The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall
Genre: Young Adult Horror
Publishing Date: August 1, 2023
Synopsis:
A ghost haunting her boarding school uncovers a teen girl’s best kept secrets in the Queen of Scream’s deliciously terrifying new novel.
Everyone has heard the story of the Narrow. The river that runs behind the Atwood School is only a few feet across and seemingly placid, but beneath the surface, the waters are deep and vicious. It’s said that no one who has fallen in has ever survived.
Eden White knows that isn’t true. Six years ago, she saw Delphine Fournier fall into the Narrow—and live.
Delphine now lives in careful isolation, sealed off from the world. Even a single drop of unpurified water could be deadly to her, and no one but Eden has any idea why. Eden has never told anyone what she saw or spoken to Delphine since, but now, unable to cover her tuition, she has to make a her expenses will be paid in return for serving as a live-in companion to Delphine.
Eden finds herself drawn to the strange and mysterious girl, and the two of them begin to unravel each other’s secrets. Then Eden discovers what happened to the last girl who lived with she was found half-drowned on dry land. Suddenly Eden is waking up to wet footprints tracking to the end of her bed, the sound of rain on the windows when the skies are clear, and a ghostly silhouette in her doorway. Something is haunting Delphine—and now it’s coming for Eden, too.
REVIEW
Did someone say sapphic dark academia with ghosts?? The Narrow has all of that and more. Eden is returning to the boarding school she has attended since she was eleven after a hellish summer. Eager to return to a life of comfortable lies and trying to forget the summer she had, Eden is ready to spend her senior year with her best friends. Except, her parents have not paid her tuition for the year and Eden knows she can't go to them after everything that happened that summer. Her last resort? Abigail House. There, Delphine, Eden's freshman year roommate lives secluded and unable to leave due to a mysterious illness. Delphine's mother pays the tuition for one person every year to live as a companion to Delphine at Abigail House.
Every year there is a tradition at Atwood School where the students jump the gap across the Narrow, the deadly river that runs behind the school. As long as they follow the rules, only jump in the day and when it's dry and so on, it is safe. Everyone knows that what the river takes never returns. Eden knows that's not true. She saw Delphine fall into the Narrow and live one fateful night. Now she must live with her and that night that still haunts her if she wants to stay at school and avoid her home life.
Delphine is not what she expected. Eden is drawn to her and the mysterious things happening at Abigail House. The wet footprints and the rain. Delphine is being haunted and now Eden is the only one who can figure out what is really going on.
The Narrow was completely gripping and the most unique paranormal story I have ever read. Everything typical ghost stories do the author takes and made them her own. It was just the right amount of creepy with lots of atmosphere and depth. Even with all the hauntings some of the most disturbing aspects of the story pertain to reality. This is a story about love in all forms-- young love, first love, deadly love, friendship, motherhood, deep crushes, and overwhelming, toxic love. I devoured this book and never knew what to expect. If you want a haunting thriller with many sapphic love interests to consume you, I highly recommend this one!
PLAYLIST
About the Author:
Kate Alice Marshall is the author of young adult and middle grade novels, including I AM STILL ALIVE, RULES FOR VANISHING, and THIRTEENS.
She lives outside of Seattle with her husband, two dogs named Vonnegut and Octavia, and two kids. They all conspire to keep her on her toes.
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