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BookishBunny

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  • When I Was Death
    Jul 05, 2026
    When I Was DeathAlexis Henderson
    4.0
    Enjoyment: 4.0Quality: 4.0Characters: 4.0Plot: 4.0

    ✨ 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝑾𝒂𝒔 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 π’ƒπ’š π‘¨π’π’†π’™π’Šπ’” 𝑯𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 ✨ a haunting YA horror fantasy about 𝔀𝔯𝔦𝔒𝔣, death and the choices that define what it πŸ†ƒπŸ†πŸ†„πŸ…»πŸ†ˆ πŸ…ΌπŸ…΄πŸ…°πŸ…½πŸ†‚ πŸ†ƒπŸ…Ύ πŸ…»πŸ…ΈπŸ†…πŸ…΄

    ⭐ 4 out of 5 stars | YA horror | dark fantasy | grief | supernatural | emotional |

    | Book Series: Standalone | [ E BOOK ] | advanced review copy|

    πŸ–€ General Info When I Was Death by Alexis Henderson is a haunting YA horror fantasy that blends supernatural elements with an emotional story about grief, loss and the difficult choices we make for the people we love. While the book has its creepy moments, it is just as much about healing and self-discovery as it is about death itself.

    πŸ–€ Story & Plot Sometimes all it takes is a unique idea to pull me into a story, and this book did exactly that. The premise immediately stood out because it felt so different from anything I had read before. It takes familiar themes like grief and loss but combines them with supernatural horror in such an original way that I constantly wanted to know what would happen next. Roslyn is still struggling with the death of her older sister when she becomes entangled with a mysterious group of girls who share a dangerous connection to Death itself. As she searches for answers about what really happened, she is forced to question how far she is willing to go and what price should ever be paid for the truth. I loved how the story slowly unfolded. It never rushed through its biggest moments, but it also never felt slow or dragged out. Instead, it found a balance that kept me completely invested from beginning to end. The atmosphere was one of my favorite parts of the book. There is this constant feeling that something isn't quite right. Every chapter carries a quiet tension that slowly builds, making the story feel mysterious, emotional and unsettling all at once. What surprised me most, though, was how beautiful the book felt despite its darker themes. Beneath all the horror elements is a very emotional story about love, grief and learning to move forward. That emotional core gave the entire novel so much heart and made it far more than just another supernatural fantasy.

    πŸ–€ Characters I connected with the characters surprisingly quickly. Roslyn felt easy to understand, and I enjoyed following her emotional journey throughout the story. Even while dealing with impossible situations, she remained believable and relatable, which made it easy to root for her. The relationships between the characters also felt natural, allowing the emotional moments to have a stronger impact without becoming overly dramatic.

    πŸ–€ Writing Style Alexis Henderson's writing style was exactly what I hoped it would be. It flows beautifully without ever feeling rushed, but it also never lingers so long that the pacing suffers. I always felt comfortably guided through the story, and because of that I found it incredibly easy to stay immersed. The balance between atmosphere, emotion and suspense worked really well for me and made this a genuinely enjoyable reading experience.

    πŸ–€ Cover The cover perfectly reflects the dark, haunting atmosphere of the novel. It immediately captures the gothic feeling of the story while still leaving enough mystery to make you curious.

    πŸ“Œ Pinned Thought A beautifully written supernatural story that combines grief, horror and hope into something emotional, original and incredibly memorable.

    πŸ’¬ Question for the comments Do you enjoy horror stories that focus more on atmosphere and emotions than on constant scares? πŸ“–πŸ–€

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    12w

    I’m Glad My Mom Died

    I’m Glad My Mom Died

    Jennette McCurdy

    A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actorβ€”including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing motherβ€”and how she retook control of her life. Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called β€œcalorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, β€œYour eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income. In I’m Glad My Mom Died , Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detailβ€”just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly , she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (β€œHi Gale!”), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants. Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, I’m Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.

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