Publisher: Merit Press
Source: Author
Publication Date: 18 December 2012
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Series or Standalone: Standalone
ISBN: 1440552703
Format: paperback (ARC)
Pages: 256
The Author on the Web:
Pages: 256
The Author on the Web:
Daphne Benedis-Grab - Blog
Place(s) Traveled to: Anytown, USA
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
First Line(s): What do you wear to the birthday of your ex-best friend?
Buy the Book:
Buy the Book:
I was first introduced to the writing of Daphne Bendis-Grab in 2008 when I read her debut novel, Alive and Well in Prague, New York. It was a book that I couldn't put down and I have been waiting for years for her to release another book. Well the wait finally ended and as with Alive and Well I managed to read The Girl in the Wall in a day although I didn't love it as much as her debut novel.
The Girl in the Wall is a contemporary novel with a little bit of a mystery that is told from two points of view Ariel and Sera. Ariel and Sera used to be best friends until Sera thought that Ariel betrayed her and then managed to turn Ariel into a social outcast. However, Ariel and Sera's fathers are still really close and so Ariel is forced to attend a sleepover birthday extravaganza at Sera's house. The whole book takes place over the course of a single evening and it is a bit darker in theme than Alive and Well although I don't think it flowed as well.
I usually love books that have multiple POVs but in this case it didn't always work for me. I think that Ariel and Sera just had too similar of a voice. I also found that while they didn't communicate a lot throughout the book they seemed to come up with the same nicknames and share the same thoughts and so I would sometimes get confused on who was supposed to be narrating at that time.
Despite that though the book was pretty fast paced and it had a realistic plot that read like something you might find in a movie. Visually I think that The Girl in the Wall would play out very well and those things that didn't always work for me in print would smooth out and become non-existent. For I did like the story and all of the characters. The plot starts off slow and then builds to a crescendo with the climatic scene. While the story line is a bit crazy (terrorists taking over a party) its told in a believable way and in some ways reminded me of Ann Prattchet's Bel Canto.
The Girl in the Wall is a decent read and one that will continue to keep Benedis-Grab on my list of authors to keep an eye on. I'm hopeful that her next book will be out soon and that it won't be another wait for several years as it was between her debut and this one.
The Girl in the Wall is a contemporary novel with a little bit of a mystery that is told from two points of view Ariel and Sera. Ariel and Sera used to be best friends until Sera thought that Ariel betrayed her and then managed to turn Ariel into a social outcast. However, Ariel and Sera's fathers are still really close and so Ariel is forced to attend a sleepover birthday extravaganza at Sera's house. The whole book takes place over the course of a single evening and it is a bit darker in theme than Alive and Well although I don't think it flowed as well.
I usually love books that have multiple POVs but in this case it didn't always work for me. I think that Ariel and Sera just had too similar of a voice. I also found that while they didn't communicate a lot throughout the book they seemed to come up with the same nicknames and share the same thoughts and so I would sometimes get confused on who was supposed to be narrating at that time.
Despite that though the book was pretty fast paced and it had a realistic plot that read like something you might find in a movie. Visually I think that The Girl in the Wall would play out very well and those things that didn't always work for me in print would smooth out and become non-existent. For I did like the story and all of the characters. The plot starts off slow and then builds to a crescendo with the climatic scene. While the story line is a bit crazy (terrorists taking over a party) its told in a believable way and in some ways reminded me of Ann Prattchet's Bel Canto.
The Girl in the Wall is a decent read and one that will continue to keep Benedis-Grab on my list of authors to keep an eye on. I'm hopeful that her next book will be out soon and that it won't be another wait for several years as it was between her debut and this one.
I read this and really enjoyed it, though it did take a bit of time to get into. I loved her debut as well and was so excited to read this new book. About to post my review now! Loved reading yours!
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