A wonderful read, full to the brim with magic and mystery! A perfect escapist read due to the focus on exploration and discovery - a must read if you’re into adventure with a little bit of something different.

Beautifully written with strong characterisation. I completely fell in love with Valerie and love recommending this book to children in work!

I read this a while ago and forgot to post a review, picked it up again and forgot I'd even read it until a few chapters in and I realised that I just didn't enjoy it enough to remember it after.
The book itself was pleasant enough but it was nothing spectacular or unique. A good holiday type read.

I’d read another book by Amy Wilson which didn’t wow me on read, but stayed with me afterwards. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about Lightening Falls with this in mind. However, it gripped me from the start. The characters were all well rounded; the house, grounds, churchyard and other were all well drawn and sparkled in the descriptions; and the plot was well paced. The conclusion felt appropriate - again well paced - not rushed yet with described with energy.

I will definitely be recommending this to 9-11 year olds who like magic/fantasy and want something a bit different, and I’ll be happily looking out for more from Wilson.

I received an ARC of this book from Macmillan Children's books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Valerie lives at Lightning Falls. A large, old guest house beside an enormous waterfall from which the house takes its name. However, Lightning Falls is not like other houses: most of its inhabitants are ghosts! People come to stay at Lightning Falls to experience the haunted atmosphere and ghostly goings on, something the residents are more than happy to provide. Valerie has lived at Lightning Falls for as long as she can remember. She belongs here with her ghost family, even if she is a little different to the other ghosts. However, one day she sees a strange boy up on the viaduct and the mystery of who she really is and where she truly belongs begins to unravel.

I really enjoyed the creepy atmosphere of this book. The ghost house is brilliantly described and the mystery is very intriguing. I also really liked the main character Valerie. She was capable and adventurous unwilling to be deterred, even when facing perilous decisions.

My only real criticism of the book is that after the trials Valerie goes through to discover the truth and the way the threat of the villain is built up, I felt that they were too easily defeated at the end.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy creepy, mystery stories like the Eerie on Sea series, the Aveline Jones books and Katharine Orton's stories.

A glistening piece of fantasy about haunted houses, hidden worlds, storms made of stars and bridges made of rainbows.

A heroine who always thought she was a ghost discovers that she may in fact be alive - it's just that she is living in the wrong world.

I've never met an Amy Wilson book I didn't adore, and this is no exception. Packed with mystery, magic and a brilliant ghost family. Absolutely loved this one.

This is a great blend of mystery avd fantasy which the slightly creepy world of ghosts. It has great appeal to its target market and is beautifully written. Will recommend it alot.

Magic and ghosts, excitement and menace. The characters and the world they inhabit are well developed and invite you and you emotions in. Having never read any of Amy’s books before, I will be on the look out for anything new and also will read her previous publications.

Magical middle grade. I really enjoyed this beautifully written book. A great book for children to get lost in.

What another brilliant book from Amy Wilson. I always know that I am in for a treat when I see her name on the cover. This is a fabulous story of Valerie, who lives in a hotel run by Ghosts and who has always thought that she was a ghost, even though she can eat and is still growing up. When she discovers a young boy called Joe, who says he is from another world (across the nearby bridge) she does not believe him. However, things start to happen and disbelief is called in to question. I love this book and its band of unusual and even weird characters and it is bound to become a great favourite.

A great found family story that lightly crosses genres like an arched bridge across a waterfall.

The story follows Valerie who has been living at the ghostly tourist destination 'Ghost House' for as long as she can remember, where she lives to haunt the guests with the rest of her ghostly family, but why can she taste and feel, where the other ghosts can't? Who is the mysterious boy who turned up on the viaduct? And what is behind the iron-lined door?

This was such an enjoyable read, what started out as a ghost story with a dash of mystery, quickly got sprinkled with magic, and became a gripping mystery into the bargain. As a reader this was such an unexpected blending of the different genres, and a great surprise.

The feeling that all is not quite right, and wanting to know what a Hallowed Ghost is exactly, drove the story on, and the strong theme of family, and what makes someone belong, is well done.

A light quick Middle Grade read, and one that has definitely made me want to read more of Amy Wilson's books.

Valerie is a Hallowed Ghost. Unlike the other ghosts that she lives with at the Ghost Hotel, she can eat and celebrates a birthday every year. Lord Rory, the owner of the Ghost Hotel who found her as a baby, is keen to protect her as she heads towards her 13th birthday.

However, strange things keep happening. There are starstorms in the air and Valerie spots a strange boy sitting on the viaduct. And why has Lord Rory fortified his room with iron?

With the help of her ghostly pals, Valerie sets out to find the real story of who she is and teh history behind Lord Rory and the Ghost Hotel. Is all really as it seems?

This is a lovely story of ghosts and magic. The characters are brought to life on the pages and the adventures continue as secrets are unravelled.

Thanks to the publishers and Net Galley for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Well, knock me down with a feather! This book is absolutely amazing. What started off as a ghost story turned into a mystery filled with magic, good and evil. What’s not to love?

Valerie is a special Hallowed Ghost who eats, drinks and grows up, unlike all the other (not scary at all) ghosts she lives with, who stay as they were at their time of death. The haunted house is run as a guest house, but strange star bursts which can blind the guests have started to occur. When a strange new boy called Joe appears, the mystery of the star bursts intensifies, and Valerie starts to discover all is not what it had appeared to be.

This is an amazing children’s book which I will be reading to a class in September. Suitable for ages between 8-13, for fans of Diana Wynne Jones, and The Graveyard Book.
Many thanks to #NetGalley and # Macmillan Children's Books for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review. I loved it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This story is for children and teens( 9-14 years. It’s lovely story about ghosts and magic. The front cover is has beautiful vibrant colours which drawn me to the book straight away. It is beautifully written. The chapters are not very long snd the characters is strong young women who has been told she is a ghost but eventually recovers the truth when she meets boy called Joe enters the ghost house.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book.

Recommended for readers of between 9 and 14 years of age. A gorgeous book with a strong female lead, beautifully descriptive language, and mystical and magical settings.

Valerie has been living at the Ghost Hotel for as long as she can remember, but as her 13th birthday approaches, she begins to wonder if there is another place out there to call home. Valerie’s search for belonging and self identity will strike a chord with many young readers.

4.5 stars!

Amy Wilson does it again! We have left the beautiful, frosty settings of Wilson’s previous books to visit Lightning Falls and, in particular, Ghost Hall which is home to, Yeo, ghosts. However, we have Valerie, a special sort of ghost who was born on Halloween so therefore a Hallowed Ghost, who can do things that those alive can do - eg eat and sleep. But the appearance of a boy on the mysterious viaduct and continued star storms signifies that something is Not Quite Right.

This is a lovely story with a wonderful found family who help Valerie discover more about who she really is. It is well written and full of Wilson’s atmospheric and lyrical story telling. A joy to read. Thank you NetGalley for this arc.

Lightning Falls is another bewitching tale from Amy Wilson - an author who is fast proving herself as the queen of the children’s fantasy genre. The prose she writes oozes magic, so much so that her words and descriptions create something almost visceral. Her latest offering, set in a ghost infused house, is no exception.

Valerie is a hallowed ghost. Although she lives amongst ghosts and poltergeists in Lightning Falls, she’s always known that she’s just a little bit different. The surprise arrival of another hallowed ghost makes her question everything - and everyone - she’s ever known. Can she find out the truth before it’s too late?

Lightning Falls is a story that is literally out of this world. As with Amy Wilson’s previous offerings, it is completely different to anything I've read before. Wilson’s imagination glitters and sparkles - it is alive with magic! Valerie’s story is one of friendship, family and self-discovery. It is about finding where you belong and standing up for what’s right.. I absolutely adored it and cannot wait to add it to my Year 5 bookshelf. Thank you to NetGalley for this truly magical ARC.

Lighting falls is a story about ghosts. Or more specifically, one hallowed ghost called Valerie. Valerie isn't like any other ghost as she can eat food. Working in the special ghost house hotel, many ghosts serve their human visitors and guests love to come and visit and experience the supernatural. However something is changing and starstorms keep happening and one day Valerie sees a boy.
This is an amazing book that people need to read. It really will reignite your imagination and make you think twice about who each character is. Not everything is as it seems .
Many thanks for letting me read and review this advanced proof copy.