I was hooked from the start with this book. It’s succinct and the author gets straight into the story.

Lilian Jones is feeling nervous about starting at her new boarding school called Shadowhall Academy. I like how Lilian stands up for herself when she meets a mean girl she has to share her dormitory with. However, the girl Serena, isn’t as bad as she first seems. During their first night at the Academy Lillian is woken up by Angela, another new girl. She’s terrified because of knocking through the walls. Somebody or something is in the wall. This prompts Lilian to start her exciting investigation and she discovers that many years ago a girl died in the wall and rumours of the ghost haunting the school are well known around the academy.

‘Shadowhall Academy’ is a captivating novel suitable for fans of Jennifer Killick and Katherine Arden. Phil Hickes is a very talented writer at keeping the reader engaged. Children may well identify with having to move schools, and/or meeting new people. I liked how the girls formed a tight-knit group of friends and looked out for each other. Each girl was facing their own troubles and having friends to talk through their problems helped. Some parts were a bit scary but overall the level of scariness is perfect for KS2 pupils. And the best bit is that this book is the first in a series. I can’t wait to read the other books!

Phil Hickes is also the author of the Aveline Jones series, another spooky series popular with children.