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Don't Look at the Window
Not yet published
Expected 1 Jun 26Emiko is seventeen and new to Chicago. She moved from Japan with her dad. She doesn’t know anyone.
On her first night, she sees a man standing in a dark window in the building across the street.
He doesn’t move.
He doesn’t blink.
He waves.
Then Tess shows up. She hooks her arm through Emiko’s on day one and never lets go.
But Tess has secrets.
The man in the window has patience.
And the building he lives in has a floor that no elevator will take you to.
Girls have gone missing in this neighborhood before. Nobody looked for them.
Nobody is going to look for Emiko either.
Don’t Look at the Window is a supernatural horror novella about dangerous friendships, missing girls, and a building with a hunger that never stops. Horror that follows you to the kitchen table.
For readers who loved:
White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson
She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
On her first night, she sees a man standing in a dark window in the building across the street.
He doesn’t move.
He doesn’t blink.
He waves.
Then Tess shows up. She hooks her arm through Emiko’s on day one and never lets go.
But Tess has secrets.
The man in the window has patience.
And the building he lives in has a floor that no elevator will take you to.
Girls have gone missing in this neighborhood before. Nobody looked for them.
Nobody is going to look for Emiko either.
Don’t Look at the Window is a supernatural horror novella about dangerous friendships, missing girls, and a building with a hunger that never stops. Horror that follows you to the kitchen table.
For readers who loved:
White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson
She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
105 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 22, 2026
ARC REVIEW
“Every window tells the same lie: it says there is a safe side."
Emiko is moving to America for a fresh start. She meets Tess on the first day of school, and they become inseparable. Emiko starts noticing strange things that make her question whether Tess is real or not.
She also keeps seeing dead girls and a man in the window of the abandoned apartment building. She thinks she may be crazy.
As the story unfolds, a lot of creepy things happen, but I can’t tell you because I will spoil the book. But I must end this review with a warning: don’t eat anything the man serves!
Thanks to Book Sirens for sending me an advanced copy to read and review!
“Every window tells the same lie: it says there is a safe side."
Emiko is moving to America for a fresh start. She meets Tess on the first day of school, and they become inseparable. Emiko starts noticing strange things that make her question whether Tess is real or not.
She also keeps seeing dead girls and a man in the window of the abandoned apartment building. She thinks she may be crazy.
As the story unfolds, a lot of creepy things happen, but I can’t tell you because I will spoil the book. But I must end this review with a warning: don’t eat anything the man serves!
Thanks to Book Sirens for sending me an advanced copy to read and review!
May 17, 2026
This book freaked me out a bit—and I say that as someone who doesn’t normally read horror. Definitely heed the trigger warnings because some scenes are intense and unsettling. That said, the author did an incredible job creating such an immersive and chilling atmosphere.
The writing was strong, the pacing flowed effortlessly, and I was completely gripped from the very first chapter. Creepy, suspenseful, and incredibly well done, this was a haunting read that stayed with me long after I finished it. If you enjoy horror with strong storytelling and plenty of tension, this book is absolutely worth picking up.
The writing was strong, the pacing flowed effortlessly, and I was completely gripped from the very first chapter. Creepy, suspenseful, and incredibly well done, this was a haunting read that stayed with me long after I finished it. If you enjoy horror with strong storytelling and plenty of tension, this book is absolutely worth picking up.
Review of advance copy
Don't Look at the Window, " by Winter Ashwood, started an eerie feeling in my bones that lasted throughout the entire novella. From the beginning, the dark overtones alerted me that this would be a horror story. Mundane descriptions of life were colored in a way that kept me on edge. When her father was transferred from Japan to America for work, Emiko thought she would be living an adventure. And when she met Tess on the first day of school, they became best friends. But Emiko has secrets, and so does Tess.
Emiko keeps seeing a shadowy man watching her from the apartment across the street. Then come the debilitating nightmares, as the secrets unravel and threaten her life. I read the novella in one day, and it left me feeling creeped out, in a good way.
Although the MC is 17, the themes in the novella are deeply expressed, such as grief, mental illness and murder. I gave the book 4 stars for the creep factor alone.
Emiko keeps seeing a shadowy man watching her from the apartment across the street. Then come the debilitating nightmares, as the secrets unravel and threaten her life. I read the novella in one day, and it left me feeling creeped out, in a good way.
Although the MC is 17, the themes in the novella are deeply expressed, such as grief, mental illness and murder. I gave the book 4 stars for the creep factor alone.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I finished this novella at an hour I am not proud of and literally just sat in the dark for a while before I could move on with my life.
The story follows 17-year-old Emiko, who moves from Osaka to Chicago and spots a figure in the condemned building across the street. Too tall. Too still. Just watching. The horror here isn't cheap jump scares it’s just this heavy, slow dread that makes it hard to breathe.
But underneath the scares, it's actually a really beautiful, devastating book about grief. The twist with Tess is easily one of the best reveals I’ve read in a long time. All the clues are right there in plain sight, but they're buried so naturally in moments of genuine warmth that you don’t see it coming until it hits you.
The writing is so sharp, and the ending is quiet, heartbreaking, and exactly right. The angry tofu, still furious. I am seriously not okay.
Read this with the lights on. Then read it again in the dark to see what you missed.
The story follows 17-year-old Emiko, who moves from Osaka to Chicago and spots a figure in the condemned building across the street. Too tall. Too still. Just watching. The horror here isn't cheap jump scares it’s just this heavy, slow dread that makes it hard to breathe.
But underneath the scares, it's actually a really beautiful, devastating book about grief. The twist with Tess is easily one of the best reveals I’ve read in a long time. All the clues are right there in plain sight, but they're buried so naturally in moments of genuine warmth that you don’t see it coming until it hits you.
The writing is so sharp, and the ending is quiet, heartbreaking, and exactly right. The angry tofu, still furious. I am seriously not okay.
Read this with the lights on. Then read it again in the dark to see what you missed.
Review of advance copy
4☆
Emiko is 17 years old when she relocates to Chicago from Osaka. She is filled with anxiety, more than the typical "moving to a new place" anxiety. Emiko's past is sneaking up on her at the same time a mysterious dark man shadows her.
Enter Tess. Tess is the one bright spot in Emiko's life; her new best friend. Tessa has dark secrets of her own and when Emiko, the dark man and Tess end up together everything becomes too horrible.
I received an advance review copy for free through Booksirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Themes of grief, child abduction, torture, cannibalism and mental health. Sometimes the horrors are all too real.
Favorite Quote:
"The expression of someone who has been worried and is now angry about having been worried, because anger is easier to carry."
Emiko is 17 years old when she relocates to Chicago from Osaka. She is filled with anxiety, more than the typical "moving to a new place" anxiety. Emiko's past is sneaking up on her at the same time a mysterious dark man shadows her.
Enter Tess. Tess is the one bright spot in Emiko's life; her new best friend. Tessa has dark secrets of her own and when Emiko, the dark man and Tess end up together everything becomes too horrible.
I received an advance review copy for free through Booksirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Themes of grief, child abduction, torture, cannibalism and mental health. Sometimes the horrors are all too real.
Favorite Quote:
"The expression of someone who has been worried and is now angry about having been worried, because anger is easier to carry."
Review of advance copy received from Author
First off, I was really pleased with the very thorough content advisory in this book.
This story moves fast, by Chapter 3 I was completely hooked and I finished the whole thing in just a couple hours. It is incredibly dark, but we were warned about that. The characters are believable and engaging. Emiko is incredibly relatable and I enjoyed watching her learn what was actually happening around her and figure out how to handle it.
If you like supernatural horror, teenage girls fighting back against the darkness and very expressive writing, this story is absolutely for you.
This story moves fast, by Chapter 3 I was completely hooked and I finished the whole thing in just a couple hours. It is incredibly dark, but we were warned about that. The characters are believable and engaging. Emiko is incredibly relatable and I enjoyed watching her learn what was actually happening around her and figure out how to handle it.
If you like supernatural horror, teenage girls fighting back against the darkness and very expressive writing, this story is absolutely for you.
May 21, 2026
Thank you to Winter Ashwood for the eARC of this perfectly paced novella!
Emiko moves to Chicago with her dad, and finds herself as the new kid that no one wants to talk to... except Tess. But Emiko can't get over the shadows she keeps seeing in the apartment across the street, or why people stare at her and Tess at school.
Perfectly creepy, dark, and haunting, Don't Look at the Window will hold your attention until the very end. Looking forward to reading more from this author!
Emiko moves to Chicago with her dad, and finds herself as the new kid that no one wants to talk to... except Tess. But Emiko can't get over the shadows she keeps seeing in the apartment across the street, or why people stare at her and Tess at school.
Perfectly creepy, dark, and haunting, Don't Look at the Window will hold your attention until the very end. Looking forward to reading more from this author!
May 22, 2026
Overall, this was an enjoyable read.
I did find Tess to be predictable, but it really didn’t take away from the story for me.
This book was quick, creepy, and had a great ending.
Also, thank you thank you for the ARC❤️❤️❤️
I did find Tess to be predictable, but it really didn’t take away from the story for me.
This book was quick, creepy, and had a great ending.
Also, thank you thank you for the ARC❤️❤️❤️
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews