The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab

 

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.