A prickling sensation grew on the back of her neck, spreading up her scalp. It was the feeling of being watched. She whirled to face the doorway but it was empty.

Raven O'Sullivan doesn't remember what happened in Hyacinth House five years ago. When her father died during a paranormal investigation there, everyone said it was an accident, but she's pretty certain it's her fault.

Her brother, Archer, wasn't there that night. When asked to investigate the supposed ghost of Hyacinth House, he can't resist saying yes. Even if his sister wants nothing to do with it.

Eabha McLoughlin has grown up seeing and hearing things no one else does. Now that she's starting college, she finally has the freedom to find out why. The daring Archer and his eclectic team seem like a good place to start.

But everyone has their secrets, and they all lead back to Hyacinth House ...

About the Author
Amy is a writer from Dublin, Ireland. Her non-fiction writing is often on the theme of chronic illness and identity, and has been featured in Sonder Literary Magazine, Rogue, and Dear Damsels. What Walks These Halls is her debut novel. It was shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards Teen & Young Adult Book of the Year 2023 and the Yoto Carnegies 2023. She can generally be found by the sea, drinking coffee, talking about her dog or asking people what their favourite ghost story is.

Reviews

There is a creeping dread in What Walks These Halls by Amy Clarkin that builds with each page, absolutely loving it, very sharp YA for your shelves

-- Lucas Maxwell, former UK Librarian of the Year

Deliciously creepy debut YA title.. An eerie abandoned mansion, a malevolent spirit, family secrets, paranormal investigators, secrets revealed...gorgeous, gothic & utterly gripping. If you liked Wednesday, you'll love it!

-- The Bookaneer

A great start to a new series that is as much about friendship, love, and found family as it is about the paranormal

-- Children's Books Ireland in the Irish Examiner

a thriller story about a band of young investigators who are determined to discover the truth about a haunted house in their neighbourhood. Clarkin has created a wonderfully diverse group of characters with rooted backstories that makes them altogether relatable and each one of them unique. She has a real talent for building tension from one chapter to the next, making it next to impossible to put this book down. With the door left open for a potential sequel, this could be the beginning of series ideal for thrill-seekers. Recommended for ages 12 and up

-- Irish Examiner

What Walks these Halls will warm your heart while chilling you to the bone. A thoroughly gripping story, of ghosts, legacy and chosen family. I adored it

-- Deirdre Sullivan

this debut has all the ingredients that fans of the genre will love - an eerie, abandoned mansion, a truly malevolent spirit, family secrets and a team of young paranormal investigators. But it also has a wonderfully diverse group of relatable characters with credible backstories and the novel becomes as much about friendship, love, and found family as it is about the paranormal. Skilfully told from multiple points of view ... There is a real creeping sense of building menace, and one genuinely fears for the outcome for these engaging protagonists. The character dynamics are so enjoyably portrayed that I am sure readers would be delighted if this exciting debut developed into a series

-- Joy Court, Lovereading4kids

OMG Wayfarers! I LOVED this book! If you know me, you know that I love a good scary story/thriller, especially when it's done well. And Amy honestly knocked it out of the park with this debut. I was transported into the story through Amy's storytelling and loved every second. It felt as if I was there alongside the characters trying to get to the bottom of the mystery of Hyacinth House ... I also thoroughly enjoyed all the representation within the storyline. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in reading ghost stories, especially if they want ones based in Irish lore. I'll absolutely be looking out for future releases from Amy Clarkin. This novel has proved her talent for storytelling and building a multi-layered plot line to keep readers interested ... fantastic

-- WayfaringBiblio

deliciously dark

-- @Serendipity_Viv

one of the best ghost stories you'll read this year ... Readers are sure to feel as invested in the characters as Amy is, and there's an opening for them to return to solve more ghostly cases. Amy would love that and, as she points out, ghosts are having a moment right now. At one point in the book, Raven's mother says that Ireland is a haunted country, and there's certainly no shortage of inspiration for her, whether from the cultural scars on the country - from colonisation to the famine right up to stories of the Magdalen laundries - to the thousands of ghosts haunting hotels and castles

-- Books for Keeps

PSI, like many fictional organisations dealing with the supernatural, is more than just a company: it is a family, and a space that particularly welcomes those who, like Eabha, have been shunned by their family of origin. Clarkin, whose non-fiction writing has included explorations of disability, chronic illness and sexuality, handles inclusivity with a gentle touch. These young people may be growing up in a haunted Ireland, but they have already cast out any sense that the unfamiliar or different is to be feared - in part, of course, because being associated with "weird" things has already made them outsiders. This spooky novel has some sinister elements (certain chapters are best read with the light left on), but it is also endearingly hopeful and wholesome

-- Irish Times

The plot whips along at a cracking rate and each of the characters is beautifully drawn. Older teens who enjoy a good scare will love it

-- Irish Independent

Part coming of age story, part family trauma, part supernatural mystery...ALL gripping and chilling; it's simply excellent...As the story unfolds across the pages, it sucks the reader in. Its dark nature builds and builds with a pervasive tension (relieved but sparks of humour, thank goodness...they are much needed) that carries you through to a nail-biting, breath-taking finale. Superb timing, incredible writing, genuine emotion, suspenseful and honestly...one of the most frightening books I have read in ages. And yes, I will read it again

-- Fallen Star Stories

an interesting, modern take on a paranormal story following a handful of different characters, each with their own unique personality that shines throughout the story ... What Walks These Halls is Amy Clarkin's debut novel and I am looking forward to seeing more of her fiction in the future. She handles relationships, social dynamics and character building in a highly engaging and relatable way

-- Hanna-Rose Sullivan * Paper Lanterns *

a spooky book with amazing ghosts and funny characters ... will keep you on the edge of your seat

-- BotsBookShelf

The novel's small cast of main characters becomes ever more closely knit, not only through their mutual connections to the house, but their various burgeoning relationships, which simmer so intensely that they threaten to overpower the paranormal plotline ... a chiller with cinematic echoes of the Hammer House of Horror and has all the spooky ingredients required for torchlit reading by those whose imaginations thrive on things that go bump in the night

-- The Echo

a YA horror with some genuinely terrifying moments and a strong ghost haunting to propel the action. This heart-in-your-throat horror will leave you sleeping with the lights on

-- @scorpiobookdreams

This chilling tale will leave the reader with goosebumps, but they will not be able to put it down

-- Children's Books Ireland's Annual Reading Guide 2023


Awards
Short-listed for Great Reads Awards 2023 (Ireland) and International Education Services TEEN AND YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE YEAR in honour of John Treacy 2023 (Ireland). Nominated for Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing 2023 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9781788493734
Author Amy Clarkin
Format Paperback
Page Count 384
Imprint O'Brien Press Ltd
Publisher O'Brien Press Ltd
Weight(grams) 308g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 130mm * 24mm