#MMGM: Gallowgate by K.R. Alexander (Coming August 1, 2023)
REVIEW
Sebastian Wight sees ghosts. He's seen ghosts since he saw his parents died at 5-years-old. His peculiar talent makes him the target of taunting at the hands of his classmates. It's also meant a lack of friends. Only his aunt makes life bearable for Sebastian. Starting at a new school cracks open the door to making friends, but when a particularly nasty ghost starts haunting Sebastian, all hope for friends and a regular life flies out the window. After a devastating attack that Sebastian and his aunt barely manage to fight off, Sebastian is sent to the one place his aunt thinks he might be safe. Gallowgate turns out to be a supernatural school where students learn to use their magical skills to fight nasty ghosts. While Sebastian delights in finding friends for the first time in his life, he discovers that the ghost he calls 'the shadowman' still hunts him even at the school causing problems for everyone, not just himself. On top of that, he feels like the headmistress is lying to him about something, and he doesn't seem to have a knack for any of the different types of magic. A newfound crush on another boy adds to the burden that Sebastian, now called Bastian by his roommate, finds himself facing. After discovering a talent for a now forbidden branch of magic, Bastian finds himself and his friends searching for answers before he loses everything.
Sebastian's situation inspired feelings of empathy. The poor kid desperately wants friends and to find a place he belongs, but seeing ghosts doesn't help him in that regard. Once he finally finds a place he feels like he belongs, he still struggles to understand what's going on and why 'the shadowman' continues to hunt him. One of the best aspects of the story relates to the friendships he develops. Everyone needs such awesome friends! The lack of answers to his questions kept me turning pages rapidly. The compelling twists as Sebastian discovers his hidden/forbidden abilities and stumbles across a way to learn how to use them. The school itself made for an intriguing character as well as a setting. The school building seems to have a bit of a mind of its own as it sends the students out to fight ghosts. The magical school trope feels fresh here with the emphasis on the dark and disgusting underworld as students learn to fight ghosts and return them to the underworld. With plenty of questions left unanswered, hopefully there will be more stories to come. For young readers who enjoy plenty of creep mixed in with their magical school, this tale full of action and tension makes for a compelling read.
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