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Night Objects
Not yet published
Expected 26 May 26Win a free print copy of this book!
0 days and 01:43:11
25 copies available
U.S. and Canada only
In this “vivid and immersive” (Liz Moore) debut, Eli Raphael conjures the windswept coast of Washington State and a boarding school steeped in privilege and deadly secrets—a remarkable story of grief, power, and the dangerous price of belonging.
It is true that I wished him dead dozens of times. Hundreds, even. But I, Lenny Winter, did not kill that boy.
Lenny Winter is fifteen years old when she moves with her parents to an aging houseboat off the rugged coast of Washington. She imagines a quiet life spent charting constellations and chasing her dream of becoming an astronomer. Instead, a sudden tragedy shatters her world and catapults her to Blanchard, a renowned boarding school for the Pacific Northwest's elite, where wealth and tradition rule.
Blanchard is dazzling, insular–and haunted by its own legends. At its heart lurks the Pascalianum Club, a secret society known to shape the school's greatest and most notorious students, and whose influence stretches far beyond campus walls. Hungry to belong, Lenny is drawn into its orbit, even as she senses that the club feeds on the very vulnerabilities she is desperate to hide. As privilege collides with grief and loyalty warps into obsession, Lenny’s choices will lead to an unforgettable reckoning—and a murder investigation that will test every story she tells herself about guilt, power, hope, and who she is becoming. Sweeping, suspenseful, and deeply moving, Bright Work is both a gripping mystery and a profound coming-of-age story—asking what we risk, what we become, and who we hold dear, when the need to belong eclipses everything else.
It is true that I wished him dead dozens of times. Hundreds, even. But I, Lenny Winter, did not kill that boy.
Lenny Winter is fifteen years old when she moves with her parents to an aging houseboat off the rugged coast of Washington. She imagines a quiet life spent charting constellations and chasing her dream of becoming an astronomer. Instead, a sudden tragedy shatters her world and catapults her to Blanchard, a renowned boarding school for the Pacific Northwest's elite, where wealth and tradition rule.
Blanchard is dazzling, insular–and haunted by its own legends. At its heart lurks the Pascalianum Club, a secret society known to shape the school's greatest and most notorious students, and whose influence stretches far beyond campus walls. Hungry to belong, Lenny is drawn into its orbit, even as she senses that the club feeds on the very vulnerabilities she is desperate to hide. As privilege collides with grief and loyalty warps into obsession, Lenny’s choices will lead to an unforgettable reckoning—and a murder investigation that will test every story she tells herself about guilt, power, hope, and who she is becoming. Sweeping, suspenseful, and deeply moving, Bright Work is both a gripping mystery and a profound coming-of-age story—asking what we risk, what we become, and who we hold dear, when the need to belong eclipses everything else.
384 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication May 26, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Beneath layers of mesmerizing subtext, "Night Objects" is a murder mystery that transcends the mechanics of a traditional whodunit. What begins as a tangled web of friendship, betrayal, and private grief slowly reveals a darker question: how far would we go to protect ourselves—and the people we love?
Lenny, still raw from her mother’s tragic death, is sent to an elite boarding school on scholarship. Her grief is overlooked, her expectations sky-high. Desperate to belong, she’s pulled into the orbit of privileged classmates and a secretive society whose rituals blur the line between performance and danger. That longing—to be chosen, to be wanted—forms the aching core of the novel.
Eli Raphael crafts a story that is both grisly and beautiful. The damp austerity of the Pacific Northwest seeps into the bones, mirroring Lenny’s internal chill. Told in dual timelines from adult Lenny’s perspective, the narrative unfolds with careful precision, revealing motive and consequence in equal measure.
But beyond the mystery and the sacrifice, what lingers is hope—frayed yet stubborn. Night Objects is for readers who love language, atmosphere, and stories about standing on the margins of belonging.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing Group for providing the ARC of this fantastic novel in exchange for a fair review.
Lenny, still raw from her mother’s tragic death, is sent to an elite boarding school on scholarship. Her grief is overlooked, her expectations sky-high. Desperate to belong, she’s pulled into the orbit of privileged classmates and a secretive society whose rituals blur the line between performance and danger. That longing—to be chosen, to be wanted—forms the aching core of the novel.
Eli Raphael crafts a story that is both grisly and beautiful. The damp austerity of the Pacific Northwest seeps into the bones, mirroring Lenny’s internal chill. Told in dual timelines from adult Lenny’s perspective, the narrative unfolds with careful precision, revealing motive and consequence in equal measure.
But beyond the mystery and the sacrifice, what lingers is hope—frayed yet stubborn. Night Objects is for readers who love language, atmosphere, and stories about standing on the margins of belonging.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing Group for providing the ARC of this fantastic novel in exchange for a fair review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In Night Objects, Lenny Winter is a fifteen year old who has moved from Miami to the Pacific Northwest to live in a boat with her mother and stepfather. After suffering a brutal loss, she is sent to the prestigious and very elitist Blanchard boarding school. She struggles to fit in and make friends, coming from a far different background than the other students. Pleased to be considered as a member of a secret society that has been existing at Blanchard for many years, she is unable or unwilling to believe the depths of cruelty and manipulation that occurs, leading to a murder. The story is told in alternating timelines and is both captivating and very atmospheric. With thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC. My opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
As I started reading "Night Objects", by Eli Raphael, I couldn't decide if this was a YA read or more of an adult novel. Based on the plot, emotions, and some of the details, I feel that this is more of an adult read. If you're looking for a warm, cozy, coming of age story, you won't find it here. If, however, you're gravitating towards a more sinister story involving sorrow, vulnerability, and the power of wealth, then "Night Objects" might be the book for you.
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Overall, I found the plot to be okay. There were a couple of slow-moving moments throughout the novel. The author did a good job of having the plot come together at the end.
You will find the summary details above.
Overall, I found the plot to be okay. There were a couple of slow-moving moments throughout the novel. The author did a good job of having the plot come together at the end.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Night Objects unfolds like a quiet inventory of the things we cling to when the world goes dim, using everyday items as portals into memory, longing, and the strange comfort of the familiar. Eli Raphael writes with a soft, nocturnal glow, letting each object reveal a fragment of the self that’s usually hidden in daylight. The result is a memoir that feels both intimate and dreamlike, a meditation on how the smallest things can illuminate the darkest corners of a life.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is one of those rare novels that is somehow both a bingeable mystery as well as a literary work of art, and the fact that it's a debut makes it all the more impressive. I savored every sentence. This story is an incredible accomplishment by Eli Raphael, and I'm already looking forward to whatever she writes next.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Night objects is a moody and atmospheric sort of mystery sort of grief journey. It took me a while to get through it. It did feel like some part of the story had too much detail while others could have used more. It did lag a bit in the middle, but the last 1/4 I flew through. Thank you Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley for this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This book, is almost like two different books, one i liked a lot, the more psychological part the relationships and the living with and beyond grieving, while the part at the school, with the mostly unlikeable characters was a key part of the story, i didn't like reading it
Review of advance copy received from Author
Beautifully written with vivid descriptions of the Pacific Northwest. The plot is exciting and captivating from the beginning. Couldn't put it down!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A novel about teenage life that takes a twist. A great read, and you continuously wonder how it turns out.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews