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When I Was Death by Alexis Henderson

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When I Was Death

Alexis Henderson

Penguin Young Readers Group · Hardcover · March 3, 2026

Reading lane: YA Supernatural Thrillers

A group of girls does Death incarnate's bidding in this haunting speculative young adult novel by the author of The Year of the Witching.

At a Glance

Why This Clicks

A Grim Bargain

Grief and supernatural dread meet in a story about what survival may cost.

Come here for

  • A haunting take on girls bound to Death
  • A sister’s search tangled with an uneasy bargain

Expect

  • Dark YA fantasy with thriller edges
  • An intimate, unsettling mood

Book Details

Authors
Alexis Henderson
Publisher
Penguin Young Readers Group
Published
March 3, 2026
Format
Hardcover
Theme
YA Supernatural Thrillers · Dark YA Fantasy
Reading lane
YA Supernatural Thrillers

Affinity

Publisher Categories

  • Dark YA Fantasy

  • Paranormal & Supernatural for Teens

  • YA Supernatural Thrillers

About This Book

A group of girls does Death incarnate's bidding in this haunting speculative young adult novel by the author of The Year of the Witching. Roslyn isn’t herself anymore. It’s been a year since her sister, Adeline, died under mysterious circumstances, and Roslyn is still tormented by her absence. So when the elusive caravan of girls that Adeline spent her last summer with rolls back into town, Roslyn joins them to finally figure out what happened to her sister. Strange, beautif...

Read full description

A group of girls does Death incarnate's bidding in this haunting speculative young adult novel by the author of The Year of the Witching. Roslyn isn’t herself anymore. It’s been a year since her sister, Adeline, died under mysterious circumstances, and Roslyn is still tormented by her absence. So when the elusive caravan of girls that Adeline spent her last summer with rolls back into town, Roslyn joins them to finally figure out what happened to her sister. Strange, beautiful, and intriguing, the girls are closed off from the world. And as it turns out, they’re brought together by a force more sinister than Roslyn’s nightmares could’ve conjured up: Death himself. Death has spared the girls from untimely endings, and to pay for their lives, the girls travel the country reaping souls on his behalf. Now Roslyn must decide if finding closure is worth the price of striking the same deal.

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