This book knows how to build tension and i found myself completely on edge for most of the book. The plot is twisty and unpredictable and constantly took me by surprise or left me shocked. The imagery was beautiful and kept me engrossed until the end. The supernatural elements were intriguing and well fleshed out and the character development made Nelly feel like a real person. I highly recommend this for anyone who like dark supernatural, adventure coming of age stories!

Thank you so much to Netgalley & the publisher for this review copy! I am so looking forward to this and to writing a full review on my social media when I am able! Thanks again!

Somthing I really liked about the way this story was writted was the "show not tell" way that the author gave details to the reader. I feel like so often, readers get information dumped on them and in The Ghosts of Nothing, there was a very natural and organic way of learning about the characters and their histories and origins that was very original and fresh.

I absolutely loved the cover and the plot and even though there are areas that I enjoyed, unfortunately I am not fully satisfied with the whole story.

• First, I felt the bullying suffered by the main lead Nelly, was overdone. Each and every one, her schoolmates, every person in town, even her own grandmother and somewhat her mother as well... are seen to be hard on her. There is no one for her to rely on.. and the characters' miss depth on development.

• Second, I did love the world building but it was not explored vastly. Here, I feel it may have kept open-ended as it is a part of a series and it will be explored more in the next books to come.

The imaginary in this book is so refreshing and powerful. I've read a lot of fairy related books but this one was really stood out. I'll definitely be buying it once it comes out.

Part ghost story, part fairy story, this was a really enjoyable read for me! Nelly's family has been blamed for the hauntings in town for hundreds of years. Interesting characters, especially Nelly, and a intriguing plot kept the story paced nicely. Reminds me of Holly Black's style of story/writing. I was especially happy in the author's notes at the end of the book that there is a second book coming!

Thank you Netgalley and Cecily Walters for the ARC!

#TheGhostsofNothing #NetGalley

The story is about a young girl named Nelly, who is a descendant of the founding family in which the town she lives in is named for. It is said that the town is cursed. Her mother has disappeared and father is in a psychiatric hospital therefore she lives with her Grandmother. One night she notices a light in the abandoned house,... an exact duplicate of the main farmhouse and she sneaks over to investigate. This is the beginning of how Nelly discovers who she is and why her family is treated the way that they are.

This book was a fascinating read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

This was a charming debut, suitable for middle grade readers and up. Reminiscent of Holly Black's earlier works, being an urban fantasy featuring fairies reminiscent of Irish folklore. Looking forward to the sequel.

A really great and intriguing read. I loved the characters and the story. Will look out for more from this author.

Truly enjoyed this story. It had a little of everything I love in YA fantasy ~ fae, magic, chaos, revenge, mysterious happenings. It’s beautifully told with unique magical ideas.

Thank you to NetGalley and Cecily Walters for the opportunity to read rate and review this arc which has been available since July 18,2023!

Everyone knows to never trust the fae. It is widely known fact!

The Ghosts of Nothing is a town that is haunted. But not by ghosts. But by the fae or fairies. This blends horror and fantasy and traditional Irish folklore into a truly creepy book. I enjoyed it. Nelly was a great main character to follow through the story. The pacing was steady. Characters were well rounded. The suspense and tension was palatable.

I loved this, a real "fairy tale"! It is pure blissful fantasy and fun. Nelly is a great character and Nothing a fascinating place with a colourful checkered past. Add to that fairies, ghosts and stories of hauntings and the you embark on a fantastic journey. Fae and spirits and legends from the past this is a great and engrossing tale.

I loved this book! I got completely caught up in a world with fairies and lost myself in the fairy world itself, although I'm not sure I'd like to visit. Maybe for the scenery. The characters are fantastic, and Nelly is an interesting character to spend your time with. The lore of Nothing and Nelly's ancestors is sad, but it made the ending even more impactful. I loved the addition of some sapphic romance sprinkled in, too!

I highly recommend this book.

The Ghosts of Nothing is such a great book. I went into this pretty much not knowing what to expect and I loved it. The story is about Nelly and how she is treated by her community and finding out about fairies. She is a great main character, smart, strong, and funny. The other characters were very well done as well, the fairies were interesting and I can't wait to learn more about Doed, Jack, and the gang. And while the townsfolk were horrible, the characters were very well done. I enjoyed watching Bianca at the end of the book, I hope she stays nice. While it was a tiny bit slow at the very beginning, it flew by. I like this author's writing style, she really knows how to tell a story. I can't wait to read more!

The town of Nothing is haunted......or so its citizens believe. Sixteen-year-old Nelly Morighan is skeptical of the stories, and for good reason.

This was a very well-written story that blends ghosts with the fae. Loved it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley, Cecily Walters and Victory Editing for this ARC.

Nelly Morrighan is a 16 year-old who has been been bullied all her life by her classmates, teachers and townspeople. She learns more about herself and her family's history in the town of Nothing.

I felt this book started off really well, the first chapter itself was captivating. The world-building was great, I was able to vividly imagine the fairy world and events taking place. However, I didn't like how she just randomly started liking one of the guys at school when he was also such a bully and the other love interests seemed weird too. I felt there were some things we still didn't know so hopefully we'll find out more in the next book.

Good or bad is a choice we must all make, day to day, hour to hour. It's never simple or obvious; it's usually difficult.”

The Ghosts of Nothing is the first book in the fantasy series The Weird and the Wicked and it’s based on traditional Irish fairy mythology.

I absolutely love this cover for this book and the blurb sounded amazing however sadly I didn’t love the story as much.

While the genre of the book stated it was a young adult book I found it to be more of an older mid grader book. It wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be due to the cover and the characters' thoughts, conversations and actions were dreamlike. Most of the descriptions in the story were told and not shown.

Another thing that got me was the amount of times the main protagonist Nelly blackened out or fell asleep at the end of each chapter, waking up surrounded by “powder” and the powder magically disappearing.

I did feel sorry for Nelly, with the amount of bullying she suffered due to the rumours told about her family heritage. At times I felt the bullying was overdone and thus making the bullying not as believable.

While this story wasn’t my cup of tea, it quite possibly be yours.

Thank you Netgalley and Victor Editing for the digital copy of The Ghosts of Nothing by Cecily Walters for reviewing purposes.

Loved this book so much I read it in one sitting! The characters were amazing, the storyline has lots of twists and turns keeping me interested throughout and wanted to know more! Hopefully this is a series because I’d love to see where it could go!

With a riveting prologue, this book turns a potentially dark story into a tryst with fairies who keep getting distracted, and a girl who has no idea what's going on- and that doesn't change for most of the book. Even at halfway through, the plot has barely an idea of where it's going.

Very young adult. Not scary.

The life of Nelly was something truly captivating. She was a relatable teenager and so so brave. Nelly is part of a family that is believed to be cursed and they are outcasts in the town of Nothing. Nelly goes on an adventure to save her Grandmother and many others. I first heard about this book through the author’s Youtube channel and was so happy and grateful to get an ARC of this amazing book. I can’t wait for book 2 and to see Nelly again!!