About the Book

Haunted by her sister's mysterious death, Roslyn joins a mysterious caravan of girls with whom her sister spent her last summer and who she discovers serve Death by reaping souls, forcing Roslyn to choose between finding closure or making a deadly bargain herself.

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"Henderson's YA debut is a gripping, horror-filled read that examines grief and the aftermath of loss. . . A hauntingly raw look at life, death, and grief." --Kirkus Reviews

"This introspective speculative novel is an atmospheric and cathartic depiction of grief and its lasting impact." --Booklist

"A searing portrayal of girlhood, at once sparkling and violently dark. When I Was Death is thrilling and wholly original." --Gold Moldavsky, New York Times bestselling author of The Mary Shelley Club

About the Author

Alexis Henderson is a speculative fiction writer with a penchant for dark fantasy, witchcraft, and cosmic horror. Her adult books include The Year of the Witching, House of Hunger, and An Academy for Liars. Growing up in one of America's most haunted cities, Savannah, Georgia, instilled in her a life-long love of ghost stories. When she doesn't have her nose buried in a book, you can find her painting or watching horror movies with her feline familiar. When I Was Death is her first novel for young adults.