The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker

Shortlisted for the 2021 CrimeFest Award for Best Crime Novel for Young Adults

Shortlisted for the 2022 Grampian Children’s Book Award

“Lauren James is a genius.” SFX Magazine

“Lauren James isn’t just headed for the stars – she’s already there.” Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange Tree

What if death is only the beginning? When Harriet Stoker dies after falling from a balcony in a long-abandoned building, she discovers a world of ghosts with magical powers – shape-shifting, hypnosis, even the ability to possess the living. Felix, Kasper, Rima and Leah welcome her into their world, eager to make friends with the new arrival. 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.

Harriet Stoker is such a wild ride. Twisty plot, murderous ghosts, found family, slow-burn romance - I was hooked from the very first chapter and could not put this book down. With characters I instantly loved (and some I hated), this book is by far my favourite Lauren James story. Alice Oseman
Featured in The Bookseller's September Previews. -- Fiona Noble The Bookseller
Featured in SFX’s ‘Out Now’ section. SFX
Featured in the ‘30 best new books for young adults and older children to read during October half-term 2020’ in The i. The i
I absolutely loved this book, I was engrossed in it. It is brilliantly written [..] I highly recommend this book to anybody who enjoys fantasy; it is a flawlessly crafted novel. Books Up North

Lauren James is the twice Carnegie-nominated author of The Quiet at the End of the World, The Loneliest Girl in the Universe, The Starlight Watchmaker and The Next Together series. She sold the rights to her first novel when she was twenty-one. Lauren teaches creative writing for Coventry University, WriteMentor and Writing West Midlands, and has written articles for numerous publications, including the Guardian and the Children’s Writers' and Artists' Yearbook. She is a passionate advocate of STEM further education, and all of her books feature scientists in prominent roles. She lives in the West Midlands and you can find her on Twitter at @Lauren_E_James or her website

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