Agathion College isn’t the kind of school to offer scholarships. Isolated on a remote Scottish moor it houses the problem children of the rich, powerful, and famous, teaching them philosophy, and the value of the mind over the body.
And yet, Page Whittaker is here. Invited by the Archon to join Agathion, all she wants is to fit in, to lose herself in her books, and maybe make some friends.
But not everyone here is who they say they are. And Page, running from the aftermath of a violent incident at her old school, is no exception. She has something the school wants, and she has until Samhain – her birthday – to figure it out.
Lili Wilkinson‘s Unhallowed Halls is a simply delicious piece of YA dark academia, infused with fantasy, magical realism and horror, both otherworldly and all too bloody. It’s tightly plotted, and wildly atmospheric; a home run from the Aussie author.
Page, beset by horrendous endometriosis flares and desperate to finally belong after starting over again and again, is a sympathetic and engaging lead. She fronts an interesting team of teens, the children of renowned witches and actresses and royalty, all sent to Agathion in the hopes of reforming them in some way. They’re wary of Page at first – a slight she initially puts down to her social ranking and lack of useful connections. But trust is simply hard to come by at Agathion. And with good reason.
Breadcrumbs are tantalisingly sprinkled throughout the novel, inviting both Page and the reader to speculate about what’s happening at the school. The curious graduation timelines and ceremonies. The strange curriculum and lesson plans. The philosophies guiding the school, and the faculty that try and impress them upon Page. Something is deeply, deeply amiss at Agathion – and even now, with the endgame firmly revealed to me, I’m still remembering little moments and subtle throwaways that now make sense in the grander scheme.
And what a grand scheme it is. With the scope of the plot revealed a little over two thirds in, Wilkinson goes full bore into the finale, an epic battle of souls, demons, and – for a brief, explosive, terrifyingly beautiful moment – almost cosmic horror. I barrelled through the final chapters in a single sitting, rewarded with twists, turns, and more than one opportunity for a good cry. And I took that opportunity gladly, a testament to the building of Page’s character and her burgeoning friendships that they could elicit such a response.
We’re only just over a third of the way into 2025, so it may be a little too early to call, but I might have just found my book of the year.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Lili Wilkinson’s Unhallowed Halls is out now through Allen & Unwin. Grab yourself a copy from your local bookstore HERE.
