The Girl in the Walls

Gr 4-6–Gr 4-6–“Neurospicy” V (don’t call her Valeria because that sounds too close to malaria) usually spends just a week at grandmother Jojo’s perfect house, where following Jojo’s stifling rules is never easy. This year, though, V’s trapped for the whole summer because Mom insists V needs “a change of scenery” after what happened at school. “You two are more alike/ than you might think,” Mom encourages. When V discovers a resident girl ghost, their otherworldly mischief is initially (sorta) harmless fun until long-hidden secrets emerge to threaten the (living) family’s safety. Fixx, who is also autistic, narrates Kuyatt’s novel-in-verse with empathic nuance, perceptively capturing the exhaustion of “masking.” Fixx embodies V’s struggles, her admiration for her vibrant cousin Cat, and her uncertainty as the ghost grows increasingly unpredictable. Jojo gets a higher, stiffer voice, while Cat is infused with vivid warmth.