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The Girl in the Wall

Daphne Benedis-Grab (Goodreads Author)

3.81 · Rating details · 1,203 ratings · 231 reviews

Ariel's birthday weekend looks to be the event of the season, with a private concert by rock star Hudson Winters on the grounds of her family's east coast estate, and all of Ariel's elite prep school friends in attendance. The only person who's dreading the party is Sera, Ariel's former best friend, whose father is forcing her to go. Sera has been the school pariah since ...more

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Kindle Edition, 256 pages

Published December 18th 2012 by Merit Press (first published November 1st 2012)

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· 1,203 ratings · 231 reviews

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Nov 08, 2014 Sarah rated it liked it

Shelves: read-with-abbie, mystery, young-adult, romance, death, contemporary, read-2015, may-page-count

2.5 stars

This was an okay story, but it dragged so bad! I’m not sure if this was just me, because the story didn’t interest me or what, but it felt a heck of a lot longer than 256 pages!

I did feel quite sorry for Ariel, because she’d already been through a lot, so having assassins out to kill her really was the icing on the cake, but I also felt sorry for her friend Sera because she’d had to make a hard decision out of love for her friend, and it had left her very unpopular.

The storyline in this ...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Rose rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, survival, thriller, contemporary, romance, mystery, psychological, arc-or-galley, suspense, realistic-fiction

Initial reaction: Whoa, this turned out to be quite the engaging read, and I'm surprised how quick it transpired in both the narrative flow and for events. This is probably one of the better stories of its kind in YA that I've picked up in a while, though it does have some stumbles in the mix. I hope I can expand upon the work more in my full review, but overall, I really appreciated the read.

Full review:

"The Girl in the Wall" pleasantly surprised me in its collective narrative. I did not expect Initial reaction: Whoa, this turned out to be quite the engaging read, and I'm surprised how quick it transpired in both the narrative flow and for events. This is probably one of the better stories of its kind in YA that I've picked up in a while, though it does have some stumbles in the mix. I hope I can expand upon the work more in my full review, but overall, I really appreciated the read.

Full review:

"The Girl in the Wall" pleasantly surprised me in its collective narrative. I did not expect to be fully swept up in the twists and turns this story had to offer as a mystery/suspense/thriller in the YA genre. While usually those kinds of stories are right up my alley, I think there was something about Benedis-Grab's narrative that kept this fast, fluid, and hitting hard where it counted. That's not to say that it was without a few bumps in the road, but it proved well worth the journey.

One brief diversion - I actually liked the ARC cover (purple, larger text) of this book far, FAR more than the final cover, which depicts a blonde girl looking through something of a stony wall. The latter's more accurate to the story presentation, but it really didn't appeal to me, unfortunately.

The story's told between two respective narratives - two girls that have had a subsequent falling out as far as their social relationships are concerned. Sera is a social outcast who is invited to her former best friend's (Ariel) party. It's clear that there's been a degree of politics and social ostracizing on behalf of Ariel's part (for a reason unnamed until later in the story), though Ariel's father took the liberty of inviting Sera to what's noted as the biggest party of the year for his daughter. Add to that the appearance of teen superstar Hudson Winters performing at the party, and Sera knows she really wants to go despite her qualms.

Everything at the party goes very wrong in quick succession. Armed gunmen take over the venue and not only shoot several significant victims, but also takes the entire place hostage until their demands are met. Sera has to make an unlikely alliance with both Hunter and Ariel in secret to figure out who's behind it all. All the while being reminded that not everyone they meet or care about will make it through the night alive.

For me the narrative did start off a bit on the typical side of petty rivalries, but it became interesting very quickly when the conflict hit the ground running. And when it does, it hits rather hard. The narrative trades between Ariel and Sera's perspectives, each giving an eye to their respective reactions to events and to their own perception of their rivalry. It actually went much deeper than I thought it would and I understood and connected with each girl's respective experiences, though it was a bit of a rough transition to see through their filters in certain places. I did appreciate the fluidity of the narrative, and I came to connect with even the side character - Hunter and the security guard who helps the girls included. At first I thought Hunter would turn out to be the typical cocky rockstar, but the story develops him very well and quite different than appearances - I actually did like his chemistry with Sera and how the narrative portrayed his role. The story keeps one guessing as to what will happen next with both the possible suspects and the action of how the teens fight back against their captors. I was surprised by how compulsively engaging and resonant the story, particularly of this type, turned out to be.

I think those who like fluid racing against the clock YA thrillers/mysteries will like "The Girl in the Wall". It's easy to take in, kept me on my toes to see what would happen next, and provided an investment in the characters that I didn't think I would have going into it.

Overall score: 3.5/5

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley from the publisher Merit Press. ...more

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Nov 25, 2012 A Book Vacation rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I loved this book! It has just the right amount of mystery, intrigue, romance, and action… it’s right up my alley and I’d love to see it turned into a movie! Sera’s predicament is painful—her ex-best friend, Ariel, has skewered Sera’s reputation and yet Sera must still attend Ariel’s birthday party, a fate worse than death, or so it seems. I can’t imagine being in Sera’s shoes, especially when the reader learns the trivial reason that Ariel defriended Sera in the first place. Teens can be so ...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Dajana J. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I never expected this book to be this good. The Girl in the Wall is an action-packed novel that will make your heartbeats go crazy while craving to read more and more. I started this book on a meh day, to be honest and all I needed was an easy book to read and take my head of things. But this novel wasn't just that. I was so captivated by this story that I spent hours completely lost in it trying to bring myself to stop (because I had to study for an exam) but well, I couldn't. There were so ...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Emma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Sometimes it is refreshing to read a book that turns out to be completely different to what you were expecting. I was expecting this to be a fluffy easy-read book, but I found it to be an engaging thriller that made my eyes well up at points.

So to set the scene we have Sera, who is a fairly recent social outcast, and Ariel who is the one that exiled Sera from having any social standing at school or within the powerful group of friends. Sera has been made to go to Ariel's fabulous birthday party Sometimes it is refreshing to read a book that turns out to be completely different to what you were expecting. I was expecting this to be a fluffy easy-read book, but I found it to be an engaging thriller that made my eyes well up at points.

So to set the scene we have Sera, who is a fairly recent social outcast, and Ariel who is the one that exiled Sera from having any social standing at school or within the powerful group of friends. Sera has been made to go to Ariel's fabulous birthday party by her parents since they used to be best friends. The party is going to be fabulous, her whole class is going to be there, and there is will be a musical performance by Hudson Winters, rock star extraordinare. Suddenly the party is taken over by men at gunpoint in an attempt to kidnap Ariel's Father. Ariel manages to hide in the secret passages in the walls of her house which angers the kidnappers. As the hostages begin to die, Ariel has to decide if she stays where she is or gives herself up, and Sera has to decide if she tells the kidnappers where Ariel is or stays quiet.

The story in this book only covers a few hours, but it is a gripping read. The chapters switch between Ariel and Sera being the narrator. At the beginning when the two girls have really different personalities which made it easy to know who you were reading. Ariel is incredibly strong and closed off emotionally at the beginning of the book. She quickly decides that she will have to sort this problem out herself and takes charge of the situation the best she can. As Ariel's character evolves and we find out why there is a rift between her and Sera she begins to soften a little and become a rich character.

Sera starts off as a quiet character who tries to keep her head down and not get involved with what is going on. She is a little bitter about why she has been socially exiled. As her character develops and she begins to understand Ariel's issues a little more she starts to get stronger and less willing to roll over and accept the situation. I felt that towards the end Ariel and Sera had become extremely similar as characters and I would forget who I was reading.

This story and the characters gripped me and made this an amazing read. I love a good thriller and a bit of a mystery, and with the addition of it being YA and having some solid characters, made this book really enjoyable and something I will be recommending to others in the future.

Posted on Lost In A YA Book. ...more

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Jun 01, 2013 ♥ Sarah rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I have mixed feelings about this book...

On one hand, I really liked the dual narratives. Both Sera and Ariel had distinctive voices, and I really liked their back-story. Their friendship was also a prominent factor embedded in the overall plot, which I found refreshing. I love stories about solid, life-long, sisterly, forever kind of friendships.

Further, the story was in a nutshell: suspenseful, engaging, and dramatic. I also liked the small bit of romance thrown in. It felt refreshing, to read I have mixed feelings about this book...

On one hand, I really liked the dual narratives. Both Sera and Ariel had distinctive voices, and I really liked their back-story. Their friendship was also a prominent factor embedded in the overall plot, which I found refreshing. I love stories about solid, life-long, sisterly, forever kind of friendships.

Further, the story was in a nutshell: suspenseful, engaging, and dramatic. I also liked the small bit of romance thrown in. It felt refreshing, to read about something OTHER than your typical YA "romance" novel.

HOWEVER:

I felt like Sera and Ariel's reconciliation was a bit anticlimactic. Similarly, some of the action scenes - when the group decides to escape - were kind of hard to follow. I just couldn't clearly imagine the scenes playing out.

Not to mention, the deaths and general reaction of the group of friends seemed too unrealistic for me to truly appreciate.

Also, I think the story could have been more interesting if the group of teens interacted with each other on a deeper level. It's hard for me to believe that these teens, as privileged and rich as they may have been, staying calm throughout the whole ordeal. Well, they weren't necessarily CALM, but they weren't freaking out, either.

I think there was a whole lot of potential that was wasted. The story should have been longer. There should have also been more SHOWING, rather than TELLING; more dialogue, too.

Finally, I think the reason behind the whole "hostage" situation was a bit silly. THAT aspect seemed a bit cliche, and underplayed. It would have been and more hard-hitting, if there was more ... background context between Ariel and the villain's relationship.

In sum, this book isn't without flaws. I wanted more details, descriptions, dialogue, and character development (especially between the two main MC's). The "danger" element was a bit cheesy, and would have been more believable if there wasn't so many deaths. I don't know. The whole thing seemed quite unbelievable - BUT, despite it all, I did enjoy reading this. *Easy, quick, and entertaining! ...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Paula Ratcliffe rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, netgalley, fsb-media, read-in-2012

I loved this book we first meet Sera who's having a hard time when here ex-bestfriend Ariel is having a birthday party and her father is forcing her to go. The relationship between Ariel and Sera was damaged about a year ago when something traumatic happened to Ariel in Mexico and Sera being a best friend did what she thought was right out of love for Ariel. Unfortunatly Ariel doesn't see it that way and has turned Sera into an outcast at their school.

As the birthday party and concert are ...more

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May 03, 2015 Abbie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-unlimited

I felt sorry for the characters in this, as what they were going through was really scary, but I didn't love them.

This was an okay read, but I did feel bored at times, as some parts of the story was dragged out a bit too much.

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Dec 18, 2012 Viviane Crystal rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Sera made a difficult choice to save a life by telling the truth. Now she’s paying for it day after day after day. Her peers at school are treating her like “pariah of the year.” Now her family is insisting she attend the birthday party of her ex-friend, Ariel. It’s all very uncomfortable until rock star Hudson Winters (real name Hunter Winters) begins to croon a song Sera loves. The mesmerizing effect of his singing is cut short by the burst of gunfire and then the hell begins!
Two people are ...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Wisteriouswoman rated it did not like it · review of another edition

I don't know why I bothered to finish this book.
It could have been a great story considering the premise. I was totally confused by which girl was which every time I switched chapters. Ariel is basically a rich bitch and doesn't deserve much empathy.

The two romances don't make a bit of sense. Everyone must be just totally smelly and gross after being taken hostage and when people are stressed and have their life threaten they often pee in their pants.

And people die. It is horrible but I ...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Michelle rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I didn't care for this book. Although the title and premise seemed really promising, I was disappointed in how the book played out.

The book consisted mainly of each person's thoughts and not alot of dialog.

The writing was good, it's just I was completely bored with the book.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

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Dec 11, 2018 Sarah Brockman rated it liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 23, 2012 Kellie Maddox-Ward rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, ya-na

Did you ever see the awesomely epic early 90’s movie “Toy Soldiers?” With Sean Astin and Louis Gossett Jr.?
You know where a group of black ops/mercenaries come into a boarding school and hold them all hostages? But the boys fight back and use all their trouble making ways to escape?
Well as soon as I saw the synopsis for this book that’s immediately what I thought of!

I was fist pumping thinking it was going to be amazeballs… YA, black ops, some of my favourite things to read about in one book?! ...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Jenny - Book Sojourner rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: e-arc, read-in-2013

I didn't know what to expect from this book. I was just looking forward to something a bit different from what I'd been reading. What The Girl in the Wall turned out to be was a book that far exceeded my expectations. This book gripped me from the beginning and I finished it in a day.

The Girl in the Wall alternates between Sera's and Ariel's POV. I really liked this approach because we know from the beginning that Sera and Ariel used to be best friends until a little over 9 months ago when I didn't know what to expect from this book. I was just looking forward to something a bit different from what I'd been reading. What The Girl in the Wall turned out to be was a book that far exceeded my expectations. This book gripped me from the beginning and I finished it in a day.

The Girl in the Wall alternates between Sera's and Ariel's POV. I really liked this approach because we know from the beginning that Sera and Ariel used to be best friends until a little over 9 months ago when something happened, causing Ariel to call Sera a back-stabber and turn her into a pariah at school. Through these alternating POVs we are gradually able to find out what happened to their friendship, and if there is any hope of reconciliation. This is also how we know that Sera is the only one who knows where Ariel is, testing her loyalty to Ariel once again.

This broken friendship is only part of the story. The main problem is that Ariel's birthday party has been taken hostage for reasons that Ariel is not aware of initially. This part of the storyline is scary and suspenseful - a group of high school students, plus one rock star, taken hostage by a huge group of gun-toting agents who show no mercy. There are meaningless deaths, physical wounds, and emotional scars to last a lifetime. But this is a hostage situation gone wrong, so that's where even more suspense occurs, because we don't know what the next move of the bad guys will be, and we don't know if the choices that Sera and Ariel make are good or will be more costly in the end.

Then there is the minor storyline of the budding potential romances. I liked how the author handled this. In a situation like this, of course emotions would be high, but these kids are also getting to know each other in a intense kind of way, all their fears exposed, their emotions bare, and honesty their only course. So for some of them to form special bonds makes sense. But I also like how this did not overtake the storyline. With Sera and Hudson in particular, they were able to work together as a team as well as get to know each other on a personal level, yet always kept their heads in the game. You could see their connection, yet the author did not overly-romanticize anything. This also holds true for the other potential relationship, though it was not explored as much.

I will say that I had a few discrepancies with a few plot points and situation handlings in the book, but I was able to overlook them enough to continue enjoying the storyline. Though perhaps some of these details detracted from my overall rating.

To keep this spoiler-free, I will not reveal any deaths or outcomes in detail, but as you can imagine, this type of situation takes its toll and not everyone survives. I found myself teary-eyed at the end, which I did not expect to feel. One character in particular touched a chord with me, but I could understand why the author chose the outcome she did. Because the reality is that this is not a happily-ever-after story. It is an ugly situation caused by hateful, selfish people. The author touches on how some of the characters react after the trauma, some in more detail than others. You'd need a whole other book to deal with all the PTSD. But not all is lost, and there is some hope and happiness left after all the tragedy.

Bottomline: This is a fast-paced story dealing with a brutal situation that I did not want to put down. The action was intense but well-paced, the characters were realistic and meaningful, the consequences were honest. If you're looking for a different YA book, try this one.
...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Dayla rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: awesome-ya, creepy, death, murder, mystery, romance, surprising, arc, addicting, contemporary

Article first published as Book Review: The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab on Blogcritics.

Review also appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7

I received an advanced copy for review

Unforgiving and raw, The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab offers readers an uncensored view into what a hostage situation might look like from a young adult’s point of view. This suspenseful young adult novel uses the importance of friendship as the anchor to the story, and successfully captures a Article first published as Book Review: The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab on Blogcritics.

Review also appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7

I received an advanced copy for review

Unforgiving and raw, The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab offers readers an uncensored view into what a hostage situation might look like from a young adult’s point of view. This suspenseful young adult novel uses the importance of friendship as the anchor to the story, and successfully captures a terrifying and heartbreaking nightmare within the pages of the book.

The story is morbidly addicting. Death follows the characters in this novel like a stalker and the reader is the sole witness to the deadly situation. Though s/he hopes for a safe outcome, s/he can't help but wonder who will die next.

Ariel and Sera, the two protagonists, ex-best-friends, and interchanging narrators of the novel, successfully grow as characters. The reader is given both points of view so that s/he can decide which character is more reliable. Whereas the story suggests that Sera is the stronger of the two, thanks to her past decisions leading to her social pariah status, the reader might find that it is, in fact, Ariel and her story of redemption and loss that makes her the tougher protagonist.

Quickly paced and without a dull moment, Benedis-Grab manages to write a disturbing, yet entertaining novel that will entrance future readers. Budding young romance adds an extra touch to the already thriving story line, and the will to survive makes this an inspiring read.

The Girl in the Wall can be devoured in less than a day, but the ending may leave the reader wondering if perhaps a better conclusion exists. Though symbolic and sentimental, I found that perhaps after such a heart-stopping story, the ending should have more power behind it.

I recommend The Girl in the Wall to readers addicted to fast-paced storytelling and action, and to those not undeterred by violent descriptions. Benedis-Grab’s novel is a must-read for anyone who is seeking a story that veers from the usual safe and predictable teen read. ...more

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Feb 10, 2013 Paula from Reading Lark rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Reviewed on readinglark.blogspot.com

Yep, that's right- this book earned 5 birdies. And here's why. I've been in a bit of a reading slump. I have two books that I'd been waiting for for a while sitting here, started, but not holding my attention. I have a stack of books that I know will be wonderful once I can focus on them, but I've had trouble doing just that. Until I picked this book up Sunday, determined to read it for this review today.

Once I got started, I spent hours telling myself, "Just Reviewed on readinglark.blogspot.com

Yep, that's right- this book earned 5 birdies. And here's why. I've been in a bit of a reading slump. I have two books that I'd been waiting for for a while sitting here, started, but not holding my attention. I have a stack of books that I know will be wonderful once I can focus on them, but I've had trouble doing just that. Until I picked this book up Sunday, determined to read it for this review today.

Once I got started, I spent hours telling myself, "Just one more chapter." I chewed through page after page of this thriller, unable to slow down, let alone stop reading. I was entranced.

Others will pick this up and wonder why I'm talking it up so much. At first glance, there doesn't seem to be anything exceptional about the book; it's from a largely unknown author, from a largely unknown pub house, with a cover image that does the job, but isn't really remarkable. The craftsmanship of the plot, however, is so finely-tuned, it's pretty difficult to find a spot where the pacing is anything less than pristine. The suspense builds steadily and without pause, while the author builds in just enough back-story to explain character relationships without getting in the way of the action.

Another element I enjoy: this is a perfectly wrapped-up stand-alone, without a love triangle. I love my series books, but it was refreshing to finish this one in a single afternoon and know that I've read the whole story; I don't have to wait months and months for the next installment. There were elements of innocent romance sprinkled throughout, but I wasn't asked to sympathize with a heroine who had to choose between two boys. Thank you, dear author.

Readers should be forewarned that there is some graphic violence in this book; characters get shot and die, and some of the description is unpleasant for the squeamish. Otherwise, the book is quite clean of elements that some consider inappropriate for young readers. I'd especially recommend for the reluctant reader, since the action is so engaging.

If you're at all inclined to take a chance on a book that may not have been on your to-read list, something just for fun, try this one. I dare ya.
...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Caro [The Book Rogue] rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Caro by: Renae McKenzie

Shelves: r2r-netgalley, contemporary, new-adult, 2012

I'm not sure where to start on this one. It had so many aspects to it, it was an awesome rush. It was intoxicating, I swear my heart stopped at one point or another. I read it through in one day, absolutely unable to put it down. And that says something when it's coming from me!

I think I'm going to start with the story, which was incredibly tense and twisted. The time frame was only a few hours, contained in only 250 pages, but it felt like a lifetime.
The hostage situation was a first for me. I I'm not sure where to start on this one. It had so many aspects to it, it was an awesome rush. It was intoxicating, I swear my heart stopped at one point or another. I read it through in one day, absolutely unable to put it down. And that says something when it's coming from me!

I think I'm going to start with the story, which was incredibly tense and twisted. The time frame was only a few hours, contained in only 250 pages, but it felt like a lifetime.
The hostage situation was a first for me. I mean, of course characters get into some criminal tight spots now and then, facing off with the bad guys, but this was different on the point that there was an overpowering force of bad guys without any remorse when killing unarmed youths or even children, standing against a group of teenagers who have nothing but their will of survival.

Then the characters, who left nothing short of a scorching impression on me. Of course there's the two main girls, Ariel and Sera (look to the "In Her Shoes" links below to read more of what I thought of them), but also their love interests, Nico and Hudson. Both boys are such sweethearts, absolutely to die for! <3
Although they both were more support than action, I think that Nico deserves to be number one in this. He was a real daredevil because the situation commanded it, despite his gentle personality. He was the perfect balance of offense and defense, almost moving the heavens like that, yet also with just being there as a grounding force of goodness.
Hudson was more the active type, both brains and muscle, keeping his head straight, always giving the right pushes, and he was caring and protective. Plus, he's a musician ;) , and has a good sense of humor.

I can see people not agreeing with me on this, but it's all there if you look closely. If you don't want to look deeper, it's all rather obvious, and the characters are rather stereotype. But I'm telling you, it's not something you can breeze through, although it's rather short.

Area Scan: Style: 5/5 -- Plot: 5/5 -- Characters: 5/5 -- Romance: 5/5 -- Suspense: 5/5 -- Humor: 3.5/5 -- Drama: 5/5 -- Action: 5/5 ...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copy

3.5Stars

Sera and Ariel were once best friends till Ariel betrayed Sera and turned the whole school against her. Sera’s father however treats this as a ‘small tiff between friends’ and forces her to go to Ariel’s birthday bash – ‘the’ party in town. With Hudson Winters band performing and whole school invited, Sera has something to look forward to and something to dread about. But as she has absolutely no say in it, she arrives at the party hoping to just get it over with. Soon things spin out of 3.5Stars

Sera and Ariel were once best friends till Ariel betrayed Sera and turned the whole school against her. Sera’s father however treats this as a ‘small tiff between friends’ and forces her to go to Ariel’s birthday bash – ‘the’ party in town. With Hudson Winters band performing and whole school invited, Sera has something to look forward to and something to dread about. But as she has absolutely no say in it, she arrives at the party hoping to just get it over with. Soon things spin out of control unexpectedly and they find themselves in hostage situation. Will the two girls hold on to their grudges or call on the friendship that they had shared earlier?

Let me get the not so ‘good’ things out of the way first. I got this ARC through Netgalley and my version of it has lots of mistakes in it. Hopefully the book will be going through another round at the editors table before its release in mid-december. The other thing that I didn’t enjoy as much is the way the teenagers get out of the hostage situation. Without giving out any spoilers, let’s just say Macaulay Culkin had far better tricks up his sleeve in Home Alone 1 to deal with the thieves. And, that’s about it!

The plot isn’t something out of this world, but I did enjoy it. The start was a bit slow but it soon picked up its pace and during the last few chapters, they were literally turning itself! Written from the point of view of both Ariel & Sera, the book gives us complete knowledge of what’s exactly going on. The characters were interesting and developed throughout the story. Especially, Ariel and Sera. They start off as this rich, spoilt hot-headed girl and the sensitive and shy girl. But by the end, they were so much more. Author’s writing style is simple, making it easier to get into the story. She has given just enough description about the surroundings for the reader to picturise the different situations.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read that kept me interested throughout.
...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Megan (The Book Babe) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-on-my-site, received-for-review

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Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.

It pains me to say this after reading this non-stop action book, but I don't get the ending. It was a bit too abrupt, and I just wish that more things would've panned out. I thought that Ariel gave up a little too much for me to identify all that well with her--I loved the book until the end. Some people died, and it was all so...undramatic.

I just wish that the person who died hadn't--I mean, I know that it's for a higher purpose ...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Cheryl rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It is Ariel’s birthday party or I should say birthday bash. The bash is going to be huge with guest singer, Hudson Winter.

Ariel used to be Sera’s best friend until she turned the whole school against Sera. Sera’s father convinces Sera to attend Ariel’s bash. All of the partygoers get a big surprise when a group of mercenaries take over the house and hold Sera and her classmates’ hostiles. Ariel goes into hiding in the hidden stairwell. The mercenaries demand Ariel or they will shoot everyone ...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Pam rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-read

GoodReads Synopsis: Ariel's birthday weekend looks to be the event of the season, with a private concert by rock star Hudson Winters on the grounds of her family's east coast estate, and all of Ariel's elite prep school friends in attendance. The only person who's dreading the party is Sera, Ariel's former best friend, whose father is forcing her to go. Sera has been the school pariah since she betrayed Ariel, and she now avoids Ariel and their former friends. Thrown together, Ariel and Sera can ...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Wendy Hines rated it really liked it

Sera is dreading the evening – attending the birthday party of her former best friend, Ariel. Her father is demanding she go, as he and Ariel’s father are business partners. Ariel hasn't spoken to Sera in months, and in doing so, most of her friends and classmates give Sera the cold shoulder. She doesn't feel she did anything wrong, but Ariel believes she did and now hates her.

The girls and their friends all come from wealthy families, so famous rock star singer Hudson Winters has been hired to ...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Lelia Taylor rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: full-reviews

One of the dreaded tropes of young adult fiction is femjep, female in jeopardy. This goes way back, to the days of “The Perils of Pauline” nearly a hundred years ago and earlier. At times, it seems as though many writers of young adult fiction can’t come up with a story without it, and that has led to a craving for those tales that feature girls with a brain, girls that can actually take care of themselves most of the time. It’s an even greater pleasure when an author is able to craft a story ...more

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Dec 29, 2012 P.M. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Sera is dreading the weekend birthday party of her former BFF Ariel. Since she reported Ariel's cutting episodes, Ariel has been on a mission to pay Sera back by making her a pariah. Sera's parents insist that she attend the party which starts out badly and quickly goes from badly to worse. Armed agents take over the party and kill Ariel's father and new BFF Bianca. During the melee, Ariel escapes into the tunnels inside the mansion. Sera quickly guesses where Ariel is and wonders if she will ...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Pretty in Fiction rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews-by-taylor

The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab is a heart pounding thriller that will leave you breathless. It's about two ex-friends who are trapped together in a house taken over by terrorists, during one of the girl's birthday party. They must depend on their knowledge of the house and each other to get themselves out alive.

I really enjoyed reading from the dual points of view of both Ariel and Sera. They both had enough personality that I was able to easily switch between chapters without ...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Karen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Ariel and Sera had a BFF break-up to find themselves crusaders in a hostage situation less than a year later. The girls share a secret; tunnels running throughout the Barett home. That’s how Ariel escaped, and Sera is the only one who knows where she is. Together, they need to find a way to put the last nine months (of hatred and pain) behind them and put together a plan. Sera needs to break through the barrier of the clique that only sees her as a traitor and Ariel has to quickly piece together ...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Nic rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: sucks-to-be-everyone-in-this-book, this-is-thriller

I dunno. This book had an interesting - if violent - premise: a bunch of teens at a rich girl's birthday party are taken hostage by gunmen, and the birthday girl escapes into secret tunnels in the walls of her mansion and sneaks around trying to help her friends as the gunmen get more desperate and the body count climbs. Sadly, I just didn't emotionally buy into either of our point-of-view characters - or anyone in the story, really.

I want to say they seemed too distant and matter-of-fact, but ...more

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May 08, 2015 ♡B♡ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: million-billionaire, 2015, 0-netgalley-0, y-a, suspense-mystery, rock-star, angst, childhood-friends, high-school

I wasn't sure what was going to happen but wanted something that sounded different.
This one was a suspense read. It was interesting.

There is a hostage situation and they are holding a bunch of kids...you don't find out till later in the book as to what exactly the reason is as to what is going on.

What killed me was...how can someone have a phone that isn't even out on the market yet but you can't call 911 on it without knowing the passcode? ALL phones give that option. And they said they cut ...more

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Mar 05, 2016 Dlora rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure-action, young-adult

This book started out like a typical Young Adult novel with Sera being shunned and bullied in school when her popular best friend turns the whole school against her, and since this is an elite prep school for rich kids, the student body is small enough that that really can be the case. Sera's dad insists that she attends Ariel's weekend birthday party, not getting it that their disagreement isn't just a little tiff that will blow over. However, the birthday party turns into a hostage situation ...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Jesp rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I'm so glad I read this book. I'm a huge, HUGE Daphne Grab fan. I *loved* "Alive and Well in Prague, New York" (get it if you haven't read it already). So, I was really pleased to pick up this book. It's such a smartly written book. It's also it's a really taut and gripping thriller with rich and complex characters (two of whom co-narrate the book, which is a really clever way to tell the story). I was only actually slowing down as I read the book, savoring each page. I was only sad when I ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
the girl in the wall	1	1	Apr 24, 2018 10:25AM
YA Buddy Readers'...: The Girl In The Wall By Daphne Benedis-Grab - Starting May 3rd 2015	15	6	May 03, 2015 07:38AM
ariel vs sera	2	8	Jun 27, 2014 08:35PM