Book Review: The Unseen by Ania Ahlborn

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The Unseen by Ania Ahlborn

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Horror

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Gallery Books (August 19, 2025)

Length: 384 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Horror enthusiasts, are you a fan of the “creepy kid” trope? If so, then The Unseen by Ania Ahlborn has got you covered. This is my fourth book by the author, and every time, I am left wanting to read more of her work. Simply put, she excels at blending domestic drama with supernatural suspense, and while this novel isn’t without some flaws, it nevertheless delivers on plenty of chills.

Set in an idyllic Colorado town already on edge from a string of missing child cases, the story follows Isla, a married mother of five who is still emotionally fragile from a miscarriage, the latest in a heartbreaking series of pregnancy losses. Despite having the large family that she’d always dreamed of, Isla still feels it is incomplete without a sixth child. In fact, the resulting depression had become so overwhelming and damaging to her mental health that temporary hospitalization had been required.

Now back at home recovering, Isla is outside one day when she spots a small, disheveled, and oddly proportioned boy stumbling around near the edge of the property. After coming to his rescue, she becomes instantly fixated. And when, a few months later, social services can’t locate any relatives, Isla convinces her husband Luke into fostering the boy. Naming him Rowan, they bring him into their home, despite Luke’s reservations and their children’s clear discomfort around the newcomer.

From the start, Rowan’s presence causes a ripple of unease around the house, driving the dogs into violent panic and making the other kids avoid him. However, this only makes Isla even more determined to make the new arrangement work. As her attention to Rowan becomes obsessive, more strange and frightening events begin to unfold, turning their home into a waking nightmare. Everyone can see that something is terribly wrong—everyone except Isla, who refuses or is somehow unable to recognize that Rowan may be at the center of it all.

The atmosphere was everything I would expect from Ahlborn, characterized by quiet moments heavy with dread and small gestures that feel slightly off. Not only is this novel unafraid to lean into the familiar horror tropes, it flat out embraces and capitalizes on them, tapping into the primal fears and uncertainties we all have as children. This is also combined with the anxieties of adulthood, especially parenthood, where the prospect of something being wrong with your child—or the way you raise your child—becomes an all-consuming worry that is as personal as it is supernatural.

That said, the multiple POV approach, while initially great for building tension, does eventually become a little repetitive and tiresome. For one thing, pretty much every one of Isla and Luke’s children have their own chapters, and through them we become aware of everything that’s strange about Rowan beyond his deformities and hair-raising behavior. As such, thanks to the kids, we’re repeatedly shown variations of the same realization: IT’S ROWAN! ROWAN IS THE ONE CAUSING ALL THE PROBLEMS! And yet, their concerns are dismissed time and time again, which stretches credulity given how quickly the scary incidents pile up. In particular, Luke comes across as a pushover, and it’s not long before readers start questioning how much a man can take before he finally fights back, especially when the safety and wellbeing of his children are on the line.

Still, even with these little hiccups, the story kept me fully engaged, making me excited to see just how far it was willing to push things. And push it does. It was impossible to look away during the final act, which is proof that Ania Ahlborn knows how to balance slow-burn dread with high stakes payoff. While opinions might be divided on the ending, I found it chilling and resonant, ultimately making The Unborn a memorable read that got under my skin and stayed there.