“A riveting, astonishing, and flat-out gorgeous debut.”-- Nina de Gramont, author of The Christie Affair A suspenseful coming-of-age novel about an orphan hiding within the walls of her former family home—and about what it means to be truly seen after becoming lost in life Elise knows every inch of the house. She knows which boards will creak. She knows where the gaps are in the walls. She knows which parts can take her in, hide her away. It’s home, after all. The home her parents made for her, before they were taken from her in a car crash. And home is where you stay, no matter what. Eddie is a teenager trying to forget about the girl he sometimes sees out of the corner of his eye. But when his hotheaded older brother senses her, too, they are faced with a question: how do they get rid of someone they aren’t sure even exists? And if they cast her out, what other threats might they invite in? "Gnuse's debut is bold and compelling, subtle and sublime, with writing so good that you're torn between racing ahead and lingering. I found myself holding my breath and never wanting to leave, despite the darkness. A uniquely gothic tale about grief, belonging and hiding in plain sight." - Jess Kidd, author of Mr. Flood's Last Resort “Gnuse is a writer of vision, who builds up his novel like the most exquisite music box.  It plays out perfectly, and will leave you entranced long after its covers are closed.” - Ali Shaw, author of The Trees “Clear your calendar. Once you start reading Girl in the Walls , you won’t want to do anything else. Read it first for the thrill ride. Then read it a second time, slowly, to savor language that drips and swells with the terrifying beauty of a Gulf Coast hurricane. A riveting, astonishing, and flat-out gorgeous debut.” - Nina de Gramont, author of The Christie Affair “Ever been deep underwater, holding your breath, wondering if you will make it to the surface? OK. Remember that famous scene in the movie, 'Wait Until Dark?' Remember that feeling while reading 'The Tell-Tale Heart?' Remember the evil character in the movie, 'No Country For Old Men?' Remember the most terrifying nightmare you’ve ever had? OK, so now: Here’s your book, Girl in the Walls, by Adam Gnuse. It’s really scary, and literary to boot, going way down deep, and way up high. Gnuse’s first novel says that he is the real thing, out of the gate.” - Clyde Edgerton, author of The Night Train and Killer Diller “Ever been deep underwater, holding your breath, wondering if you will make it to the surface? OK. Remember that famous scene in the movie, 'Wait Until Dark?' Remember that feeling while reading 'The Tell-Tale Heart?' Remember the evil character in the movie, 'No Country For Old Men?' Remember the most terrifying nightmare you’ve ever had? OK, so now: Here’s your book, Girl in the Walls, by Adam Gnuse. It’s really scary, and literary to boot, going way down deep, and way up high. Gnuse’s first novel says that he is the real thing, out of the gate. May the race be long, with many more novels. But he will be hard-pressed to out-do Girl in the Walls.” - Clyde Edgerton, author of The Night Train and Killer Diller " Girl in the Walls is as much about willful Elise, who haunts her childhood home after losing her parents, as it is about the two boys who are afraid of her. Gnuse deftly explores the challenge of boyhood, the cost of appearing brave—of 'manning up.'" - Maria Reva, author of Good Citizens Need Not Fear “Girl in the Walls  poses the question — how well do we  really  know where we live? . . . Gnuse tugs the seemingly insignificant into the spotlight and holds it there. He makes the forgotten and easily brushed away threads of the story crystal clear, while entwining a narrative of growing up and learning to live with, while not clinging to, trauma. It is a story focused on the psychological without prescribing itself as such; it entertains while providing a mirror to analyze the fears that make us leave our lights on just a little bit longer each night.” - Southern Review of Books “A young girl hides in her childhood home in Gnuse’s disquieting debut. . . . Gnuse builds a good deal of tension as the story reaches its climax, involving a dangerous Jonah and even more dangerous hurricane. . . . Vivid.”  - Publishers Weekly “The novel begins as an eerie meditation on grief, family dysfunction and things that go bump in the night. But about halfway through, Gnuse’s masterfully crafted slow burn ignites into a hair-raising thriller that is as unnerving as it is unexpected.” - Atlanta Journal-Constitution " Girl in the Walls  meets the test as literary fiction. (Some people might be reminded of Donna Tartt's The Little Friend. ) Yet it also works as a solid commercial thriller." - Starnews “Tense and terrifying, with echoes of Shirley Jackson, Girl in the Walls is a spectacular debut. An elegant meditation on grief, love, and family, this truly extraordinary novel is a page-turner with d