This is dark, gauzy and filled with watery depths.

Eden is finally back at her haven, Atwood School, but this year is different. She has even more secrets to hide from her best friends. She cannot fathom telling them what happened over the summer, but it haunts her…

When she finds out that her tuition hasn’t been paid this year, she is terrified that this is it… she will have to leave, go back home, to the place she refuses to go back to. An opportunity presents itself, though. Every year, one student gets their tuition paid for in exchange for being a companion to Delphine, a very sick girl who lives in isolation.

Six years ago Eden first met Delphine. She followed Eden and her best friend to the Narrow, a time honored tradition of students, one incredibly dangerous due to the intense currents of the water, and fell in… They watched Delphine die that night, but upon returning to school, she was already there… remembering nothing, but forever changed.

Now, Eden finds herself drawn to this strange girl. Along with learning more about the strange accident Delphine’s previous companion endured, Eden is plagued by visions of The Drowned Girl… but the final warning from Delphine’s previous companion warns her NOT to let her in.

This was so immersive. Not only is there that fantastic dark academia aspect, the haunting Narrow is always there, calling. This is equal parts ghost story, equal parts sapphic romance and I enjoyed it so much!

I’ve been interested in trying one of Kate Alice Marshall’s YA books after really enjoying her adult debut What Lies in the Woods earlier this year. While I am not a horror reader at all, this book surprised me in the best way possible and is definitely one I’ll add to my student recommendation list! If you like audiobooks, Jeremy Carlisle did an amazing job bringing this eerie atmosphere to life with all the feels.

Read if you are looking for:
-Sapphic romance
-Dark academia setting
-Ghost stories
-YA horror/ thriller

Thank you Penguin Young Readers for the ARC. Pub date 8/1

This was my first YA by Kate Alice Marshall. I loved her adult thriller What Lies in the Woods and decided to give this one a try. Needless to say, this is a dark, atmospheric, sapphic academia. It took unexpected turns, and I completely enjoyed it. Books with ghosts tend to be misses for me, but this was definitely a hit. I look forward to reading more of Marshall’s YA books in the future.

I love everything by Kate Alice Marshall. This book was so weird and hard to put down.

Eden's back at Atwood and struggling with an assault that happened over the summer. She's keeping it secret from her best friends even though she thinks her arm is broken. And her parents didn't pay her tuition and she might get kicked out. It's been a bad start to the school year which she usually loves. She did jump the Narrow which is tradition. The Narrow is extremely dangerous and people that go in don't come back out. But Delphine followed Eden and her best friend to the Narrow their first year of school. Delphine fell in and was somehow found alive back at the dorms. After that, Delphine got really sick and they never told anyone what happened. Delphine has to live separately from everyone. She can't go outside and no unfiltered water can touch her. Her roommate (in another part of the house) had to leave school after almost dying. Since Eden couldn't afford her tuition, the dean recommended the place for her. Delphine's mom will pay her tuition if she keeps an eye on Delphine when she can't. It doesn't take long for weird things to start happening. Eden is being haunted and things are getting worse. She starts looking into a past drowning and learns about other girls that disappeared.

I don't want to spoil anything, so I'm not mentioning other characters or more of the plot. The pacing is good and it's definitely creepy at times.

I gave this book 5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my earc.

Warnings for assault, homophobia, addiction, abuse, blood, drowning, mention of possible suicide.

Thank you to PRH for an arc of this book.

Wow. Just. Wow. In case you're wondering this is a sapphic dark academia mystery/thriller gothic vibes book and it is GOOD. Like VERY GOOD. This is literally the perfect creepy summer read. You should definitely read it when it's raining. Or thunderstorms. It'll add ambience to the book. I promise, it's worth it.

I was sucked in from the first page to the last. I had emotional whiplash reading this book and I never knew what to expect. (Ok, I did somewhat but it didn't stop my enjoyment of the book).

I am absolutely floored at how well plotted this book was, and at each clue and step in this story. It was a great read, because a) it flowed well and the pacing was brilliant. B) because the writing style was smooth and engaging.

At it's core, it is a ghost story, and a story of love. It is a tale as old as time (HAH) and the way Marshall uses typical "tropes" is excellent, and gives the book such body.

Honestly, I don't want to give too much away because this book is excellent!

I LOVED this book. I finished it in a day a half and ah I was hooked!!
I really loved Eden, I saw a lot of myself in her and how her brain works and I loved being able to connect with her and her thought processes.
I also loved the theme of female friendship throughout the book and how supportive Eden’s friend group was of her and it was extremely healing and refreshing to read about such a close knit group of girls who wanted to empower and love each other above all else.
I was on the edge of my seat reading about Grace and Maeve and learning more about their story as the plot went on as well as with Delphine and Eden and the connection between them. There’s truly nothing like a mystery set at a boarding school with secretive details and some supernatural magic slipped in.
I cannot wait for this book to come out and have others love it the same way I did.

I love Kate Alice Marshalls work and loved the details and how much she brought this setting to life. However the storyline was a little flat.

THE NARROW was my third book by Kate Alice Marshall, and my second YA horror of hers.

Eden White, a student at an elite boarding school, runs into trouble with her tuition after her parents spend their money irresponsibly. A classmate named Delphine lives in an isolated house due to her illness, and Eden agrees to live in the house as Delphine's companion in exchange for her tuition from Delphine's mother. Eden soon begins to discover something sinister handing Delphine.

Eden and Delphine's characters were both likable and intriguing. I was invested in figuring out what happened to Delphine, and enjoyed learning about the other characters that appear later in the story (but I won't share here because I think they are spoilers).

Just like THESE FLEETING SHADOWS, I love how this book actually included real paranormal elements. While I wouldn't say this book is fully dark academia nor is it fully gothic (the paranormal elements are not tied to a house/building itself), it has sprinklings of elements of both.

The writing style was easy to follow and the chapters were quick. The descriptions were vivid and I could picture exactly what was happening. This helped increase the creepy factor.

Overall, I would recommend this for a dark spooky read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted eARC!

An unsettling boarding school setting with supernatural elements, endearing characters, and a wild ride of a plot- what more could a reader want?

This is my first book by this author, and will definitely not be my last.

The cover is gorgeous and sure to attract many readers. The plot, characters, friendships, dark academia vibe, and well-timed comedic relief make for a well-paced and bingable YA read.

Thank you SO much for the ARC. I hope this book does well upon its release. I really enjoyed it!

I adored the story, the world building was amazing. I love meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it. The writing was also really nice. I couldn't put the book down and I can't wait for others to read and enjoy this story as well.

The story of the treacherous Narrow river, located behind the Atwood School, is well-known. Despite its serene appearance and narrow width, the river's depths are dangerous, with a rumored record of fatalities for those who have fallen in. However, Eden White knows this isn't true. She witnessed Delphine Fournier fall into the river six years ago and survive.

Since then, Delphine has lived in isolation, safeguarded from the unpurified water that could prove fatal to her. Despite Eden's knowledge of the incident, she has never disclosed it or spoken to Delphine again. However, she now finds herself in a situation where she needs to cover her tuition, and her only option is to accept a deal to be Delphine's live-in companion in exchange for financial assistance.

Eden discovers a peculiar connection to the enigmatic Delphine, and as they begin to uncover each other's secrets, Eden learns about the last girl who lived with Delphine, who was found half-drowned on dry land. Now Eden is experiencing strange occurrences, like waking up to wet footprints leading to her bed, the sound of rain despite clear skies, and a ghostly figure in her doorway. Eden realizes that something is haunting Delphine, and now it's coming for her.

The Narrow is an enthralling fusion of dark academia and supernatural elements, centering on the themes of love and female companionship, and the importance of relying on friends. I was so captivated by the story that I read it in one sitting, unable to put it down.

I love a good ghost story as much as the next spooky reader so this was right up my alley. When I was first introduced to Delphine I remember thinking that she reminded me of the fox cause she seemed off, like she was hiding something. I loved how the writer wrote Eden's complicated family relationship and the abuse(physical and mental) that it put her through. Very realistic thought process and reaction to aspects of it on Eden's part. I loved the bittersweet ending. Usually I would want everything to work out, tie it up in a neat little bow but as soon as everything was revealed to me, I knew a complete happy ending would not work with what the story the author was telling and I am glad she went with the route she chose for the ending, it was realistic after the events that happened in the book after all.

I have been a huge fan of KAM since I first read Our Last Echoes a few years ago and I haven't stopped falling down her rabbit hole! She is a master of creepy, spooky, gothic, haunting vibes in all of her stories and I simply cannot get enough! This is probably my favorite next to These Fleeting Shadows, and I'd like to think it took place in the same universe. The Haunting of Bly Manor meets dark academia, this is everything every horror fan needs, complete with an unexpected romance and twists you will never see coming!

I absolutely LOVE the cover of this book! The Narrow follows Eden at her boarding school as she deals with a recent trauma and moves in with the isolated student named Delphine to be her friend. There's a river near the school called The Narrow where people are said to have fallen into and never gotten back out but Eden knows Delphine survived her fall into The Narrow years prior. The story focuses on the mystery of the mysterious ghost that is haunting Delphine and how Eden befriends her and helps her overcome this ghost. I REALLY loved the idea of this book and overall I did enjoy the story but I was really bummed out how not creepy and extremely focused on romance this book was. The twist was also really bizarre and quite frankly a let down as I feel it wasn't spooky or creepy at all. I was also hoping for more urban legend vibes and that unfortunately didn't deliver either. Overall I enjoyed the story I just felt like the romance was too focused and there wasn't enough of the creepy element vibe I was hoping for.

Another absolute stunner from Kate Alice Marshall that makes me want to go back and reread Rules for Vanishing. I love how everything connects back to it, and though I vaguely recall this tie in, I want to reread it to be double sure. That's neither here nor there, though.

I love found families, romance, and trials. Where her other books were based more heavily in the supernatural, this one is a true ghost story and dealt with a lot of real life problems. It was a lot darker and heavier than her other YA works, but it worked for the story. I'm not usually one for "rich people problem" stories, but our main characters definitely have their struggles. Eden and Del are some of my new faves, though Del did give me the creeps at first. The story of the Drowning Girl was so richly woven. I also love an inclusive, diverse, hella queer rich people's private school! Here for that.

I think it's pretty clear that I will autobuy/read anything that Marshall writes and have never given less than five stars to any of them. Maybe it's the adult in me still healing childhood trauma, but this one hit hard in a lot of ways and Eden's story really broke my heart. I'm so happy to see her YA world expanding and getting stronger.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for letting me read The Narrow early in exchange for an honest review.


This was so good, a mix of dark academia and part supernatural fantasy. The Narrow tells the story of love and female friendship and reminds us that sometimes its okay to lean on your friends. I ended up finishing this in one sitting because i couldn't put it down.