I appreciated the tension and creepiness of this book. It gave me Midsommar vibes, which is definitely a compliment!

Thank you to Netgalley, Daisy Pearce, and Minotaur Books for this e-ARC.

Mina, a child psychologist, becomes involved in the case of Alice Webber, a 13-year-old girl from the remote village of Banathel claiming to be haunted by a witch. As Mina works with journalist Sam Hunter to try and find out what's really going on with Alice, they find a town full of people with superstitions, who are ready to do whatever it takes to keep their town safe.

The story is eerie and atmospheric, and I blew through it very quickly, wanting to find out what exactly was causing Alice's strange behavior.

Overall, I loved the book with its spooky vibes, and its ability to keep me waiting more.

This one is very atmospheric and creepy. Part ghost story, part witch hunt, part wtf. I absolutely loved this book! But that ending left me wanting more.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy.

I am going through a major horror phase right now and I was so excited to read the advanced reader copy of Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce. This book is about Mina, a young lady who is still very haunted by her brother's death five years before, and who plans to start her career as a child psychologist when she meets a journalist who received a tip about a teenage girl who may be possessed or haunted, She is unable to stop herself from agreeing to assist him and provide her own assessment of the girl's mental health condition, even at the possible expense of her upcoming marriage to a scientist. As Mina spends more and more time in the town where the girl lives and stays at her house, Mina begins to become concerned that mental health issues do not explain the weird occurrences at the girl's house, and there may be a sinister presence, either in the house, or in the town, or both.

I really enjoyed the author's description of the town where the girl and her family live. The town itself had a very interesting and rich history it was a perfect setting for this novel. Additionally, the characters were well-developed and seemed like real people who live in this town. I liked Mina and wanted to see her help this girl, despite the fact that as events unfolded, it seemed very unlikely everyone would make it out of this story alive. I won't spoil whether the girl is possessed, a witch, or haunted, and let other readers find out for themselves! I recommend this book to anyone who likes horror novels and creepy settings.

Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for my digital ARC in exchange for this honest review!

This book had me gripped from the very first chapter. This is a story about Mina, who has recently graduated as a child psychologist, who is struggling to find work in her field due to her inexperience. Mina meets Sam, a journalist, who invites her to travel with him to a remote village to assess thirteen-year-old Alice, who claims that a witch is haunting her. Is it all in Alice's head, is she being coached by her father, or is Alice really being terrorized by a witch.

The way that this author describes the witch is TERRIFYING!!! I listened to the audiobook and had to pause it multiple times. This book is suspenceful, scary, and an all-around fun time! However, the reason that this book fell short of five stars for me, was that I didn't feel that the author did an excellent job at explaining the haunting. It felt like the story veered off to being about the neighbor and never resolved on the witch haunting. Other than that, I absolutely loved this story!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the eArc of Something in the Walls in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this gifted e-book, in exchange for an honest review! Something in the Walls is out Feb 25, 2025. The synopsis of this one sounded absolutely bonkers and I was ecstatic to receive a copy! Any book that has to do with witches always gives me the chills, this one was no different. This book reminded me a lot of A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay, because of the fact that you didn't know what to believe and some really creepy stuff was going on. This one would be the most perfect summer read. It was very atmospherically and setting was in the middle of a huge heat wave! Something In the Walls was pretty for slow for me most of the book, but very chilling! And the ending was nuts! I ended up rating it 3.25/5 stars.

Atmospheric and horrifying, “Something in the Walls” is a tale of witches, hysteria, grief, and (as is classic for tales about witches) some good old misogyny. Easily one of most unsettling and scary books I’ve read this year.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I didn't hate this story but I didn't love it either. I felt like the author had a certain intent with the ending but wasn't totally sure how to get us there cohesively. It felt a little all over the place and I found myself wanting more of the vibes and follow through on the story from the first half of the book rather than the second half. There are some unanswered questions, which can be totally fine, but I wish we had focused more on those rather than where we ended up. Everything also felt fairly predictable to me, but I read a lot of horror novels. I think someone less experienced with the genre may enjoy it more. There are certainly some gross, gory, and spooky bits that were well done and added to the overall atmosphere.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc!

I was really excited to start reading this book. The premise sounded so interesting. I did enjoy this, but it was different than what I was expecting. It ended up being more of a mystery than a horror story. There were some chilling parts, but it was mainly a mystery.

This was a super fast read, and I really enjoyed the writing style. I loved the chilling atmosphere. The story is set in this small creepy town, where the residents are superstitious about witches and curses. I wish there were more answers about the whole witch thing. Why wasn’t that explored more?

There were some predictable parts and I was not a fan of the ending. It felt incomplete. I was confused by a few things that were never explained.

Overall, this was a fast and immersive read that left me with many questions.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC via NetGalley for review.

3.5⭐️

Mina is a new child psychologist recruited to help Alice, a teenager in a small town being haunted by a witch. Mina needs the experience and Alice’s family needs her help. Small towns have their secrets and traditions and this one is no different. Mina will be confronted by her own past in trying to help Alice. The conclusion will have you wide eyed and gasping.

This book was different than what I normally read but I still enjoyed it. If you like a witchy story this is for you. The first half of this book was really good but then it seemed to fall a bit flat in the second half. Even with that I still enjoyed it and would recommend to others. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce is a shocking story about a modern day village caught up in the beliefs and superstitions of the past.

Mina is a newly minted child psychologist and she jumps at the chance to investigate a case involving a young girl accused of being a witch, especially when she finds out the girl is rumoured to be able to speak with the dead.

It soon becomes clear to the reader that Mina's motives aren't altogether altruistic, and soon she is caught up in the strange occurrences surrounding the young girl, Alice, and the village she lives in.

There is so much going on in this book. The strange behaviours of the family soon make Mina, and the reader, believe that maybe ?Alice's affliction is being faked, but it's soon clear that something is going on, whether or not it has anything to do with the paranormal remains to be seen.

Creepy and terrifying, Something in the Walls shows what can happen when superstition, and a mob mentality take over and the awful things otherwise sensible people can participate in when they do.

I guess the mark of a good horror novel is not being able to read it after dark, and when you wake up in the middle of the night, you need to make yourself think of something different. That was what I experienced. This book was super creepy, and I had to clear my brain of the images it left way before I went to bed, and I’d still think of it in the middle of the night. Ugh.

The events during the first half of the book creeped me out big time, but then the second half took a turn and I was left wondering just what was going on. I didn’t expect that ending, but I didn’t feel unsatisfied with it, it was just different.

Overall, this witchy book was terrifying and scary and made me sleep with one eye open, it was so good. Even though I’m not much for horror books, I find I’m enjoying them more and more thanks to books like this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of this book.

This book had me at the edge of my seat! It was mysterious and witchy. There were a couple of elements that I was able to predict, but for the most part, it was new and exciting. I couldn't put it down!

This book was something totally different from what I usually read. I have to say it was odd and a bit disturbing but very well written. I was able to picture everything the author described in this story, which is why I give it 4 stars.

It has a dark ending, but I am okay with it. There were a few twists that I did not see coming! I am usually scared to read books with spells and curses, but this one was okay.

Overall, it's a 4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Mina is new to the field of child psychology and decides to take a case helping a family with a troubled young girl. Does thirteen-year-old Alice need medical attention or an exorcism?

The book really held my attention with the constant indecision of whether I thought there was a natural or supernatural reason for everything going on.

The ending went just a tad too wild for me, but overall, it was an enjoyable read.

Something in the Walls is eerie and vivid. The atmosphere of dread is thick, and many of the scenes imprinted on my mind.

This one is great for fans of folk horror.

The ending left me with lots of questions. And I did not expect the turn it took.

Pearce is a sure talent.

I loved the pace of this book and the fact that the supernatural plot starts right away. It was a great hook. the twist at the end with Bert was a great choice, and it played out nicely. it didn’t come out too soon in the book and it was not too easy to figure out as a reader which was nice!

There’s just something about this book that I don’t click with, I just can’t put my finger on it. I’ve tried several times to pick this up and read it but I just cannot get invested in the story, which is odd because the plot sounds absolutely amazing. I plan to pick it up in audio format upon release and give it a try that way.

Newly-minted child psychologist Mina has little experience. In a field where the first people called are experts, she’s been unable to get her feet wet. Instead she aimlessly spends her days stuck in the stifling heat wave sweeping across Britain, and anxiously contemplating her upcoming marriage to careful, precise researcher Oscar. The only reprieve from her small, close world is attending the local bereavement group to mourn her brother’s death from years ago. That is, until she meets journalist Sam Hunter at the grief group one day. And he has a proposition for her.

Alice Webber is a thirteen year old girl who claims she’s being haunted by a witch. Living with her family in their crowded home in the remote village of Banathel, Alice’s symptoms are increasingly disturbing, and money is tight. Taking this job will give Mina some experience; Sam will get the scoop of a lifetime; and Alice will get better, Mina is sure of it.

But instead of improving, Alice’s behavior becomes increasingly inexplicable and intense. The town of Banathel has a deep history of superstition and witchcraft. They believe there is evil in the world. They believe there are ways of...dealing with it. And they don’t expect outsiders to understand.

As Mina races to uncover the truth behind Alice’s condition, the dark cracks of Banathel begin to show. Mina is desperate to understand how deep their sinister traditions go–and how her own past may be the biggest threat of all.