Review: Shadowhall Academy: The Whispering Walls

Shadowhall Academy:  The Whispering Walls is the start of a superbly spooky, spine-tingling boarding-school mystery series that held me utterly entranced throughout.

Lilan Jones is saying goodbye to her old life and starting a new one as a boarder at Shadowhall Academy.  As she arrives through the wrought iron-gated entrance to the impressive, turreted building, she is understandably feeling nervous about settling in and making friends.

When Lilian is woken in the night, she hears a faint tapping noise coming from the wall, and learns that some believe that the Academy is haunted, but surely, they are just trying to scare her.  Ghosts don’t exist, do they?

And so begins a dark and chilling mystery as strange things start occurring – whispers in the walls, stories of students who have disappeared, and unusual sightings and findings.  As Lilian begins to find out more about the history of Shadowhall, she discovers that the stories of ghosts are true.  Could her new friends be in danger?  Can she unearth the dangerous secrets of Shadowhall Academy before it is too late?

I absolutely loved this story which blends boarding school adventure with a ghostly mystery just perfectly.  The autumnal setting of a gloomy, dark and cold boarding school surrounded by woods is brilliantly evoked and eerily atmospheric.  I really enjoyed the everyday details of life in the boarding school from the inedible food, the reliance on a hidden stash of biscuits, the wonderful library and the rather eccentric teachers.  I thought it was a perfect setting for the ghostly mystery that unfolds …  Oh, and I loved the eighties references!

The build-up of tension, the sense of foreboding and the jumpy moments had me on the edge of my seat, needing an emergency supply of biscuits to nibble on or my nails would have been in danger!  I don’t want to say too much about the unravelling of the mystery for fear of spoilers, but suffice to say there are some brilliant twists and revelations as truths are uncovered, there are some moments that will bring gasps, and there are some deliciously scary occurrences, all of which make this an unputdownable page-turner. 

I really liked the camaraderie that develops between Lilian, Serena, Marian and Angela, who have quite different personalities.  They are brought closer not only because they are sharing a dormitory, but because they find themselves in danger and needing to work together to protect each other.  I liked how supportive they are of each other and their determination and courage in unravelling a mystery that has haunted the school for many years.

A shiveringly superb spooky mystery, guaranteed to bring chills of delight and fright, and best read with a biscuit to nibble on – preferably a custard cream!  Perfect for adventurous young readers of 9+.

Thank you to Usborne Publishing for providing me with a proof copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is not released until 1^st February next year but, if you are looking for a brilliantly spooky series to enjoy while you wait, I can highly recommend checking out the author’s Aveline Jones series.