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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
A fun romp that wasn’t necessarily the best cult story or the best haunted house story, but was an engaging enough combo that it held my attention the whole way through and despite its pacing issues/clumsy character work, this scratches the itch it promises to in its premise so I’m not disappointed!
I'm new to Ania Ahlborn's books, and I really liked this one. It was atmospheric and eerie and I loved the idea of it. It was a little predictable, but I was absorbed and wanted to read on. The only (slight) complaint I had was the ending. It was good but a little lackluster in the way she wrote the penultimate scene (for me, personally).
Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely check out some of her other books.
Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely check out some of her other books.
dark
tense
medium-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was pulled in at the beginning, there was intrigue and a sense of hope for the MC Lucas... that quickly, almost too quickly, vanished. Following the opening I found Lucas' POV to be dull and solely in an aggressive tone; it progressed the story but not in an entertaining way or one that made me root for him. I have similar thoughts for the daughter, Jeannie's POV.
Audra/Avis's POV, on the other hand, I loved and is why I gave this three stars.
The supernatural elements, sort of an erosion of time and space was very interesting This story left me both wanting and uninteresting in what was left unexplained. I can't say I'd recommend it.
Audra/Avis's POV, on the other hand, I loved and is why I gave this three stars.
Spoiler
There was no explanation for the baby though which seemed to be a major plot point. As I neared the ending, it seems rushed and nothing got explained. Also, what happened to the others? They didn't come back with Jeffrey...The supernatural elements, sort of an erosion of time and space was very interesting
Spoiler
but the why and how like with the baby and many other things weren't explained.
"Within These Walls" by Ania Ahlborn was my introduction to Ahlborn whom I've heard great things about. I have three of her books and so I wanted to start with the oldest published book of hers that I had and eventually move my way up. This particular story follows a guy who gets an opportunity to interview this alleged cult leader who never spoke about his crime following him murdering a woman by removing her unborn child along with leading the deaths of his followers. The only condition is that he has to move into the home the cult leader lived in in order to get the interview to base his next novel on. When I first read this I thought "thriller" but early in you realize it's a mix of thriller and paranormal. This book was just okay for me as I wasn't really fully enthralled in the story because of all these little jumping parts, but I did think it was good. So for me, an okay book is a three-star read.
3.5 stars. This was a good story-a crazy cult from the past, and a haunted house in the present. The problem for me is that it dragged on and on, so my attention kept wandering. I’m glad I stuck with it, and I really liked the creepy ending. This would have been a fantastic horror read if only it had been shorter.
This is NOT just another book about cults. You haven’t read anything like this. This was my first experience with Ahlborn, but I’ve got the rest of her books on order and I can’t wait to get my mitts on them!
I can’t say enough good things about this book. It is everything you want in a good book: well-written with concise descriptions and great characterization, compelling, creepy, and that ending... Ho-leee crap. It is confidently billed as horror, but WITHIN THESE WALLS is easily some of the best fiction that I’ve read this year as well.
Not only is this book steeped in horror tradition with references throughout to movies, pop culture, and books alike, but it is also staunchly modern, incorporating current technology as a part of the characters’ day to day experience. Making it realistic in these ways only highlights the supernatural elements, very slick writing. It’s a pretty thick book, clocking in at over 400 pages, but because of the pace and narrative structure, it certainly doesn’t feel long. The story is told in first person by various narrators that include both the present day with a washed-up true crime writer and his young daughter, and the past, following a cult victim’s downward spiral.
If you’re looking for a plot synopsis (generally I avoid these—any old monkey can tell you what a book is about, but personally I think that’s what reading is for…) just think of the movie SINISTER mixed with Adam Nevill’s amazing book, [b:Last Days|15793201|Last Days|Adam Nevill|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344319467s/15793201.jpg|19267664]. Of course, this book is so much more than that, but I won’t say more. And if you haven’t read Nevill, you should go check him out too! I think he and Ahlborn are very similar in how they are writing true supernatural horror—none of that “thriller” marketing crap—for a modern age in a way that few other authors have attempted, let alone succeeded with.
I was definitely a little wary of this book because cults are becoming as passé as zombies—it just seems that no one has anything new or interesting to say about them. Check out Ti West’s recent dismal attempt THE SACRAMENT if you don’t believe me. Boy, was I wrong, though. While Ahlborn’s plot centers around a cult and the deaths of its followers, the book itself is definitely more about the people than the cult itself. Even more impressive, the enigmatic cult leader (a cliché if ever there was one) has very limited appearances in the book—we almost exclusively hear about him second hand from other characters’ perspectives. Ahlborn doesn’t over-explain, she lets the readers come to their own conclusions, and then she shatters them.
Beautiful, beastly, and brilliant, this book is a reason to keep pursuing horror.
I can’t say enough good things about this book. It is everything you want in a good book: well-written with concise descriptions and great characterization, compelling, creepy, and that ending... Ho-leee crap. It is confidently billed as horror, but WITHIN THESE WALLS is easily some of the best fiction that I’ve read this year as well.
Not only is this book steeped in horror tradition with references throughout to movies, pop culture, and books alike, but it is also staunchly modern, incorporating current technology as a part of the characters’ day to day experience. Making it realistic in these ways only highlights the supernatural elements, very slick writing. It’s a pretty thick book, clocking in at over 400 pages, but because of the pace and narrative structure, it certainly doesn’t feel long. The story is told in first person by various narrators that include both the present day with a washed-up true crime writer and his young daughter, and the past, following a cult victim’s downward spiral.
If you’re looking for a plot synopsis (generally I avoid these—any old monkey can tell you what a book is about, but personally I think that’s what reading is for…) just think of the movie SINISTER mixed with Adam Nevill’s amazing book, [b:Last Days|15793201|Last Days|Adam Nevill|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344319467s/15793201.jpg|19267664]. Of course, this book is so much more than that, but I won’t say more. And if you haven’t read Nevill, you should go check him out too! I think he and Ahlborn are very similar in how they are writing true supernatural horror—none of that “thriller” marketing crap—for a modern age in a way that few other authors have attempted, let alone succeeded with.
I was definitely a little wary of this book because cults are becoming as passé as zombies—it just seems that no one has anything new or interesting to say about them. Check out Ti West’s recent dismal attempt THE SACRAMENT if you don’t believe me. Boy, was I wrong, though. While Ahlborn’s plot centers around a cult and the deaths of its followers, the book itself is definitely more about the people than the cult itself. Even more impressive, the enigmatic cult leader (a cliché if ever there was one) has very limited appearances in the book—we almost exclusively hear about him second hand from other characters’ perspectives. Ahlborn doesn’t over-explain, she lets the readers come to their own conclusions, and then she shatters them.
Beautiful, beastly, and brilliant, this book is a reason to keep pursuing horror.