I think this is the first time I really like a horror novel. Umm… the fact that it has scary side, but also has romantic and heartwarming side.

What Walks These Halls tells the story of a haunted house investigation called Hyacinth House in Ireland. Told from multiple POVs, it makes this book feel rich in detail because I felt I can connect with each of them easily.

I like how the author makes each character have a strong background story. Raven with her bitter past that eventually made her walled up, Archer (Raven's brother) who feels lonely and keeps looking for answers because he also ‘lost’ his sister after their father's death. I think Raven and her brother’s relationship is quite similar to mine, so I felt relatable. There’s a scene where their mom asks Raven for help to advise Archer because Raven's words are often heard more than her mother, and that was often the same with me and my bro. Then there’s Eabha, with a heartbreaking background because her parents would rather not accept her gift and even worse, they think it’s a mental illness. The last one, Cordelia, she was accepted in the real estate agent as a fresh graduate and being the only woman in her work environment made her frequently belittled by her co-workers.

Generally speaking, the horror part isn’t too scary. In the first half, it's hardly some spine-tingling scenes that successfully made me shiver. The Ghost—which typically referred to as The Lady—with a figure wearing a veil, reminds me of 'Ibu' (Mother), a ghost in the famous Indonesian horror film, Satan's Slave. So, the image of 'Ibu' as The Lady really haunts me throughout the story. However, in the second half, the story shift into highlighting more personal stories, building bond between characters, and the investigation process. One thing to note here: I love how the author describes each horror scene. I can’t describe it precisely, but it kinda feels very cinematic.

I said formerly, this book also has a romantic and heartwarming side. Yes, you read that right. I liked that the romantic side is slow-burn, light, but also swoon-worthy. The heartwarming feels is because of its found-family trope. In my opinion, this book has the potential to be continued as a series. Because it feels like there are still exciting things to follow, such as how Raven is progressing with that new things she got. And I think it will be fun to see them investigate together again as a solid team.

From the very beginning I became invested in the story, thanks to the brilliant writing style and cast of characters. The dialogue in this book felt natural, matching the age of the characters, and the jokes and sarcastic comments were genuinely entertaining for me. The interactions between the siblings, Raven and Archer, felt a bit cringy at the beginning but got better and more realistic as the story went on. The descriptions, especially in scary moments, were well crafted and allowed me to picture the scene in my brain, to the point were sometimes I had to take a look around my room to make sure that nothing is lurking in the corners. The book is definitely in the YA age range so it doesn't include any gruesome descriptions but still managed to have some chilling moments.

In my opinion, the story had a good balance of tension and amusement, with some enjoyable romance as a bonus. I quickly became attached to the characters and interested in the relationships between them. One thing that bothered me a little was the convenient way everyone was connected to the case - but it didn't affect my overall enjoyment too much. Another, more technical issue was that while I appreciated seeing multiple POVs, it would be great to mention whose POV we are currently reading, as it was a bit confusing at times.

Overall, it was an incredibly fun experience for me and I would love to read more about this team and their other haunted adventures.

This went down well with the teen/ young adult members of our family and was seriously creepy. We enjoyed the characters who were well written and rounded.

I was sent this arc from the publishers to read. This book was really good. There was some pretty good parts and the YA horror in it was exciting to read. I liked the character development throughout it. The only thing was the ending felt a little rushed, but overall I really enjoyed the book.

This is not usually my favorite genre,but I did enjoy reading it. It was a little slow at times and I thought more focus should have been on the book' s subject. The author did a good job on the characters. They were believable and easy to relate to.. Would be interested in reading more by this author.

I have so many thoughts.
This book starts off brilliantly, the supernatural aspect is SCARY! Much more than I would expect from YA horror so I thought this would be a 5-star read from the get-go.
The first thing that bothered me was the dialogue, especially between Archer and Raven. I felt like it was a bit cringy, but hey, I don't have any siblings so maybe that is how siblings talk to each other and I just don't know.
The characters were all brilliant and very distinctive, the author does an amazing job at developing them without overwritten paragraphs about their traits. I truly believe that this author will achieve great things, the writing has room for improvement but it's already of high quality.
Now, unfortunately, I was very much disappointed with this story and didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. What I thought would be a horror book eventually became a romance. The supernatural aspect was still there, but I feel like at some point it switched to the back seat. I did enjoy the couples, it was not unexpected at all - but I didn't expect or want it to be the main plot. When the book was reaching the end and we still hadn't gotten to the meat of the horror, I panicked. 'how will you have time to wrap the horror plot up?' ran through my head at every page turn, and the answer was 'you won't have time'. It was RUSHED, and the ending was not an ending per se - unless there's a second book. If there is, I hope we get more horror.
In summary, too much love, and not enough ghosts.
In this situation, I would usually settle for 3 stars, but the writing deserves much more credit than that so I settled for 4.

4/5 stars! This book had a haunted house angle mixed with YA horror, so I was pumped to read this story. I think this really works as a YA thriller. The characters were well-developed, and the story had depth. I felt like I was there with Raven. Fans of more mature horror themes may night find this dark enough, but I enjoyed it.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Lots of fun! Loved the creepiness and the ghosts. A good ole fashioned haunted house story with some fun characters.

A gripping story, fast paced and compelling. I loved the characters and the solid plot kept me on the edge
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Very interesting read, I loved the characters and the plot, It had me guessing what would happen next. A great read.

Pacing, character development, setting wise - was good. It was not too slow or even rush, just nice to fit the whole setting. Every chapter will makes you dying to know what happen next. It is not scary or creepy as I hoped it is, but that's okay.

If there is a sequel to this book, I will definitely read it.

This is a great haunted house/ghost story for YA readers. The story was a little dark at times but not too dark for YA and I think that it adds to the overall creepiness of the story. I found it a little slow paced but still engaging enough to keep me turning the page.

What Walks These Halls is disturbing, thrilling and ultimately, I couldnt put it down! I could imagine myself in the book scared to death, but had to know what was going to happen next!

What Walks These Halls by Amy Clarkin

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4 stars!

What a debut from Amy Clarkin! This spooky YA book was such a delight to read. This book, set in Ireland, follows several young adults who have their own paranormal investigation company, following in the footsteps of many of their relatives. There’s one 👻 haunted 👻 house in particular that it seems none of these characters can escape from - The Hyacinth House.

This read was really layered in ways that I did not expect- it felt like the perfect blend of coming of age all wrapped up in a spooky, ghostly package. Family dynamics, queer characters, disabled characters, humor, crystals — this book really had it all.

I think this would be an absolutely delightful read around Halloween, but if you’re itching to get your hands on it sooner - it comes out in April 🕷️🔮

Thank you NetGalley, Amy Clarkin, and for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own

I was immediately pulled into the story, and I was intrigued by where it was going to go. It was super creepy and although it shared many common features of a typical ghost story, it also had its own unique edge, adding something different to the genre. It took a while to get to the heart of the story and for things to happen. And I found it repetitive, and it often felt like nothing much was happening, which made it sluggish to get through.

I liked the short prologue as it got me intrigued about the upcoming story without dragging on, and it also related to the major story so wasn’t pointless as some are. I enjoyed the various perspectives, and it was clear who was the focus of each chapter.

The interest behind Hyacinth House was written so well. There was just the right amount of intrigue, balanced with backstory, making the house seemed real and gave it its own unique place in the story.

From the beginning, I found Archer fascinating and likeable. I loved his reckless ways, but also his determination to do what he wanted to do. I also found him the most lifelike character. He seemed to have a mind of his own, which I loved to see!

Raven, however, I struggled to warm up to. I wasn’t sure why, as she was a well rounded, developed character. I think maybe I just didn’t relate to her as much.

Emily was also another great character. Deeply affected by her husband’s death a few years prior, she abandoned the family business and also shut off from her children too. She was real and showed the complex layers of grief of losing someone you love.

I found this more character driven than plot driven, which isn’t a bad thing. I just expected there to be more happening in the plot, rather than such focus on characters and their relationships.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher, for a chance to read and review this book.

Oooh I REALLY loved this one! I've been on a kick of haunted houses and ghost stories lately, and each one has been better than the last. This one so far is definitely my favorite. Clarkin has done a fantastic job creating a cast of characters and an environment that are eerie and disturbing and enthralling. Hyacinth House is practically a character in its own right, and I really love the way she imbued both the building and the people who travel in and out of it with such rich and imaginative history.

The book was creepy without being gruesome, a combination I personally find far more disturbing than when the pages are full of blood and guts and body parts. I really loved the relationships between the friends and family members, and the fact that those relationships were as essential to the ongoing storyline as the hauntings and mysterious events.

This was a fantastically enjoyable story and I am definitely going to be on the lookout for more from Amy Clarkin...

Such a great spooky read. Right from the start it lures the reader with that visual of the house. I enjoy paranormal investigation and shows and it had that with that firsthand creepy encounters. My reading experience was spooky because I was usually reading this at night under covers. Haha. Loved the horror aspect. The characters and their history was also sufficiently packed and were handled wonderfully. The ending was also justified. A pretty short read. If I had time I think I would have taken 3-4 hours and be done with it because it is readable and intriguing.

A dark, chilling book with plenty of twists to keep readers interested, engaged, and on their toys. Would recommend to most of my YA readers but at times this did feel a little too dark for that audience.

A spectacular spook for the young readers! 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 was given a free arc for review and feed back.

So let me first say that I rated this 4 stars. It is a slow paced haunted house Irish story. Writing was good. Story was okay. I felt no connection and still enjoyed bits and pieces from it. Would I buy this? No but if you dig spooky haunted house books then I def recommend it.