Something in the Walls

"It was eerie but it didn’t really catch my attention. "

"<b>"She watches me through the cracks in the bricks"</b><br/><br/>In a remote village called Banathel, there is a long history of witchcraft and superstition. They believe in evil, and it attaches itself to young women in the town and they have a specific way of dealing with it. Thirteen-year-old Alice Webber claims that a witch is haunting her, and the story comes across to journalist Sam Hunter. He wants to interview the family for a detailed story about the town's phenomenon and this young girl.<br/><br/>When Sam meets Mina at a local bereavement group to deal with the death of her brother, he proposes that Mina go with him to see Alice as she is a new child psychologist who needs experience in her field. Mina wants a proper job in her field of study, but it's difficult if no one wants to hire someone due to their lack of work history in psychology. <br/><br/>Together, Sam and Mina stay with Alice's family to study her to find out the best way to treat her ailment because surely, she isn't possessed by a witch. Things are not all as they seem. Alice's condition worsens as time goes on rather than better and Mina is sure she can figure out how to end her condition, but something keeps stopping her. Mina feels eyes on her everywhere, always watching. She gets feelings to avoid places and things, and something just isn't right. Whether it has to do with witchcraft, however, she is not convinced no matter the odd feelings she continues to have. Someone is trying to tell her, but she can't seem to get answers. Alice's parents are frustrated, and Mina desperately wants to find the truth. The truth however doesn't want Mina to know. <br/><br/>This is a slow-paced quirky story that certainly has the creepy factor laced throughout. I appreciate a mystery horror/thriller book that actually does feel scary and makes the hair on your arms rise. This is a story of a small town with a long belief in old tales told over time and passed on through generations, that a person looking in from the outside would seem odd. Fear and keeping people ignorant of truth can do a lot of damage. It's how cult leaders get so many people to follow them freely and give up things others would never allow. I can't seem to find books that bring that chill I want to have when reading a book in that genre lately, until I read this book. <br/><br/>I listened to the Audio ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication February 25, 2025, star rating was rounded up to 4. It would have been higher had the pacing been a bit quicker, but regardless, I enjoyed the book."

"Very slow and the main character really ****** me off. **Minor spoilers ahead** Mina was there to investigate and asses the “troubled teen” but she didn’t do anything. All the side stories were boring and the shocking ending was no shocker. Very disappointing read. 2/5 stars ⭐️⭐️ "

"In my unprofessional opinion, do not go into this with expecting something spectacular. I was so excited when I saw this on audible. But like I said on TikTok, I go into these books blind. And 2% of the time it fails me. This is one of those instances. This book started out slow but good. But it started to be hills snd valleys through out the story. The FMC is boring. Her investigative work is subpar. The Mystery in this book, is what kept me semi-interested. But the side-stories are what bored me. I just couldn’t wait to finish this book and not in a good way. It took me 3 times to finish it."