“CV, I thought, and felta thrill of fear, the backwash of my desperation to have such a thing, to leave childhood and dependence behind me, to enter the world.”

Genre: General Fiction

Rate: 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Granta

Publication Date: 20th September, 2018.

Goodreads Synopsis

Teenage Silvie is living in a remote Northumberland camp as an exercise in experimental archaeology. Her father is an abusive man, obsessed with recreating the discomfort, brutality and harshness of Iron Age life. Behind and ahead of Silvie’s narrative is the story of a bog girl, a sacrifice, a woman killed by those closest to her, and as the hot summer builds to a terrifying climax, Silvie and the Bog girl are in ever more terrifying proximity.

My Take

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book from the publisher, all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Ghost Wall releases tomorrow and I thought right now is a good time to let you in on what I thought about the book. I have confusing thoughts about the book and this comes from the fact that I really enjoyed the book, but at the same time there are parts that I really disliked.

What I Liked: Brilliant shocking moments!!! Let me tell you, this is my first Sarah Moss book and she shines with her writing. I soaked up each sentence with so much expectation and I wasn’t disappointed. Each packed a punch that kept me at the edge of my seat. The story explores bits of the Iron Age and there’s gore and darkness that is described to the reader in a way that it just grips you, and wants you to know more. Dreading what will come next but also eager.

What I didn’t like: There seemed to be a hierarchy in characters that really put me off. Could be just me but… Silvie’s dad abusive nature, one that Silvie had to accommodate & even make excuses for to others. I get the Iron Age obsession but he takes it too far, even I was uncomfortable. I don’t think I have hated a character before as much as I did Bill.

“It was not that I didn’t understand why my father loved these places, this outdoor life. It was not that I thought houses were better.”

Ghost Wall is not a book I would say is for everyone, but if you dark, bordering horrific, we’ll written books, this is for you!