Starred review from November 11, 2024
Teenage Page Whittaker thinks “it feels too romantic to be real” after she accepts a scholarship to attend prestigious Agathion College, a boarding school for “gifted” kids located on the Scottish moors, in this expertly crafted dark academia fantasy novel by Wilkinson (Deep Is the Fen). Obsessed with gothic literature, Page finds Agathion—with its tall spires, gargoyle statues, and student body fluent in Latin and Greek—to be an academic’s dream, especially after the nightmare that was her former school, where she was involved in a deadly incident. But the timing of her scholarship is suspicious, and Page starts to wonder if she—and all the other students with their troubled pasts—was brought here for a reason. Covert clubs, dangerous tests of wits, and a mystery shrouded in dark magic and strange and ancient secrets unfurl in this stunning foray whose skillful plotting is reminiscent of Donna Tart’s The Secret History. Painterly descriptions of a rainy gothic atmosphere punctuated by suspense, horror, and humor as experienced by a dynamic and intersectionally diverse found-family cast feel at once as classic as its inspirations, and as an invigorating reinvention of the genre. Ages 14–up. Agent: Katelyn Detweiler, Jill Grinberg Literary.
December 10, 2024
Lili Wilkinson’s latest young adult novel, Unhallowed Halls, is a dark academia fantasy about finding your inner strength and accepting who you are. After a tragic incident that ended her only friendship, Page Whittaker moves from sunny Florida to the grey, cold moorlands of Scotland to attend the exclusive Agathion College for troubled teens. She hopes this mysterious school will be a place where she can finally fit in and learn to control the emotions she believes have caused harm to others. Page soon realises that the school is built on the foundations of an ancient secret society tied to demonic magic, and even her new group of friends is hiding things from her. Wilkinson (Deep Is the Fen, Hunger of Thorns) has crafted such a vivid sensory and immersive experience that I was easily transported to Page’s world. Readers learn about her insecurities, fears and longing to belong. The author skilfully weaves Page’s journey of self-discovery into a tale of mounting tension, as she and her new friends must confront an evil threat—a layered narrative that keeps readers engaged in both Page’s growth and the supernatural stakes. A must-read for fans of magical realism, fantasy and stories with demons, Unhallowed Halls is a gripping, unputdownable read from start to finish. Recommended for readers who enjoy works by Leigh Bardugo or Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle series.