“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 . . .”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of When I Was Death by Alexis Henderson. When I Was Death was published by Penguin Books on 12th March 2026 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats. I chose to read a free eARC of When I Was Death but that has in no way influenced my review.

First of all, that cover! How gorgeous is it? That’s what initially drew me to this book. Then I read the blurb and thought perhaps my teenage daughter, who reads similar genres to me, would enjoy this book. Then I thought, shut the front door — I WOULD ENJOY THIS BOOK. There’s a brief mention of the Final Destination franchise in the blurb, so with that and the cover, I was sold. Disclaimer: I am not the intended audience for When I Was Death, but when has that ever stopped me! I am a few years beyond the ‘YA’ mark…and I will say no more on that.

Roslyn is deep in grief. Her beloved older sister, Adeline, died nearly a year ago, and despite being told otherwise, the pain and the heartache just won’t stop. Roslyn is not the person she once was. Forever changed by the loss of her sister and the strange circumstances surrounding her death. When a group of teenage girls arrive in town one day, they seem to make a beeline for Roslyn. It’s not long before Roslyn is under their spell, especially that of their leader, Shiloh. When it becomes clear that they knew Adeline, the urge to find out what they know about the last days of her life and her untimely death is hard to resist. So Roslyn packs a bag and heads out on the road with them. Captivated by their freedom, confidence and thirst for life, Roslyn soon becomes part of the group. But that comes at a cost. Because the girls have a secret. They were all spared by Death at a young age. All of the girls should have died a long time ago, but they made a deal with darkness itself. To find out the truth, to discover exactly what happened to her sister, now Roslyn needs to make a deal of her own…

When I Was Death is a haunting, lyrical, beautifully written YA debut that I devoured in a few short sittings. The grief, the pure sadness within the pages of this book is exquisitely done. The reader firmly believes in Roslyn; feels her loss, her loneliness – it’s packed full of emotion. Such a burden for someone so young to carry. All gorgeously written. Roslyn’s need for answers drives the novel forward. There’s nothing she won’t do. So when Death suggests a test to prove her worth, she agrees. Along the way, the girls make multiple pit stops, taking lives almost without a care in the world. But they’ve grown used to their strange set-up. Roslyn has not. Some deaths are expected, almost welcomed; the terminally ill, the desperately lonely. Sometimes they’re not. There’s a lot of emotion which perhaps a younger reader may struggle with a little, which is why I think this book is more suited to slightly older teens.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. When I Was Death is a beautifully crafted novel featuring a cast of well-defined characters, each of whom stands tall from the page. With lots of gorgeously written emotion, I was swept away into the girls’ dark world. A road trip with a real difference! This book has been labelled as a YA horror but I’m not sure it is. YA? Absolutely. Horror? I’m not sure, not sold on that one. I still very much enjoyed the time I spent in the company of the characters and Henderson’s hypnotic writing. All in all, a compelling novel which I’m glad I read. Such an intriguing idea, which is delivered incredibly well by the author. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of When I Was Death. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

When I Was Death by Alexis Henderson was published in the UK by Penguin Books on 12th March 2026 and is available in paperback, audio and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Alexis Henderson is a speculative fiction writer with a penchant for dark fantasy, witchcraft, and cosmic horror. She grew up in one of America’s most haunted cities, Savannah, Georgia, which instilled in her a life-long love of ghost stories.