Faith Fawcett's latest YA release! The perfect coming-of-age with a sapphic twist!
“It doesn’t matter what anybody else thinks. What matters is that I love you and you love me”Ellie-Mae, sixteen and nervous after moving schools in exam year, becomes fast friends with boy-obsessed Sasha. She can be a little bit crazy and hectic but there’s just something about her… Something different.
As the two girls become closer, caught up in a three-hundred year old mystery, feelings begin to blossom. But, ‘hanging out’ doesn’t feel so simple anymore, not when mere touches send flickers of butterflies into Ellie’s stomach.
But she’s never liked a girl before, let alone been in love.
Uncover has been a project for ten years but this particular edition took on a whole new life, with so many complexities that I never thought it possible. I really do hope you enjoy your time at Beaumont Boarding School with Ellie-Mae, Sasha and Rhi as much as I did <33
I had such a fun time reading this, and I have to give the biggest thanks to the lovely Faith Fawcett for letting me provide some developmental edits to an earlier draft and then sending me an ARC - I'm always so honoured to be a part of your projects, and I can't wait to see how you grow and develop as a writer in the YA space! I know I would've adored it in my 'My Sister Jodie' days, and I beg you to write more books with a historical twist, as it makes such a difference - definitely very Sue Cunningham in style!
A coming-of-age book set in one of my favourite northern towns, the lovely Scarborough, 'Uncover' focuses on Ellie-mae Davies, a fifteen-year-old girl sent to boarding school on the cliffs after her parents go through a messy divorce. Chaotic and energetic and in slight need of calming down, Ellie-mae is a character you genuinely feel sorry for... her best friend from home has been ghosting her all summer, her family has fallen apart, and she can't quite figure out what she did wrong.
The book takes us on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance, as Ellie-mae welcomes feelings for her new friend Sasha and starts to question her own sense of self, falling deeply in love and looking back on the past, trying to unpick where her old life failed. At the same time, we're faced with a strange mystery from three hundred years ago, when a teenage girl living in the house was found dead... her legacy living on through ghost stories and whispers in the walls, giving a similar vibe to Jacky Wilson's 'The Girl Who Wasn't There' - which is one of my favourite books. Mirabella Beaumont's cause of death is somewhat ambiguous, but Sasha in particular feels a strong pull to solve the mystery... and do Mirabella justice.
One of my favourite things about the book was its sense of time, and the way we're dragged through the seasons, with Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas all so closely linked with one another, ice skating and dressing up such a big part of the book. This is something I felt was missing from Faith's previous books, so it was a pleasure to see it more here, and I hope it's something she continues! I also adored how real the characters felt, particularly Rhi and Sasha, and I hope we revisit them in future books...
I also loved the setting, of course, though I wish we could have seen more of Scarborough and its setting on the Yorkshire coast, as it seems to lose its sparkle for Ellie-mae pretty quickly, and we miss out on so many gorgeous descriptions of the town's immense skyline! It would've been fun to learn more about the other students and the grounds of the school, too, so maybe we will in future books... who knows!
The main reason I personally rated this one a little lower than a book such as 'Lost For You' is because it felt a little younger than YA, maybe aimed at younger teens. The mystery wasn't super believable, though I think this is because I mostly read YA mysteries, and they tend to be quite gritty! It would've been impossible to create compelling evidence that would have survived for 300 years inside the boarding school, so I do completely understand why it was written that way. I'd honestly love to see Faith tackle something with an older feel to it in the future, similar to her YA debut 'Lost For You'... or perhaps even attempt contemporary middle grade in the style of Jacqueline Wilson, etc! I'm sure we should all watch this space...
If you love boarding schools, coming-of-age stories and history, this one is for you, and I truly do recommend it, especially if you grew up with books like 'My Sister Jodie' and the show 'House of Anubis'. I'm honestly so excited to see where Faith takes her interest in historical fiction in the future, and I can't wait to read more from this world. Congrats on a wonderful release!
i loved this book so freaking much i definitely recommend to anyone looking for such a BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL book omg. the setting is amazing and THE CHARACTERS literally made me tear up🥹 and with all of this theres a little mystery woven in between and i thought that was incredible! everyone go read this nowww!!!!!
First off, I want to say that writing and publishing a book is an incredible achievement. It takes so much dedication and heart to put your story out into the world, and I truly admire that. I also really appreciate seeing more sapphic representation in young adult fiction — that visibility matters, and it's great to see it becoming more common in the genre.
That said, this one wasn’t quite for me. The book is pitched as a coming-of-age sapphic YA surrounding a historical mystery but I found the plot and characters lacked the depth I was hoping for. The mystery element felt underdeveloped — each clue or problem was introduced and resolved almost immediately, leaving little room for tension or suspense. I found myself wanting more build-up and payoff from the story.
Character conflicts were similarly brief and low-stakes. Moments that could have explored meaningful emotions or relationship dynamics were quickly brushed aside, making it difficult to connect with or invest in the characters.
The writing style is clearly aimed at a younger teen audience, and while I understand the desire to reflect a 15-year-old's voice, the narration was filled with current slang (like “it’s giving” or “I was legit triggered”) that pulled me out of the story. While this may appeal to some readers, it came across as overly juvenile for me personally.
Around the halfway point, I also noticed a drop in editing quality. There were quite a few formatting issues and spelling mistakes that disrupted the flow of the reading experience — something I hope will be addressed before the final publication.
Overall, I think this could be a great stepping stone for readers in the 12–14 age range who are just starting to explore contemporary fiction. It’s light, fast-paced, and easy to follow. While it didn’t quite land for me as an older reader, I do think it has its place and could resonate with the right audience.
I received this as an arc but through the stress of uni work and deadlines I only just finished it. I loved it! This gorgeous book is a mix of coming of age at a boarding school, mystery and historical fiction featuring powerful female friendships and first love! All the settings were so vividly and vibrantly described and the mystery made me want to keep reading throughout! Ellie Mae was such a brilliant narrator and Rhi and Sasha were beautifully written too. Ellie’s mum was also such a brilliant character and I loved reading scenes about her.
Uncover by Faith Fawcett is a self-discovery journey as much as it is a story of three friends unraveling the century old mystery that their boarding school is shrouded in. It is perfect for fans of the show House of Annubis OR the book Truly Devious.
I flew through this in a matter of a few days and found myself invested in both the story and the romantic subplot. While our main character, Ellie May, initially came across almost too mature for 16, she definitely read more her age as we progressed through the story. I could see teenage girls really enjoying the writing style where we get to see Ellie May’s thoughts. I also felt like the girls perhaps trusted Ellie too quickly. Having said this, I am going off how I was at 15/16 so this is totally just based on my opinion.
It would be so cool and interesting to get a bit more closure on our mystery or rather an extra chapter at the end perhaps from the point of view of the person who was involved in it.
Overall though, I really enjoyed this and definitely think it’s a great book for both YA and adult readers (be prepared for the YA writing style in the form of girly thoughts) and it tackles some very important themes in a delicate manner. I could definitely see younger girls picking this up (I’m talking 14ish) and it helping them see that maybe their own friends are also going through things that they hadn’t even noticed. Especially since Ellie definitely did read like she was a teenager in her last year of school/GCSE’s once she arrived at the boarding school.
I will definitely be looking to read more of Faith’s work in the future!
So the reason I wanted to read this book is because I follow Faith on tiktok and saw her advertise this story and thought this would absolutely be right up my alley. Friends, I'm not going to lie, I'm a little 50/50 with this book. First let's talk about the good. This book is incredibly stinking cute. As y'all know I love a queer book with good female friendship, and the friendship dynamic between these characters is so good most of the time. The mystery that they were trying to solve really kept me on the edge of my seat throughout most of the book, and I was rooting for them to get the answers that they deserved. The characters were very fun and relatable, and were so easy to empathise with. Now for the downside, as much as the friendship dynamic between the characters was good most of the time, the lack of communication in some chapters did not make sense considering they were actually so good at communicating with each other in other chapters. I left the book feeling slightly disappointed that we didn't have all the answers and truly felt like the girls would not have stopped there considering the momentum of the rest of the book. Do I think this was a cute light queer YA mystery to get into? Yes. Do I also wish there was more answers and depth to the story than there was? Also yes. Will this stop me reading any more of Faith's books? Absolutely not, I will be picking up another the moment I'm back up to date with my ARCs. I just think I went into this book expecting more than I should have, and that's honestly on me.
Little edit to the review: I have upped this to 4 stars as I did not realise this was gonna be a series!! Which now 100% makes sense as to why the questions were not fully answered. And I cannot wait to see the next in the series!
WOW. For some reason I still find myself hesitant about reading YA books but this was a really really good book. The pacing of this book was perfect, allowing a reader to come to terms with each character and the dynamics between them. As always, the writing style was impeccable and the scene-building was gorgeous! I live for the boarding school aesthetic and this was presented FLAWLESSLY. This book dealt with so many themes integral to adolescence and each was presented so carefully yet imperfect, realistic and so enchanting. Specifically the theme of sexuality throughout the book and self-discovery was brilliant, standard for a coming of age novel though represented so well in this book. All I could think while reading is just how beneficial this book would be for a younger reader (12-17) since it was such a realistic novel which would definitely offer reassurances to people of that age group, making it 100% a five star read. The lack of linear relationship progression, the complexity of relationships, and the parallels between the two sapphic couples elevated this book making it a must-read for anyone who enjoys LGBTQIA+ fiction and YA. And if not, the mystery was really intriguing and, although a less extravagant resolution, very interestingly resolved and the little plot twist? Loved it! Overall a definite 5 stars from me as it was an amazing book beautifully presented, suffused with realism and an intriguing subplot of mystery, history and romance.
This is such a beautiful coming-of-age and self-discovery story that honestly just celebrates GIRLS and girls loving girls 🥹
I loved how real the characters felt. They were very typical teenage girls and it felt so nostalgic reading their excitable conversations and gentle banter. Faith captures this voice so incredibly well and it definitely made me feel very nostalgic.
They also had been through a lot - especially Ellie and Sasha. Darker topics that many young adults go through, like difficult home lives and low self-esteem, were explored in a realistic but sensitive way. It helped me to understand the characters and how they communicated.
My favourite thing about this book however was how the storyline of the mystery the girls try to solve is echoes their own experiences. I think it's such a gorgeous reminder of how people even hundreds of years ago had the same experiences and thoughts and feelings. ahhh I loved it!!
The ending to the mystery did feel a little rushed and unresolved. I would've liked a bit more on it but it was still a really intriguing part of the story.
And finally (because I could talk about this book FOREVER) I loved the setting. I've always loved boarding school books and this is definitely no exception! and the fact it's in Scarborough too just felt really nostalgic and lovely.
This book had everything you could want in it, a little bit of mystery, self discovery, friendship and plenty of ups and downs.
Seeing Ellie-Mae start a new school far away from her mum only to instantly make friends and get the friendship group she’s always wanted definitely put a smile on my face, you could tell she was so grateful for what she had. Especially given her past with her dad.
I loved the added mystery of what happened to Mirabella, I really didn’t know what the trio was going to find next. I’m not usually a mystery reader but this was a nice gradual entry into it. I really couldn’t put the book down as I just wanted to find out what happened.
Yes this book is aimed at teens/YA so bare in mind when reading, it has definitely captured the essence of being a teenage girl in the good and the not so great ways. There is lot of teenage experiences covered in the book that most people may relate too and it just makes you feel good knowing that it all worked out for the trio.
The only thing I didn’t think it needed was Sasha’s eating disorder/struggle with eating. I feel it was only mentioned a few times in the second half of the book and didn’t really add much to the story overall *. I understand that to be true to teenage experiences they obviously have multiple things going on at once but it just seemed like another thing being thrown at a character.
However I definitely will be reading more of Faith’s Books!
*edit, this will be explored in Sasha’s own book, so I’m looking forward to read this addition
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I’ll be honest, the execution of this wasn’t my favourite. The tone wasn’t what I expected, however I can imagine that it would be enjoyable to a younger age bracket, it just wasn’t quite right for me and at first this kind of put me off.
The plot in places felt slightly rushed: a problem was introduced then solved rather quickly and it didn’t leave that much room for tension. And for the first half I’ll be honest I didn’t really understand why they were doing all this mystery thing, it didn’t quite make sense to me.
That being said, from the 40% mark this really picked up for me and I did start to get lost in it. I wanted to explore the world just as much as the characters did, and I found Ellie-Mae and Sasha’s relationship really quite realistic for year 11 girls. It didn’t feel forced at all. And I found myself wanting to read it all as quickly as possible just to discover more facts too.
Whilst this wasn’t a favourite for me, I can totally seeing it being a really good fit for a slightly younger audience, giving younger queer people characters they can look up to.
A beautiful quote from this which I feel is good to share:
“And all i have to say is: girls have always loved girls and isn’t that such a beautiful thing.”
I loved Uncover!! I could not stop smiling during most of this book and it just felt so comforting. It was fun to read and it being set in a historic boarding school by the seaside made it feel really cozy. The writing style was like being in a teenager’s head, I’ve never read something similar to this before yet I really enjoyed it. The book was very easy to follow and an easy read overall.
The three main characters: Rhi, Sasha and Ellie-mae all felt very real. They all have realistic imperfections and insecurities which made them relatable and more enjoyable to read about. I love how they speak like actual teenagers aswell; some YA books make teenagers speak like adults but in this one they all spoke like realistic teenagers which I think is really important in a book. I loved all the references to tv shows and games! I also really liked Ellie-mae’s flashbacks as we got to learn more about her past and how it affects her now.
I really liked the mystery subplot! The trio had me hooked in Mirabella’s story and had me wanting to uncover her past and bring justice to her story aswell. I loved how the mystery was closely related to Ellie and Sasha which made it feel so much more special and important. A spin-off book about Mirabella and Sophia’s story would be amazing.
This book is great for teenagers discovering more about themselves, experiencing their GCSEs or just someone who would like a comforting, easy read. I would definitely recommend!! :)
Thank you to Faith for sending me an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars ❤️
Okay so firstly, 3.5 stars in my book is not a ‘bad’ book. And I genuinely did really enjoy it. It really reminded me of the types of books I read when I was a teenager, and it was super, super nostalgic in tone. I described it in a video review on my TikTok as ‘if Jacqueline Wilson’s writing style, and the plot of Malory Towers had a baby’ and then this would be Uncover. The only gripes I had with it were the tendency to rely a lot of exposition particularly concerning Ellie-Mae’s lesbian identity.
Within the first 150 pages it’s made very obvious that Ellie-Mae likes girls, through repeating similarly phrased pieces of inner dialogue in quick succession, which can come off as being quite repetitive at points. But, at the same time, I do see why this has been done as Ellie-Mae’s confusion about her identity plays a major role in the narrative.
In addition I feel as if the mystery portion of this plot could have been better developed. It felt very low stakes. I was invested in it, don’t get me wrong, however I unfortunately guessed a lot about what was going to happen next.
Having said all of this, however, I would still very much recommend the book, as I really enjoyed the Sapphic representation and genuinely think that if I had this sort of Sapphic representation as a teenager reading this book then it would have been so valuable! I also do think that the reasonings behind the pursuit of information about Mirabella was an awesome way to approach it and the writing was fun too! I also think that my perspective on it as an older reader is maybe why I didn’t gel with the narrative as much as a younger teen reader would. So I would for sure recommend it in particular for a younger teen reader!
I had such a fun time reading this and could barely put it down! It gave all of the vibes that I was looking for and was well executed! Our main characters Ellie-Mae, Rhi and Sasha are all very well fleshed out and you can feel their bond through the page. As a teen I adored House of Anubis and this really did give similar feelings, with the mystery, the secrets and the girls sneaking around. If you love mystery, ‘haunted’ boarding schools and teenage friendships you will love this. There are so many hard topics (self-acceptance, divorce, cheating, family relationships, homophobia etc.) which are handled really well and I could feel the emotions of the characters throughout. It really feels like you’re going through it with them and Faith has handled everything with such care too. I’d 100% recommend if you’re looking for a fun and fast read with some deeper undertones! And now I need to go and watch House of Anubis again!!!
This book was so beautifully written and I enjoyed it very much! Not only was the mystery side of it interesting, and kept me waiting for more. But small things in the book that kept me waiting and making me end up loving these characters a great deal. Faith has done such an amazing job of an exploration of self-identity and how messy and confusing this may be which I have never read done as well as it was done in this book. Each of the characters are beautifully written and each unique in their own ways with their own backgrounds and troubles which are also written beautifully. This book is the perfect YA novel as it is captivating with a brilliant storyline, as well as brilliant characters and its diversity!
This book was unlike anything I have read before but it DID NOT DISSAPPOINT! It was a quick, easy and fun read. I love the friendship among Rhi, Sasha and Ellie. The way that they are all there for each other and accept each other so unconditionally is beautiful to read. The self-discovery journey these girls went through and the support they gave each other was amazing. The characters seemed so human and realistic. This book gave me Mallory Towers vibes which I loved. I would definately recommend reading this book.
My only critique is that the editing was a bit unpolished and some sentences simply didnt make sense.
Uncover is a cosy YA book set in a boarding school The writing is very stylised, and definitely has done a good job of emulating a teenage girl. The friendships and inner monologues felt spot on, and the whole thing felt realistic in that it maybe wasn’t the happy ending that Ellie—Mae wanted, but it was all tied up nicely anyway. This was an enjoyable read for sure!
I would have enjoyed it more if the stakes were a little bit higher, and the tension was built for a bit longer. We got lots of hints and mentions about Lilly but we didn’t get the dramatic reveal as I expected, and the major fall out was patched over quite quickly.
Uncover is a YA coming of age sapphic with historical mystery. Overall I did enjoy this book, it's marketed as YA and it did fit into this category. The conflicts and mysteries were simpler than other books I have read and I found this made it a quick read and nicely paced. I will always support growing diversity in books and I would have loved to have read a book like this when I was younger, it has the ability to help and guide younger adults (I would say 12-16). Ellie-Mae and Sasha were loveable characters and I loved the setting of Yorkshire so much. Pacing was good, overall 3.5 stars!
I was lucky enough to be sent an advanced copy of this book so thank you to the author for this opportunity. Uncover is a book I enjoyed. I really liked the 3 main characters and their relationships as a group and individually. I enjoyed the LGBTQ+ elements of the book and felt they were well written and realistic, especially for teenagers still figuring things out. I did find the mystery part of the book a little rushed and not entirely established. I wanted more from it. That being said, I did like the book and would give it 3.5 stars if I could.
What can I say about this novel!? I cannot scream enough how much this healed my inner teenager.
Following Ellie-Mae’s story of self discovery in the seaside town of Scarborough which I’ve visited many a times throughout my life was honestly the sweetest story. With a mix of mystery surrounding the innocent young girl, Mirabella, who “died” in the very same building where Ellie-Mae is now at boarding school was the most amazing twisty dark subplot of this book.
100% recommend picking this gorgeous coming of age story, I’ll be reading more of Faith’s books in the future!
What a beautiful book! This book is a YA coming-of-age novel with a hint of mystery that gives off House of Anubis vibes (which I absolutely loved). I thought the story was so sweet and the characters were very likeable / easy to connect with. It’s not like anything I’ve read before but I thoroughly enjoyed it and I always love Faith’s writing!
I have read several of Faiths books and this one didn’t disappoint! She is a fantastic author, easy to read and great story’s! This one is a heartfelt coming of age story of 3 friends figuring out who they are and solving a 300 year old mystery. Highly recommend especially for teenage girls who are questioning their sexuality.
loved every second of this book. absolutely amazing. Did not expect that twist! Another absolutely amazing work by Faith Fawcett. I for one vote a spin off about Mirabella is needed!
3.5 ⭐️ I love this book and how it developed Ellie’s relationships and coming to terms with who she is as a person. It is a coming of age, sapphic romance, and it is done in such a way that 15 year old me would have related massively to the characters; there is also the plot of the mystery surrounding Mirabella which I found was done quite well in how it related to the present times of Ellie and Sasha. I would definitely recommend this book and will probably read it again or similar works.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Uncover is a sweet YA sapphic romance with a mystery at its centre and themes of self acceptance.
I think this book is a good fit for people who enjoy plot-based books about parental divorce, making new friendships, realising your sexuality and accepting yourself, all being explored at an appropriate level for the younger YA age-range.
The writing has a strong narrative voice, where we follow our lead's stream of consciousness, which includes modern speech patterns and slang. This makes the reader feel closer to the lead, though I found I often felt like I was getting too much of some thoughts and not enough of the deeper, more emotional thoughts. There were a few editing mistakes, which became more common the further through the book I got.
I enjoyed watching our leads become friends, however I felt that the writing and characters lacked some emotional depth, where parts were skipped over e.g. how does our lead acclimate to a new school with different teachers and ways of working, how was it being away from her mum, how was it being around people with more money or having to share bathrooms and showers? Why is she connected to this mystery? Why does she want to go to Cambridge? There were times when I didn't understand how we had got to where we were emotionally.
This book explores lots of difficult topics in an age-appropriate way, however I was again left wanting more depth to this. For example, I enjoyed the arc of realising you're queer, looking back through memories and realising that you were actually wanting more than a friendship, but I also didn't really see how we got there? What made her realise this? I enjoyed her learning that she shouldn't need to earn her dad's love, but I don't know how she learnt this.
I enjoyed the inclusion of the mystery, and the acknowledgement of queer people throughout history, however I felt that this could have been developed more. The mystery kind of had Northanger Abbey vibes, but was more sincere and less satirical. I wish it leaned into that aspect more, with characters so into dark academia and gothic mystery that they think they're in one.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, but it wasn't written for me. Thank you to the author for exchanging a copy for a review.
Uncover is a sapphic, coming of age story set at a boarding school in Scarborough. Ellie-Mae, the female protagonist, having joined the school partway through the academic year, quickly makes friends with two girls, and together, they embark on unravelling the mystery of Mirabella, the schools eighteenth centuty ghost. As the trio hunt down centuries old clues, Ellie-Mae makes discoveries of a more personal nature.
While the mystery element of the book was enjoyable, with the girls uncovering Mirabella's secrets and the stigmas of life in the early eighteenth century, Ellie-Mae's self-discovery felt a bit flat and often confusing due in large to the somewhat chaotic manner it was presented. I appreciate this may have been intentional as a means of representing the mental state of the protagonist. This should be depicted in the story and not the writing style. In addition, the events in Ellie-Mae's recent past felt incomplete and never fully explained.
While I appreciate this book was written by a younger author, and I hold Faith Fawcett's achievements in high regard, I'm afraid this book wasn't for me. This is due to the writing style having a very young voice. While it can work well to use age relevant slang during moments of dialogue, it shouldn't be used for the overall narration of the story as it will limit and exclude certain readers.
In my opinion, the reading experience was compromised due to a lack of editing. Sentences were unclear and confusing, and the grammar could be improved.
All in all, while I enjoyed the plot, this book wasn't particularly my cup of tea. I applaud Faith for continuing to put her writing out into the world (something I have never been brave enough to do), and I look forward to seeing how her writing style grows and matures in future books.
I genuinely don't know where to start. This beautiful, YA sapphic romance was probably the biggest emotional rollercoaster I've ever had the pleasure of taking!!
This story follows the life of Ellie-Mae and her year at her new boarding school. We see her home life and the struggles her and her mum have been through, her mental health battles, her relationships with many new people but specifically her new friends Sasha and Rhi.
The main plot though - is Ellie-Mae's journey of self discovery and finding out more about her sexuality. Watching this all unfold and seeing her feelings develop definitely resonated with me!! As a teenage lesbian I have never related to a character more and it was just so wonderful to accompany Ellie-Mae on the journey that myself and so many others in the LGBTQ+ community have taken too 🥹 It is so difficult to find relatable, realistic queer stories especially sapphic ones so I'm just so grateful that Uncover could be exactly that and more 💞
All of the characters, specifically our main three girls, were so well developed, I loved getting to know them and all the connections/dynamics between them.
The strong, established narrative of Ellie-Mae throughout the book made me feel so easily connected to her and when I tell you I read this book in one sitting im not exaggerating 😭😭
The mystery storyline that ran throughout the story was also so interesting- I love the acknowledgement of queer people im history and I was absolutely invested!!
Overall this truly was an incredible, beautiful story to read and exceptionally emotional if you relate to it like me 😅💞 Thank you so much faith for this beautiful book, I would recommend to anyone and will definitely be reading again x
This coming-of-age YA novel weaves together a heartfelt story of self-discovery, friendship, and historical mystery, all set within the walls of a boarding school steeped in secrets. The story follows Ellie-mae as she develops a deep bond with her new friend Sasha, prompting her to reflect on her identity, past choices, and the meaning of love and acceptance. Alongside this emotional journey is the eerie mystery of Mirabella Beaumont, a teenage girl who died three centuries ago under unexplained circumstances—and whose legacy lingers in ghost stories and whispers in the walls.
What I really appreciated about this book was the dynamic between Ellie-mae and Sasha as it felt authentic and tender, and fans of boarding school settings will find lots to enjoy here.
That said, the book does feel aimed more at the younger end of the YA spectrum (ages 12–14). The writing style leans into teen slang and a younger voice, which may be a hit with some readers but could feel a bit too juvenile for others. The mystery element is intriguing, though relatively light and quickly resolved, with limited suspense or buildup. There were also a few formatting and editing issues that occasionally disrupted the flow, though these may be resolved in the final version.
Overall, this is a charming, quick read that offers a lot for younger teens just beginning to explore YA fiction, especially those who enjoy stories about identity, friendship, and school life with a historical twist. While it might not land as strongly with older readers looking for more depth or complexity, it definitely has its place—and will likely resonate with the right audience.
A beautiful sapphic young adult book with powerful female friendships, celebrating girlhood and looking at difficulties and beautiful moments of coming out and accepting your sexuality , all mixed in with a bit of boarding school and a ghost mystery.
Elle- Mae’s life come crashing down as she knows it when her dad cheats and her parents divorce. Whilst her mum is struggling the courts decide that her Dad should pay for her to go to an all girls boarding school 4 hours from her mum in Gloucester. After her best friend lily cuts her out of her life as well she is nervous but excited for a new start that will hopefully help with her dreams of going to Oxford.
After moving Rhi takes Elli-Mae straight under her wing and introduces her to Sacha. The girls create an amazing trio friendship whilst unravelling the mystery of Sophia who is rumoured to haunt the halls of the boarding school. Whilst getting closer to Sacha and inviting her to spend Christmas with herself and her Mum Ellie-Mae realises she sees Sacha, the Doc Marten wearing artist different to how she sees Rhi and hides her feelings for her friend until one night they kiss.
As I started reading the book I immediately noticed a style of writing that may have been influenced by Jaqueline Wilson but the author has clearly found her own style as well. I loved the characters and felt the protagonist especially had an amazing character arc. Personally I would love a second book and get to meet these characters and see them develop further.
❗️WARNING - CONTAINS SPOILERS❗️ This YA read brings together a heartfelt story of self-discovery, friendship, and historical mystery told from Ellie-Mae’s POV. Whilst the friendly trio do venture out and about, the majority of the story was set in Beaumonts Boarding School for Girls in Scarborough with its secrets around the mysterious deaths of Mirabella and Sophia.
I found all the characters relatable and rather easy to attach to. In particular it was easy to associate with Ellie-Mae and Sasha, especially as a gay woman who has been through those same struggles of discovering myself and my sexuality. I was routing for them throughout even with the turbulence their budding relationship endures.
I found the mystery element intriguing. It was something that the girls investigated around school work and was particularly low stakes. It was light hearted and on theme regard sexual discovery between Mirabella and Sophia, especially the secrecy required 300yrs ago which made me smile when the penny dropped.
There was a few formatting/ editing issues which I submitted corrections for as I read. Doing this though disrupted my flow as I found myself checking words etc. I do hope that these will be ironed out before physical copies are put to print.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.