Roslyn Volk has never recovered from the mysterious death of her sister, Adeline. A year after her passing, Roslyn is still haunted by the unanswered questions surrounding her death. Consumed with grief, she barely hesitates when an enigmatic group of girls with ties to Adeline roll into town and invite her to travel with them. But the girls share a dark secret: they have all been spared from death in inexplicable ways. In exchange for their continued lives, they travel the country doing Death’s bidding.
As Roslyn becomes more entangled with the group, especially its enigmatic leader, she must confront what she is willing to sacrifice for the closure she seeks. And ultimately, she faces a chilling choice: to strike her own deal with Death and perhaps find out the truth about her sister or walk away forever.
Grief. Isolation. Intrusive thoughts. Emotional weight.
Henderson softly weaves in themes of mental health, using the supernatural as a subtle metaphor for internal struggles — making the story both emotionally resonant and strikingly relevant for today’s readers.
The novel has a strong focus on friendship and sisterhood; each girl has her own story and reason for being claimed by Death. Many begin from places of fear or powerlessness, yet their connection to Death shifts that balance. What once seemed terrifying becomes a source of agency, suggesting that in confronting death, they discover a freedom they were previously denied.
Ultimately, the novel is an entrancing meditation on death’s quiet but powerful hold over us all. Through beautifully dark prose and haunting imagery, When I Was Death explores how mortality shapes identity, fear, and transformation. Beneath its supernatural surface lies a deeply human story — one that feels intimate but unsettling in the best way.
When I Was Death reminds us that even in darkness, there is transformation.
And sometimes, the thing that haunts us is also the thing that sets us free.
Title: When I Was Death
Author: Alexis Henderson
Publisher: Penguin, $19.99
Publication Date: 17 March 2026
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780241716274
For ages: 14+
Type: Young Adult
