even her petty ones - which we all have - didn't ring true) and also SO LONG to realize some things, although the book moved quickly enough that it wasn't a big deal. It’s a place beckoning both Tilly and her friend, Will, in – luring them towards secrets and ghosts: ‘It had got colder. She believes that this vision is responsible for saving her life, and quickly attributes the vision to that of Kit.

The boy appears to her in her dreams and Tilly realises that he is Kit Barrington, the heir to Frost Hollow Hall, who drowned 10 years earlier in the lake. Tilly selbst wächst in einer Familie auf, die sehr mit der Armut zu kämpfen hat und mit ihren 12 Jahren muss sie genauso zum Einkommen beitragen wie ihre ältere Schwester. She sees the image of a boy, he is beautiful and she thinks he is an angel coming to take her to heaven but he looks troubled and it seems he is trying to say something. Then she is out of the water and she knows no more until she wakes up wet and shivering in the kitchens of the grand house. Carroll's narrative voice and descriptive language set the scene and time excellently and I loved it.Insgesamt fand ich es auf jeden Fall eine sehr gut aufgebaut Geschichte, mit gruseligen Momenten und tragischen Schicksalen, die mich sehr berührt hat. It's creepy, it's imaginative, it has a delightfully determined narrator in Tilly and it's wound through with an utterly believable love story. While Will’s first impression is greatly influenced by Tilly’s mind-set I did actually like him and this only increased as the story continued. In other words, if you are looking for a book with good characterisation and an engaging storyline, this might just be the book for you. With creepy rooms, terrified maids, a house-keeper who seems to be hiding something and Lady Barrington mad with mourning, Frost Hollow Hall is a compelling read.

There doesn't seem to be a lot of Children's or YA Historical Fiction out there and this made me wish there was. For anyone who is not sure about YA, please don't let the genre put you off - this is a fantastic ghostly story that can be read and enjoyed by a wide variety of ages and, of course, it's a perfect tale for this time of year.

Elegantly descriptive with a chilling theme, this is one for a cosy night if you like a tale with a hint of darkness. It is an astonishingly good book for someone's first novel but I do think you need to be about 11 to read it. The chapters are interspersed with shorter snippets of Tilly’s dreams where you see her in contact with Kit, which gives you a clearer picture of why he is communicating with her.

Your selection was perfect for our children and what really made the difference was your ability to engage with each child, discuss their interests and help them to choose a suitable book based on your extensive knowledge of the books you were selling.Tilly might feel all alone at Frost Hollow Hall with its dark secrets and grief-stricken mistress, but in the background there is Will’s loyalty, humour and bravery – and set against Tilly’s impoverished family life and the eerie circumstances she finds herself in, that’s kinda cool. Warning – do not read this book if you have a nervous disposition; it is a seriously spooky ghost story.