The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker Quotes

“Everything just makes more sense if you look at it backwards.”
― Lauren James, The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker

“Yes, I killed them all. I'm not sorry. What else could I have done?”
― Lauren James, The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker

“Are you really going to decide on my fate without me?” a voice said from behind them. Harriet was leaning against the windowsill, arms folded.
Felix broke out in a cold sweat. When had she come in?
“Harriet! Hello!” Rima had gone scarlet with mortification.

There was something misshapen about Harriet's face, blood leaking in a steady trickle down her cheek.

"I wasn’t aware that you four were in charge of making decisions for the entire building.”
There was an excruciating silence.”
― Lauren James, The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker

“You know, ghosts have myths. They’re passed down from generation to generation – ancient, millennia-old ghosts passing on stories they heard when they were newly dead, from other ancient ghosts on the brink of disintegration.
The stories stretch back all the way to Neolithic times, before stories were told in words. Back then, language was crude and essential, nothing more than a way to help humans work together to hunt and eat and sleep.
Those stories don’t make much sense now. They don’t follow the forms of tales we know. They are short and to the point: the man saw a deer on the eastern slopes and cornered the deer in a small cluster of trees. It tasted good. The hide was strong.
Those early humans weren’t interested in entertainment. It hadn’t been invented yet. There were no happy endings or romance or heroes. The stories nearly always ended in death. A hunt, a defeat, a victory, a bad case of food poisoning.
But those stories – if you can call them stories – all have one thing in common, as far as I can see. They might not have plot, or characters, or beautiful writing. But there is always one thing: a lesson. A moral. A new piece of information, worthy of remembering and passing on.
I haven’t decided what the moral of my story is yet. The lesson that needs sharing. What here is worth remembering a millennium from now, if we survive that long? Worth passing onto the generations of ghosts that come after us?
I think the message might be that it’s never over. Even when you think someone is gone forever, they can return. Whether you’re desperate to speak to them one last time, or terrified to see their face. Life always finds a way.”
― Lauren James, The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker

“Felix – Kiss, Marry, Kill. Kasper, Ruf-”
“Kasper,” Felix interrupted.
Rima slowly closed her mouth. “I haven’t even said the other options yet.”
“No need.”
The corner of Leah’s mouth twitched.
Rima said, “You’d . . . kiss, marry and kill Kasper?”
Persevering, Felix said, “I stand by what I said.
Unless Captain America is one of the other options.”
Harriet made an ‘Ohhh’ noise, like she’d figured something out.”
― Lauren James, The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker

“Rima was constantly prying in Leah’s life, who was very, very clear about how much she disliked it. Rima even kept a memorised list of facts, which she’d told Felix once. It included:
1. Leah had been alive at one point in time.
2. Leah had died at another, later point in time. 
3. Leah had once had a mother and a father.
4.  Claudia also had a mother and a father.
a.  Leah was Claudia’s mother.
b.  Claudia was between zero and seven months old.
5. Leah had hated coriander.
6.  She had been allergic to dogs.
7.  Leah’s power let her look into the future.
Felix had been reluctantly impressed by the thoroughness of the documentation.”
― Lauren James, The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker

“Those are the Tricksters,” Greg said. “They're brothers. They made the black market.” They looked like old-fashioned movie stars; all smoothed-back hair & artistic stubble. Their hair was completely white - a shockingly bright white. But there was something unnatural about their disproportionate handsomeness.
It felt artificial, like a neon poisonous frog. The urge to flee gripped the back of Harriet’s neck, seizing up her muscles. They couldn’t notice her, her hindbrain was telling her body. She had to hide.”
― Lauren James, The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker

“You aren’t as funny as you think you are!” Kasper yelled at Rima. “Once I overheard you memorising puns in the bathroom!”

Leah interjected, “He’s right. You said that even your mum never used to laugh at your jokes, Rima.”

“All of my jokes,” Rima corrected. “I said all of my jokes. And I told you that in confidence, Leah! If you keep this up, I’m gonna stop being best friends with you.”

“When?” Leah asked, longingly.”
― Lauren James, The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker