The Walls Around Us

This book is utterly unique. While not a traditional paranormal thriller per se, Suma weaves together two distinct stories that come together in a jaw-dropping conclusion.

I’m a sucker for books with dancers as main characters, so the dance-infused narrative was all the more satisfying. Add in beautiful prose, a spooky prison, and a little competition between ballerina friends, and you’ve got a winner. No wonder I’ve read this book three times. 

I loved this delightfully creepy story about a sociopathic ballerina, Violet, and her naïve friend, Ori.

One of the challenges in writing my own book was capturing the voice of a villain convinced of his own adorable innocence, and so I was enthralled by the way Suma channeled Violet’s poisonous smugness, even as she descends into a realm of terrible hauntings. I was also intrigued by a twist on standard ghost lore: Suma’s ghosts aren’t just interested in individual revenge. Instead, they get organized.