I received a free copy of, Something in the Walls, by Daisy Pearce, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Mina is a child psychologist with no clients, she is told about Alice, a thirteen year old with problems. This book is a little disturbing and odd.

SOMETHING IN THE WALLS is a delightfully unsettling novel about a teenage girl behaving strangely, a small town full of whispers, and an outsider trying to unravel it all. Mina, a recently graduated child psychologist desperate for something other than monotony and memories of her brother’s death, accepts an invitation to assess a teenaged Alice who claims she is being haunted by a witch. What unfolds is, well, horrific.

The descriptions of the eeriest parts of the book are absolutely brilliant - Alice’s lips when she smiles, the sounds of scratching at the bedroom door, the odor of a dead rabbit. There’s something visceral about the storytelling. There are times the book tries just a bit too hard, perhaps - and it got a little too hectic for me at the end - but it’s still the kind of book you devour.

Don’t read this one with the lights out, friends. Perfect for fans of The Exorcist and The Conjuring. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

First and foremost, thank you Netgalley and Publishers for the e-arc of this book!!

Wow!! I honestly wasn’t expecting to love this as much as I did. I had mixed feelings and kinda low expectations going into the story that follows a child psychologist who partners with a journalist that she met in a grief group to explore and help a young girl who is allegedly being possessed by a witch.

The whole time I was reading, I never knew what was going to happen next. Each chapter left me shocked and interested. Not only that, the vibes were so creepy and eerie! Then the twist / reveal at the end had me sitting up in bed, jaw dropped. It’s been a while since a thriller actually took me by surprise so major kudos to the author!!

My only thing is, I felt like there were a few areas where things were left unanswered. Without spoiling it for anyone, I’ll keep it brief, but a lot of things that happened to Alice weren’t fully explained when the big reveal happened. So I’m left wondering if things were actually paranormal or not?? Though, I guess the ambiguity of it all is what makes the twist and plot so intriguing.

Other than that, it was so much fun to read and at the like 40% mark, I couldn’t set it down! Safe to say I will have to pick up a physical copy once it releases!

Mina, a freshly graduated child psychologist, meets Sam, a journalist, at a grief support group. He asks her to come along to see Alice Weber, age 13, whose family thinks she is being haunted by a witch. Once they arrive at the house, Mina knows something is wrong with Alice, who says there is a witch in her fireplace but there is also something wrong with the town too…something palpable.

I really enjoyed this book. It had just the right amount of creepy. The details in the book help you believe that poor Alice really has been dealing with a haunting. The book slows down a little in the middle but the build-up to the end is fantastic. While I wasn't a huge fan of Daisy Darker, I am so glad I gave the author another try because this one was well done.

Mina is a newly minted child psychologist, has never fully recovered from the death of her brother. Neither has Sam been able to overcome his grief with the loss of his daughter years before. When Sam invites Mina to access Alice, who is believed to be haunted by ghosts, both Sam and Alice hold out hope that Alice will be able to help them come to terms with their grief. As Mina interviews Alice and those around her, she's sure something isn't right. Is Alice truly haunted or is something else in play in the small town.

I think I enjoyed the story but would have enjoyed reading it more than listening. There was something off about the audiobook, and I found that the narrator didn't fit the story. But that's my own personal preference. There also isn't a single likeable character in the story and while I wanted to root for Mina, she just made so many choices I didn't agree with that it made it hard to connect with her. Sam likewise made some weird choices which didn't flow well for me. I occasionally felt like I had missed something, which interrupted and gave the story a choppy feel.

I'm torn on my rating. On one hand, this is a well written, edge of your seat suspense read. It's light on the horror genre but does give off the 'creep' factor. It relies heavily on the small-town atmosphere. On the other, I'm not sure how much I like the turn this book had at the end and felt the pacing was uneven. Most of the story felt slow, except for the very end which wrapped up a bit to quickly for my liking. This one had tons of potential, but even as a lover of witchy reads, I'm not sure that it fully reached that potential.

Something in the Walls comes out February 25, 2025. Thank you to Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copy in exchange for my review. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting Instagram @speakingof.books.
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
The author did a brilliant job of creating an atmosphere of dread. Was tense most of the way through! The ending threw me a bit (and not in a wtf kind of way) but thoroughly enjoyable ride

Something in the Walls
Daisy Pearce
02/25/2025
Minotaur Books


Sam, a journalist, brings in Mina, a newly graduated child psychologist, to investigate a situation in the home of a 13 year old girl, Alice, who claims to be haunted by a witch. Mina wants to help Alice and disprove what is happening. Sam wants a story. The further the story progresses, the darker and more ominous it becomes. Something in the Walls is atmospheric and vivid.

It will leave you retching and smelling the things that are described in the book. You will need to sleep with the lights on because you will hear things. There are so many historical references inside of the book, it will be hard for the reader to just close the pages and move on. Go ahead and google a hag stone, a riddance or a pricker. This story will stick to in the inside of your ribs and dare you to look up a chimney.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I requested this book, but I am so glad I did!

Something in the Walls centers on Mina, a young child psychologist who’s struggling to find her footing in her new career, and her unsettling involvement in the case of Alice Webber, a 13-year-old girl convinced she’s being haunted by a witch.

Pearce creates a tense atmosphere right from the start, with Mina’s personal life feeling just as suffocating as the oppressive heatwave hanging over Britain. Her engagement to Oscar, a man I could NOT stand, is on the brink of unraveling as she grows more entangled with Alice's mysterious condition. The setting of Banathel, a small, remote village steeped in history and superstition, is atmospheric and unsettling. Pearce does a fantastic job of creating tension, where the line between mental illness and something more supernatural becomes increasingly blurred. Alice’s behavior grows stranger and more violent, and the townspeople's deep-seated beliefs in witchcraft only heighten the sense that there’s something truly sinister at play.

I was on edge the entire time I was immersed in this story, truly torn between thinking the witch was real and thinking it was a manifestation of Alice’s trauma and the dark history of the town.

If you’re a fan of atmospheric thrillers that mix psychological depth with a touch of the uncanny, Something in the Walls is a compelling read. It’s a tale of slow-burning dread, where every revelation feels like another step deeper into a mystery that’s both chilling and emotionally resonant. And the ending was truly shocking to me. I did not see it coming, but I loved it. Highly recommend this author and will definitely be on the lookout for her name in this future.

Something In The Walls was an atmospheric creepy read with a setting perfect for spooky summer reading. I do have a few questions about what actually happened, and some threads were not tied together. but the conclusion of the novel was satisfying enough to let those go.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was the perfect book for readers that don’t know what to believe! I wasn’t sure what was happening and if it was really happening. This will give you all the creeps and horror vibes that you are looking for. It was a fun ride and easy to keep reading

Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce is a gripping psychological thriller that masterfully blends suspense, mystery, and a chilling supernatural undertone. The story follows Mina, a newly minted child psychologist, who finds herself drawn into a haunting case involving a young girl, Alice, who believes she is being tormented by a witch. What starts as a seemingly straightforward job to gain experience quickly spirals into something far darker as Mina uncovers the unsettling history of the village and its deeply rooted superstitions. Pearce’s characters are well-developed, particularly Mina, whose personal struggles and past trauma add layers of complexity to the story. The pace is perfectly balanced, keeping you engaged while the eerie atmosphere of Banathel builds, leading to a tense and unexpected conclusion. I really enjoyed the way the story flowed and how the characters evolved, and it kept me hooked from beginning to end. If you're a fan of suspenseful thrillers with a supernatural twist, Something in the Walls is definitely worth reading!

Thank you to MacMillan Audio (#MacAudio) for the ALC, and St. Martin’s press and Netgalley for the ARC!

“You didn’t ask me what it feels like when dead people talk to me…it feels like biting into ice…”

This was not what I was expecting, but I really enjoyed it! The real star of this book was the atmosphere - it was so heavy and menacing, permeating very bit of the story. Our FMC wasn’t easy to relate to for me, but I was very interested in her work and what she was trying to do with Alice. As the story went on, it only got darker and creepier to the point where I would’ve been looking over my shoulder if it was night time! The witchy vibes/history also played a big part in this story. The majority of the book had me on the edge of my seat, but after all the suspense, the ending felt a little bit abrupt. But I still really liked this one!

This review will be shared to Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

I was blown away by this book! Witches and spooky things abound. Murders and secrets and all the good scary things.

This was such a genuinely scary horror! I was REALLY hooked for the first 75%, but when I got to the end, I was left a little unsatisfied by the ending. This does have a lot of feminist commentary and interesting historical information.

Something in the Walls was a thrilling and spine tingling read filled with mystery, horror elements and some messed up themes. The twist definitely took a turn I wasn't expecting but I thought it was unique and it made me enjoy it more. Mina and Sam head to a small town filled with superstition and a girl who claims to be possessed by a witch. They have to unfold their tragic pasts as well as the mystery of what is happening in the present. This book definitely had a lot of horror elements and some very graphic scenes and descriptions of what I would call perfect horror elements. I wasn't sure what to expect out of this one but it definitely kept me guessing and it was hard to put down!

I was really invested in the first part of this one. The second half was not as interesting.

I thought the meet-up with Sam was odd. Mina seems to do nothing but list around mourning her long-dead brother. It was easy to predict that Oscar was not going to be the husband she wanted or needed and I never really got a feel for him.

It all seemed so on the surface. When Sam asks her to help him with a story he is working on about a maybe possessed teen girl, she just up and goes.

We aren’t at all sure if the girl is a witch or her family is looking for a payday.

Something just did not work for me.

NetGalley/ St. Martin’s Press February 25, 2025

When I saw that the description of this book said it is perfect for anyone who loves The Haunting of Hill House, I just knew I had to read it! This book was amazing! Alice claims she is being haunted by a witch and Mina is working to uncover the truths behind Alice’s condition. The minute I started reading, I could put it down. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. This book would be so great as a movie or even a tv show. I loved the ending! I can’t wait to read more books by Daisy! Thank you NetGalley, Daisy and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

I liked the concept of a child psychologist getting sucked into a young girl who claims to be possessed by a witch. The backstory of her grieving her brother really shaped the story and fleshed her out as a character. I did feel like sometimes character motivations were a little muddled but over all it was a fun book. Not super deep or detailed but consistent to the plot.

"Something in the Walls" will be available on February 25, 2025. I would like to thank the publisher and author for providing an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley.

This novel scared the absolute daylights out of me—many kudos to the author for knowing how to completely terrify the reader. Pearce is undoubtedly a talented writer, and I plan to read more from her in the future. While horror is not my usual genre of choice, I was intrigued by the mystery element of this novel. The story follows Mina, an inexperienced child psychologist, as she teams up with Sam, a journalist, in their attempts to uncover the truth about a teenage girl whom the community has allegedly labeled a witch.

Like I said, this book is frightening; however, I was not thrilled with the ending. I felt like the last quarter of the book took an entirely new direction, which I did not care for.

Really so good! I went into this thinking it was a mystery/thriller kind of book but I would think it's a little bit more on the horror side. It is really interesting though, the setting was very interesting and gave a little bit of a Midsummar vibe in the way the community worked and just existed amongst the weird things. Just very cool and spooky, really enjoyed it and could nottttt put it down once I picked it up!