Some walls keep the world out. Others keep the pain in.
Louis Stan knows how to disappear. Into silence. Into routine. Into the thin walls of an apartment building that remembers everything he’s trying to forget. After the death of his aunt, the world keeps moving without him, and Louis learns that surviving is quieter than living. Much harder, too.
With his future more unstable than ever, Louis is forced to confront the truth he’s been avoiding: healing isn’t linear, love doesn’t fix what’s broken, and numbness is its own addiction. Every step forward does pose a threat—but standing still may well be worse.
Louis will have to choose what to carry forward—and what to leave behind.
Within These Walls is a contemporary YA novel that blends grief, first love, found family, and surviving the aftermath of loss. With high school pressures, family responsibilities, and unspoken trauma, this character-driven story is perfect for readers who love realistic YA fiction, LGBTQ+ coming-of-age stories, and introspective novels about learning how to exist when everything familiar has fallen apart.
