When All the Girls Are Sleeping by Emily Arsenault (review)

It's been almost a year since Haley's best friend Taylor fell from a window in the girls' dormitory at their prep school, and the details are still unclear. Most students think either it was a suicide or she was high on some especially potent pot brownies, but Haley, prompted by information from Taylor's brother, wonders if it really had something to do with the dorm's resident ghost, the Winter Girl. She believes her suspicions are confirmed when she finds "I made her jump" written on the frost of Taylor's former window, and while she's terrified, she's unwilling to let the Winter Girl find another victim. Arsenault skillfully structures her ghost story for maximum tension, with chapters counting down to the anniversary of Taylor's death and each day starting with a brief but chilling narration from the ghost. Haley is dogged in her search to find out the identity of the Winter Girl and her sleuthing skills are impressive (with a few conveniently chatty sources), keeping the pace swiftly moving along. It's her reflections upon her bumpy friendship with Taylor that make up the emotional weight of the story, though, giving a powerful look at a toxic but life-giving relationship. The truth behind the hauntings lies in the pain of more than just one girl, making it especially heartbreaking, and readers see how so many generations of women are trapped by expectations of others and themselves. Fans of Nova Ren Suma or Moïra Fowley-Doyle will appreciate this layered look at girlhood, ghosts, and trauma.