About the book
Frances Hardinge's first YA novel since The Lie Tree, A Skinful of Shadows is a haunting and original story, blending together historical fiction, family drama and the supernatural.

Makepeace, a courageous girl with a mysterious past, has learned to defend herself from the ghosts that try to possess her each night. Then a dreadful event causes her to drop her guard for a moment… and now there's a ghost inside her! 

The spirit is wild, brutish and strong, but it may be her only defence in a time of dark suspicion and fear. As the English Civil War erupts, Makepeace must decide which is worse: possession – or death.