A. J. GnuseCritiques

I wasn't prepared for this marvelous treat! When I picked it up at the library I expected a typical Gothic ride. This was anything but. The characters build along with the story. Loved it, won't say more than that.

This is like no other book I have read before, a girl, Elise is orphaned but she finds her way back to her parent’s house after running away from foster care. The house is now occupied by another family, the Masons.
She feels safe there and it’s an old house with lots of hidden areas behind the walls. That is where Elise decides to live, like a ghost.

As the book goes on it gets quite terrifying when someone visits the house while the Masons are away agreeing to investigate it.
I really enjoyed reading this, it was slow to start but building up to be a good paced book. I must admit as I read, I had mixed emotions throughout, sadness, happiness, shock and fear. It was written very well and I look forward to reading more from this author.

So good, a very special and touching story.

A different coming of age story of a young orphan girl who deals with her grief in an unusual way. And the family touched by her unseen presence.

So, this is a well written if unusual story of a girl named Elise, who at 11 years old unable to cope with the death of her parents, she has decided that she is going to occupy her old home. Only problem is that no one knows she is staying there and a new family has moved in. This reduces Elise to living inside the cavernous walls of her old family home, subsisting on food and supplies that she can scavenge when the family are out of home or asleep. Of course, since people aren’t meant to live in walls, Elises’s presence causes a slew of unforeseen drama for both Elise and the new family. There is a whole slew of underlying themes here related to processing grief, and family dynamics. Also a certain sadness for a little girl who’s life was so ripped apart that her only way to cope was to live in secret in a home where her only memories lie. This is a very different from anything I have read recently ,if ever, so that makes it a really interesting story. Thank you to Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Mostly skimmed this one too. Just not the right time for me with this book.½

An incredibly different sort of novel. What is it like when a girl is living in the walls of a house as a response to the loss of her parents and the teens of the new owners keep thinking that there is someone there. When they try to discover the person they suspect is living in their home, they inadvertently invite in another, greater threat.

Absolutely had my attention all the way through.

I didn't know what to expect of this novel before I started it - it sounded like a suspense novel but it was so much more than that. It's the story about a young girl consumed with grief and trying to find her way in the world. Elsie is a well written character in a tense situation. Sometimes she seemed like the young girl that she was and other times she had very grown up thoughts. She was a character that was written so well that the reader really cared about her outcome.

Elise is an 11 year old girl. Her parents were killed in an auto accident and she knows that the only place she can feel safe is in the house where she grew up. The problem is that another family lives there now - parents, teen age son and younger son. She decides that she will live there too and makes her home in the walls and the basement and the attic of the home. When the family is gone during the day, she is able to go into the rooms and be free. When they are at home, she lives vicariously through their conversations and their lives. Both of the boys begin to feel her presence in the house -- they aren't sure what is there but they know that something is living in the walls. In their attempt to find whatever or whoever is there, they elicit the help of a man who becomes a threat to them and their home. There is a lot of tension throughout the novel but after the stranger is brought in, the tension builds as he is determined to find who or what is living there.

The only negative in this book is that it starts out pretty slow and you may be tempted not to continue reading but trust me, once the action picks up and the tension ratchets up, you'll be glad that you kept reading.

This is a well written book that is part suspense, part grief and park coming of age. The book kept me turning pages to find out what happened to Elise and how the family reacted to her. This is a debut novel for this author and I look forward to what he writes in the future.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

This is a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. To say that it was “strange” and “disquieting” would be an understatement...but yet the author of this debut novels has done a brilliant job of creating plausible and unforgettable characters. The story follows eleven-year-old orphan Elise, as she hides within the walls of her former family home... watching the house’s new residents, the Masons, as they carry on with their lives. I know that this sounds creepy...Elise is anything but. She’s intelligent... resourceful... perceptive and kind. Your heart will ache for her as you follow her story and watched her try to deal with the loss of her parents. A perfect read if you are fan of gothic fiction or if you are just looking for something a little different.

Elise is the 11 year old Girl in the Wall who carries all the grief in the world and hides it behind the walls of Eddie’s house.
Eddie is a 14 year old boy who lives outside the walls Elise hides in. He is aware of someone always being around, but is not sure who or what. His brother Marshall starts to feel it too, and together they come up with a plan to flush Elise out and catch her.
When everything comes to a terrifying head, we are faced with a tender story that will stay with you long before you turn the last page.
Lucky you, if you read it.

Have you ever wondered what causes those peculiar noises you can sometimes hear in your house? Well, after reading this book, you might feel even more curious! Elise has secretly taken up residence within the walls of her former home after her parents are killed in a car crash. At first the current owners seem unaware of her existence but soon the sons become conscious of her presence and events take an unfortunate turn.

I found this gothic style story very unusual and imaginative. It’s atmospherically and vividly written with some fascinating characters. The house itself is the main character, I think, and from the way the author describes it, I could picture it quite clearly in my mind. At first I was never quite sure who or what Elise was so I was eager to read on to find out. There are some nail biting moments and there is a fair amount of suspense. There is also an eerie ambiance to the whole tale which at times was a little unsettling. However, the ending is a nice touch and leaves it on a positive note.

This is such a bizarre and different read but oddly gripping, a story about grief and survival. I can wholeheartedly (with a little trepidation!) recommend it. I promise you’ll never look at the walls in your house in the same way again. 👀