIY and often gathers the family to fix the house up. The Dad is more placid. Marshall is their oldest son, 16, a moody teenager. Eddie is possibly autistic though not mentioned specifically in the book.

The book becomes a thriller when the boys think somebody is living in their house. This was unsatisfying, and I didn't love the ending. Overall, an OK book but didn't pack the emotional punch that I was expecting, relying more on tension and the thrill.

For me, I'm afraid this was a 2* OK read.

It's very literary and started really well. Elise is a young girl whose parents have both died and who now lives in the walls of the house. There are 2 brothers who now live in the house with their family and their tale is interwoven with Elise'. They sense and 'see' her, but, does she really exist? Things start to go wrong when they look to the internet to see how to get rid of her.

It's definitely an original idea and the writing is good. What I struggled with, was how slow it was. It really takes a good 45-50% of the book, before I felt really engaged and then, there were lots of loose ends.

There are some really good elements, overall though, not one for me.

Thanks to 4th Estate, William Collins and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview.

I really enjoyed the concept behind Girl in the Walls; following the tragic death of both her parents, Elise runs away from her foster home and back to the house that holds all the memories of her family. She lives in the walls, hides behind furniture and lives around the Mason family. Over time though, the Mason teenage boys grow more and more suspicious about missing food and feeling watched and seek to find out who is living with them.

This is actually an incredibly sweet book. Elisa is young and hurting and holding onto the love in that home built from the memories of her parents. she’s a character very easy to care about and you want her to heal, be safe and move on. I adored her. It’s also really clever how she navigates around the house around the family, although it also made very tense!! The house is essentially a key character in this story and you really get why it means so much to Elise, with the traces of her life contained in it. It’s also lovely seeing the family, their arguments and their relationships, straining and coming together and, like Elise, you feel like you’re intruding, peering in on them.

I enjoyed this, I enjoyed the writing and the pace and the themes of this book, this is a story about love, family, pain and healing and the marks our past leave. Thank you NetGalley for the copy to review