The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab

Release Date: December 18, 2012
Publisher: Merit Press
Pages: 256
Series: n/a
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
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.

My Thoughts:
'The Girl in the Wall' was an intriguing and well-thought out book. I really enjoyed how it brought a lot of story aspects together seamlessly. The first aspect is friendship between the two main female characters. They had a falling out before the book begins, and as you read on you’re trying to figure out exactly what happened and who was to blame. Reading from both points of view made it interesting, especially with such antagonism between the two girls. I definitely identified more with Sera, but I still empathized with Ariel to a point.

There was also an action aspect almost right from the beginning. There are scenes that are startling and actually hard to read about at times. As much as these parts were difficult I liked that they were included. There were real consequences in the book, which you would expect from a real hostage situation with gunmen. It wasn't happily ever after for everyone, and I commend the author for including those tough scenes.

On the other end of the spectrum there was a little bit of a romantic aspect, though not what I would consider an actual romance. It was more like 2 couples connecting as they worked together to try and stop the horrible situation that was occurring. I especially loved the dynamic between Sera and Hudson, and, without getting too spoilery, I loved where these two ended up.

Overall this was a pretty thrilling story that had a bit of a mystery along with the constant element of surprise and danger. Definitely recommended if you’re looking for a quick read which will throw you into a dangerous situation where a happy ending isn’t ever guaranteed.

The Cover:
Not a favourite, but I do like it.

Rating:
[Strong 3/5]

Find The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.