The Narrow

By: Kate Alice Marshall

Narrated by: Jeremy Carlisle Parker

A deliciously terrifying novel about a ghost who uncovers a teen girl's best kept secrets while haunting her boarding school, perfect for fans of Lost in the Never Woods and The Haunting of Bly Manor.

A CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST OF THE YEAR
A KIRKUS BEST OF THE YEAR

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 deal: 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 Delphine: 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.

Critic reviews

Raves for The Narrow:

★ "Ghosts, secrets, lies, and loyalty.... Haunting."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "Impossible to put down."—BCCB, starred review

“With its carefully cultivated atmosphere of dread and uncertainty, this is a solid page-turner with several twists along the way to a bittersweet ending. A great choice for anyone who likes scary tales with strong romantic subplots.”—Booklist

“In this serpentine horror mystery, Marshall (These Fleeting Shadows) intertwines gothic ambiance and swoony romance while exploring hefty issues of abuse and manipulation set against a terrifying ghost story.”—Publishers Weekly

“Kate Alice Marshall has crafted a tautly plotted and emotionally sophisticated story which combines spooky fantastical elements with a more grounded examination of human relationships in all their flawed glory.”—The Nerd Daily

"An excellent sapphic dark academia with gothic vibes and plenty of suffocatingly suspenseful moments."—SLJ

Intriguing Story- Loved It

Grear story. Narrator was great. Not scary(but it takes a lot to scare me) Felt even though with scary elements it was deeper- more about acceptance and love and sacrifice.

Inventive

I was hoping the story would be more horror, similar to Rules for Vanishing, but it was more paranormal in nature. Of course, this is completely fine! The story was still great and captivating. I devoured this book the same way I’ve devoured almost all of Kate Alice Marshall’s books. Definitely recommend!

Just… wow 🤩

I don’t know why I put off listening to this story. It’s simply amazing. Narrator was great. If you’re thinking about listening, just do it. You won’t regret it.

Hooked

This was an amazing read. I was hooked from the beginning. I couldn’t stop listening.

Ok, Just Not My Thing

The performance was good. The plot was obvious, but well written. There's a lot of teen stupidity and overreacting. I'm not sure I like the author's take on abusive relationships.