Sebastian Wight has always believed that he is cursed- seeing things that no one else could and keeping it to himself has been a heavy burden to bear. No longer safe, and finally realizing he is not the only one aware of the ghosts and monsters, Sebastian must head off to Gallowgate Academy if he is to survive.

This is the first KR Alexander book I have read. I enjoyed it but also felt really strong Harry Potter vibes- think "sent away to magical school that he didn't know existed because he is in danger from magical creatures."

I enjoyed it and will recommend it to my middle grade students!

The Dedication—My Heart:

‘FOR THE KIDS WHO JUST NEVER SEEM TO FIT IN. YOU WILL. I PROMISE.’

I just finished reading GALLOWGATE by K.R. Alexander, and the words that come immediately to mind are, ‘Wow! More Please!!’ I LOVE the characters and the storyline, and I hope and cannot wait to dive back into the magical realm that is GALLOWGATE—Highly Recommend!

‘Sebastian Wight was cursed.
Truly, legitimately cursed.
Not like he had bad luck. Even though he did.
Not like middle school was hard for him, though his curse definitely made it harder.
No. This was a major curse.
Like, sometimes he’d open his locker to find a floating head.’

‘Sebastian's home is no longer safe . . . and the only place that will take him in is Gallowgate Academy, where students are taught to hunt the things that haunt them.’

Reading Age: 9 -12
Grade: 4 – 7

Thank you, NetGalley and Scholastic Press, for providing me with an eBook of GALLOWGATE at the request of an honest review.

Gallowgate is Harry Potter meets Voldemort in the other-world. Bastian and his friends encounter many mysterious and dangerous ghost encounters in their first year at Gallowgate. All these incidents seem to center around Bastian. Will they be able to get to the end of it and survive their first year of school? Packed with plenty of adventure and mystery, this novel is sure to be loved by many.

After reading this and finishing it quite quickly, I must say that I have always given Alexanders' books full 5 or 4 star reviews, and though this had LGBTQ characters, it just was not one of his best.

Gallowgate is just a retelling (and though it was way better than this forementioned) of those books with a teenage boy with a strange lighting bolt birthmark on his forehead. I did not really care for why he was sent there, but the manse was incredible. Still an okay book.
3.75 stars

I've read several of K.R. Alexanders' Books and have enjoyed them and this one is no exception. The story has the perfect amount of spooks for kids and I even enjoyed it as an adult. I would reccommend this book to anyone who enjoys paranormal stories. 10/10!
Special Thank You to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sebastian Wight is a boy who sees ghosts and has dead parents, so his life isn’t the best. He’d made a few scenes about ghost so he is mocked for that. One day this one ghost becomes an issue and from there he finds about about the deeper connection to the dead that he and his family have.

He is sent to a school for people like that, that are trained to deal with ghosts and such in various forms and different ways. It takes getting used to it and while he makes some good friends, there’s secrets to uncover and a shadowy figure that is still after him.

This was pretty good. It has some standard stuff, with the whole school thing. There’s one obvious comparison, given how many others take from it. It’s not the freshest thing every but it is done well. Just having it be spooky themed makes it stand out and the world building is solid with how this school works and the various aspects of all this.

My summary didn’t quite do it justice as there is more ot the nature of the stuff, with proper names for it all. It’s done in a way that easy to get into, as the lore generally isn’t over whelming. It’s middle grade and fits nicely into that. You have some nice stuff regarding the friend group, and what Sebastian goes through.

Nothing super deep per say but it works. I liked the friends in general, he, Harold and Robyn work well together and are charming,even if they fit into the standard types. For the length, it flows well enough as we get to know this place. I wouldn’t say there’s tons of plot progression all the time, and it could be tighter In spots.

That’s just my usual issues talking though and it could have been worse on that front. It can get repetitive at times, with some back and forth but not awfully so. The main villain is a fair threat but not too much more than that, with someone else working better as a villain due to the twist involved even if they’re dealt with a bit quickly. The climax in general is fine but feels a bit quick after all the build up.

Solid wrap up, with it being open more including one teaser while still wrapping things up decently. The plot takes some interesting turns as we Sebastian finds out some secrets. It’s not the grandest version of this sort of thing but it kept it invested.

There is this thing with this boy Finlay, where they are into each other, kinda. That was honestly kinda slight, as it’s barley a thing. We get a bit of blushing and that’s it for most of it. Even as he gets a bit more important near the end, it is isn’t hugely so and they don’t deal with any feelings or whatever. That felt like a let down.

There’s clearly gonna be more, given the teaser we go so I assume some of this, including Finlay, will be dealt with more there. For now, this worked as it is. If you read this kind of thing more often than you may get less out of depending on who you are, but given what I usually do, this was sort of novel.

It’s a solid take on the ideas, bringing some fresh angles to it alongside some likable characters. It packs in enough in there and I certainly enjoyed it. I think The Collector was a bit better, as it is was just more my speed but this showed his talents as well.

I’ll read the next one when/if it comes. For now, this was solid and was certainly a neat experience for me. Don’t expect me to do these a lot as I imagine the offers will be for stuff I am less interested in but we’ll see. And yeah, that’s about it.

I have enjoyed reading all the books I've read before this one by the author.

And K.R. Alexander has impressed me once again with Gallowgate. The story is a great combination of horror and fantasy. The characters are interesting and the story is intriguing. Once you start reading this book, it will be hard to put down. It is filled with twists and turns that will keep you guessing as to what will happen next.

I highly recommend this book to fans of the author and horror fans in general.

Absolutely stunning work! I’m an adult but still have read and loved many of his children’s horror. This book gives off Harry Potter vibes big time. But that’s part of why I loved it! It’s definitely not the same story. This book summoned me with the cover and quickly I was mesmerized into Sebastian’s world. It was wonderful watching his character develop after all the terrible things and bullies he had encountered. I definitely related to that character. I think most people can see a part of themselves in him. I was beyond thrilled to get approved for the eARC!! and I’m wondering if this will be it for Bastian or will his story continue? No like for real TELL ME! because I am ready to see his next adventure! This is an absolute must read book! I loved it!!!

I absolutely loved this story! I love the descriptions of the environment and I thought that the plot was super engaging. I definitely ended up staying up way too late to finish this one! I already cannot wait for the next installment!

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.

💭Thoughts:
This was an interesting middle grade book. I have previously read two other books by this author and enjoyed both of them. They were both about creepy dolls. This story was completely different than anything I’ve previously seen by him.

The world building in this story was great. I think readers who enjoy a fantastical world full of ghosts and magical beasts will enjoy this book. The setting is very dark and gothic. Young readers will be entranced by all the spells, conjuring, and magical events taking place at Gallowgate.

The ending tied up some loose ends, but left some unanswered. I will be interested to see if this is the start of a new series.

Overall, this is a fun, magical middle grade book with string themes of friendship and being true to yourself.

Well written, exciting, intriguing, and so original. I enjoyed this as am adult ANF would have absolutely loved it as a kid.