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jkjoy_books's review
4.0
Thank you to the publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC.
The characters are all superbly crafted, and the plot moves along quickly. In general, I thought it was a fairly good book. Teens who enjoy a good scare will love this fascinating book!
The characters are all superbly crafted, and the plot moves along quickly. In general, I thought it was a fairly good book. Teens who enjoy a good scare will love this fascinating book!
ebright1121's review
#netgalleyarc This is the perfect fall/Halloween read. I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well written, I love the setting, and the story kept up a great pace—no super slow moments. I e read a lot of great YA a mystery and thriller titles lately and it many of them had a paranormal aspect so this was a welcome difference. A definite future purchase for my high school library.
oneanjana's review
5.0
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.
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.
z_bookfluencer's review
5.0
What Walks These Halls was a delightfully spooky and entertaining read, containing suspenseful, horrifying, and atmospheric events, and the found family trope.
How The Story Read:
The story had good pacing with intentional and well placed, slower moments of the story to lead up to more of the thrilling and chilling aspects of the story. The writing style was easy to get into and held my attention well. I did feel the conclusion of how a certain problem was solved was convenient. The conclusion of What Walks These Halls felt closed and also hinted at more possible adventures with the characters.
Characters:
The characters had relatable qualities. I felt there was great character development as well as great character relationship development for many forms of relationships.
Tropes/Themes:
One of the most prominent tropes was found family, which happens to be one of my favorites. It was endearing to see these characters strengthen their relationships. Some of the most prominent themes were accepting yourself, opening yourself up to others, and forgiveness.
Overall Thoughts:
Overall, I really enjoyed my reading experience of What Walks These Halls. I found What Walks These Halls both alluring and entertaining; I honestly have no complaints or critiques for this book. I would highly recommend it to readers who enjoy ghost and horror stories. What Walks These Halls is also a great read for the spooky season.
Content Guide: violence, fear, ghosts
Edition:
My particular edition is an Unplugged Book Box edition and is absolutely stunning.
How The Story Read:
The story had good pacing with intentional and well placed, slower moments of the story to lead up to more of the thrilling and chilling aspects of the story. The writing style was easy to get into and held my attention well. I did feel the conclusion of how a certain problem was solved was convenient. The conclusion of What Walks These Halls felt closed and also hinted at more possible adventures with the characters.
Characters:
The characters had relatable qualities. I felt there was great character development as well as great character relationship development for many forms of relationships.
Tropes/Themes:
One of the most prominent tropes was found family, which happens to be one of my favorites. It was endearing to see these characters strengthen their relationships. Some of the most prominent themes were accepting yourself, opening yourself up to others, and forgiveness.
Overall Thoughts:
Overall, I really enjoyed my reading experience of What Walks These Halls. I found What Walks These Halls both alluring and entertaining; I honestly have no complaints or critiques for this book. I would highly recommend it to readers who enjoy ghost and horror stories. What Walks These Halls is also a great read for the spooky season.
Content Guide: violence, fear, ghosts
Edition:
My particular edition is an Unplugged Book Box edition and is absolutely stunning.
spookystaircase's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
bxckysbxxks's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
lauramah95's review
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
libraryraven's review
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
isabelpasrod's review
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
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.