A ghost story in verse with a neurodivergent main character. Valeria (or V as she prefers to be called) is reluctantly spending the summer at Grandma Jojo’s house. With her collection of colorful socks and an interest in art, Jojo is not impressed and constantly criticizes V.

This relationship will surely lead V to have a miserable summer. But then she finds a ghostly girl hiding in the walls of Grandma’s old house. They seem to think alike in many ways. The ghost wants some help carrying out pranks to get back at Grandma for her relentless perfection and critical nature.

As secrets about who this ghost girl might be surface, it becomes much more dangerous. The truth is the only way of making things right with V and her family. It’s time to end the suffering several generations have endured from the traumatic ways of their upbringing.

Novels in verse are dependent on a strong connection with the main character. This is crafted perfectly here as V is a girl you truly care about and want others to understand her better. Messages young readers will gain from reading this novel are important ones: Hiding emotions and how words can damage self esteem or be uplifted by the simple act of empathy.

THE GIRL IN THE WALLS is a great discussion starter and a new shining star on the bookshelves.

PAGE COUNT: 288 BOOK BIRTHDAY: May 20, 2025

FIVE MORE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: THE GIRL IN THE WALLS by Meg Eden Kuyatt

1. I prefer the traditional way of reading a novel, but the verse format here actually worked and made it the right choice for readers.
2. The message of healing is one that will have you smiling by the last page.
3. The awareness that adults are often not perfect was embedded into the plot in memorable way.
4. Fitting in can be one of the toughest challenges for middle school students and this story will move them toward a different path of acceptance from classmates.
5. Creepy in parts, but it never overwhelms the purpose of this engaging tale.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Meg received her MFA in creative writing from the University of Maryland College Park. She teaches creative writing courses and has taught at a range of places, including Anne Arundel Community College, Southern New Hampshire University online, University of Maryland College Park, MTSU Write, Eckleburg Workshops, and The Writer’s Center in Bethesda since 2013.

She is the author of five poetry chapbooks, the novel Post-High School Reality Quest (2017), the 2021 Towson Prize for Literature winning poetry collection “Drowning in the Floating World” and children’s novels including a 2024 ALA Schneider Family Book Award Honor “Good Different,” and the forthcoming “The Girl in the Walls” (Scholastic, 2025). She is also a participating author with the PEN/Faulkner Writers in Schools program, and part of the Neurodiverse Kidlit Collective.

Besides being a writer, Meg has worked as an advertising manager, creative writing instructor, eBay seller, research assistant in linguistics and neuroscience, and publishing and marketing contact for a small press. She has served as the webinar coordinator for the SCBWI MD/DE/WV region, and ran the Magfest MAGES Library blog, which posts accessible academic articles about video games.

Meg Eden is a follower of Jesus, neurodivergent, an extroverted-introvert, and a complete nerd for all things Pokémon and Fire Emblem. She loves to hear about what people believe, what shows and games they love, and why. She lives with her husband and two cats, Chaos Theory (CT) and Hazel, also known as “Floaf” (the fluffy loaf).

She is represented by Lauren Spieller at Folio.

Find her online at http://www.megedenbooks.com or on Instagram (meden_author) or Twitter (@ConfusedNarwhal).

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