The Secret of White Stone Gate (Black Hollow Lane, #2)
by Julia Nobel

3 out of 5 stars

Emmy is back for her second year at the exclusive Wellsworth boarding school, and she’s eager to reconnect with her friends Lola and Jack. She quickly develops a crush on Jack’s new roommate, Sam, but worries that Sam will get involved in the dangers surrounding the mysterious Order of Black Hollow Lane. When the Order frames Lola for stealing and gets her expelled, they tell Emmy that they will bring Lola back to school if Emmy tells them where to find her father. The problem… Emmy doesn’t know where her father is. Emmy has to decide if she can trust Sam to help with their plans to circumvent the Order and get Lola back in school.

This book isn’t as good as the first one, because we already know a lot of the mystery surrounding Black Hollow Lane. But the plot is still full of clues and mysterious events that they have to unravel.
The writing really captured my attention and made me care about the characters.

One of the best things in this story is the shadow of ancient history looming over every clue. The secret society appears to be hundreds of years old with a long history of working outside the law. This gave a delicious depth to the world-building, especially since our characters are living at a school that used to be an old abbey in ancient times.

Emmy is a wonderful main character. She is plucky and tough, but she gets discouraged sometimes, and needs her friends to give her some hope. I really liked how she is so determined to protect her friends, even if that means taking some risks. They are the misfits of the school, so I loved how they band together and support each other.

I especially loved the scene where Emmy finally meets her father face to face and they are able to reconnect after a decade apart. It was so touching and emotional!
I wish there were more books in this series.

To see the mild violence and other sensitive content in this book, check it out on the Screen It First website! https://screenitfirst.com/book/the-secret-of-white-stone-gate-black-hollow-lane-2-1518877