December 12, 2012

The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab

 The Girl in the Wall
Title: The Girl in the Wall
Author: Daphne Benedis-Grab
Publisher: Merit Press
Publication Date: December 18, 2012
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 agree on one thing: this could be one very long night.

They have no idea just how right they are.
Only moments after the concert begins and the lights go down, thugs open fire on parents and schoolmates alike, in a plot against Ariel's father that quickly spins out of control. As the entire party is taken hostage, the girls are forced apart. Ariel escapes into the hidden tunnels in the family mansion, where she and Sera played as children. Only Sera, who forges an unlikely alliance with Hudson Winters, knows where her friend could be. As the industrial terrorist plot unravels and the death toll climbs, Ariel and Sera must recall the sisterhood that once sustained them as they try to save themselves and each other on the longest night of their lives.
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 and all, but why? I thought that the story was headed along just fine! *cries self to sleep* I wanted him to live--I wanted Ariel to be happy and alright. (Not a spoiler.)

I feel like this book was a bit more plot than character development. I mean, plot is good and all, but I'm a sucker for good characters. It doesn't matter if the book goes nowhere. I won't care as long as I like the characters, seriously. Characters make the book.

Speaking of which, I enjoyed Sera and Ariel's alternating points of view. Sera's voice was my favorite though, because she seemed a lot nicer than Ariel. Don't get me wrong, she straightens up her act in the end, and becomes a better person, but throughout most of the book I couldn't stand her. She was so self-righteous and full of herself--ugh.

Back to Sera. She seemed like such a total sweetheart, but she was brave too. She wasn't afraid to stand up for what was right, and I loved that about her.

All in all, The Girl in the Wall was a fast paced, unforgettable read, but it relied heavily on plot instead of characters. But it was a good plot, so there is that.

*This book was provided by the publisher for review.

10 comments:

  1. Hm... I love the sound of a book. Friendship in tatters becoming friendship once more! That sounds really sweet, but if the book is more plot based than character driven, it seems a little odd for a book focused on the characters reuniting.

    Oh well, I am definitely going to read this one regardless of my hesitations.

    -Angie @YA Novelties

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    1. I know--the premise is absolutely fantastic! And I loved the idea too, but the characters. I'm all about characters. ;) You totally should! I'll be waiting to read your review! (:

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  2. Oh I received this book from NetGalley! Although our covers are very different, I loved the concept of the book! But I'm sorry that the ending wasn't brilliant! I hate when they rush an ending, it ruin the flow of the book! :( I'm slightly hesitant but I may not hold that against me! Brilliant Review Megan!

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    1. Awesome! I'll be waiting to read your review, Emma! I know--they emailed me to ask that I used this one, LOL. It's apparently the new design. Very pretty! It totally does ruin the flow of the book! I want the book to have an un-rushed ending, LOL. Thanks, Emma! (:

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  3. I'm probably late... like extremely late, but I LOVE YOUR NEW LAYOUT. The font is beautiful, by the way <3 The cover of the books is really cool! From your review, and the overview it sounds like a really cool read, too! I think I'm going to add it to my TBR-list. Thanks for the review!

    Annie & (Demi) @ Characterized
    ~Old Follower

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    1. A little bit, but only by a few days, LOL. Thank you! I love my new font too! I know--they've changed it since the ARC printings, though. It was pretty cool--but not my favorite. Awesome! You're welcome! (:

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  4. I have this book on my kobo waiting to be read :D Nice review!

    ~Jess @ Addicted To Novels

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  5. I enjoyed this book very much. I gave it 4-stars. The only think that killed it for me was the end. Yes, too abrupt. And I didn't want the person who died to die either! But then I thought, what would be the point of staying alive? Then it would've been a total SF book because, what are the chances of them hooking up in real life?

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    1. Glad to hear it! It's interesting when people have similar opinions on books, don't you think? Hahaha, you're totally right! Realistic and happy endings don't really mix in a book like this, do they? ;)

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