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When I Was Death

3.5(6)
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About the book

Final Destination meets House of Hollow in this haunting and lyrical speculative horror about a group of girls doing Death's bidding in exchange for preserving their own lives.

'The kind of story I wish I could experience for the first time all over again.' Angela Montoya, author of A Cruel Thirst

Roslyn Volk isn't herself any more. It's been almost a year since her older sister, Adeline, died under suspicious circumstances, and she's still shackled by grief. When six mysterious girls appear in town one morning, Roslyn finds herself inexplicably drawn to them, soon learning that Adeline spent her last summer with the group.

Desperate to find out what really happened to her sister, Roslyn agrees to accompany the girls on their road trip. But this strange sisterhood share an inconceivable secret. All of them have been spared from Death's clutches and now must pay for the privilege. Gifted with Death's touch, the girls travel the country reaping other people's souls in return for preserving their own lives.

As Roslyn becomes more entangled with the girls, in particular the group's leader Shiloh who she gravitates towards, it becomes clear there is only one way to discover the truth about her sister. She must strike her own deal with Death . . .

Praise for When I Was Death:

'Atmospheric and achingly lyrical. When I Was Death is a tale of untamed girlhood, defiant loyalty and a relentless search for truth.' Sophie Clark, author of Cruel is the Light

'Henderson's hauntingly beautiful prose explores how girlhood and grief are often intertwined. I savoured every single page.' Cynthia Murphy, author of Win Lose Kill Die

'Hauntingly beautiful and equally heart-wrenching, When I Was Death explores love and loss in a way that both hurts and heals. Henderson has crafted an intimate, powerful and utterly unputdownable tale.' Channelle Desamours, author of Needy Little Things

'A searing portrayal of girlhood, at once sparkling and violently dark. When I Was Death is thrilling and wholly original.' Goldy Moldavsky, author of The Last Girl

'This is girlhood at its darkest and most glittering. When I Was Death is the culty road trip fantasy of your dreams. It's horror with heart, unafraid to explore the sharp edges of friendship and sisterhood.' Maria Meservey, author of The Ironfell Inheritance

'Henderson's prose glows with honesty, her characters richly textured and utterly alive.' Abby Dewsnup, author of Rabbit Heart

'I couldn't put it down! When I Was Death is brilliant from start to finish.' Abiola Bello, author of Love in Winter Wonderland

'A beautiful exploration of grief and girlhood. Five stars. I'll be haunted by this one for a long time.' Beth Tomlin, author of To Hell With You

Editions (2)

ISBN9780241716274
PublisherPenguin Books Ltd (UK)
Publication Date03/12/26
Pages288

Reviews & Ratings

6 ratings

2 reviews

3.5

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  • _p_a_u_l_a_
    _p_a_u_l_a_

    38 Followers

    4.0

    ✨ 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝑾𝒂𝒔 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒃𝒚 𝑨𝒍𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔 𝑯𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 ✨

    a haunting YA horror fantasy about 𝔤𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔣, death and the choices that define what it 🆃🆁🆄🅻🆈 🅼🅴🅰🅽🆂 🆃🅾 🅻🅸🆅🅴 ⭐ 4 out of 5 stars | YA horror | dark fantasy | grief | supernatural | emotional | | Book Series: Standalone | [ E BOOK ] | advanced review copy| 🖤 General Info When I Was Death by Alexis Henderson is a haunting YA horror fantasy that blends supernatural elements with an emotional story about grief, loss and the difficult choices we make for the people we love. While the book has its creepy moments, it is just as much about healing and self-discovery as it is about death itself. 🖤 Story & Plot Sometimes all it takes is a unique idea to pull me into a story, and this book did exactly that. The premise immediately stood out because it felt so different from anything I had read before. It takes familiar themes like grief and loss but combines them with supernatural horror in such an original way that I constantly wanted to know what would happen next. Roslyn is still struggling with the death of her older sister when she becomes entangled with a mysterious group of girls who share a dangerous connection to Death itself. As she searches for answers about what really happened, she is forced to question how far she is willing to go and what price should ever be paid for the truth. I loved how the story slowly unfolded. It never rushed through its biggest moments, but it also never felt slow or dragged out. Instead, it found a balance that kept me completely invested from beginning to end. The atmosphere was one of my favorite parts of the book. There is this constant feeling that something isn't quite right. Every chapter carries a quiet tension that slowly builds, making the story feel mysterious, emotional and unsettling all at once. What surprised me most, though, was how beautiful the book felt despite its darker themes. Beneath all the horror elements is a very emotional story about love, grief and learning to move forward. That emotional core gave the entire novel so much heart and made it far more than just another supernatural fantasy. 🖤 Characters I connected with the characters surprisingly quickly. Roslyn felt easy to understand, and I enjoyed following her emotional journey throughout the story. Even while dealing with impossible situations, she remained believable and relatable, which made it easy to root for her. The relationships between the characters also felt natural, allowing the emotional moments to have a stronger impact without becoming overly dramatic. 🖤 Writing Style Alexis Henderson's writing style was exactly what I hoped it would be. It flows beautifully without ever feeling rushed, but it also never lingers so long that the pacing suffers. I always felt comfortably guided through the story, and because of that I found it incredibly easy to stay immersed. The balance between atmosphere, emotion and suspense worked really well for me and made this a genuinely enjoyable reading experience. 🖤 Cover The cover perfectly reflects the dark, haunting atmosphere of the novel. It immediately captures the gothic feeling of the story while still leaving enough mystery to make you curious. 📌 Pinned Thought A beautifully written supernatural story that combines grief, horror and hope into something emotional, original and incredibly memorable. 💬 Question for the comments Do you enjoy horror stories that focus more on atmosphere and emotions than on constant scares? 📖🖤

    ✨ 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝑾𝒂𝒔 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒃𝒚  𝑨𝒍𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔 𝑯𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 ✨

    5 days ago

  • jenniferse
    jenniferse

    35 Followers

    1.5

    Das ist das erste Buch der Autorin das ich gelesen habe und leider war es überhaupt nicht mein Fall. Der Schreibstil war nicht so wirklich gut und die Charaktere waren etwas oberflächlich und man hätte viel mehr aus diesen machen können.

    May 23, 2026

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