House of Glass is a book I was so excited to get my hands on because it kept continously being brought up by multiple social media avenues, and just from the premise, I knew it was right up my alley. From the very first page I was hooked, and I am satisifed to say I enjoyed it all the way to the very last. The character of Stella, was quite intriguing, but relatable. The constant battle of trying to find out who had committed the crime actually kept me up at night. The grief read throughout the book was also quite compelling. Overall, I highly enjoyed this book and will be asking my followers to pick it up and devour like I did.

I enjoyed this one! It was a quick read for me that kept me interested and intrigued. I loved the creepy kid trope & thought it all came together nicely in the end.

Thanks NetGalley and Sarah Pekkanen for the opportunity to listen to this ARC.

House of Glass was a fun twisty listen. The story moved fairly fast and kept my attention for the most part. It kept me guessing and entertained. 3.5⭐️ from me!

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen is a mystery thriller that revolves around a custody dispute of a nine year old girl who can't speak after witnessing her nanny plunge out of a window. A best interest attorney is called in to figure out who should have custody of the girl, but she must figure out who killed the nanny first!

I have loved other Sarah Pekkanen books that were co-authored. This is the first one that I have read by Pekkanen alone and it was not as good. I definitely didn't like any of the characters, but I also did not enjoy the narrator that did the audiobook. I think that I will try the next one in book form.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced digital copy of the book.

House of Glass begins with Stella Hudson, a best interest attorney, taking the case of Rose Barclay, a 9 year old girl who may have witnessed her nanny fall through a window, several stories to their death. Rose’s parents are going through a messy divorce and since the accident, has developed traumatic mutism and refuses to speak. But even upon the first meeting with the Barclay family, Stella gets that “something isn’t quite right” feeling as soon as she enters the Barclay’s eerie home. She has to determine if the nanny’s death was really an accident or if she was pushed! Everyone soon becomes a suspect, including Rose!

This is a twisty psychological thriller that will keep you guessing from start to finish. At one point or another, every character in the book looks like they could be guilty! This book is full of secrets, lies and deception! The suspense will have you on the edge of your seat. If this sounds like your type of book, i highly recommend that you add it to your TBR. The audio was fantastic!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this ARC copy of House of Glass in exchange for my honest review.

Stella’s upbringing was traumatic. Losing both of her parents at a young age and being raised by an aunt who clearly resented her presence in her household could have turned her into a bitter adult (hello Harry Potter vibes). Instead, Stella helps those who have no voice, much like she didn’t as a kid. Literally she was mute for a while after the death of her mother. With the encouragement of her mentor, Stella takes Rose Barclay’s case, stepping out of her comfort zone with a young girl that at times eerily reminds her of herself as a young girl.

Rose is also struck mute after the death of her nanny Tina in the midst of a contentious divorce between her parents. Rose is an old soul who spends most of her time with her grandmother who tutors her along with a piano teacher and Chinese teacher. Only when out with her dad, does she encounter kids her own age, but her awkwardness and sometimes her intensity scares other kids. Police are not sure who killed the nanny—the mom? The dad? The grandma? The boyfriend? Rose herself? All they know is the house has been shed of all glass since Tina fell through the window and Stella must figure out who is the safest adult to care for Rose. This decision is near impossible as it seems no one wants to tell Stella the truth about what happened, and the further into her investigation she gets more and more things begin to happen to her that mirror Tina’s life just before she died. Is she in danger too?

Once again Sarah Pekkanen does an excellent job of setting a sinister atmosphere and keeping the reader guessing until the very end. If you are looking for a fast paced psychological thriller, this book will check that box.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and author Sarah Pekkanen for the advanced copy of the audiobook. House of Glass is out on August 6th! All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book and a turn that I did NOT see coming. Love love love Laura Benati as a narrator. Overall this was a great thriller and I enjoyed the parallels between her as a child and her as an adult. Highly recommend this book. I couldn't put it down I needed to know what happened next!

Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney. She comes in when there’s a messy divorce and delves into the family dynamics in order to determine which parent should be awarded custody. She never works with kids under 13 because of a traumatic incident in her life, but she makes an exception when she is asked to by her mentor Charles. He thinks she’s the only one who can help the little 9 year old girl because she suffers from the same condition Stella had at a young age, traumatic mutism. After witnessing a traumatic event, the death and possible murder of her nanny Tina, Rose stopped speaking.
When Stella arrives at the wealthy families home she finds that all the glass has been removed from the house. After seeing that Rose has a stockpile of shards of glass she begins to fear the worse. The whole family, the mother, father and grandmother are lying to Stella. But who are they trying to protect? Themselves or the little girl they all love? Was the nanny murdered and who did it?
I really enjoyed this book. The premise was original and that really refreshing anymore. The story delves into Stella’s past and 2 mysteries unravel simultaneously. I liked that the timeline was linear and everything unfolded as it happened. It did make it feel like everything just wrapped up too neatly for me though so it lost some points there.
I received this in audio format. The narration was done by Laura Benanti and she did a wonderful job. I highly recommend this as an audio book.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for giving me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

House of Glass
Sarah Pekkanen
Out August 6

A nine year old girl who collects sharp objects may have witnessed her nanny’s death, who plunged to her death, or did she?

A best interest lawyer, Stella is given the case. It’s her job to figure out who is the victim in the family, but Rose (the 9 year old girl) will not talk. It’s up to Stella to figure out if there’s a murderer in the family. Rose was a gifted student before her nanny died. Rose now suffers from traumatic mutism. Why did she become this way?

Stella’s backstory slowly unfolds to us while we also get the current story of Rose being told to us bit by bit. The more she gets to know the family, the more eerie things start occurring and the closer she gets to the truth, the more danger she encounters.

This audiobook had good pacing, thrilling, engaging, and full of twists. I recommend this for those seeking a good mystery thriller with family drama. The narration will keep you intrigued and easy to follow.

Creepy child vibes! Psychological Thriller, Murder Mystery! I finished this one super quick, I couldn't stop listening!

Publisher's summary
The next thrilling novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah Pekkanen, House of Glass.
On the outside they were the golden family with the perfect life. On the inside they built the perfect lie.
A young nanny who plunged to her death, or was she pushed? A nine-year-old girl who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak. A lawyer whose job it is to uncover who in the family is a victim and who is a murderer. But how can you find out the truth when everyone here is lying?
Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny—in the midst of her parent's bitter divorce—and immediately stopped speaking. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. She never accepts clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood, but Stella's mentor, a revered judge, believes Stella is the only one who can help.
From the moment Stella passes through the iron security gate and steps into the gilded, historic DC home of the Barclays, she realizes the case is even more twisted, and the Barclay family far more troubled, than she feared. And there's something eerie about the house itself: It's a plastic house, with not a single bit of glass to be found.
As Stella comes closer to uncovering the secrets the Barclays are desperate to hide, danger wraps around her like a shroud, and her past and present are set on a collision course in ways she never expected. Everyone is a suspect in the nanny's murder. The mother, the father, the grandmother, the nanny's boyfriend. Even Rose. Is the person Stella's supposed to protect the one she may need protection from?

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this book!

House of Glass
By: Sarah Pekkanen
Narrated by: Laura Benanti
Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 08-06-24
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

meh. i was very intrigued by this at first because of all the good reviews and the general premise. this book had the creepy kid trope, which i tend to love personally. the beginning of this book was great and was holding my attention, since the main character, Stella, is tasked with arranging custody for a child, Rose, whose parents are getting divorced following the tragedy of the nanny falling (accidentally?) out the window and dying. i wish the book had stayed focused on this, but there is a secondary storyline of Stella confronting her past trauma, going through a divorce herself, and figuring out what happened to her mother. i'm so sorry but i was just not really interested in that part. the author did a fairly good job intertwining the two storylines, but i wish more of the story was only dedicated to the initial storyline. i wanted more time with Rose, even though the main character got annoying with the fact that she was the ONLY one who could save Rose!

some of the things that happen in this book are pretty unrealistic. how in the world does Stella have time to snoop in this family's house on more than one occasion? and she really thinks it's a good idea to write a fake report to...gauge their reactions, even though they would only look at it when she left the room?? i wasn't really surprised by the reveals either. one of the reveals was glaringly obvious in my opinion (although there was more information about that reveal that i did not predict).

i also listened to the audiobook and didn't love the narrator.

this is my first book from just Sarah Pekkanen, but i have read two other books in which she collaborated with Greer Hendricks. i'm just not sure if she's for me since i've never given anything she's written (or partially written) more than 3 stars.

House of Glass is out August 6, 2024. thank you to Macmillan 2024 Audio Influencer Program for an audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I want to rave about this book. It was everything I wanted in a psychological thriller. I loved the main character and the journey she goes through during this story. However, there was one aspect of the story that comes in three quarters of the way through the book, that honestly felt like fan service. It felt unnecessary, especially that far into the story. Sadly it was enough to take me out of the story and lessen my enjoyment. I still felt like the story ended strong, but I really wish they didn’t feel the need to throw the romantic wrench.

💕✨️💕✨️💕✨️💕✨️💕✨️💕✨️💕

I found House of Glass to be incredibly gripping, fascinating and thrilling. I enjoyed it so, so much. I absolutely flew through it. Another great delivery from Pekkanen!!

This story focuses on the Barclays, a wealthy couple currently in the midst of a heated divorce. Adding fuel to the dumpster fire, their live-in nanny very recently plunged to her death out of one of the windows of their estate. Their 9-year old daughter, Rose, hasn't spoken since the traumatic incident. The family now finds themselves shrouded in suspicion. Was the nanny's death a freak accident, or was she pushed?

We follow Stella Hudson, a Best Interest Attorney, who has been called in to evaluate the family, as well as Rose's condition, to determine what is in the best interest of the child when it comes to the divorce. The recent suspicious death of the nanny adds a whole new layer to what should have been a fairly standard evaluation for Stella. Nevertheless, she is ready for the challenge and is anxious to determine what is actually going on within the Barclay household.

I'm not going to say anything further about the plot, or set-up, of this one. It's definitely best to just go in and let Pekkanen roll it all out for you as she sees fit. I got pulled into this story incredibly-quickly. The audiobook narration was fabulous for Stella's perspective, IMO. I felt like I was going along with her on this investigation.

I have never read a story where the MC has had this profession before. I thought the idea of a Best Interest Attorney was such a clever way to insert our main character into the lives of the Barclays. Stella had a real reason for digging into all the dirt in this family and she wasn't afraid to do it. I thought it was a nice change of pace from following your typical law enforcement type handling the investigation.

We also got quite a bit of background into Stella herself and she was a fascinating character. Through her backstory, you could see what inspired her to pursue this particular career. The mystery around the death of the nanny kicks off so quickly. It was easy to get lost in this one. It was clear Stella didn't think it was an accident and I had my suspects too.

I loved the vibes and mystery that Pekkanen built up around Rose as well. It was extremely well executed for ultimate creep factor. This actually got my pulse racing. While I may have wanted a different resolution to the mystery, at the end of the day, I'm still so freaking happy with this reading experience.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press, for providing me with copies to read and review. I recommend this to anyone looking for a gripping Psychological Thriller. This one is an absolute ride!!

Creepy kids are so fun for me, so I was definitely absorbed in House of Glass. I really liked how the story was set for this one, and was constantly questioning who committed the murder. I loved the plot twist and flew through this story, I was tense and on the edge of my seat the entire time. I listened to this one on audio after switching from the eBook, and enjoyed both but really liked the audio version – the narration was great. The setting and atmosphere were perfection, the plot was unsettling and the twists were oh so satisfying. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St.Martin’s Press for my advanced copies. House of Glass will be published 8/6.

I really enjoyed this!! Totally creepy vibes and kept you guessing throughout. I highly recommend this to those of you who enjoyed Baby Teeth, although I liked this one much more!

This was such a unique concept and it thoroughly kept my attention throughout. Twists were done well and the characters were written really well. 4/5 Stars!

A solid, suspenseful, mystery/thriller book! I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narration. I had some suspicions about who it was but it kept me guessing until the very end.

This was an engrossing read and I didn't guess everything that was happening (which is what I like- surprise me!) But I think this went slightly overboard with the twists and turns by the end. I know this is just a matter of reader preference, some people love being hit with reveal after reveal, but it just didn't work for me here. I will say that the author did allow time at the end to process and wrap up the turns that were taken. The story continued longer than I expected after the technical conclusion.

Quality of Writing 4/5
Pacing 3/5
Plot Development 2/5
Character Development 3/5
Narration 5/5
Overall Enjoyability 3/5

I thoroughly enjoyed the FMC. It was intriguing hearing her back story and watching how she sorted through the family dynamic. I was trying to figure out who was the "bad guy" as she was trying to sort it out. I was shocked and even gasped by the major twist. This story truly kept me guessing at every turn. Sarah Pekkahen has a wonderful way of keeping you guessing. The narrator also did a remarkable job portraying the characters and their emotions. I loved this book!

I received this ARC in audiobook format from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully listening to this audiobook.

Had me guessing until the very end. These are the types of stories that I love. Some might say they are predictable but I find them so entertaining and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute. The narrator added extra intrigue and even made some parts feel eerie. I want to check out more from this author.

📚 Review: House Of Glass 🪞
This was an okay read for me. I honestly liked it better than I was expecting, but still wasn’t wowed by it. It wasn’t that it was bad by any means. I have seen tons of reviews of people loving this book. But, I think I read too many thrillers where if there is not some kind of big twist that blows my mind, I’m a little underwhelmed. And that’s kind of how I felt with this one. But that’s a me problem. It reminded me of The Perfect Child a bit by Lucinda Berry. But not done as well. I was expecting more deviousness from the little girl, but things were just more speculated than anything else.
For those not familiar, this book is about lawyer named Stella Hudson. She works with children of parents who are getting divorced. But, this case she’s working on is a little unusual because Rose,the nine year old girl, who Stella is there to represent , may have witnessed her nanny’s death. Rose has now become mute and seems to have an obsession with sharp objects. So much so, that her parents can’t have anything that’s glass in the house. But as Stella is investigating, she finds out that everyone in this house seems a little “off” and may possibly be a suspect. Everyone has motive. Even Rose.
Like I said, for me, it was okay. It wasn’t awful by any means. I’ve seen people love it, so if it’s on your tbr, find out if you like it for yourself, don’t go by this review. I’m probably an outlier. But this was ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5 stars for me!

Even though I got this as my BOTM, I ended up getting approved for the audiobook. So, thank you to @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Have you read this one yet? What were your thoughts?