Unhallowed Halls

Gr 9 Up–Outcast Page Whittaker accepts a scholarship to an elite boarding school deep within the moors of Scotland, after a traumatic incident at her previous school in Florida leaves her once again friendless and withdrawn. Agathion College is an unconventional school, with its curriculum focusing on classic literature and philosophy instead of the standard high school subjects. Page longs for a place to fit in and starts to believe that Agathion is that place. But her new group of friends, the staff, and school itself hold dark secrets, and she’s somehow connected to them. As her birthday rapidly approaches, Page is horrified to discover that Agathion has ties to dark magic and demons. The first half of the book is its strongest, playing into the mystery and atmosphere of dark academia. Any teenager will empathize with Page as she struggles to not only adjust to a new school but also with her ingrained fear of being too different from her peers. But as the plot unfolds and the supernatural elements are introduced, the story begins to stumble. The pacing becomes inconsistent, and there are too many plot elements—Scottish mythology, philosophy, classic literature, dark academia, and demonic lore—to take this to the deeper level the author intends. The emphasis on Page’s menstrual cycle and endometriosis diagnosis, a great opportunity to represent hidden disabilities, is instead used to justify her ability to save the world despite a severe stab wound.