A review by mythicalreadsreviewer
Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson

5.0

Review of Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson

Thank you to TBR & Beyond and Delacorte Press for providing me with a digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 stars)

I absolutely loved this book! Unhallowed Halls perfectly captures the dark academia aesthetic with its eerie boarding school setting, a deeply immersive atmosphere, and a mystery that slowly unfurls into something far more sinister.

The book starts off a bit slow, but I didn’t mind because the writing was so evocative and atmospheric that I was happy to just soak it all in. As we follow Page’s arrival at Agathion, the unsettling nature of the school is evident from the start. The creeping sense of unease, the strange history of the institution, and the tightly-knit yet secretive group of friends she falls in with all build toward a deeply compelling mystery.

I really enjoyed the cast of characters, though I do wish we got a little more development for Lacey and Gideon. However, Page’s perspective is engaging, and watching her try to piece together the secrets of Agathion was so satisfying. By the halfway mark, the mystery begins unraveling rapidly, and the pacing picks up significantly. The last half of the book was impossible to put down—I flew through it in one sitting!

While the first half is steeped in moody, gothic atmosphere, the second half leans away from the dark academia vibes and hurtles straight into Lovecraftian horror. The sense of creeping dread turns into full-blown cosmic terror, and the transformation is absolutely gripping. The twists, the tension, and the unfolding of dark secrets kept me absolutely hooked.

Final Thoughts:

Unhallowed Halls is a perfect read for fans of Curious Tides and dark academia mysteries that blend atmospheric writing with sinister secrets. It delivers everything I hoped for—moody aesthetics, morally gray characters, eerie history, and a slow-burning but rewarding mystery that builds into something truly terrifying. I highly recommend this one and can’t wait to see what Lili Wilkinson writes next!

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