Critical Praise

“Quite moving…intriguing and provocative.” 

—Kirkus Reviews

“Reeled out with the chilling calmness of a Hitchcock film, ABOVE haunts as it illuminates. Deftly told, this tale of human resilience in the face of madness is a horror classic for our times.” 

—Lynn Cullen, bestselling author of MRS. POE

“The isolation and darkness wrap you like wild vines and force you to face the nightmare, but ABOVE plunges you forward and drives toward hope, because sometimes that's all that remains. This is a novel that challenges you to believe.” 

—Michael Farris Smith, author of RIVERS

“Morley scores with an audacious page-turner. In a series of gripping twists, Morley elevates the complexities of Blythe and Adam’s situation, deepening the themes of survival and dependence…a stellar and surprising ride.” 

—Publishers Weekly

“A riveting, heartstopping tale of determination, love and hope for the future.” 

—Fiction Addiction

“Morley’s writing is magnetic, instantly attaching the reader to the story. We see, we feel and we cringe at the victim’s circumstances.” 

—New York Journal of Books

“Compelling…haunting…a true page-turner. Half abduction story, half dystopian fiction, this novel will appeal to fans of both.” 

—Library Journal

“Morley crafts a menacingly sinister tale of imprisonment and eerily inventive story of survival that will appeal to fans of riveting psychological suspense and cut throat dystopian fiction.” 

—Booklist

“Both terrifying and shocking, and practically guaranteed to put a sense of dread in your stomach…Too real for comfort…Morley keeps us guessing the whole time, turning page after page as we wonder right alongside Blythe if she is ever getting back to the world she knew…Gripping, chilling.” 

—Bustle

“What do you get when you mix the claustrophobia of ROOM with the psychological suspense of BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP and a dash of THE ROAD? Perhaps something that approximates Isla Morley’s suspenseful second novel.” 

—Bookpage

“Combine the terror of Emma Donoghue's ROOM with the drama of THE HUNGER GAMES and you'll get a rough idea of how gripping ABOVE is. Can someone make a film adaptation please?” 

—Cosmopolitan UK