The Unseen Audiobook By Ania Ahlborn cover art

The Unseen

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection of titles.
Yours as long as you’re a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for $8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Unseen

By: Ania Ahlborn
Narrated by: Ferdelle Capistrano, Michael Crouch, Caitlin Davies, Erin deWard, Curtis Michael Holland, Alejandra Reynoso, Lillie Ricciardi
Try Standard free

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $22.49

Buy for $22.49

A terrifying new novel from bestselling #HorrorBookTok sensation Ania Ahlborn—the acclaimed author of the modern classic Brother.

Hailed as a writer of “some of the most promising horror I’ve encountered in years” (Seanan McGuire, author of the Ghost Roads series), Ania Ahlborn delivers a novel that pushes the boundaries of horror into a new realm.

Isla Hansen, a mother reeling from a devastating loss, is beside herself when a mysteriously orphaned child appears on the outskirts of the Hansens’ secluded Colorado property. Although strange and unexplainable, the child’s presence breathes new life into Isla. But as the child settles in, Isla’s husband, Luke, and their five children notice peculiarities that hint at something far beyond the ordinary—anomalies that challenge the very fabric of reality itself. The tension within the Hansen household grows, and with it, the sense that there is something very wrong with the new kid in the house.

The Unseen is a haunting tale that walks the line between the familiar and the unknown, drawing us into a chilling narrative where reality itself feels just out of reach. Family Life Genre Fiction Horror Scary Thriller & Suspense Exciting Suspense Domestic Thrillers

Critic reviews

'This chilling audiobook features an outstanding ensemble cast. When a mysterious boy wanders into Isla’s backyard from the woods, she’s desperate for him to join her large family despite his unsettling strangeness and disjointed body. Erin deWard voices Isla gently as she escapes her spiraling depression through her unwavering certainty that the boy will complete her family...Michael Crouch and Caitlin Davies excel as the eldest teenagers, taking care to emotionally connect with listeners without overdramatizing. Ferdelle Capistrano’s youthful voice for Sophie, the youngest child, is particularly heartrending, especially as her fear grows."
All stars
Most relevant
I can't stand the mother and father in this story. I almost DNF because of how unhinged they are, especially the mom. It was a hard one for me.

ok

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Book was very intense, a great storyride! Through the last coupla hours I began to wonder, 'happy ending' or 'sad' or 'ambivalent'. Just never know these days...awesome tho.

wondering when or if hubby would grow a pair, but it turned out not to matter

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Books about creepy or “off” kids always hinge on the parents, and nine times out of ten it’s the father who annoys me the most — clueless, stubborn, won’t admit something is wrong with his kid. This one… the dad is still clueless and a little spineless, but he tries. I’ll give him that. Honestly, all of this chaos could’ve been avoided if Isla (the mom) wasn’t so wrapped up in her own trauma. I get it — she and her cousin were abducted by aliens — but she still pissed me off. Half the time I felt like if the dad had just grown a spine and packed up the kids, Isla wouldn’t have cared anyway.

One thing I really liked: the kids’ POVs. Even the youngest gets a voice. I actually cared about all of them — even Gus, with his teenage brooding. But Olive and Sophie were the ones I rooted for the most. I knew how their story would probably end, but I still found myself hoping one of them would get a final girl moment.

This was my first Ania Alborn book, and I get why she’s popular now. I did try to read Brother on audio but that narration… no thank you. Even though I’m not really a sci-fi person, this book worked. It kept me on my toes, even with a few spoilers along the way.

Overall: solid, tense, and surprisingly emotional.

A change of pace(spoilers)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It wasn't a bad book. It just wasn't for me. Maybe I misread it misunderstood something while reading the book's synopsis before making my purchase. This is more of the sci-fi genre, not so much the psychological thriller genre. Although there is definitely some psychological impact throughout. If sci-fi is your cup of tea, you'll go this down easily.

Not for me.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I enjoyed this book more than I was expecting. Ahlborn’s description of Rowan is so vivid and unsettling. There were moments in the story where I felt genuine unease which doesn’t often happen to me with books. And I was NOT expecting the answer to be what it was!

Another amazing story by Ania Ahlborn

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews