We Were Never Here

by Sophia Hannan

The remaining members of a ghost hunting show return to the haunted manor that may have killed their friend in this atmospheric, contemporary gothic debut perfect for fans of She Is a Haunting and Delicious Monsters.

In July, Georgia Perry and Jules Park—secret girlfriends, covert art thieves, and cohosts of a popular YouTube ghost hunting show—step into a haunted house to steal a priceless painting. A few short hours later, there’s a knife in Jules’s chest and Georgia is waking up in a pool of blood with no painting and no memory of how she got there.

Now it’s October, and Georgia is underwater. She hasn’t been to class in weeks, and she’s avoiding her old crew—and only friends—like the plague. But when the three remaining thieves get a call from the man who paid a hefty sum to keep them out of jail, demanding that they return to finish the job, Georgia has no choice but to return to her old life.

As the estranged friends scramble to steal the painting with no cover story and no leader, they quickly realize that something is very, very wrong, and it’s not just the suffocating memory of Jules or the prying eyes of their viewers. Between the strange shadows that begin to trail them and the nightmares plaguing Georgia’s sleep, only one thing is certain: something followed them home from De Lys manor, and it will do anything to keep them from going back.

Genres: Horror, Lesbian, Queer, Young Adult, LGBT, Paranormal, Fiction

352 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication July 28, 2026

About the author

Sophia Hannan is a Canadian author of YA fiction. When she’s not writing about ghosts and the girls they haunt, she can be found studying English literature and forcing her friends to watch horror movies with her. Her debut novel, We Were Never Here, comes out in 2026 with Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Reviews

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love this book so much! sophia is truly a genius and y’all are in for the time of your lives in 2025✨

[Birdie Schae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I read a very early version of WE WERE NEVER HERE two(!!) years ago, it grabbed me by my throat and never once let me go. Full of grief, intrigue and the most perfect chaos, this sapphic YA horror novel has everything I love about the genre and is SO feral-worthy. You truly don't want to miss Sophia's unique, emotional and thrilling debut!!

[Nicholas Perez]

Inject that cover in my veins.

[soleil ☀️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow, just wow
so proud of you sop 🫶

[Starr ❇✌❇]

very into this cover I cannot lie

[Hannah Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wasn’t going to drink tonight but I miss Jules

[Kera’s Always Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, this cover is incredible and it just fits so well. I love a good haunting story and this is so fresh and different. Strong characters! Vivid imagery! Unsettling and eerie from start to finish!

[Amelia Willes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, this was a really slow start but definitely picked up about half way through. there were parts i loved and parts i really didn’t, but overall it was a very cool take on haunting and possession that i haven’t seen before. also great queer representation too!

[Wen-yi Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

With gothic touches and prose like a submerged dream, WE WERE NEVER HERE paints ghostly grief for the gay Buzzfeed Unsolved generation. A delicately-wrought haunting of those who've grown versions of themselves online--about complicated love, reclaiming yourself, and the exorcising power of seeing and being seen.

[Sarah Street · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is so fantastic and I'm so happy it's being published so I can read it for the first time all over again!!! Soph's talent is truly a spooky force to be reckoned with <3

[fanboyriot · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend group forges and steals paintings but what happens when something goes wrong. How does one of the characters explain that the person she lost was more than a friend and how does she explain she thinks she is being haunted?

This book had wonderful lore and a great mystery plot. So much happened but it all worked so well with the characters and plot. The atmosphere getting more tense as we learned more about the lady. I also really loved the supernatural elements to this book.

I really enjoyed the different point of views and how each of the characters played into the plot of the book. They all fit into the story so well.

(Note: I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity.)

POV: Multiple, Third Person
Sad Level: 💧💧💧
Would I Recommend? Yes
Favorite Character(s): Circe
Emojis Based on Vibes: 👻🖼️👟

⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS
Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Blood

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC from publisher.
4.5 Stars
A perfect and evocative horror debut!
Sapphic Ghost hunters mixed with eerie hauntings blended in atmospheric dark academia, brings a new chilling thriller for fans of haunting of hill house, bly manor and buzzfeed unsolved.
The writing is absolutley captivating with artistic imagery and horror elements that remain unsettling, and follows alternating perspectives of the three witty teenage MCs. The story is balanced being plenty emotional and gritty, while remaining suitable for a YA audience. The authors investment and passion into this story and characters is evident in every passage.

Highly anticipating the release! Overall a very worthwhile read for any YA/Queer horror enjoyers.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dnf at 60%

I was intrigued by the book's summary. I’m grateful I got a chance to read this book early. This book didn’t work for me. It felt kind of chaotic to me. If this book sounds interesting to you then you should give it a try. I’m in the minority on not enjoying this book. I do not think this is a bad book. Just not a book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sophia Hannan, and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Jennifer Rayment · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, if a tad too angsty for this middle age mom, but think the intended audience will enjoy. LGBT+ friendly and set in positive light not a stereotypical character in site. A little slow to get started but half way through picks up with a bang. By the end I was flipping through the pages so fast as I had to know what was going to happen.

[Raine Dedominici · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the plot a little chaotic and hard to track sometimes, but I love the way it tackles grief, coming out, and changes in friendship. I also think the commentary on what content creators (or anyone, for that matter) owe their audiences is incredibly well done.

[rachel x]

i'm seated, i'm waiting

[Desi · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[nona]

MY MOST ANTICIPATED READ OF THE YEAR IS IN MY HANDS!!!!!! EARLY!!!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC! Review TC.

[Selma · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It was November first…”

I read this story a little over two years ago, when the leaves outside were beginning to curl, stubborn green softening with age. I’d been out of college for a year or so by then, and found myself transported back to that same electric academic world as soon as I’d finished the first chapter of Sophia Hannan’s wonderful debut horror novel: the teachers, the grades, the weight of social and scholarly expectations. The constant presence of someone—or something—watching…

That constant presence is the through line of We Were Never Here.

How do we see ourselves?
How do we see others?
What legacy do we leave?

In this story, ghosts are not simple monsters hiding in the dark; they are secrets preserved. Our secrets. Our desires. Our mistakes. How much of them do we carry? And how far will we go to bury them?

Sophia’s novel is witty and emotional and so, so atmospheric. I wander around the halls thinking of it every now and again, a specter in my own home.

I hope you’ll pick it up as well and join me.