Published: 2016
Publisher: Harlequin TeenAuthor’s Website: http://www.amylukavics.com
On Goodreads
My Review on Goodreads
Setting
The book is set in a Victorian mansion in contemporary times. It is a great setup for a horror story: lots of space (dark halls, empty rooms, attics, repetitive wallpaper, fireplaces in the rooms), no neighbours (particularly isolated), and surrounded by woods. There is a hint of female madness, men trying to keep control, ghosts, disappearances, all the good stuff.
Essay prompt: Gothic tropes in literature - compare the classic Bran Stoker’s Dracula (1897) or any literary gothic horror (this whole list is available from Goodreads and has great suggestions) with The Women in the Walls (a “then vs now” comparison for gothic themes would be great).
However, I feel like this book could have been set 100 years ago, and it would have been more dynamic because of gender roles. But you can’t conveniently boot up the computer and Google your house LIKE YOU NEVER WOULD HAVE DONE THAT BEFORE.
Essay prompt: The Women in the Walls vs The Yellow Wallpaper or Jane Eyre and madness with gender (women’s power vs the infantilization of women).
Characters
Overall, the book did have some memorable characters. The further you go away from the protagonist, Lucy, the better the characters are developed.
To begin with, the book doesn’t take enough time to set up the characters and bonds before those characters begin to be plucked off. Why do I care if a character goes missing in the first few pages of the book? I feel like I am supposed to care, but I can’t. More time should have been given to conveying them to the reader.
The main character, Lucy, doesn’t have a consistent character. I know at 17 you are still figuring that out, but what are her hobbies, her fears, her hopes, her manner of speaking, etc.? She self-mutilates, but that really shouldn’t be the only thing we know about her. (Plus, please don’t think that someone who cuts is this simple and flat. People who genuinely start cutting do so for very complex reasons.) She’s entrenched in the Acosta’s legacy. She seems unreasonable to her father (even though, yes, a lot of what is going on needs to be questioned) and that’s the only consistencies I could find. She mostly lets the plot happen to her, which gets old.
Her father seems to have more of a defined character than Lucy. Margaret was an unlikable character, but she had more character than Lucy. Perhaps Lucy is a Mary Sue, which is an avatar for the author. The country club’s wives, their husbands, the new cook, the supernatural presence, all have more character than the main character.
Writing
When the author isn’t writing about something scary, the writing isn’t the best. The sentences could be tighter and clearer. I found as I was reading them, my brain was automatically correcting the sentences. However, I have read that her latest book, The Ravenous, is a much better example of good writing, and I look forward to reading it (I actually own all three of her currently published books already). I want to stress that when Lukavics does write the “scary” passages, they are genuinely unsettling. Because those passages are so engaging, the book was a quick read that didn’t make me want to skim.
Final Verdict
The main character’s lack of individuality and inability to move the plot herself is frustrating, it may turn off some readers. With the addition of the non-horror sections not being especially well-crafted, I can see this be disappointing to some readers. However, I do recommend it for its horror qualities. Plus, it is a fast, engaging read. If your library isn’t squeamish about horror, non-suicidal self-injury, and gore, I recommend this. This book can be very versatile for high school essays (if you’re a teacher who is adamant about pushing the classics, pair this book with a literary classic). I also think Lukavics is an author to watch, if the reviews for The Ravenous are to be believed (and I will be starting that book tomorrow). Overall, I enjoyed my time with this book and I will be keeping it on my shelf.
Essay prompt: Gothic tropes in literature - compare the classic Bran Stoker’s Dracula (1897) or any literary gothic horror (this whole list is available from Goodreads and has great suggestions) with The Women in the Walls (a “then vs now” comparison for gothic themes would be great).
However, I feel like this book could have been set 100 years ago, and it would have been more dynamic because of gender roles. But you can’t conveniently boot up the computer and Google your house LIKE YOU NEVER WOULD HAVE DONE THAT BEFORE.
Essay prompt: The Women in the Walls vs The Yellow Wallpaper or Jane Eyre and madness with gender (women’s power vs the infantilization of women).
Characters
Overall, the book did have some memorable characters. The further you go away from the protagonist, Lucy, the better the characters are developed.
To begin with, the book doesn’t take enough time to set up the characters and bonds before those characters begin to be plucked off. Why do I care if a character goes missing in the first few pages of the book? I feel like I am supposed to care, but I can’t. More time should have been given to conveying them to the reader.
The main character, Lucy, doesn’t have a consistent character. I know at 17 you are still figuring that out, but what are her hobbies, her fears, her hopes, her manner of speaking, etc.? She self-mutilates, but that really shouldn’t be the only thing we know about her. (Plus, please don’t think that someone who cuts is this simple and flat. People who genuinely start cutting do so for very complex reasons.) She’s entrenched in the Acosta’s legacy. She seems unreasonable to her father (even though, yes, a lot of what is going on needs to be questioned) and that’s the only consistencies I could find. She mostly lets the plot happen to her, which gets old.
Her father seems to have more of a defined character than Lucy. Margaret was an unlikable character, but she had more character than Lucy. Perhaps Lucy is a Mary Sue, which is an avatar for the author. The country club’s wives, their husbands, the new cook, the supernatural presence, all have more character than the main character.
Writing
When the author isn’t writing about something scary, the writing isn’t the best. The sentences could be tighter and clearer. I found as I was reading them, my brain was automatically correcting the sentences. However, I have read that her latest book, The Ravenous, is a much better example of good writing, and I look forward to reading it (I actually own all three of her currently published books already). I want to stress that when Lukavics does write the “scary” passages, they are genuinely unsettling. Because those passages are so engaging, the book was a quick read that didn’t make me want to skim.
Final Verdict
The main character’s lack of individuality and inability to move the plot herself is frustrating, it may turn off some readers. With the addition of the non-horror sections not being especially well-crafted, I can see this be disappointing to some readers. However, I do recommend it for its horror qualities. Plus, it is a fast, engaging read. If your library isn’t squeamish about horror, non-suicidal self-injury, and gore, I recommend this. This book can be very versatile for high school essays (if you’re a teacher who is adamant about pushing the classics, pair this book with a literary classic). I also think Lukavics is an author to watch, if the reviews for The Ravenous are to be believed (and I will be starting that book tomorrow). Overall, I enjoyed my time with this book and I will be keeping it on my shelf.
