Something in the Walls Summary, Characters and Themes
Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce is a psychological and supernatural thriller set in a small Cornish town haunted by folklore, grief, and an unexplained presence.
The novel follows Mina, a grief-stricken woman and former child psychologist, who is drawn into the eerie case of a young girl named Alice experiencing terrifying phenomena in her home. Blending folklore, trauma, and psychological suspense, the story explores how pain—both emotional and ancestral—can echo through generations and physical spaces. As Mina digs deeper, she must confront not only the haunting at hand but also the ghosts of her own past.
Summary
Mina, grappling with the death of her brother Eddie, stumbles upon a strange photograph that seems to show him standing behind her.
This disturbing image reignites her grief and sets her on a path away from her routine life with her skeptical fiancé, Oscar. In her bereavement group, she meets Sam, a journalist mourning his daughter.
Their shared losses bond them, and soon Sam draws Mina into a chilling investigation involving a teenage girl named Alice in a remote Cornish town called Banathel.
Alice, they learn, is plagued by increasingly disturbing symptoms—hallucinations, physical manifestations like vomiting hair and pins, and a growing conviction that something sinister resides in the walls of her home. Her mother Lisa is desperate for answers, while her father Paul is skeptical but clearly unraveling.
As Mina and Sam arrive in Banathel, they’re met with a community steeped in superstition and morbid curiosity. The house itself seems to harbor secrets: strange noises, shadowy movements, and a suffocating atmosphere of dread.
Mina approaches the situation clinically at first, suspecting trauma or a psychological condition. But the mounting evidence—including chilling audio recordings and Alice’s haunting drawings—starts to blur the lines between psychological and supernatural.
Local legends speak of Agnes Frye, a woman accused of witchcraft in the 1700s who was allegedly entombed in the walls of the Webber home. As Alice becomes more unstable and family members begin to experience their own eerie events, Mina is forced to reconsider her skepticism.
The situation escalates: Alice sleepwalks, speaks in tongues, and seems possessed by something ancient and malevolent.
Tensions rise in the house, and even Sam, a hardened journalist, is physically attacked by an unseen force. As the haunting intensifies, Mina begins seeing things herself—distorted faces, whispered voices, and a presence that seems aware of her. The voices on tape begin calling her name.
Oscar returns twice to try to pull Mina away, but she refuses, sensing a responsibility both to Alice and to herself.
Her grief over Eddie, long unresolved, mirrors Alice’s suffering. Mina realizes that unprocessed trauma—especially when shared or ignored—can warp reality. She also comes to understand that belief, especially in the context of deep emotional pain, can shape perception and even events.
Desperate and fearing for Alice’s life, Mina and Sam perform a symbolic cleansing by burning Alice’s disturbing drawings and the charred remains found inside the fireplace—possibly remnants of Agnes Frye’s grim fate. The act brings a kind of catharsis.
Alice sleeps peacefully for the first time in weeks, and the house falls eerily silent. The paranormal frenzy dissipates, and the town’s interest wanes.
In the aftermath, Alice begins to heal. Lisa and Paul try to rebuild their family life. Sam prepares his article but leaves out the darkest truths, sensing they are not his to share.
Mina, transformed by the experience, chooses to write her own private account—not for fame, but to find personal closure. She ends her engagement with Oscar and visits Eddie’s grave one final time, this time to say goodbye. The haunting may be over, but its lessons linger—about grief, belief, and the walls we build within ourselves.
Characters
Mina
Mina is the central character of the story, whose journey revolves around her grief and her exploration of the supernatural. At the beginning of the book, she is struggling with the loss of her brother, Eddie, whose death has deeply affected her family and her psyche.
Throughout the first chapters, we see Mina attempting to cope with the trauma by attending support groups and seeking answers that might bring her closer to the memory of her brother. Her professional background in child psychology becomes crucial as she investigates Alice’s strange behavior, yet her emotional vulnerability often intersects with her logical reasoning.
This conflict between reason and emotion creates a layered character who is haunted by both grief and the possibility of the supernatural. As the story progresses, Mina evolves from a skeptical observer to someone who faces the paranormal head-on, becoming entangled in Alice’s strange world.
Her eventual reconciliation with her grief represents a major personal growth arc, where she learns to let go of her past and find peace.
Oscar
Oscar serves as Mina’s fiancé and represents a grounded, skeptical force in the story. He is concerned about Mina’s obsession with the case and believes her pursuit of answers, especially related to the supernatural, is an unhealthy way of dealing with her grief.
Oscar’s dismissal of Mina’s experiences creates tension in their relationship, revealing that his understanding of grief and trauma is far more practical and less emotionally complex than Mina’s. As the story develops, Oscar becomes more distant, symbolizing the emotional rift between him and Mina.
His disbelief in the supernatural and his practical view on life contrast sharply with Mina’s increasingly emotional and spiritual journey, and this discrepancy ultimately leads to their separation. Oscar is a symbol of skepticism and the everyday world, resisting the unexplainable forces that Mina becomes deeply involved with.
Alice
Alice is a central figure to the haunting and supernatural elements of the novel. A teenager suffering from disturbing hallucinations and physical symptoms, Alice becomes the focal point of the mysterious events occurring in Banathel.
Initially, her mental and physical state is difficult to comprehend, leading Mina to consider trauma or psychosis as possible causes. However, as the story unfolds, Alice’s condition and experiences become more extreme, pointing toward a possible supernatural force.
She becomes a victim of both her own psychological distress and the sinister entity in the walls. The recurring motif of “the woman” who is trapped within the walls suggests that Alice’s suffering may be tied to both her own inner turmoil and the unresolved, historical hauntings in the house.
Alice’s eventual collapse into a peaceful sleep after the ritual cleansing indicates a turning point in her recovery, symbolizing the potential for healing after confronting both internal and external demons.
Sam
Sam is a key ally to Mina in her investigation, bringing a blend of skepticism and journalistic curiosity. A grieving father, Sam’s past loss makes him empathetic to Mina’s emotional state and forms a bond between them.
He plays a crucial role in introducing the supernatural elements, first through the recordings and his research into the town’s history. Despite his skeptical background, Sam becomes increasingly convinced that something beyond the ordinary is happening in Banathel, especially as he witnesses the strange occurrences firsthand.
His development as a character mirrors Mina’s, as both struggle to reconcile the rational with the irrational. Sam’s emotional journey also involves his dealing with the death of his daughter, Maggie, which influences his perception of the events and his willingness to explore them further.
Though he is primarily a supporting character, his importance grows as he shares his experiences and insights into the supernatural, helping Mina understand the full scope of what they are dealing with.
Lisa
Lisa, Alice’s mother, is a character torn between her love for her daughter and her increasing fear of the strange events happening in their home. Her descent into confusion mirrors the deterioration of Alice’s condition, and she becomes another tragic victim of the house’s dark influence.
Initially, Lisa seems to hold onto her practicality, trying to manage her family’s daily life despite the overwhelming oddities. However, as the supernatural events intensify, Lisa’s mental state deteriorates, and she begins to experience symptoms similar to Alice’s—missing time, moving objects, and physical signs of the haunting.
Lisa’s breakdown represents the full manifestation of the terror that has gripped her family, as her belief in the rational world slips away. Her relationship with her daughter becomes strained, and she becomes desperate for answers, symbolizing the fear and desperation that accompany living in a haunted space.
Bert Roscow
Bert is a quirky and eccentric character who provides an interesting contrast to the more grounded characters in the story. As a local neighbor in Banathel, Bert is a source of local knowledge, particularly regarding the town’s long history with witchcraft and supernatural occurrences.
His warnings to Mina about the dangers of the phenomena are cryptic, but they carry a weight of old-world wisdom that Mina eventually comes to respect. Bert represents the traditional, rural worldview, steeped in superstition and folklore.
His role highlights the contrast between the modern, rational perspectives of Mina and Sam and the more mystical, ancient beliefs held by the townspeople. Bert’s character also adds to the ominous atmosphere of the novel, as his insights into the town’s history provide clues to the mystery of what is happening in the Webber house.
Paul
Paul, Alice’s father, is an emotionally repressed man who is overwhelmed by the escalating events in his home. Initially, he seems to dismiss the supernatural occurrences, but as the haunting intensifies, Paul becomes increasingly vulnerable.
His breakdown is one of the more poignant moments in the story, as he admits to seeing things himself and struggles to cope with the horrors plaguing his family. Paul’s character provides a different perspective on grief and fear, contrasting with Mina’s own experience.
His inability to help his daughter and his growing terror symbolize the helplessness that can arise when faced with forces beyond understanding or control. Like Lisa, Paul’s character undergoes a transformation as his reality crumbles, making him a key figure in the emotional weight of the story.
Themes
The Supernatural as a Metaphor for Grief and Trauma
In Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce, the supernatural events that unfold in the Webber household serve as a powerful metaphor for the psychological turmoil caused by grief and trauma. Mina, the protagonist, is driven by a deep sense of loss after the death of her brother, Eddie.
Her desire to reconnect with him manifests in the supernatural occurrences she witnesses and investigates, primarily in the form of Alice’s disturbing experiences. These phenomena, such as the voice in the walls and Alice’s erratic behavior, mirror Mina’s own unresolved grief and inability to let go of the past.
As she delves deeper into the case, the distinction between the supernatural and the psychological becomes increasingly blurred. This suggests that the supernatural may be a projection of the characters’ inner emotional states.
The story ultimately challenges the boundaries between reality and the emotional effects of trauma. It suggests that what appears to be supernatural may, in fact, be the manifestation of buried grief.
The Burden of Secrets and the Weight of History
Another key theme in Something in the Walls is the burden of historical secrets and the way they shape present-day lives. The town of Banathel is steeped in dark legends, particularly the tale of Agnes Frye, a woman accused of witchcraft and entombed within the walls of a house.
This historical tragedy is not only a source of local superstition but also seems to influence the supernatural events occurring in the Webber home. As Mina and Sam uncover the details of Agnes’s death, they come to realize that the house is haunted not just by a spirit but by the weight of a forgotten past.
The idea that “the walls remember everything” suggests that physical spaces can carry the emotional and historical residue of past events. The town’s collective memory of Agnes’s wrongful death continues to haunt its present inhabitants.
This theme touches on how the past, particularly hidden or suppressed trauma, has a profound impact on the present. It emphasizes how the reckoning with these histories is essential for healing.
The Psychological Unraveling of Perception and Reality
As the events in Something in the Walls unfold, a major theme emerges surrounding the collapse of reality and perception. Mina, a professional child psychologist, initially approaches Alice’s condition with skepticism, viewing it through the lens of clinical analysis.
However, as the phenomena escalate and she personally experiences the chilling events in the Webber home, her rational mind begins to falter. This psychological unraveling is mirrored in the experiences of other characters, particularly Alice, whose perception of reality becomes increasingly distorted.
The idea of a reality that is subjective and malleable is explored as characters’ understanding of what is happening around them shifts dramatically. This theme delves into the fragility of human perception and how emotional and psychological distress can warp one’s sense of the world.
The constant questioning of what is real versus imagined creates a tension that keeps the reader on edge. It highlights the vulnerability of the human mind when faced with unexplainable events.
The Strain of Relationships Under Stress and Belief Systems
The relationships between the characters are deeply tested throughout the novel, especially under the strain of supernatural events and conflicting belief systems. Mina’s relationship with her fiancé Oscar deteriorates as he grows increasingly concerned about her obsession with the Webber case and her apparent descent into delusion.
Oscar’s skepticism and his insistence on a rational explanation for everything clash with Mina’s growing belief that something supernatural is at play. Meanwhile, Sam’s professional skepticism also wavers as he witnesses increasingly disturbing events.
The tension between the characters highlights how personal beliefs and emotional wounds can strain relationships, especially when they are tested by extraordinary circumstances. The novel examines how people cope differently with trauma and the need for understanding and support, particularly when navigating the unknown or the unexplainable.
This theme also explores the impact of grief on relationships, as Mina’s fixation on Eddie clouds her ability to fully connect with others, especially with Oscar, who cannot understand her need to confront the supernatural to heal.
The Search for Truth and the Fear of the Unknown
A dominant theme in Something in the Walls is the search for truth, which is fraught with fear, uncertainty, and the unknown. The characters, particularly Mina and Sam, embark on a journey to uncover the truth behind the haunting in the Webber house.
This quest for answers brings them into direct confrontation with terrifying forces and challenges their understanding of reality. The fear of the unknown is ever-present, as the characters face not only the unsettling mystery of Alice’s condition but also the disturbing possibility that the supernatural may be real.
The fear is compounded by the town’s deeply ingrained superstitions and the eerie historical legend of Agnes Frye. Throughout the novel, the pursuit of truth becomes not only a search for external facts but also an internal reckoning with personal fears, beliefs, and unresolved trauma.
Ultimately, the novel suggests that the search for truth can be both a liberating and terrifying endeavor. It may lead to answers that are far more unsettling than the unknown.