The Walls Around Us
By Nova Ren Suma
By Nova Ren Suma
Published: March 25th, Algonquin Young Readers
From GoodReads: The Walls Around Us is a ghostly story of suspense told in two voices—one still living and one long dead. On the outside, there’s Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer days away from the life of her dreams when something threatens to expose the shocking truth of her achievement. On the inside, within the walls of a girls’ juvenile detention center, there’s Amber, locked up for so long she can’t imagine freedom. Tying these two worlds together is Orianna, who holds the key to unlocking all the girls’ darkest mysteries.
We hear Amber’s story and Violet’s, and through them Orianna’s, first from one angle, then from another, until gradually we begin to get the whole picture—which is not necessarily the one that either Amber or Violet wants us to see.
Thank you Edelweiss and Algonquin for the eARC!
My Thoughts:
I read The Walls Around Us in one sitting, and the whole time I thought about how much I missed a Nova Ren Suma book and how the wait for this one was so worth it.
The Walls Around Us splits how Amber and Violet know Ori, the infamous ballerina killer, accused of murdering two fellow dancers. Each girl reveals a fuller picture of Ori than a guilty verdict. What I loved most about this book was how it questioned regret, and asked, not was your biggest regret, but what was your earliest?
Nova did a great job showing a slice of prison life, and the complicated relationships within the juvenile correctional system. This isn't a book that places blame on a broken system or unloving parents, but instead asks the girls to look within themselves for the responsibility of their crimes.
**SPOILER** I do wish there was a little more grounding toward the end. I found the climax to be tense and suspenseful, but was confused as to how all the poisoning happened. Especially how Amber was poisoned. Did she eat the food she prepared? How did the poisonous flower get into the kitchen? If an entire wing was in solitary, how would everyone be poisoned at the same exact time? **SPOILER END**
Those who loved the sisterly relationship of Imaginary Girls and the ghostly voice of 17 & Gone, will love The Walls Around Us.
I read The Walls Around Us in one sitting, and the whole time I thought about how much I missed a Nova Ren Suma book and how the wait for this one was so worth it.
The Walls Around Us splits how Amber and Violet know Ori, the infamous ballerina killer, accused of murdering two fellow dancers. Each girl reveals a fuller picture of Ori than a guilty verdict. What I loved most about this book was how it questioned regret, and asked, not was your biggest regret, but what was your earliest?
Nova did a great job showing a slice of prison life, and the complicated relationships within the juvenile correctional system. This isn't a book that places blame on a broken system or unloving parents, but instead asks the girls to look within themselves for the responsibility of their crimes.
**SPOILER** I do wish there was a little more grounding toward the end. I found the climax to be tense and suspenseful, but was confused as to how all the poisoning happened. Especially how Amber was poisoned. Did she eat the food she prepared? How did the poisonous flower get into the kitchen? If an entire wing was in solitary, how would everyone be poisoned at the same exact time? **SPOILER END**
Those who loved the sisterly relationship of Imaginary Girls and the ghostly voice of 17 & Gone, will love The Walls Around Us.
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