Gallowgate by K.R. Alexander. Scholastic Press, 2023. 9781338806519
Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5
Format : ARC (publication date 8/1/23)
Genre : Horror
What did you like about the book? Sebastian Wright is cursed. Not because his hair is stark white or because he has no friends, but because he can see things. Ghostly things. Ever since his parents died, Sebastian can see ghosts plain as day, and his seemingly random outbursts at spotting a grotesque specter make him the freak of his school. And even though he desperately wants friends, sixth grade will be no different from before: With him ostracized, shunned, and friendless. Even the ghosts don’t acknowledge his presence.
Until they do. Suddenly, the ghosts are too interested in Sebastian. One in particular, the shadowman, with a tall, dark body and porcelain mask, is out for blood, and Sebastian has no idea why. With his home no longer safe, his aunt sends him to a secret school of the occult and workings of the dead: Gallowgate Academy for AEtheric Arts. There, students learn how to hunt the creatures of the underworld, using different abilities like summoning and banishing, conjuring, alchemy, and necromancy. All this may sound too deadly for 12-year-olds, but Sebastian can hardly wait. For once in his life, he will have friends, real friends, who understand him. But Sebastian’s new life will not be so simple. Gallowgate’s studies are more difficult than Sebastian anticipated, and his classmates’ abilities soon soar above his. He also discovers a secret ability within himself, a power that no one else has, and one the teachers will do anything to erase. On top of that, the shadowman is not so easily deterred by the school’s wards, and more ghosts keep infiltrating the school at an alarming rate. Sebastian needs to find a way to pass his classes, figure out his bizarre powers, and stop the shadowman, or else he might end up in the underworld for good.
Gallowgate is an eerie, ghost-filled, magic-school story of a loner boy who must struggle with fitting in, finding friends, and escaping near-death experiences, literally. The book is Harry Potter but horror, with death-based magic replacing more fantastical wizardry. All aspects of the writing are wonderful and well done: The world-building of Gallowgate and the four pillars of its arts are intriguing and specific, harkening on classic horror tropes and abilities. The ghosts and creatures that Sebastian meets are both terrible and fascinating in how they interact (or antagonize) the students. Dialogue is sharp and natural, blending well with intense action scenes that leave your heart racing. Sebastian (or Bastian) is a great protagonist; Readers will watch him struggle with secrets and trust, navigating friendships, and evading death. He is smart and brave even in the toughest moments and develops from a fearful, awkward kid into someone who will fight to save those he loves. His new friends, Harold, and later Robyn, are great support characters, especially Harold, whose charming and funny personality both contrasts and compliments Bastian’s shaky mood. Sebastian and Robyn are White, Harold is Black, and other characters are diverse. Overall, this is a start of a haunting horror tale that will leave you terrified, yet wanting to read more.
Anything you didn’t like about it? No!
To whom would you recommend this book? Kids who like Harry Potter and/or also like horror and ghost stories. Nevermoor by Jessica Townshed, Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh, The School of Good and Evil by Soman Chainani, City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab, and The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud are good read-alikes.
Who should buy this book? Middle schools and public libraries
Where would you shelve it? J Fiction or J Horror
Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? If you like horror & magic schools
Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Laila Carter, Cheltenham Township Library System, Glenside, PA
Date of review: July 30, 2023
All Rights Reserved Book Blog