Spindlewood

<The first book in a gripping, eerie and unputdownable new series, perfect for fans of <Wednesday.<

Lilac Black does not believe in ghosts. So she''s rather surprised to learn she comes from a long line of gifted Seers, all of whom attended Spindlewood: a top-secret boarding school for children with the power to see, hear and communicate with spirits.

And now, Lilac has an invitation herself. The only problem? There''s been a huge misunderstanding. Lilac does not have the gift.

Reluctant to disappoint her proud uncles, and curious to see this mysterious school for herself, she decides to play along. But bluffing through classes like Summoning and Banishment as an Unseeing kid is a challenge. It''s even harder when Lilac begins to feel complicated new feelings for another student: tough, vulnerable and gifted Emmanuelle, whose sight is so powerful that she sees ghosts at every turn.

But as Lilac''s web of lies becomes more tangled, one thing becomes clear: there is something wrong at Spindlewood. The ghosts are being drawn to a locked door hidden under the library. Something ancient and sinister is waiting down there . . . something connected to the long-ago deaths of Lilac''s parents.<>

About the author

Freddie Kölsch lives in Salem, Massachusetts, with her high school sweetheart-turned-wife, a handful of cats, a houseful of art, and a mind’s eye full of ghosts. She's the author of YA horror novels Now, Conjurers and Empty Heaven. Spindlewood is her first book for middle-grade readers. Follow her on Instagram @cosmicdraculas.

Product details

• Authors: Freddie Klsch, Freddie Kölsch
• Publisher: Puffin UK
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: ages 9 to 13
• Product format: Paperback
• Release: 06.08.2026
• EAN: 9780241753873
• ISBN: 978-0-241-75387-3
• No. of pages: 368
• Dimensions: 129 mm x 198 mm x 35 mm
• Subjects: Children's and young people's books; JUVENILE FICTION / School & Education, JUVENILE FICTION / Ghost Stories, Crime & mystery fiction (Children's / Teenage), School stories (Children's / Teenage), Children’s / Teenage fiction: School stories, Horror & ghost stories, chillers (Children's / Teenage), Relating to LGBTQ+ people, Interest age: from c 8 years, JUVENILE FICTION / Fantasy / General, JUVENILE FICTION / LGBTQ+ / General