The Building That Wasn't

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Description

"Tantalizing and surreal . . ." -Publishers Weekly

". . . sure to twist your mind in a million different ways." -Book Riot

This story only ever has one ending.

When Everly Tertium encounters a strange man in the park claiming to be her grandfather, she is invited to visit a mysterious apartment building. There, she finds herself in a constant state of dej vu, impossibly certain that she's already lived through these moments, already been introduced to these people, and already visited all of these rooms and floors. So why does she have no idea what's happening to her

The longer she stays in the building, the more Everly becomes convinced there is more going on than meets the eye. Something is off, time seems to pass differently, and the people living there seem trapped. Slowly, Everly begins to wonder if she is trapped too. But would she even want to leave, if she could

For readers who enjoy Vicious by V. E. Schwab, This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, and The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart.

Reviews

"The Building That Wasn't is many things: a fable about belonging and curiosity, an exploration of an endlessly fascinating building, and a twisty sci-fi debut that leads readers through ever more mysterious doorways. Just like Everly Tertium, readers will find themselves torn between their desperation to know what happens next and the awareness that danger hides around every corner. Abigail Miles has created a novel that feels like the most engrossing dream." --Sara Flannery Murphy, author of Girl One and The Wonder State

"[T]antalizing and surreal . . . Miles takes her time teasing out the building's bizarre powers, while the intrigue surrounding the origins of its otherworldly residents keeps the pages turning. This genre-bending mystery satisfies." --Publishers Weekly

"Reminiscent of the mindbenders by Lauren Beukes, The Building That Wasn't now lives rent-free in my head, no broker fees, first and last deposit down." --Clay McLeod Chapman, author of What Kind of Mother and Ghost Eaters

"This audio will have wide appeal for genre readers in horror, mystery, and thriller. Themes of cosmic horror and the pulpy approach make it a good listen-alike for Lovecraft County." --Booklist, audio review

"This horror novel is one that is sure to twist your mind in a million different ways." --Book Riot

Author Bio

Abigail Miles decided to dedicate her life to stories from a young age, leading first to majoring in creative writing in college and now to spending far too much of her time attached to her computer, composing stories and books. Abigail currently lives in Boston, where all her time (or very nearly all her time) is spent in some combination of writing books, reading books, baking, eating said baked goods, making tea to go along with said baked goods, drinking said tea while eating said baked goods and writing and/or reading said books. Sometimes she does actual work, too.

In 2021, she was part of a Tin House Workshop and has had short fiction published through various platforms, including Cold Mountain Review, Strange Fictions, Bending Genres, The Quiet Ones, Marathon Lit Review, and Bookends Review. The Building That Wasn't is her first novel.