Phil Hickes is the master of creepiness! Another fantastic read about Lillian and her friends at their aptly named school. It hits just the right balance of scary and will certainly prompt some interesting conversations among the children. It also delivers a timely reminder about the power of books!
I can't wait for book 3.

Shadowhall Academy: Ghost Story Society is spookily delicious and this story absolutely delivers and I think its the creepiest one by far. Phil Hickes is certainly the master of spookiness and this one is not for the faint hearted; you may not want to read this just before bedtime as sweet dreams can not be guaranteed.
This story 'sends a chill ripple like a sinister whisper.' Absolutely first rate read

I absolutely loved The Whispering Walls, so when I saw there would be a second book, I knew I had to read it as soon as possible. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC.

Ghost Story Society begins with Lilian, Marian, Serena, and Angela sneaking out of their rooms to the library, where they’ve created a special club to share creepy stories. It’s all harmless fun—until Tiffany, an older girl, tells a tale about a haunted book supposedly hidden within their very school. Lilian, of course, becomes curious and convinces the others to uncover the truth behind the legend, leading them into a new eerie and thrilling adventure.

I loved every second of this book. The friendship between the girls is truly precious—I adored how they stick together and support one another. The mystery itself is fascinating: a book that makes secrets come true, but with a sinister twist. It kept me eagerly turning the pages to see how everything would unfold.

I honestly can’t wait for Lilian and the girls’ next adventure!

Thanks to NetGalley and Usborne Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fans of a murder mystery, fans of a spine-chilling supernatural thriller, fans of a girls boarding school drama, super fans of Phil Hickes’s ‘Aveline Jones’ series - your desperate wait for what to read next is over! ‘Shadowhall Academy : Ghost Story Society’ is book 2 in Phil Hickes’s second middle grade series for ages 9+ published by Usborne where readers are transported back to the golden era of cool - the 1980s. We had Walkmans, pay phones, Inspector Morse, and, Cagney and Lacey to distract us from the Cold War, and other mega-global disasters. I have to admit, I too was at an old fashioned style boarding school in the middle of nowhere in the 80s, and Phil - you’ve done it again - it’s a pure carbon copy of experiences. How do you do it? I love it!

‘Shadowhall Academy : Ghost Story Society’ is perfect-timing-publishing, as the schoolgirls are returning in midwinter for the start of the Spring Term. This exciting new adventure follows Lilian (Aveline Jones’s mother) and her now firmly established gang of friends at her new boarding school, Shadowhall Academy in Suffolk, England - Serena (posh yuppie), Marian (The Cure-loving goth), and Angela (anxious homely nerd). Lilian? Well, she’s very gutsy, kinda ‘act-first-think-later’, 100% loyal, and a brilliant detective.

One Saturday night, the girls head to the old school library after lights out. The atmosphere is just right, almost midnight, the room dimly lit, rain pouring down the windows, it’s the first meeting of the newly formed and secret ‘Ghost Story Society’. However, as with most dorm escapes in the middle of the night, you inevitably get caught… it’s just a case of who catches you as to how disastrous the punishment will be. They haven’t even got into their spooky storytelling and a prefect rumbles them, except, thankfully, the punishment isn’t bad at all… she’s got a supernatural story to tell.

As in book 1 ‘Shadowhall Academy : The Whispering Walls’, yet again Shadowhall Academy reveals itself to be a place filled with mysterious tragedies in its past. 20 years ago, which would be the 1960s, the drama teacher at the time was putting on a school production of ‘Macbeth’ - a passionate theatre-buff, she managed to find a rather wonderful addition for the prop collection - a ‘witch book’. What Mrs Kehoe had thought to be a harmless second hand literary gem turned out to be something quite the opposite! But where was it now? How can a book be the cause of some of the most scary and fateful disasters the school has ever known leaving the drama teacher a jibbering wreck, removed from the school forevermore?

Epic! A new mystery to solve! Lilian and her gal pals plot like crazy to discover the whereabouts of this ‘witch book’, even if it means they have to join the drama group. Luckily the school paper ‘The Sentinel’ has records they can search for clues in too.

Of course they find it, of course they open it, of course the lure of what turns out to be a ‘Book of Secrets’ that once belonged to an ancient powerful witch is too much to bear. One by one the girls test out the book, ending up cursed by their very own admissions. Lilian’s secret detestation of carrots leading to the school dinner menu courses all featuring variations of carrot dishes is an amusing magical twist, but Serena’s secret leading her to be covered head to toe in tiny spiders is super-scary. Lilian needs to get rid of this dark magical book, because it has a life of its own, and the more important the secret the more dire the consequences. Warnings from Angela go unheeded, temptation is too much and Lilian goes a step too far - she writes a mega secret in the book about her childhood imaginary friend, Miss Sunshine… (think Miss *age-appropriate* Psycho Poltergeist). Lilian!!!!!!!! What have you done!!!!!!!

The key to Miss Sunshine’s existence is the book and it must be destroyed - evil from a book that must be destroyed… profound! BUT, how do you destroy an indestructible book?

Whatever happens, as long as the girls survive, they’ve got an immense story for their next meeting of the Ghost Story Society and the Shadowhall Sentinel. There’s a delicious bookish quote in the story too:

“They would snuggle beneath the blankets and let their books and dreams take them to more exciting places.”

Absolutely spot on.

At 169 pages, this isn’t a heavy-weight book for children to read. It’s a creepy, fun page-turner of a story best read at bedtime with the lights down low, or curled up on the sofa on a rainy afternoon with the fire on. Also a wonderful story to read together with your child - why not share your thoughts and theories with every plot twist (and your adrenaline-fuelled spooky feelings)? ‘Shadowhall Academy : Ghost Story Society’ is SO great. Love the cover artwork from the brilliant Keith Robinson. Perfect for fans of spooky mysteries, boarding school adventures, and stories with a touch of 80s nostalgia. Filled with problem-solving, team-work, friendship highs and lows, sneaking about and bending a few rules, I can’t wait for book 3!

Shadowhall Academy: Ghost Story Society is the second spooky adventure in the Shadowhall Academy series which opened with The Whispering Walls. This is such a welcome return to Shadowhall Academy where the ever-curious and determined Lilian finds herself immersed in another spine-tingling mystery … a creepy, chilling adventure that kept me utterly gripped from start to finish.

It’s midwinter and the start of a new term at Shadowhall Academy. Lilian and her friends, Serena, Marion and Angela are sneaking out of their room to attend a secret meeting in the library: the inaugural meeting of the Shadowhall Ghost Story Society. But what should have been deliciously, spooky fun turns into something much more menacing when an uninvited guest tells a truly terrifying tale … a dark tale from the academy’s past involving the manifestation of secrets entrusted to a sinister book.

Where there’s a mystery waiting to be solved, there’s Lilian determined to unravel it. Following a trail of clues soon leads Lilian and her friends to the drama room and the discovery of an ancient book: could this be the book which captures secrets in its whispering pages? What better way to prove if this is the book of secrets than to give it one? Despite her unease, Lily is determined to uncover the truth so she writes a secret and places it in the book …

And so begins a truly spine-tingling mystery as Lilian and her friends battle against an adversary intent on bringing their deepest secrets and nightmares to life. Could Lilian have unwittingly put her friends lives in danger? Can she find a way to outsmart an adversary that holds the knowledge of secrets and is prepared to use them against Lilian and her friends?

I absolutely loved the blend of eighties boarding school life with a chilling, creepy mystery which felt deliciously unsettling. This is an absolute page-turner that had me on the edge of my seat and gasping at some of the twists, cliffhangers and revelations as the danger intensified. There are some genuinely scary and jumpy moments, especially when secrets revealed relate to your own fears. I was absolutely gripped by the piecing together of the clues from the past to discover whether the book of secrets held real power. I loved the feeling of time running out as danger moved inexorably closer, wondering if the friends would be able to extricate themselves before it is too late … genuinely heart-pounding moments!

A firm friendship has developed between Lilian, Serena, Marian and Angela but will it be able to withstand Lilian’s determination to solve the mystery despite the increasing danger? Will they continue to support each other when their friendship is put to the test?

A superbly sinister mystery guaranteed to bring frissons of fear to those brave enough to open the pages and discover its secrets … perfect for readers of 9+.

4.5

Give me a boarding school book and I will inevitably want to read it, add a bit of horror or supernatural fun to the mix and you know I will inhale it. Such was the case when I came across the pupils of Shadowhall Academy by luck last year and absolutely loved the spooky goings on and firm friendships found in that book. Thankfully book two in the series is no different and carries on being a massively fun read, with the perfect mix of mystery, friendship and spooky occurrences.

For a Middle Grade story there are suitably scary instances and you worry for, and care about our story's heroes! The story absolutely flew by and the ending had a great mix of humour, pathos, fear and true friendship. I really hope there's a third as this series has found its feet and I can't wait to see what our adventurous quartet get up to next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Usborne Publishing for a digital review copy of "Shadowhall Academy: Ghost Story Society" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

With his second entry in his Shadowhall Academy series Phil Hickes is going from strength to strength, set a term after the events of book one The Whispering Walls (2024) the spooky action continues. Perfectly pitched for the top end of primary school, to easy read for lower secondary, these are brilliant stories for kids who don’t want to be scared too much or their parents could read to even younger kids. The story follows Lilian Jones and her friends Serena Khan, Marion Dawson and Angela Radford, who start a midnight Ghost Story Society at their boarding school Shadowhall Academy. All four girls were in the opening book and this sequel is an easy read even if you haven’t read the original. It also has a very cool Easter egg connection to the author’s other terrific trilogy Aveline Jones (2020-2022), the clue is in the name ‘Jones’ as Shadowshall is set in the tail end of the eighties.

As a kid I would have loved to have attended Shadowshall Academy, loaded with drafty corridors, squeaking doors, eccentric teachers with lots of mischief to be found after lights out. I would also have been first in the queue to join Lilian’s Ghost Story Society! The fun starts after a school prefect gatecrashes the secret society and tells the story of a haunted or cursed book which is directly connected to the drama department of Shadowshall. Seeking a good mystery, the girls join the drama club to try and find the book, and once they do they wish they hadn’t as the book has the power to bring your darkest secrets to life. These books are short enough to ensure they can hold the attention of even the most distracted child, are endearingly cute, have great banter between the characters and you just know everything is going to be fine in the end. The buildup towards the finale was particularly fun when something from Lilian’s past truly comes back to haunt her. Great stuff.

The girls of Shadowhall Academy are back and this time a story told at their spooky new Ghost Story Society sets wheels in motion that lead to a dangerous discovery. Hickes writes the most deliciously vile, evil witch's book as the 'big bad' in this new addition to his fabulously scary series. It's genuinely repulsive and disturbing! It's perfect for readers who just want a straight-down-the-line, plot-based spooky jape with no dull moralising, no time wasted on irrelevant character development and no messing that takes you away from the thrill of a very cool story. Highly recommended, will be telling all of my readers about it in school as they are already big fans. This is the kind of book that so many of my readers really want- really hope he writes more in this series.

I haven't read the first Shadowhall book but was informed this would be ok. So the question was do I start reading Shadowhall Academy :Ghost Story Society at 9.30 at night....then I open the first page and it tells me Shadowhall Academy is set in Suffolk, England and it is 1988 - where I live! So ok here goes.

It's bedtime at Shadowhall - lights are out...when Lilian Jones appears followed by Serena Khan, Marion Dawson and Angela Radford. The four friends are creeping down the corridors knocking on doors from where more girls appear. They head to the library. Tonight is to be the first night of the Shadowhall Ghost Story Society.
Serena tells a story about her father when he was a small boy in India. It was about an evil spirit that mimics the voice of a loved one to lure children into the woods. The villagers realised Serena's father was being caught and saved him.
When Serena finished no-one seemed to have another story - but the door opens and a prefect, Tiffany Crenshaw, walks in. She says she'll overlook their late night meeting if she tells a story - about Shadowhall itself.

The story she tells is about a drama teacher called Mrs Kehoe who acquired a real Witch's Spellbook, the owner of the bookshop tried to warn her about it but she paid no attention. the spell book was for a production of Macbeth. But on the first night an accident happened and teh play was cancelled. All the girls in the play believed it was the book that had caused the accident. They had taken it from the props roomand it talked to them! Mrs Kehoe became ill and left the school soon after; no one knew what happened to the book.

The four girls decided they needed to find out if Tiffany's story was true. They started by talking to the drama teacher, and whilst looking in the props cupboard they discovered something else. Something under a trapdoor, that said "PROPERTY OF MRS KEHOE. DO NOT OPEN!" The girls decided to go back and look when Drama club was over. Angela was not keen. As well as the book there were props from teh Macbeth play and a lot of dried herbs. The book had a riddle, a riddle which told them this was a book of secrets. Inside their were lots of scraps of paper all with secrets on them. The girls read some of the secrets and then went to the Shadowhall Sentinal editor to see if any were true. They looked back at old copies and found stories of strange happenings at the school. One of the stories mentioned their teacher Miss McDougal so they went to talk to her. She remembered the strange boy in his pyjamas who had appeared suddenly in the grounds with no idea how he got their. Turned out he'd been missing for an hour...but that his house was 50 miles away! They never did find an explanation.

The girls now believed that if you put a secret in the book, magic would reveal it but not in a good way! They decide to try it out. Angela isn't happy, she wants it gone.

Lilian writes a secret....oh!
Serena writes a secret... oh no!
Marian writes a secret...oh no!

Lilian decides to put it back where it came from but it whispers to her...one more secret...
But this secret has a really bad result...really bad...and Lilian is going to have to find a way to sort it out before something awful happens.

Flipping brilliant.
I like that they are short books (169 pages). It's scary without being terrifying for a child. Perfect for Uks2. (I will say Phil's Aveline Jones books scared me!) I want this at school. For 10 and 11 year olds they do love a murder mystery so a bit of scary ghost story will be good too!

Phil Hickes has once again delivered a top notch ghost story for MG readers. He really has a knack for inducing dread and worry for the characters. The sense of foreboding in this is better than some adult reads in the same genre. Loved it.

Ghost Story Society is the second book in the Shadowhall Academy series. I really enjoyed the first book and was excited to read this next installment. In this spooky middle-grade novel, we once again follow Lilian Jones and her friends. This time, they discover a real witch's book. When you write your secrets in this book, it makes them come true, but with a sinister twist. I loved the eerie atmosphere of the school and the strong bond of friendship among the girls. They always help each other even if they are scared. I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the Aveline Jones series or spooky adventures. I hope there will be more stories from Shadowhall in the future. Thanks to Netgalley and Usborne Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another fabulous Phil Hickes story.

I am not usually a fan of scary stories but Phil Hickes does a fantastic job of writing spooky, atmospheric stories with plenty of suspense and heart stopping moments that don't leave me with nightmares. His Aveline Jones trilogy is brilliant and so are the Shadowhall Academy books. I had just finished the first when I saw this sequel was up for review and I leapt at the chance to read the next instalment.

This sequel is just as good as the first, for many of the same reasons. As well as the great writing I like that this is only around 170 pages. It makes it much more accessible for struggling readers, or just those who don't have much time to read. I like that it is set in a time period we don't often see in modern books (1980's) whilst still set in a boarding school which lends itself so well to late night excursions.

There was plenty of creeping horror as events escalated. I have to say I was a little surprised at some of Lillian's actions considering her character in the Aveline Jones books. (There may have been some mutters of 'No, no, what are you doing?!'). But her behaviour may well have been down to the nefarious influence a certain object. I suspect it is the events of the Shadowhall Academy series that shape future Aunt Lillian.

Will definitely by buying it for the school library and I look forward to the third instalment.

I absolutely loved the first book and the second was brilliant. Talk about being on the edge of your seat, deliciously spooky but striking the right balance for younger audiences. It was enough to spark the imagination and had the feel of an epic ghost story tale.

We join the gang as they begin meeting up on the dead of night to tell a spooky ghost story or two. What started out as a bit of fun turns into a twisting tale of terror! They hear rumour of an old witches book embroiled in magic and they can’t resist the urge to find out more. But what they find is enough to turn their lives into a waking nightmare….

Ooh, the story was so good and completely compelling. I was addicted from the start and read it in near one sitting as I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next! It’s perfect as a spooky read for younger readers (with parental permission and knowing the limits of your own child with their tolerance for scary stories). It was so enjoyable and again I can’t wait for the next instalment.

I love everything that Phil writes, the Aveline Jones series is just wonderful.

When I saw this available I jumped at the chance to read it early.

We go back to Shadowhall Academy to join in with the latest creepy adventures of Lilian, Serena, Marian and Angela in what seems to be an exceptionally haunted place.

The girls decided to set up a little extra-curricular club “The Ghost Story Society” and from the first meeting of this they get involved in something that is creepy and thrilling for Lilian who always want to get to the bottom of things.

The rest are initially excited to take part but when things get a bit darker than they were expecting find themselves not wanting to be part of this and there starts to be some friction within the group.

Things get really dark really quickly and it’s up to the group to work together and sort this out before it gets deadly.

Another really great read from Phil supported by great illustrations from Keith Robinson once more, really looking forward to more since there was a massive hint at exactly how haunted Shadowhall Academy was.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lilian, Serena, Marian and Angela have started a ghost story club, meeting in the library after lights out, but when sixth former Tiffany arrives and tells them about a book that once belonged to a witch that was brought into school by an old drama teacher for a performance of Macbeth, things take a more sinister turn. According to Tiffany, the book has magical qualities and it may still be hidden in school. The girls are drawn to the story and feel compelled to investigate whether there is any truth in the tale. It doesn't take them long to discover a book during drama club that seems to have been hidden for years, and they take it back to their dormitory to test whether this is the fabled book Tiffany spoke of. Soon after, strange things begin to happen and the girls realise that they are dealing with dark magic, but Lilian can't resist the pull of the book which could lead to danger for herself and also her friends.
Phil Hickes is a genius when it comes to writing scary books and book 1 in this series, Shadowhall Academy: The Whispering Walls, left me wanting more (you can read my review here) - it's also been a huge hit in school, with one child in my class begging me to print out Ghost Story Society from NetGalley when he heard I was reading! (I haven't, but I have promised him first read as soon as I get a physical copy). It was Saturday tea-time when I sat down to read Ghost Story Society, curled up under a blanket with the sky darkening - I wasn't certain whether I was being brave or daft, knowing how easily I get spooked! However, I was desperate to read it, so with a cushion to hide behind, I dove in!

As with The Whispering Walls, the setting immediately lends itself to a creepy read: an old boarding school with creaking and groaning as the place settles at night, and this time, the story begins at night, in the library, under candlelight as the girls congregate to tell ghost stories - it gives me chills just thinking about this! Then when school legend is added to the mix, you know that things are going to get creepy. And it really does! The thought of a book that will bring your deepest secrets to life will send chills through readers.

Publishing 13/2/25, Shadowhall Academy: Ghost Story Society is a chilling story where secrets are revealed and friendships are tested. It's guaranteed to creep you out and keep you gripped in equal measure - just make sure you have a teddy bear for company and only read it before bed if you're feeling very brave!

After reading the first instalment, I had been waiting in anticipation for a sequel. When it did not come out before Halloween, I was a tad disappointed and worried. And there it is now. It is just as brilliant as the first one. It is accessible both in terms of language used and the level of horror in the book. It is just scary enough to make you want to keep on reading, yet not so scary that you will be staying awake all night. This is the perfect horror story for its target readers.

Phil Hickes is back with another story that will make you shiver and double check dark corners before going to sleep. Ghost Story Society is the second terrifying instalment in the wonderfully creepy Shadowhall Academy series. Set in the dark, cold month of January, it’s the perfect story to read cuddled up under a blanket.

Readers rejoin Lillian, Serena, Marian & Angela at their ghostly boarding school, Shadowhall Academy. This brilliant quartet have become a lot more confident since we last spent time with them, having started their own Ghost Story Society. Sneaking out of their rooms late at night to scare each other silly with deliciously creepy tales of the supernatural leads them to much more than they bargained for. An older girl warns them of a haunted book hidden in the theatre department. Encouraging children to record their darkest secrets, this genuine witch’s spellbook brings their confidences to life in ways they never imagined.

As the girl’s dare to test the book’s magic, they realise it’s more than just a bit of fun. What starts innocently enough soon escalates to terrible danger and the scariest tea party you’ve ever seen! A secret from Lillian’s past turns sinister, teaching them all an important lesson: Don’t go looking for trouble – you just might find it!

The thrill of belonging to a secret club, sinister whispers and the threat of a dark magic taking control combine to create an utterly unputdownable book readers will devour!

I absolutely loved this book! It was the perfect level of spooky! And great for when you want a chilling mystery that has a great story running underneath it. Brilliant characters and highly recommended for anyone who enjoys MG/YA fiction!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC

This is definitely not for you if you're afraid of ghost stories! The girls at Shadowhall Academy start a ghost story telling club, but before long things get out of hand. There are spooky goings on occurring at the academy, including a bed of spiders, an imaginary friend gone wrong and too many carrots. How will they stop the final story becoming their last story?! The girls have got their work cut out, but teamwork and belief in each other will win in the end.

Sharing the news that this title was available to request on NetGalley on what seems now to be a ridiculous number of social media platforms, I was struck by how much love there is for the author’s books. Best known for his Aveline Jones series, Phil Hickes’s is now a name that is synonymous with middle grade scary reads and here, in the second of this spin-off series, he has again proved that he is at the top of his game.

Having introduced us to Aveline’s Aunt Lilian while simultaneously transporting us back to the late 1980s in Book 1, The Whispering Walls, as she spent her first term at what is possibly England’s most haunted boarding school, here we join her and her friends once more as they find themselves on another terrifying outing. Dark, incredibly creepy and leaving you guessing right up until the end as to whether or not they will all make it in one piece, here Lilian and besties Serena, Marian and Angela very innocently start up a ghost story-telling club, not imagining for one moment that this will lead to them being caught up in dark magic linked to the school’s recent history.

With the excitement of Christmas and New Year now rapidly fading, the start of the new term brings with it the cold and both dark mornings and evenings. An hour past lights out, Lilian gives the all-clear signal to her roommates before the four of them sneak out of their dorm and head to Shadowhall Academy’s library, knocking on doors as they pad down the corridor to alert some of the other girls of its being time to start the inaugural meeting of the school’s ghost story society. Once hunkered down in the library, those present share out the hot drinks and biscuits they have brought with them in anticipation of an evening to be spent sharing spooky tales.

With the meeting in full swing, those assembled are caught out by one of the prefects, Tiffany, who decides to share a story of her own, rather than grassing on them. Telling them about an old book once owned by a witch, that one of the previous teachers brought into school and which seemed to have a will of its own, Tiffany succeeds in putting the willies up the younger girls, who all head back to their rooms shortly after she leaves.

Intrigued by what they have heard, Lilian and the others wonder if there could be an element of truth to Tiffany’s story and decide to investigate. When they uncover an old book that hasn’t seen the light of day for many years, the girls immediately suspect it to be the one from the prefect’s story and set about testing out its powers. But what at first seems to be a bit of fun when they try confiding their secrets to it quickly gets out of hand when it becomes clear that the book is acting on whatever they tell it in its own sinister way. As things threaten to spiral out of control, can Lilian and the others put a stop to its actions before one of them is seriously hurt, or worse…?

After knowing no one when she joined the school in Book 1, Lilian is now firm friends with the other girls in her dorm and having survived all that that adventure brought with it, she and the others are not expecting any further supernatural encounters when we meet them here. Like many children – and indeed, many adults – the girls enjoy scaring one another through their mutual love of sharing ghost stories but here, they quickly realise that there is more to the one told at their meeting than it just being something put about to make the school seem more exciting than it really is. When they come across the book, they very swiftly learn that its powers are more than just school legend and rapidly find themselves out of their depth once they have started meddling with it.

For those picking this up, Keith Robinson’s glorious cover sets the tone of the story from the off and we are plunged into the action very early on in the story, meaning that by the time we reach the end, we are desperate to know how the story will be resolved and whether or not all of the girls will escape in one piece. Before we get to that point, there are some very scary parts of the story indeed which those who pick this up will take enormous delight in frightening themselves with.

Whether or not you have read and enjoyed the book that precedes this one or the Aveline Jones series, this is a cracking story that would work perfectly well as a standalone. I loved it and cannot wait now for a third outing for Lilian, which I hope won’t be too long in coming.

Before that, my enormous thanks must go to publisher Usborne and to NetGalley for my virtual, advance read. Shadowhall Academy: Ghost Story Society publishes 13th February.