thanks to netgalley for the arc. the book was okay, but I found the characters way too unlikable, and there were too many points of view. also there might be those unsatisfied with the ending. I just couldn't connect to this much at all

The Unseen is eerie, moody, and quietly tense in a way that creeps up on you. It opens strong, building unease with subtle, effective details rather than jump scares or gore. The setting feels isolating, and there’s a lingering sense that something is deeply wrong just beneath the surface.

Ahlborn does a great job with pacing early on. The tension is psychological, the grief is raw, and the strange occurrences are just grounded enough to make you question whether something supernatural is actually happening. The writing leans more literary than typical horror, which works in its favor.

If there's a flaw, it's in the structure. The story rotates through several POVs, and while that adds layers, it also occasionally muddies the narrative and slows momentum. Still, the atmosphere carries it, and even when the pacing stumbles, the unease never really lets go.

Overall, this is a solid read for horror fans who prefer dread over shock. It’s unsettling in all the right ways, even if the ending doesn't quite hit as hard as the setup.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the eARC. This review reflects my honest opinion.

What in the heck did I just read?! I haven't read anything as creepy since Malerman's 'Incidents Around the House' and that is saying something 😱

This is my first Ania Ahlborn and it certainly won't be my last. This was deliciously creepy; a slow-burn horror filled with dread and tension that just keeps you turning the pages 📖

If you never got over the film 'Signs', you need to add this to your tbr immediately 👽 Alien horror fans will be in their element with this one! I also think if you enjoyed Chuck Wendig's 'The Book of Accidents', then give this a try.

Honestly, I'll probably be sleeping with the lights on tonight 😅

Not at all what I was expecting, yet absolutely everything I hope for. This was so good!

A mysterious boy is found at the edge of the woods at a time when Isla is dealing with so much loss. Feeling that helping this child is her calling, she and her husband bring him into their home. Their five other children are apprehensive, but try to be welcoming.

It is pretty much immediate that strange things start to happen, quickly frightening the five Hansen siblings. There is something very off with this boy, thought Isla will near not a word of it. A rift is forming between the parents and siblings, putting them all in even greater danger.

I knew very little about this book at the start. I was thinking this was a creepy kid horror story, and while that SO IS what this is, there is infinitely more to it… and every little thing that happens, every wild and crazy moment was like written just for my brain. I loved this so much.

I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys books with scary kids, creepy shadows lurking in your periphery, insane plots, non stop scary situations, big casts, and being thrown for a loop!

Honestly, I went into this blind, and there’s no other way I would suggest going into it. I barely knew the genre/subgenre, just that this is an author I always wanted to read from and I wanted a good horror book to get me out of a slump. And this worked y’all. My reading was slow as hell this month, but it was a busy busy month in my personal life so I’m trying to give myself some grace. But this book follows a family living in an isolated location, whose lives are irrevocably changed when a little boy appears near the woods near their house. I loved pretty much everything about this book- the isolated setting, the unreliable narrators, multiple POVs, and the confidence to have horror with actual consequences. This one was actually really scary and unsettling, so much of the imagery gave me the creeps, and I read a ton of horror. So I don’t think there’s much higher praise I can give than that.

I'll post this review on my instagram @boozehoundbookclub

This one seriously gave me chills. The Unseen is eerie, emotional, and totally unsettling in that slow-burn, creeping-dread kind of way. It’s not just a “creepy kid” story—it’s deeper, weirder, and messes with your sense of what’s real.

Isla’s grief is heavy, and when this strange, orphaned child shows up out of nowhere, you want to believe it’s a miracle. But the way things start to shift in the house? The little moments that don’t make sense, the unease growing in the background? It got under my skin in the best way.

I couldn’t stop reading because I had to know what this kid really was. The writing has that hazy, almost dreamlike quality that makes everything feel just a little off—and it works so well here.

If you’re into horror that’s more about the atmosphere, the dread, and the slow unraveling of reality (think The Others or Hereditary vibes), this is so worth the read. Creepy, emotional, and totally haunting.

I have read a couple of books by Ania Ahlborn and I was thrilled to be able to read this one early. It’s a creepy kid trope that is so unsettling it makes your hair stand on end. This had lots of tension, dread and was legit scary at times. It was a fun horror book that was up to par with Ahlborn’s other books. It was a multi-POV and each character had depth and backstory, where it was important. The book had some twists that I wasn’t expecting, and the ending left my jaw on the floor.

Thank you, NetGalley and Gallery Books for allowing me to read this book. I am writing this review based on my own opinion.

Dark, insidious, almost looming - and definitely creepy. The darkness and instability, the hidden secrets almost surround you and you feel as powerless as those in the story. This could be real, hopefully not.

Ania Ahlborn is a favorite of mine and always creating unease, dread, and tension in every book I've read. I love a creepy kid trope, and this did not disappoint.

Isla Hansen, a married mother of five has suffered many losses. When she sees an orphaned child on their property, she insists she and her husband take the child into their home when no one claims him. The boy is strange and non-verbal except for loud screeching yells. He makes Isla's husband and children uncomfortable. When strange things begin to occur, things become tense, and Isla begins to be more attached to the orphaned boy.

Thank you @netgalley and @gallerybooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the multiple POVs that gave us different perspectives of the family dynamics and all of the characters are well developed and have their own voice.

Creepy, horrific, haunting, and unsettling, Ania Ahlborn delivers an eerie tale with The Unseen. This book is brimming with tension, dread, and will have the hairs sticking up on the back of your neck! An odd-looking orphanage child, a mother who recently suffered a loss, and a moody eerie vibe pulled me in and never let go. This book played out like a horror film in my mind.

Isla Hansen, a married mother of five is no stranger to loss. When she sees an orphaned child on the edge of their property, she insists she and Luke, her husband, take the child into their home when no one claims him. The boy is strange, odd, and non-verbal except for loud screeching yells. He makes Isla's husband and children uncomfortable. When strange things begin to occur, the household becomes tense, and Isla begins to be more attached to the orphaned boy.

You could cut the tension with a knife in this book. Ania Ahlborn has mastered creating unease, dread, and tension. I felt for the children and their father. I wanted to tell Luke to take a stand and to do something - anything!!!! Now!!! Do Something Now!!!! But well.......

This book is told through the POV of several characters which is a nice touch! I liked getting into their heads and being able to see things their way. There are a nice number of twists and turns along the way. I did not see the ending coming at all and I do have some conflicted feelings about it.

What I did not have conflicted about was the descriptions of loss and grief. I also thought the author did well with showing the children's feelings and thoughts. There is a lot of talk of miscarriages which may be upsetting for some readers.

Overall, a creepy, unsettling, book that delivered on the chills and thrills. This was the first book I have read by this author, but it will not be my last.

The Unseen is hands down one of the best books of 2025.

You first get sucked into an emotional story that you see from different perspectives that revolves around a family in pain, but it quickly turns into something that makes you want to look over your shoulder to make sure that you have not been seen.

It is a fantastic story that takes you on a rollercoaster ride that doesn’t let up. You want to shout at the characters and shake them. Your heartstrings also get pulled every which way.

The Unseen is a fast-paced, one-sitting read. You will not be disappointed.

Woahhh this was a chilling tale! Super unique and attention grabbing. There were times when I closed my eyes, I could actually see Rowan… the things that happened in this story were certainly unforgettable and I haven’t read anything quite like this one.

This is a fantastic story that takes you on a rollercoaster ride that doesn’t let up. Super unique and attention grabbing. This book was so dark, creepy, unsettling, spooky, heartbreaking, and disturbing. This was a really good book. I enjoyed it from start to finish.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley.

ARC 📖 Review: The Unseen by Ania Ahlborn
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 stars)
Pub Date: August 19, 2025.

I’m still trying to process how I feel about this one. I’m left with so many questions! I wish Luke would have just done SOMETHING to help his family! Overall, such a cool concept, but I just didn’t love the outcome. I don’t know. 😅 If you read this one, what did you think?

Thank you @netgalley and @gallerybooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🐶🧒🏻🌲

Isla Hansen, a mother reeling from a devastating loss, is beside herself when a mysteriously orphaned child appears on the outskirts of the Hansens’ secluded Colorado property. Although strange and unexplainable, the child’s presence breathes new life into Isla. But as the child settles in, Isla’s husband, Luke, and their five children notice peculiarities that hint at something far beyond the ordinary—anomalies that challenge the very fabric of reality itself. The tension within the Hansen household grows, and with it, the sense that there is something very wrong with the new kid in the house.

#netgalley #arcreader #bookish #bookworm #books #reader #booksbooksbooks #read #booknerd #book #bookstagrammer #booklover #booklife #bookaholic

I went into this novel blind. Ania Ahlborn’s newest novel, The Unseen, is set in Colorado amidst a family of seven in which the parents are dealing with grief over the loss (miscarriage) of a child. There has also been a string of recent child abductions in the area. The mother, Isla, has difficulty functioning until a boy appears near the woods of their property. He has no family, and no one has reported him missing. Isla immediately feels connected to this strange child and wants to foster him. The father, Luke, doesn’t think it’s a good idea, but worries over his wife’s mental state if he says no to the fostering. Strange things begin happening as soon as the boy arrives at their home.

The first half of this novel was enjoyable, except for the multiple points of view. There is a POV from the wife, husband, and all five children. It just made things more confusing. From the beginning, there is a sense of anxiety, suspense, and dread, which continues throughout the book. There are police reports, media interviews, and newspaper articles about missing children in the book. I don’t know why they were included, unless it was to drive home the reality of missing children. I mostly skimmed over them, not feeling like they added to the storyline. Unfortunately, I didn’t like the direction of the last half of the book. It felt somewhat cheesy, and I was getting impatient with the repetitive nature of the text, with virtually no answers about what was going on. I liked the atmospheric horror and the feelings of dread that pulled at me while reading. I still wanted to finish reading it, so I rated it 3.5 out of five stars. Thank you to Gallery Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Too many characters switching POVs - I don’t mind the big family angle, but it became exhausting to shift from one sibling to another.

I really think this is one of those books that you need to go into without knowing anything, and that was my predicament. From the very beginning the book is creepy and gripping. There is a lot of suspenseful build up throughout the book that I loved. I was on the edge of my seat until the very end. The twists and turns throughout the book were good and I had a hard time putting it down once I started. Grief was the forefront of this book, and while it was a lot at times, it didn't seem to over power or take away from the horror factor.
Ahlborn is wonderful at writing creepy atmospheric worlds and this is no different, the scenes played out like a movie in my head and a couple scenes had me looking over my shoulder.
While most of the book had me guessing, it did get a bit repetitive. The repetitiveness did take away from the shock factor as we progressed throughout the book. I would have enjoyed if Ahlborn would have taken out some of the repetitiveness and replaced it with some answers regarding the antagonist of the book. A lot of this book has to do with missing kids, and miscarriages and while we are constantly reminded that children are going missing and one of our main characters has had multiple miscarriages, we never get a true answer to why. I would have rather read about the antagonist rather than spend multiple chapters and pages reading about Ruby May.
I highly enjoyed that what I thought this story was going to be about was not at all what this story ended up being. While the ending may have been a bit predictable, I still finished this book thinking "What in the world did I just read?" I highly enjoyed the multiple POVs that constantly gave us different perspectives of the family dynamics. I truly don't think I would have enjoyed this book if it was from Isla's POV the entire time. This is one of those books that will have you sleeping with the lights on, constantly looking over your shoulder and wondering what that shadow in the corner of your room really is.

Thank you Netgalley and Gallery books for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

In the midst of a series of child abductions a spooky child emerges from the woods. He is welcomed without hesitation by desperate mom Isla, who is reeling from her own loss, a recent miscarriage. Oddities commence, the family is terrorized by… something… and Isla’s connection to the strange child, whom she calls Rowan, becomes a point of mystery.

The creep-factor is strong in the first half, as we realize with each subsequent interaction that the nonverbal Rowan is something far more sinister than an innocent lost child. The foundation for the story is well established here; you will, I think, be scared by the time you reach the end of the first half.

The second half of the book was a bit frustrating for me as certain story elements became repetitive and lost their initial shock factor. At the end of the story, the final chapters left me with lingering questions. Again, frustrating after such a strong start and after I had grown so attached to the characters.

That said, the overall reading experience was still creepy, engaging, and unsettling in the best way possible. If you have previously enjoyed Ania Ahlborn’s books, or generally enjoy unsettling psychological horror, this is one to check out. I appreciate that Ahlborn’s stories don’t follow predictable premises or storylines (no dusty old haunted house tropes here), and for this reason I always look forward to reading her novels. Seed is probably my favorite book of hers, and also worth a look if you like this type of unsettling horror.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ania Ahlborn, and Gallery Books for sending me an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

One thing is for sure with an Ahlborn book, well..a few things, you will be incredibly uncomfortable and deeply unsettled, creepy with a capital C, think you will escape with your heart in one piece? Think again, I went into this blind as I've previously enjoyed (is that the right word?) their works and I wasn't disappointed, a real strong voice in the horror genre, chilling and haunting!

This is one of the most atmospheric books I have ever read. It is injected with a heavy dose of an insidious feeling and the anxiety just builds as the story goes on. This book made me physically anxious, made me think I was hearing things and seeing shadows. The writing is that good. Told in multiple POVs, from each of the family members, all of the characters are well developed and have their own voice. And Isla, wow is she incredibly unlikable, but also addicting to read. Even knowing why she is the way that she is, she is so well written that you just can’t feel anything but hatred towards her. This book was deeply unsettling and the story was intense and disturbing, but in such a good way. I will say that the end felt almost a little too chaotic, but it really tied the story up so well. I love what was insinuated and how clearly you got a picture of what was being gotten at without the words ever being actually uttered. Overall this was an excellent read, a plethora of emotions and feelings wrapped up in one very eerie package.