I finally got to this and it was a lot of fun. A very quick read that I flew through. I loved the spooky undertones of the ghost hunters alongside the mystery of their families past.

This was deliciously dark and spooky. I read it in audiobook format, and the Irish narrator did a brilliant job of helping me with both pronunciations and atmosphere.

Hyacinth House is the setting for a lot of our story, and where some of the spookiest moments occur. It was a fabulous setting for a ghost story, wreathed in darkness and hate, spilling over to capture the characters with its poison. The ghost that haunts the House, named The Lady by the team, is decidedly wicked, and despite all the spooky stories I’ve read over the years, she is one of the scariest.

Although The Lady haunts the House, she also takes to haunting one of the team in their home, which I’ve never seen used a plot device before, and suddenly had me way more concerned than I was about ghosts before I started the book. This unexpected twist, and the unfolding scenes that came from it, were even more creepy than to begin with, and I particularly enjoyed this touch.

The budding romances and queer representation add a nice dash of distraction and drama to go alongside ghostly happenings. There’s nothing beyond kissing and cuddling, so completely suitable for young adult readers, yet at times because of the scary backdrop these affections are coined under, they almost felt more intimate than adult romance.

These are young people who all have their troubles and issues to work through, and they are focused in their own ways in doing it as best as they can. As someone with a difficult relationship with my own parents, I felt a huge amount of sympathy for Eabha when she has to walk away from hers for the sake of her own mental health especially. With the book being told from various points of view, it could feel a bit overwhelming if not balanced correctly, but I think this did hit the mark and gave all the characters the spotlight they needed while allowing the reader to connect with them.

Overall, this made for a wicked and wild ride through Irish ghost-lore, with a dash of romance and found family to round it off. I’ve already read book two, and hope there is a book three to follow PSI more soon.

Brilliantly creepy and wildly entertaining! This is perfect for the spooky season, cannot wait to pick up more from this author.

In this story we follow a small cast. Theure trying to reboot the families paranormal research business, with focus on a case that has quite literally haunted this family for years.
In this book we get haunted house, we get gay rep, we get spookiness, all wrapped in a lovely ya horror ribbon.

From the first page, I was gripped and thoroughly enjoyed this books. The story is really good, the writing is lovely, and the characters are loveable. This wad a fantastic debut by this author and I cannot wait to see what she does next. I would recommend this book :)

Delving into the haunted house genre, I've discovered a particular fondness for narratives where paranormal investigations take an unexpected turn. There's an inexplicable allure to the unpredictability that ensues when the supernatural meets human curiosity.

In Amy Clarkin's work, the enthralling tale featuring Raven and her brother, the execution is nothing short of brilliant. The story's grip on my imagination was unwavering, as Clarkin skillfully blended mystery and supernatural elements. The characters, especially Raven, were compelling, drawing me into their world with each twist and turn.

Amy Clarkin's storytelling prowess has not only provided a gripping mystery but has also introduced me to a new favorite author, leaving me eagerly anticipating more from this captivating realm of the supernatural.

This wasn't just a chilling read, but I also loved the cast of diverse characters. We get to know the characters well and see them develop throughout the story, which I find is often lost in the horror genre. The plot was intriguing, frightening in places, and I'd love to see more from these characters again.

I am a horror story/paranormal girlie and this book didn't disappoint from the first chapter you were pulled in. I read this with my younger son and we both loved it. He had a couple of jump scares thanks to mom lol but we both loved it. I loved how the Author developed the characters and environment giving them their own little part in the book. It was a very interesting read and we enjoyed it.

This was a good read for me. It wasn't scary to me because not much is but it was creepy and an interesting story. It's a little slower in the beginning as some books can be because you are learning the back story. The rest of the book was fast paced and I enjoyed it.

Thanks NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it! I am giving this book three stars, as I don't want to give it a good or bad rating, since I did not get to it.

This was really really fun!! It took a bit of time to get into, but once I did and the story started going I really enjoyed it. It was really tense and quite spooky at times which was nice as often you don’t get super spooky scenes in YA books. I loved the characters and seeing how they developed, was very inclusive and I loved the romantic relationships that grew as well.

What Walks These Halls
By: Amy Clarkin

4 Stars

This was a pretty good ghost story that had many different elements. It wasn't just about a house. It was about the people. The character's themselves made this story. I have always been a ghost story reader and this one offered that. I rated it a 4 because it took me coming back to it twice before I was able to really get into it. It started a bit slow. I'm so glad I gave it another chance. It was filled with mystery, ghosts, drama, and even hints of romance. It was written well and despite the slow start, it kept me engaged. Overall, it was a good story.

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Reviews

*Rating: 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4)

This book starts off pretty strong on the paranormal aspect. We have an evil entity called The Lady, a group of young paranormal investigators and a haunted house with a cruel past.

What surprised me the most was the fact the author went with a mix of character and plot driven story. Through different perspectives, we witness what the main characters go through, how strongly they feel, which makes their growth really enjoyable to watch. That being said, I do believe there came a certain point in which the characters took relevance over the plot and the story started moving at a slower pace.

The climax was tense enough but the conflict was easily and very conveniently resolved. It makes for a satisfying ending, but not a completely heart pounding one.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely enjoyed my time reading this book and I’m glad I read it this close to Halloween. The characters are pretty much all likable, the romance is very sweet and I finished the book wanting to read the sequel. Which I’m very glad is happening because I want to see how much darker the author can go.

Raven O'Sullivan doesn't remember what happened in Hyacinth House five years ago, but she knows her father’s death was her fault even though everyone says it was an accident. Raven's parents were paranormal investigators with Paranormal Surveyance Ireland (PSI), and Raven was eager to work cases with them.

Her brother, Archer wasn't in Hyacinth House that day but he won't stop searching for answers. Hell bent on reopening their parent's business, Archer jumps at the chance to head to Hyacinth House when a new case lands on his desk.

Raven wants to say no, but as she is drawn deeper into the mystery she knows there is only one way of getting answers. By confronting whatever inhabits Hyacinth House.


Éabha McLoughlin hears and sees things no one does. When a late night internet search leads to Archer and co at PSI, Éabha thinks she might finally get some answers. But at what cost?

With What Walks These Halls (WWTH), Amy Clarkin has created a captivating cast of characters full of LGBTQ+ and disability representation. Given that WWTH is a YA novel, I wasn’t expecting to be as freaked out as I was by the novel’s conclusion. Overall, I really enjoyed it and look forward to WWTH 2.

Raven O’Sullivan doesn’t remember what happened in Hyacinth House five years ago. When her father died during a paranormal investigation there, everyone said it was an accident, but she’s pretty certain it’s her fault.

Her brother, Archer, wasn’t there that night. When asked to investigate the supposed ghost of Hyacinth House, he can’t resist saying yes. Even if his sister wants nothing to do with it.

Éabha McLoughlin has grown up seeing and hearing things no one else does. Now that she’s starting college, she finally has the freedom to find out why. The daring Archer and his eclectic team seem like a good place to start.

But everyone has their secrets, and they all lead back to Hyacinth House …

This was an atmospheric slow burner that I absolutely adored. A perfect example of a speculative fiction YA novel that partners coming of age tropes with the paranormal.

For me however, it was Clarkin’s characterisation that won the day as she has written a band of unlikely comrades whom I was rooting for, crying with and literally on the edge of my seat worrying for.

Filled with atmosphere, emotion and spooks and thrills, Clarkin’s book is a must read for any ghost/paranormal horror reader fans.

I was disappointed with this book. The opening was amazing and getting the gang together was a great start of the book.

The middle and the last half of the book was a complete waste and was soooo slow.

Everything was resolved in the last five pages after the house being haunted for so many years?

There was no build up, there was no climax, just relationships

I love dark/gothicy fiction and one of my favourite tropes in these genres is the haunted house trope. One of my favourite video games atm is phasmaphobia where ghost hunters go into haunted houses/buildings to find the ghost and so this was right up my street.
I enjoyed this read it hooked me straight away and I couldn't put it down, I read it in one sitting. I will definitely be looking for more from this author

This book had me holding my breath to the last page, so it's good that I couldn't put it down! Young adult readers will be scrabbling to get their hands on this copy when it comes into the library. Ideal for kids looking for a horror read.

I love ghost stories, haunted houses, and paranormal investigations so I was excited to come across What Walks These Halls by Amy Clarkin. With it being in the young adult genre I wasn't expecting the same level of thrills and chills as would be in an adult market novel. However, I was surprised by the level of creepiness Clarkin attains while still keeping the writing suitable for younger readers.

The cast of characters is varied, and there's a touch of romance peppered throughout the story that seems a little forced or out of place. The standard teenage/young adult angst is in full swing among the characters. I did appreciate the inclusiveness of the author by representing LGBTQIA+ people among the romance. However, that doesn't make up for the seemingly forced nature of said romances. It's as though the romance angle was an afterthought rather than an organic byproduct of the story itself.

As for the characters, I struggled with them from time to time. Sometimes they read a well-defined and other times they seemed underdeveloped. This inconsistency made it hard to fully connect with the characters, but as for the plot of the story, I was all-in. The plot was intriguing and the pacing was good because it kept my interest. I wanted to know what happened next, and that's the hallmark of a good plot.

Overall, What Walks These Halls is a good book and definitely a positive step for a debut author. I'm curious to see what comes next from Amy Clarkin.

Thank you Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for allowing me to read this book!

Every part of this book was beautifully developed. From the plot, to the setting, to the characters. Every aspect of this books makes the reader feel like the author truly put their time and thought every aspect through. This to me is such a good horror/thriller as well, there may be a lot coming out in the YA world but I personally feel like this one is special.

5/5

Despite being scared witless at parts, I really enjoyed "What Walks These Halls" by Amy Clarkin, which I read ahead of its publication. I've since been thrilled to find out that Clarkin has been contracted to write a sequel for The O'Brien Press. "What Walks These Halls" is about young adult ghost hunters in Ireland, which in itself is a great premise. Estranged siblings Raven and Archer come from a family of ghost hunters, but whole Raven turned away from the family business after her dad died as they were investigating a haunted house, Archer is eager to get the company going again, with the help of a few friends.

My favourite character, however, was Éabha, who meets Archer and the gang when they are in first year of university, because she wants to finally use her secret gift: she is clairvoyant. Her parents treat this as a mental illness, and though the novel proves that Éabha is right, and she really can see ghosts, the way in which she is gaslit by her own family, and the stigma against mentally ill people, is very real. For me, the most interesting part of the novel is Éabha finally discovering a side of herself and her family that her parents hid her from, and how she comes to accept herself and her worth, and how that in itself could be read as an allegory for coming to terms with a condition She also uses a hearing aid, and this comes up a bit throughout the book but always in quite organic ways, and was a really nice representation without being either pandering or incongruous with the rest of the story.

This book has some really, really good scares, and the best written scenes are definitely the horror sections, but underpinning that is an earnest love letter to found family, and finding yourself.