A review by bookcheshirecat
The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

"The truth is a vicious thing, and so am I. It's why I lie so much."

Thank you to Viking Books for Young Readers, TBR and Beyond Tour, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital Arc in exchange for an honest review! All quotes are taken from the Arc and therefore subject to changes.

➽ The Narrow is the perfect YA horror to read this summer! It's set at Atwood, a private boarding school with its own legends and ghost stories. The titular 'Narrow' is a small, but viciously deep river that the students jump over for a dare at the beginning of the school year - no one who fell in has ever survived. Except for Delphine, a student who's been sequestered in the infamous Abigail House ever since the incident as she's severely ill and cannot be near any water. There are more stories surrounding the Narrow, such as the Drowning Girl and her tragic love story. I loved the atmosphere of the boarding school and the mysteries of the Narrow, Kate Alice Marshall has a way of setting up places within her books that feel real and deep with history!

➽ The protagonist is Eden, a complicated girl who I immediately rooted for. Eden's parents are rich but financially irresponsible, so she starts her time at Atwood with the news that her tuition hasn't been paid. Atwood is Eden's refuge from her difficult home life, so she's devastated and yet not hopeful to receive any help from her parents. An unconventional solution presents itself, as Delphine's mother will pay her tuition if she moves into Abigail House and keeps Delphine company. Eden has her own history with the girl but agrees as it's her only option. Eden was a great, well-written character. She has her friend group, but never opened up to them about her problems and has gotten good at lying to them. Her Atwood and home lives are kept separate for a reason and Eden couldn't bear to tell them her story. She's always been invisible to her parents, as her brother is mentally ill and requires a lot of their energy. I liked that the author didn't demonize the brother - Eden has a complicated hate/love relationship with him - but also showed that it's not safe for Eden to be at home. She's such a kind person and always tries to sacrifice her own happiness for others.

➽ I also loved the focus on Eden's friendships! Her friends Veronica, Zoya and Ruth aren't happy that Eden won't live in their dorm for senior year and they have no idea about her money troubles. As Eden gets sucked deeper into the mysteries of the Narrow, Abigail House and Delphine, she keeps drifting away from her friends. They aren't thrilled and also grow concerned, as they don't understand why Eden's so obsessed with solving the mystery of Delphine's sickness and the story of the Drowning Girl. This is made more difficult by the fact that Eden has always been keeping secrets from them and easily feels backed into a corner. I really liked how Eden was confronted with the difficult choice of opening up and being vulnerable with her friends, who really want to help!

”We're whole again, as long as you don't look too close. As long as you don't notice the cracks.”

➽ Last but not least, Eden's connection with Delphine was super interesting! Eden knows her briefly from before her accident but hasn't really spoken to her since. Now, she's supposed to keep her company and immediately feels drawn into Delphine's orbit. Delphine cannot ever leave her house and all water has to be purified, otherwise she'll get severely ill and die, so she's trapped in Abigail House. She appears fragile at first, but I liked that there was a sharp wit within her and a sense of cunning. She's not the helpless Damsel you'd expect her to be and one of her first requests to Eden is to never lie to her. Both girls quickly grow closer together and Eden is determined to solve the mystery of the Drowning Girl in the hopes that it'll help Delphine's condition, as it seems to have been caused by the Narrow. They had great chemistry and their romance was sweet, especially as Eden found it easier to open up to Delphine, compared to her friends!
The ending is a bittersweet one though 😔 Since Delphine and Grace's ghost were inhabiting the same body, she becomes very different once Grace is removed. She falls out of love with Eden because of it and had no choice in the matter. That kind of broke my heart as Eden still loves her the same 😭 I'm glad she's got her friends support now and can count on them to get her to a safe space that isn't home though!


”Sometimes I think it has to be a tragedy. Sometimes I think I can't bear any ending but one in which they're happy and in love.” 
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