Lauren James is an author better known for her YA sci-fi novels, but with The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker, she ventures into a new YA genre of paranormal fantasy with light horror elements. Pitched as a ‘horror-rom com’, this book features a villain protagonist with Harriet Stoker creating havoc in the previously quiet and relatively uneventful premises of Mulcture Hall. Despite being long abandoned and fallen into dangerous disrepair, Harriet disregards all the warning signs and breaks in to take photos for her class, little knowing that she would never walk out alive.
We’ve all watched movies where the human protagonists are intermittently terrorised by ghosts, but when you take the living out of the picture, what happens to the ghosts? How do they experience time, how do they interact with one another, what resources do they need, can they be injured and where do they go when they die? In short, what are the rules that govern being a ghost? The author aimed to flesh out (pun intended) a solid mythology which made sense of the concept of ghosts and the result is a wonderfully original and fantastically compelling story.
Here we have ghosts as you’ve never seen them before, each gifted with a unique power that emerges in the afterlife, ranging from hypnosis to shape-shifting to human possession and even more. We learn along with Harriet that ghosts are bound to the location of their death and are unable to leave without disintegrating, e.g. the final end to their soul. More importantly, disintegration can also happen when they run out of energy, but to stave this off, they are able to absorb energy from other beings both living and dead.
Harriet’s perspective is coldly dispassionate and quietly calculating, formed around the teachings of her grandmother with such gems as take what you need and move on when you’re not getting it. Some readers may find her unlikable, but others will appreciate how refreshing it is to read about an unapologetically amoral heroine whose only concern is her own self-interest, regardless of the cost. It’s a nice change from nobly self-sacrificing heroes! At the start of the book, it’s easier to sympathise with Harriet’s desperation to return home to her grandmother, since any of us would have the same thought if we found ourselves in her shoes. But along the way, Harriet reveals the horrifying lengths she’s willing to go to achieve her goals, choosing a darker path that’s less easy to justify and likely to repel some of the audience.
Fortunately the book isn’t entirely from Harriet’s perspective, other characters like Felix, Kasper, and Rima are given their own third-person perspectives along with first-person interjections from an unnamed narrator. Felix is the quintessential cinnamon roll too good for this world, an absolute sweetheart who is helplessly caught in a decades-long crush on Kasper, who appears to be the stereotypical jock character, but who is depicted with great nuance that showcases his vulnerability and secret anxieties, for all his attempts to come off as the smooth jokester. Rima is the ‘mum friend’ of the group, kind and caring and always eager to believe the best of people, and she comes with the most adorable pet fox ghost, who really needed to be featured more! Finally rounding up the group are the mysterious Leah and her baby Claudia. These characters have the most heartwarming friendship and their banter is a constant delight, it’s almost a shame when the plot cuts into the scene because the group dynamic is so much fun to witness!
While there is plenty of action, romance, and suspense, the author also explores themes of good vs evil, whether the influence of external forces mitigates a person’s wrongdoing and the need for responsibility and accountability with how one exercises their power. The plot clips along at a rapid pace, mainly propelled by Harriet’s bad afterlife choices as she explores alliances with other more disreputable ghosts. The main gang’s attempts to steer Harriet in the right direction are inevitably thwarted by her thirst for power and control. It’s tense and exciting watching her spiral downwards and toe the fine line between innocent misunderstanding and wilful villainy, to watch Harriet push the envelope and see how far the group of friends can allow her to go before a confrontation ensues.
The second half of the novel is a breathless, break-neck race to the finish that steadily amps up the horror of Harriet’s actions and disastrous consequences thereof. The author smoothly executes certain plot twists with the perfect amount of foreshadowing to make things snap into place with a satisfying ‘AHA!’ moment. There are a multitude of blindsides that will stun even the most genre-savvy readers and will make this a pleasure to re-read to pick up on the hidden clues seeded throughout the story.
A wildly original, pleasantly diverse and wickedly engaging supernatural thriller. Fans of anti-heroes, the found family trope, queer relationships, and cool mythology will enjoy this one!
The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 3rd 2020.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
“Congratulations, new kid. Welcome to the afterlife.”
What if death is only the beginning?
When Harriet Stoker dies after falling from a balcony in a long-abandoned building, she discovers a group of ghosts, each with a special power.
Felix, Kasper, Rima and Leah welcome Harriet into their world, eager to make friends with the new arrival after decades alone. Yet Harriet is more interested in unleashing her own power, even if it means destroying everyone around her. But when all of eternity is at stake, the afterlife can be a dangerous place to make an enemy.
