When I first saw the cover and read the blurb for Unhallowed Halls, the promise of “dark academia with demons” instantly hooked me. I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy, and the book delivered on its dark, Gothic tone and fast-paced opening.
The side characters, with their found-family dynamic, were a highlight, and I enjoyed following the FMC’s journey as she uncovered why she was admitted to the academy. The romance was sweet, though I wished for more chemistry and buildup between the FMC and her love interest.

While the pacing kept things engaging, it sometimes felt too rushed, making it hard to fully connect with the characters. The mystery started strong but lost momentum in the third act, with a reveal that lacked the shock factor I’d hoped for.

Overall, Unhallowed Halls is an intriguing, atmospheric read that fans of YA and dark academia will likely enjoy.

RATING: 3.75/5⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read this book.

This book gives the dark, mysterious, pompous boarding school to create the dark academia vibes. The main character comes off like every teenage girl who feels out of depth in their life and it comes off meh to me. The side characters are diverse and interesting but I kept losing interest in the interactions and the philosopher name dropping throughout the first half of the book. Its got a paranormal interesting take and mysterious plot but this book was not for me.

UNHALLOWED HALLS was an excellent paranormal thriller.

Page Whittaker is offered a scholarship to the mystery Agathion College in Scotland. This Florida girl has been looking for a new start after a disturbing incident that has left her with burn-scarred palms. Page has always been a loner. She's smarter and stranger than average teens and finds herself an outcast at whatever school she has attended and there have been lots of them. Every "incident" has resulted in her parents moving her to another school.

At first, Agathion College looks like just the place for her. She loves the atmosphere, the steaming cups of tea, and classes filled with intellectual debate. And it looks like she might finally be making friends. She finds herself in a group with Cyrus, Oak, Ren, Gideon and sometimes Lacey.

But everyone has a hidden agenda and has slotted Page into place to further it. Even her friends are keeping secrets from her. And then the weirdness begins... Cyrus "graduates" early and Page sees him taking part in a strange ritual.

She learns that her friends are part of a secret society who want to overthrow the school's Masters and stop the evil they have been perpetrating for centuries. But ancient evil isn't that easy to overcome, and all of the group will be tested to their limits before the thrilling finale.

I loved the complex worldbuilding complete with ancient goddesses and demons, and I loved the personalities of the members of Page's group. Page grows and changes a lot through the course of the story as she battles demons and finds love and friends.

This story mixes dark academia with fantasy using greek mythology, witchcraft and so much more. I thoroughly loved the queer and LGBTQIA+ representation included.

This story had so many layers and I liked our FMC even if I wish she had been a little more pushy with her questions at some points. This had some twists, betrayal, romance and found family elements that really brought the story together.

4.25 stars!

THOUGHTS

This book started so strong and then lost all that energy. I'm usually all for magic seeping into a story, so you know something's gone amiss when magic makes the book really take a sharp nosedive. But that's the case here. Or at least, that was my experience.


PROS
Mystical, Magical: Lili Wilkinson definitely nailed the vibe of these opening chapters, right from the start. The foggy highlands, the remote school built around a ring of standing stones, and the creepy feeling that there's something supernatural happening here: wonderful. Plus the casual relationship this book has to queerness is really nice. These characters can just exist, however they want, as whatever gender and with whatever magic they desire.

Serious Subject: In a book like this--a dark academia magic school book--I find either one or the other aspect is done well. Magic or academia: that's the choice. But this book doesn't make compromises. Though I've said the book takes a nosedive after the magic comes into the picture, that isn't the fault of the magic (the faults will be listed below). No, Lili Wilkinson takes both the academic portion and the magic portion seriously in this book, complete with requisite obscure academic references and dark and twisted magical interventions. I appreciate how well these two sides of the plot are married, at least in aesthetics.

High-Stakes Shenanigans: I do like a book that has high stakes, and the stakes here, well, they're pretty high. Like, world-ending high stakes. It adds a really nice sense of consequence to this magic school on the foggy moor.


CONS
Pacing Problems: The pacing in this book is... weird. The setup is really nice. It builds the setting, the main character, the sense of foreboding and suspense. And then... not much happens. It takes a while to get anywhere, and when we do get somewhere, things move so quickly that all sense of character development is just left in the dust. There was a lot of potential here, but it really wasn't that well executed. The transitions, the critical bits of character and plot development that would have made this book great, just didn't happen.

Ethical Conundrums: Hey, I get it. Not everybody's into ruthless characters. But I did find myself wondering if Wilkinson got some beta reader or editor feedback voicing some concern about these characters and the choices they were making. Because the plan as it was written in the near-final edition I read just didn't make sense. I'm going to tiptoe around this criticism for the sake of avoiding spoilers, but there's absolutely no way these kids weren't planning on killing people in the first draft. And they would, quite honestly, be justified in doing so. So the weird moralizing that happens in this draft feels... out of place. It doesn't make sense, because what do you mean they're undecided on what to do? You've already started on this path, and there is no other conclusion to the plan you've set in place. Also the weird wishy-washy way they don't trust each other didn't really make sense. There's basically a lot of back and forth that happens that doesn't serve the characters or the plot. It just makes everything... confusing. Like the author (or her initial readers) couldn't commit to the original vision of the plot.

Magic Makes It... Weirder: I love a good magic twist, and this book was set up for that twist so well. But... it didn't work. It didn't work, because the main character, who is otherwise so skeptical, just kind of shrugged and said, Okay, there's magic now. Which was so out of character. So beyond what this plot was set up for. So disappointing. Everything, character-wise, happened too quickly, and her backstory (which may have set her up for this revelation) was revealed so poorly that it didn't work. And that's disappointing. Because magic should only make a plot better, not lessen the impact. Alas.


Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
6/10
Those who loved Danielle Paige & Kass Morgan's The Ravens will like this new school and its secret society life. Those who enjoyed Pascale Lacelle's Curious Tides will like the high stakes of this dark magic world.

I enjoyed this book and believe that it will appeal to a portion of my students. I find that sometimes the dark academia genre skews a bit older than what is appropriate for older middle schoolers, but I would definitely be able to recommend this to some of my students.

The characters were interesting and the story developed well. There were enough twists and turns that kept me guessing, but nothing so crazy that I wasn’t prepared. I wouldn’t book talk this to my entire population, but absolutely to those into darker fantasy/paranormal or supernatural titles.

This book started out strong for me. I loved the atmosphere and world building. The mysterious school, with the even more mysterious school club. I didn't mind the fact that everything was left mysterious. I appreciated constantly being left in the dark. I was hoping for an unreliable narrator. Unfortunately, about half way through, the narrative started to lose me and my interest. It became difficult to finish the book. The mystery gave way to a more fantastical aspect, which just lost me. I wanted to like this more but it did veer into more unbelievable than enjoyable. It also felt rather long and stream out towards the end.

there were aLOt of twists and reshapings in this story, with the contexts continually changing, but all in all i really liked it. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

If you like dark, mysterious, and boarding school students with a lot of unknowns factored in then this is the book for you. A lot happens within Unhallowed Halls, and it'll keep you on the edge of your seat for the entire book. It took me longer to read this book through and I had to put it down a few times. Strange things creeps around the boarding school and it's occupants in this book by Lili Wilkinson. This book is similar to Curious Tides.

I'd like to start with the positives. I devoured the first half of this book, it was so mysterious and interesting trying to figure out what was going on with the school and it's students. I loved it right up until you kinda figure out what's going on, and then the following 200+ pages felt like a completely different book. Once we were told what was what it lost all the mystery and intrigue and critique of the education system that made it dark academia, it just became a not so great supernatural thriller.

This is one of those books that on paper, it should be a book that I absolutely love but unfortunately that just wasn’t the case.

I do love the gothic dark academia setting and it’s very atmospheric, but I struggled with the pacing. But I do think that readers of the dark academia should still definitely add to their tbr. I just find that I’m extremely picky in that sub genre.

Content Warning: self-harm, violence, demon possession

This book definitely got the gothic, dark academia part down with it being set in Scotland. The setting is perfect for a boarding school filled with misfits. It’s dark, gloomy, always raining and cold, and surrounded by moors.

As for the story – something mysterious is happening at Agathion and it’s not only all the Greek philosophy being studied at the school. Something dark and sinister. That also was done very well in the book I feel, the whole atmosphere of impending doom.

Page is trying to find where she fits in at Agathion and she thought she finally found her place until she figures out what is happening at the school. Who can she really trust? Even with her new found friends, I didn’t feel like she could trust anyone until the very end. As a character, I didn’t really connect to her but I thought she had a lot of growth as the story went on. There is a little romance which I found to be kind of sweet.

I did like the chaos of everything happening in the book, there are a few twists and turns but I think there were times where too much was happening and at times it got confusing. It may just be a pacing issue for me and it being just a tad bit too long.


Final Thoughts:

I thought overall this was an entertaining read. It did take me a few days to read because of the pacing issues but I did push through even when things got confusing because a lot was going on. It’s got all the gothic vibes, a little romance, a little magic, some fantasy, and some demon possession. If you like dark academia, demons and Scottish mores, you might enjoy this one.

this had a lot of potential but i think it just kind of fell flat for me. i am interested in seeing where this author goes in the future though

I'm a sucker for dark academia and this definitely delivered on the atmosphere and themes on that, though things seemed to unravel as the plot went on. It could have benefitted from more focus on the plot and character development.

*Unhallowed Halls* by Lili Wilkinson is a chilling and atmospheric ghost story that blends mystery, suspense, and supernatural elements. Set in a secluded boarding school with a dark history, the novel follows a group of students who begin to unravel the eerie secrets of their surroundings as strange events and unexplainable occurrences escalate. Wilkinson's writing captures the creeping tension and growing sense of dread, drawing readers into a world where nothing is as it seems. The mix of romance, friendship, and the paranormal adds depth to the story, while the well-executed twists keep the suspense high. *Unhallowed Halls* is a perfect pick for readers who enjoy haunting, character-driven mysteries with a touch of the eerie and supernatural.

So, this book nailed the atmosphere. Boarding school in the Scottish moors, got it, it seems cool. I wasn’t super impressed by most of this book, though. I didn’t feel like I cared about the characters, a lot of the bonding happened off the page, and I don’t like that. So, it ended up being things happening to a lot of characters I didn’t care about. In fact, I was a little annoyed at them, cause all the quoting philosophers really started to drag, especially when it wasn’t always explained well. I did want to know what happened, but as the story veered into fantasy, it seemed like the pacing got off track. And, the fantasy elements weren’t my favorite. I feel like they were quite confusing, and I just needed more explanations for everything.

So, if you’re reading this book for the vibes, this one has the dark fantasy boarding school thing down. But, the plot and characters feel mostly average to a little irritating.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I actually LOVED THIS ONE! Scotland setting, dark academia, private elite colleges, found family (or is it?0, and amazing atmospheric writing. I would absolutely recommend this to fans of Ninth House and Harry Potter!

Unhallowed Halls is an atmospheric dark academia novel full of ancient history, rituals, and secret societies. The story was slightly more off the rails than I was expecting, and I found some of the philosophical conversations a bit inaccessible for the average reader, but even though the plot seemed to get lost midway through, the ending was satisfying. I enjoyed the themes of acceptance woven throughout the novel - acceptance of your self being the most prominent - and the relationships between the characters. Overall, I think lovers of YA dark academia books will enjoy this addition to the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Random House for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I liked it but didn’t love it. The premise is perfect, especially since it involves a boarding school and has a touch of mystery (and who doesn’t love that combo?) but I felt like the book gradually lost me. By the time I got to the end, I didn’t care as much about the story or the characters anymore.

Overall, this book was pretty enjoyable. I really liked how it started, and was satisfied with the ending, but the last few chapters felt a bit out of place, and the pacing felt off, I like the characters, and their relationships to each other. Some of them could have been fleshed out a little more, but none of them felt completely two dimensional, they all had a bit of depth to them. The dialogue also felt pretty natural. The first half definitely feels very different from the second half, but I think it all ties together in the end. Some of the plot twists felt out of place, but not so much that they ruined the book for me. Overall, this was a decent read, and I think many people would enjoy it.