It was more than her hair length that had changed her appearance. The woman staring back at her in the mirror was no longer a lost, mundane soul going through the motions of modern life. Sairha was someone new, someone determined to do more than survive.
The year is young, but I already know When Her World Went Away by Alexis L. Carroll is going to remain one of my favorite reads of 2026. Just… Holy moly. On the surface, it’s supernatural horror… Marrow Eaters clawing up from beneath the earth, electronics wiped out in an instant, civilization collapsing almost overnight. But the horror here is myth-rooted and deliberate, beautifully crafted and filled with twists I never saw coming. As the story unfolds, the apocalypse goes from feeling random to something rather intentional and haunting. I went in expecting a creature feature and instead found a story steeped in mythology, consequence, and a kind of creeping existential dread that never really loosens its grip.
The narrative begins with Sairha, Cassandra, and Sven, then expands to include their uneasy alliance with Cook, the gaggle twins, and the rest of their shifting caravan. The journey from Mexico toward California is brutal, sun-scorched, and emotionally volatile. Carroll has no interest in protecting her characters from betrayal, revelation, or loss. Cassandra’s condition hits like a shockwave. The feeding scenes are visceral enough to make you flinch. (I made the mistake of eating pizza while I was reading at one point. I do not recommend lol) And yet, what impressed me most wasn’t the gore. It was the control. The pacing is deliberate. The mythology unfolds without over-explaining itself. Every death carries narrative weight. The world feels large and catastrophic, but the emotional focus stays directly on the people trying to survive it.
I loved this book. Not in a casual, “that was fun” way, but in the kind of way where you close it and just sit there for a minute. It’s bleak, yes, but it’s also deeply human. If you gravitate toward horror that blends mythology with apocalypse, if you appreciate character-driven survival stories, if you want something that is unsettling, thoughtful, and unafraid to go dark, this one belongs on your shelf. Wholeheartedly recommend this read, and I’ll be eagerly waiting to see where this series goes.