Wealthy American teen Audrey Wagner has travelled the world and has everything she wants at her fingertips, but even she is awed by her new school, Illumen Hall. This exclusive and purposefully remote UK school is old, full of staircases, hardwood floors, rooms full of portraits and soon-to-be-discovered secret passages and pockets behind walls.

Little does Audrey know that her escape from terrible events in the US is to be short-lived. Equably awful events have recently occurred at Illumen Hall and no matter how hard she tries to avoid it, she is soon swept up in it.

A death of a student before Audrey arrives has the student body in turmoil, and a new mysterious podcast just adds fuel to the speculation and rumours. The student’s brother isn’t happy with the official findings of the police investigation but even he doesn’t know who is behind the podcasts.

Audrey is determined not to be the same person she was at home. She will not stand by and let things happen. But standing up for others backfires. Her relationship with her hard working and popular room mate Ivy is stressful from the beginning and interest from a cute guy is doomed for disaster.

Audrey and Ivy warily build a friendship as they alone have the run of Illumen Hall over a short holiday break. Together they dig deeper into the student death, only to find even more unanswered questions about the mysterious Magpie Society said to protect Illumen Hall. Things come to a frightening and feathery crescendo at a Samhain (pronounced Sah-win) party.

The first in a new series, The Magpie Society is full of multiple mysteries, layers of secrets, friendships old and new – all set in a magnificent Hogwarts-esque school. The podcasts that thrill and divide students bring technology into a traditional setting of an exclusive English boarding school.

Other than strong language, One for Sorrow‘s content is fine for advanced 12+ readers.

This story is told in two viewpoints – one of wealthy American teen Audrey Wagner who is new to the school, and Ivy who has worked hard to be there on full scholarship. This contrast in backgrounds is another interesting part of this new series and hopefully will be explored more in future episodes.

The reader is left wanting the next episode as many plot lines are left unanswered at the end of the book….

Authors – Zoe Sugg & Amy McCulloch

Age 12+ (strong language)

Quick Review

Audrey Wagner is a new student at an exclusive co-ed UK school called Illumen Hall. She has left her home in the US to escape a terrible event to find something similar has happened recently at the school. Despite her efforts to avoid it, Audrey is caught up in mysteries and secrets where friendships, reputations and even lives are at stake.

More Stories set in schools

(Murder, Mystery, Crime, Romance, Obsession, Secrets, Past, Death, Memory, Boarding School, Room mate, School, Friendship, Rivalry, Teachers, Samhain, Escape, Series)