Where Sleeping Girls Lie

Where Sleeping Girls Lie #1

by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

In Where Sleeping Girls Lie ― a YA contemporary mystery by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, the New York Times-bestselling author of Ace of Spades ― a girl new to boarding school discovers dark secrets and coverups after her roommate disappears.

It’s like I keep stumbling into a dark room, searching for the switch to make things bright again. To make me remember. But the switch isn’t there. Was it there before?

Sade Hussein is starting her third year of high school, this time at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy boarding school. After being home-schooled all her life and feeling like a magnet for misfortune, she’s not sure what will happen. What she doesn’t expect though is for her roommate Elizabeth to disappear after Sade’s first night. Or for people to think she had something to do with it.

With rumors swirling around her, Sade catches the attention of the most popular girls in school – collectively known as the ‘Unholy Trinity’ – and they bring her into their fold. Between learning more about them - especially Persephone, who Sade finds herself drawn to - playing catch-up in class, and trying to figure out what happened to Elizabeth, Sade has a lot on her plate. It doesn’t help that she’s already dealing with grief from the many tragedies in her family.

And then a student is found dead.

The more Sade investigates, the more she realizes there’s more to Alfred Nobel Academy and its students than she realized. Secrets lurk around every corner and beneath every surface…secrets that rival even her own.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Thriller, Dark Academia, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, LGBT

400 pages, Paperback

First published March 14, 2024

About the author

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is the instant New York Times, International bestselling, & Award-winning author of ACE OF SPADES and WHERE SLEEPING GIRLS LIE. In 2024 she was a world book day author with her title THE DOOMSDAY DATE and she also has a Marvel Spider-Verse story coming out this year where she writes a new Spider-Verse character known as Spider-UK/Zarina Zahari. Faridah is an avid tea drinker, a collector of strange mugs, and a graduate from a university in Scotland where she received a BA in English Literature. She also has an MA in Shakespeare Studies from Kings College London. When she isn’t spinning dark tales, Faridah can be found examining the deeper meanings in Disney channel original movies.

Reviews

[Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morse code is a major plot element in this story and so I will be writing the rest of this message in morse code...

.. / .- -- / ... --- / . -..- -.-. .. - . -.. / - --- / -... . / .-. . .-.. . .- ... .. -. --. / -- -.-- / ... . -.-. --- -. -.. / -... --- --- -.- / .- - / .-.. --- -. --. / .-.. .- ... - -.-.-- / .. / - .... .. -. -.- / .-- .... . .-. . / ... .-.. . . .--. .. -. --. / --. .. .-. .-.. ... / .-.. .. . / .. ... / ... .. -- .. .-.. .- .-. / - --- / .- -.-. . / --- ..-. / ... .--. .- -.. . ... / .. -. / ... --- -- . / .-- .- -.-- ... / -... ..- - / .- .-.. ... --- / ...- . .-. -.-- / -.. .. ..-. ..-. . .-. . -. - / .- -. -.. / .- / .-.. --- - / -- --- .-. . / . -..- .--. . .-. .. -- . -. - .- .-.. .-.-.- / .. / .... --- .--. . / -.-- --- ..- / .- .-.. .-.. / . -. .--- --- -.-- / .-. . .- -.. .. -. --. --..-- / .. ..-. / -.-- --- ..- / -.. --- -. .----. - / - .... .- - .----. ... / -.-. --- --- .-.. / - --- --- --..-- / .- .-.. .-.. / .. -. / .- .-.. .-.. / .. / .... --- .--. . / -.-- --- ..- / ... - .. -.-. -.- / .-- .. - .... / -- . / .- ... / .. / .-- .-. .. - . / -- --- .-. . / -... --- --- -.- ... / .- -.-. .-. --- ... ... / - .... . / -.-- . .- .-. ... -.-.-- / - .-. .. --. --. . .-. / .-- .- .-. -. .. -. --. ... / -.-. .- -. / -... . / ..-. --- ..- -. -.. / .... . .-. . / --- -. / -- -.-- / .-- . -... ... .. - . ---...

https://www.faridahabikeiyimide.com/w...

[☆Pelumi☆]

After Ace of spades, this lady owns me!

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

i love boarding school books.

well, usually.

this is a creepy spooky fun little book, except for being riddled with low level errors that continually frustrate me. 

(such as: sade is in bed sometime between 12 am and school starting on a monday, unable to sleep, and then texts one friend to come over and is interrupted by another friend coming over to watch a movie. why would the time for this plan be "bedtime"?)

same goes for the twist, and the other twist, and the other twist, and the fact that this cast is made up of 90% seventeen year old boys who are more unilaterally evil than your average dictator, and there's a bizarre amount of animal cruelty (i think this boarding school does science experiments on live guinea pigs?), and the title is pulled from a wildly sexist fictional article in the final pages about how girls make up sa accusations because all they have is beauty (why would that be the title of the book), and the lengthy setup of a creepy teacher plot that is unceremoniously dropped and/or forgotten, and various characters and dynamics that are by the end too.

add to all that this has my least favorite young adult trope — I Am Too Busy Solving Crime / Developing Magical Powers / Defeating Evil And Cannot Do My Homework, But I Am Going To Mention It Constantly Just To Give You The Feeling Of That Dream Where You Think You Haven't Attended One Of Your Classes All Semester And Now You Have To Take A Final — and my vibes are all over the place.

it wasn't realistic, and it was often frustrating, but it managed to have moments of a dark academia good time.

even if it was way too long and still managed to have an abrupt ending.

bottom line: please let me start editing books between the first and second edition. i may never adhere to pub deadlines, but i'm annoying enough to catch the errors that slipped through.

2.5

[megs_bookrack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where Sleeping Girls Lie is a 2024-YA Mystery from Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, author of the successful 2021 YA Mystery, Ace of Spades, which I've heard incredible things about.

Even though it's been sitting on my shelves since 2021, I haven't yet picked it up, so when I received a surprise Audio ARC of this new book, I was beyond excited to finally be checking out Àbíké-Íyímídé's work.



In this story, we follow Sade Hussein, who has recently been enrolled in Alfred Nobel Academy. ANA is a prestigious boarding school. Sade is in her third year of high school and ends up starting the school year a little late, following the death of her father.

The action kicks off on Sade's very first day at the school, as she sees it for the first time and meets Administrators, some students and also her roommate, Elizabeth.

I have to say, I was drawn into this extremely quickly. I love a 'new girl' trope and this author nailed it. My favorite aspect of that is just learning about the setting and other characters right along with the new girl.



Previously, Sade has been home-schooled, so this type of environment is completely new to her. She's a little anxious, still grief-ridden from her father's passing, but all things considered, the transition seems to be going fairly smoothly.

That is until Elizabeth disappears. The school claims Elizabeth left, that she needed a break, but Elizabeth's long-time best friend, Baz, isn't buying it. Sade and Baz begin to bond and Sade agrees that Elizabeth's sudden departure is suspicious, but why the lies?

Rumors are swirling, drama is occurring and Sade finds herself in the center of a lot of it. When another student is found dead, events are really kicked into high gear.



I thought it would take me a long time to read this book, because it's a pretty good-sized Mystery, coming in at 416-pages. That wasn't the case at all though. I flew through it.

It's such a gripping story, with complex characters, intriguing mysteries, as well as great tone and atmosphere throughout. It's an incredibly well-written story.



I loved and appreciated how Àbíké-Íyímídé took her time creating the setting and putting Sade's arrival there in good context. Sade is a character you can really sink your teeth into; there are so many layers to her story.

I also found the mysteries both very intriguing. First, Elizabeth's disappearance, from what you learned about her in the short time that she and Sade got to know one another, it seemed shady as heck. She wouldn't just leave.

And the death of the other student, in the context of everything else going on, was shocking. There were definite jaw-drop moments throughout this one for me.



This story gave me everything I wanted. There was a sense of foreboding oozing from every page. I was scared, but in a way where I didn't even know what I was scared of. I never knew what was going to be revealed next.

The entire story was so compelling. If you enjoy stories set at Private Schools, full of Drama, and wealthy character behaving badly, you have to pick this up.

Additionally, if you enjoy nuanced mysteries with dark shadows lurking around ever corner, you have to pick this up. Or if you just want to see if the hype is real, you have to pick this up. In short, pick it up!



Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

This was a delightful surprise and I can't wait to read more from this author!!

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wholeheartedly loved this book and added it to my list of best dark academia thrillers and best YA books of the year! It’s dark, sad, intense, heart-wrenching, powerful, and engaging. Some parts made me scream and cry as if somebody had stabbed pieces of glass into my heart!

I loved some of the characters and easily connected with them, while I hated and cursed others. My emotions were all over the place. I’m a mess! This powerful #MeToo-vibed dark academia mystery, with Shakespearean tragedy elements about a student’s eccentric vanishing, pushes you to the edge, cooking up theories about what happened to her as the dangerous secrets each student harbors are revealed behind closed doors.

The story revolves around Sade Hussein, an orphaned, Black, Muslim girl who has faced tragedy after tragedy, burying each family member starting with her mother’s suicide when she was only 10, and her estranged father’s recent death. She forges his signature to apply to Alfred Nobel Academy to start over, getting away from her aunt, who thinks she brings curse and death everywhere she goes.

On her first day, she’s assigned to Turing House, becoming roommates with Elizabeth Wang, who gives her a quick tour and introduces her to her best friend, pink-haired, quick-witted, eccentric Basil (Baz). Sade feels welcomed for the first time in her life, after living a secluded, homeschooled life, but unfortunately, her quick-paced happiness is shattered by Elizabeth’s sudden disappearance. Sade finds herself among the suspects summoned to the headmaster’s office for questioning.

To clear her name and for the sake of her new friendship with Basil, she teams up with him to find out what happened to Elizabeth. Meanwhile, the famous Unholy Trinity—nicknamed the academy’s most popular girls, April, Juliette, and Persephone—take her under their wings. She is particularly affected by the magnetic Persephone, who attends English class with her. Let’s not forget that with the help of her new circle, she also finds herself involved with the star swimmer boys' club, including the school’s most popular heartbreaker, April’s ex Jude, and April’s twin brother Augustus, whom she frequently encounters in the swimming lounge.
But what if her reason for coming to this academy is related to something more personal, and finding Elizabeth is more crucial than she imagined, revealing darker schemes behind the academy’s closed doors?

What if she’s uncovering something more sinister and powerful that risks her life, and despite fighting harder, she is doomed to be defeated by it?

I advise you to buy or order your copy and cancel everything in your life to devour it!

Overall: Even though this book appears long, it took me only two days to enjoy the full ride, and I honestly couldn’t put it down! This is one of the best mysteries I’ve read, with great twists—some expected, some truly shocking—that left my jaw on the floor!

The triggering subjects of rape, abuse, suicide, and grief are not easy to absorb, but the author’s realistic approach to these sensitive issues and well-executed progress make your reading journey worthwhile.

Baz and his guinea pig, Muffin, are my favorite characters, and even for them, this book is an extraordinary journey you shouldn’t miss!

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[Chloe Gong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flawless mystery. Where Sleeping Girls Lie builds with riveting intrigue, peeling back the facade of institutions and exposing the tender beating hearts of the girls trying to survive.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

[benedicta · Rating 4 out of 5]

wowww what a ride 😮‍💨😮‍💨 lemme process this. RTC

[Laura Lovesreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh wow for a slow burn I really ate this one up!

Where Sleeping Girls Lie is about new girl Sade doing her third year in a new boarding school and after her first night she realises that her roommate Elizabeth has disappeared. The plot then takes us on Sade trying to work out the mystery on what happened to Elizabeth but along the way finding out that the prestige Nobel Academy is not all its cracked up to be and has a lot of hidden secrets.

If you are used to my reviews its not a shocker that i don't like slow burn thrillers. What i will say about this book is that its more of a character driven mystery and you should not go into this expecting super plots twists, suspense or your 'typical thriller'.

The dark academia settings worked well for me and i could really picture the boarding school settings so vivid in my head. The atmosphere felt tense, grey and heavy and really held my attention.
I absolutely adore Sade, Persephone and Basil. The author really fleshed out their characters and i was so enamored and drawn to them!
The queer representation was brilliantly written and i was cheesing soooo hard when they finally came together. (Not me liking a slow burn romance... what's happening? lol)

I really think this book should be read by all young adults as it highlights the touchy subjects of (G)rape culture, SA, misogyny and racial discrimination.
This was such a heavy read but I couldn't put the book down and just had to get to the end. The last 20% felt like a whirlwind, one completely unexpected twist and all the explaining of the unanswered questions throughout the book had me like 😮
It misses the full 5 star mark for me, because although i ate it up, did it really justify it being 563 pages long... NO. It could have def being cut down to a 350-400 page book.
Besides that this was a really good YA mystery!








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⋆｡°✩Pre Review⋆｡°✩
Reasons why I've rushed to read this book... 📝

Its a Dark Academia set in a Boarding School ✔️
Its said to be a Gripping Mystery ✔️
Excuse me, just look at that gorgeous cover art! ✔️

Pretty Please Don't Disappoint! 🖤🖤

[JustJJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blog | Instagram

Rating: 3.5 stars

Cover: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I was immediately drawn to the striking portrait at the centre of this design, especially with the dripping effects that capture the haunting atmosphere of the story. Besides this, the shadowed boarding school at the bottom of the design adds an extra layer of foreboding and mystery, hinting at the dark secrets hidden within the story's setting.
 
Writing: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
The descriptive writing style is simple yet filled with vivid descriptions that make the narrative eerie and atmospheric. However, the heavy-handed foreshadowing made some of the tension and suspense fall flat for me.

"sometimes justice looked like this: it wasn't fair, and it wasn't just."

Storyline: 🌟🌟🌟
Despite the storyline opening with several intriguing mysteries, it unfurls at a slow pace that delves into the academics and social aspects of the main character's life, making the middle of the book drag. The pace finally picks up in the final third of the book with several twists and revelations that explore serious themes such as rape culture, suicide, grief, and privilege.
 
Main character(s): 🌟🌟🌟
Due to past misfortunes, Sade Hussein suffers from bursts of anxiety that heighten the eerie atmosphere of the story. Sadly, her character remained mysterious and one-dimensional for most of the story, which made it hard for me to connect with or root for her.

"The best liars… were the ones who were also lying to themselves in some way."

Secondary characters: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
A diverse crew of secondary characters supports Sade in her investigations and contributes to the explored themes. These generally had distinct traits and personalities that made them memorable. In particular, Basil (Baz) was my favourite, as his character is heartwarmingly genuine. 
 
Romance: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
While the romantic subplot was somewhat confusing due to several possible connections, the cute slow-burn romance Sade experiences is filled with clear attraction and gradually develops as the characters spend time together. An additional romance between two secondary characters also gradually unfolds, providing more cute moments.

"Not many people get it. How losing someone changes you."

Narration & Audio: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Several audio effects and Natalie Simpson's fitting narration, complete with varied accents, truly enriched this story and made the audiobook immersive.
 
On the whole, 'Where Sleeping Girls Lie' skilfully explores powerful cultural messages through intriguing mysteries, but the slow pacing and underdeveloped main character made it less captivating. For those who enjoyed this book, I highly recommend We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

[Jess Owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/5

I didn’t love Ace of Spades but I wanted to give the author another try. I love stories set at a school, so this sounded up my alley. It started off really strong with creepy vibes and hints towards something dark that happened in the MC’s past. I loved the setting of the school and I thought all the people— students, teachers, staff— she met felt authentic and like real people. I was really into the story but then it kept going and it kept going and we weren’t getting anywhere. This is over 400 pages I think? And honestly 250ish, max 300 is where it should’ve stopped. The pacing started to slow before the midway point and I began to lose interest. We spent too much time on day to day that didn’t move the plot forward. The resolution was fine, I guess. Maybe this author just isn’t for me. I’ll round up to 3 stars.

[Zana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Powerful story about sexual assault and misogyny in an English boarding school, but it gets bogged down by mundane day-to-day school and personal/interpersonal drama.

If this was trimmed down into a tighter story, then I think it would've been more impactful.

[gloria .☆ﾟ.]

bought this one today 😼 she’s a chunky one. we’ll see how that bodes.

[Kezia Duah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last book I read by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé was, like most people, the phenomenal Ace of Spades. My toxic trait? I often forget the exact reasons I loved or disliked a book—yet I remember Ace of Spades had me hooked. So my expectations were high going into this one, and after reading the description, my excitement spiked even more. From the start, the tension was real. At points, I felt like the plot was losing me, veering off in unexpected ways, but eventually, everything came together beautifully, each twist making perfect sense in the end.

The story's vibe was all classic boarding school, a setting that always amps up the thrill factor. This atmosphere allowed for some seriously unsettling moments, and I’ll admit, I was uncomfortable more than once. The characters? Yes, they’re somewhat “typical” high school personalities, but somehow each one stands out. The forming of friendships was a huge highlight for me—they're all so unique, and it’s inspiring seeing them accept one another exactly as they are. I love romance as much as the next person, but honestly, watching these friendships grow felt just as satisfying. And don’t worry, if you’re in it for romance, there’s a bit of that here too.

Now, onto our main character. Let’s face it: a bad lead can sink an entire book. Not Sade though. She’s smart, layered, and it wasn’t until deep into the story that I realized how much I didn’t know about her. The things she reveals—wow. I felt a little betrayed, like, “Aren’t we besties?” But the mystery behind her motivations kept me invested, and I found myself rooting for her more with every page. I’d definitely want to hang out with her; she’s both sharp and passionate, an unforgettable presence.

As for takeaways, while the book didn’t introduce any new life lessons, it was a harsh reminder of the real-life horrors lurking in the world. It left me feeling that we all need to keep pushing for a safer, fairer world, especially for women.

The ending? It was spot-on—not predictable, but also not too far-fetched. I can see why this book’s gaining traction, and I hope it continues to get the hype it deserves!

[BookishByTammi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that the title is a play on Let Sleeping Dogs Lie which is “a request for a matter or incident to remain undiscussed or avoided, where addressing it might cause trouble.”
Which is very relevant once you’ve read the book…

I devoured this book over the weekend and really enjoyed it, this was a great YA take on dark academia with engaging characters that you will love and hate and a dark real life topic that I think Faridah handled perfectly.

I don’t want to say too much as I feel like the topic this book deals with is a spoiler so I will just say go in blind and let the storytelling and mystery take you on a journey.

[๑ seungchaccomin ๑ · Rating 4 out of 5]

book rating: ••••.25
audiobook rating: •••.5

‘keep swimming. or if that’s too hard, at the very least, float.’

*sighs* this is book proves that do not trust men (even the ones who act innocent, but they have a secret)

i kinda get it that the book is slow-paced (based on some updates). but while i was listening to the audiobook, i finally understand on what was happening behind elizabeth's disappearance.

speaking of elizabeth's disappearance, her side story got me shocked also, jamila, sade's sister, side story got the same reaction

oh, the clues? yep, i kept hunching them chapter per chapter. some of them were right, but the majority of them are wrong especially the tg part because i have no fücking clue who is this

to be honest, my head is still throbbing after reading this. but i enjoy it nonetheless.

for the audiobook, natalie simpson's narration is okay. but at some parts, she sounded like a female google translator. but i like her voice when she va'ed persephone.

───────────────────────

pre-read:

so this is the book pick for the book club on the bird app. and i know it's dark academia + sapphic (and it's chunky!) so i guess i might enjoy this 🤭

[Laura (crofteereader) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am devastated to report that this book was a huge miss from me. The plot doesn’t pick up until about 60% in, despite an intriguing start, and honestly the focus is so different than what we’re led to expect from the beginning (in a way that isn’t a cleverly hidden twist but instead more like a sudden U-turn through the median on the freeway). The beginning and random snippets throughout tease us with this dead girl, but honestly she’s not relevant to much of anything except to try to make our main girl Sade doubt herself. Until we finally figure out who she is in a huge infodump at about 80%. And then we get another infodump at 88% to explain the red herring plot that we were fed in the beginning and occasionally reminded of throughout.

Also, these kids don’t speak like kids. There’s no slang; they talk super formally - and occasionally that’s mentioned as kind of a joke (like “oh you sound like Jane Austen”) but it’s constant across all the characters that you can’t even make a joke like that land. And so often characters are referred to by their one defining characteristic (ie “the blonde-haired girl” or “he of the ice blue eyes” - I kid you not) when we know everyone’s names pretty much right away.

Once we did finally hit that 67% mark, though, the plot was off like a shot, to the point where it felt like a totally different book. Revelations were coming at us right and left, with perilous consequences; but they flew by so fast they didn’t have time to land. Could have used more of the real estate taken up by nothing much in the first half to lend weight to the later events. And I will say I liked the resolution.

But the whole thing lacked the impact, the tension that Ace of Spades nailed so well.

{Thank you FierceReads for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review}

[Shawnaci Schroeder · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 ⭐️

- If you love a good mystery, you’ll really enjoy this one! I went into this book feel like it would be more of a thriller, but it definitely gives mystery vibes. If you enjoy putting puzzle pieces together to solve a murder, you have to pick this one up! I don’t enjoy reading mysteries so if I had known this was going to be more of that vibe, I probably wouldn’t have picked this one up.
- This is such an important story to tell, but the way it was told left me wanting more. the pacing felt slow for me, but it really sped up in the last 100 pages which really kept me hooked!!
- It’s easy to compare this book to Ace of Spades (which I LOVED), but this story wasn’t my favorite. Can definitely see mystery lovers enjoying this one though!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. read for my book club - https://www.patreon.com/c/megwithbooks

plot holes upon plot holes upon plot holes babes

[vee · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Boys with everything. The world had been and always would be theirs for the taking. Sade had learned to fear the men who had everything, because even the moon, the skies and the earth could not sate them.”

set in an urban academic backdrop, this book tackles the important topic of rape culture and how society resorts to victim blaming while protecting the perpetrators. it perfectly showcases how educational institutions are so quick to negate the unforgivable actions of rapists even when the truth is screaming right at their faces in all its ugliness. after all, we live in a world run by powerful men with deep pockets and influential contacts. it’s a universal experience that most women know all too well.

THE PLOT
the mystery element is so unique and suspenseful. it has a gradual buildup and i couldn’t predict most of it. the pacing is medium and there aren’t many major things happening in every chapter but rather a collection of tiny plot pieces combining into a much larger twist towards the end. the part where “a student is found dead” doesn’t happen until well after the 60% mark so i’m not sure why it was mentioned in the blurb as it’s not something that happens early on in the book. either way, i liked the steady development of anxiety as the story progresses into something more dark.

THE CHARACTERS
sade’s struggles were relatable and resonated with me personally. i liked how she approached problems with a sense of levelheadedness and i strongly admired her courage to bring the truth to light no matter the cost. she didn’t lose focus of her goals or get distracted and i liked this quality of hers. her backstory broke my heart and i really empathised with her. even with all the trauma she faced, she still moved through life with a sense determination which is commendable.

baz’s easygoing nature and positive attitude was incredibly refreshing. he was such a sweetheart and sunshine incarnate that reading felt like a breeze whenever he was mentioned on page. i particularly enjoyed his interactions with sade because their friendship felt like the easiest thing in the world and im a sucker for some well written platonic love.

FINAL THOUGHTS
overall, it’s a story about survival and perseverance despite all the grief and hurt. sade and elizabeth’s narrative brilliantly puts emphasis on the fact that you’re not the things that have happened to you and you can still go on with your life because there is bravery in choosing to live each day. feminist stories with strong queer and poc rep like this are right up my alley and i’m always on the lookout for more. Where Sleeping Girls Lie is a book that that i’ll be thinking about forever because the message it conveys is one that’s much needed in today’s society, especially for younger female readers. i knew the author’s latest work would be amazing and i’m very glad it didn’t disappoint!

moral of the story: believe survivors.

[escapingbyreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2/5

[Sofia Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Depois de “Às de Espadas” que adorei, não resisti e tive a obrigatoriedade de ler igualmente este. E deixem-me dizer que foi uma montanha russa de emoções .

Fiquei envolvida logo no primeiro capítulo . A Sade era uma miúda nova no colégio e como ela também eu ia descobrindo o lugar, todos os alunos e funcionários.

A autora esteve muito bem. 👏🏻 O Ambiente sombrio e misterioso ajudou a criar o cenário perfeito. Estava sempre com um mau pressentimento a virar cada página…e mesmo sendo um livro grande só descansei até descobrir tudo. A parte final 😨😨 aiiii que reviravoltas e informações atrás de informações.

As personagens foram muito bem pensadas. Cheias de camadas, misteriosas e foram desenvolvidas a medida que a história avançava .

Foi uma historia de sobrevivência e coragem 🥹 tenham em atenção porque tem alguns temas pesados como o racismo, discriminação, luto , ódio , violência , morte entre outros… mas não deixem de o ler , não vão conseguir ficar indiferentes a esta história.

✨

[Alwynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s addictive play on the traditional, boarding-school mystery is set in a highly-regarded, British public school. Its palatial grounds and gracious buildings cradle the elite’s offspring: children of international business figures and famous designers rub shoulders with the sons and daughters of politicians and the aristocracy. Recently-orphaned Sade Hussein is the newest pupil at the Alfred Nobel Academy, haunted by past tragedies she seems ready for a fresh start. But Sade is rapidly tangled up in the disappearance of her room-mate Elizabeth Wang. When the school leadership refuses to follow up on Elizabeth’s case, Sade teams up with Baz, Elizabeth’s best friend, in a desperate effort to uncover the truth.

Àbíké-Íyímídé’s deftly combines genre conventions and influences here: from Mean Girls to 13 Reasons Why to Christie-style detective fiction. The early part of her story feels like cosy crime served up with a dash of dark academia but as the plot progresses there are a series of deeply disturbing twists. Alfred Nobel increasingly reminded me of those sleepy English villages in vintage murder mysteries, outwardly picturesque but actually concealing deep-seated resentments and terrible crimes. Similarly, the charming, public schoolboys surrounding Sade are revealed to be Jekyll-and-Hyde figures, their polished exteriors merely masking their malicious, predatory desires.

Àbíké-Íyímídé’s narrative constructed a fascinating portrait of the dangerous consequences of unbridled privilege, the entitled boys/men who consider themselves untouchable and the systems that enable them. Àbíké-Íyímídé explicitly connects her story to Oluwatoyin Salau’s case - one that deserves to be remembered. But the English setting with its old boys’ networks and exclusive societies made me think of recent UK scandals. In particular Soma Sara’s exploration of links between numerous, exclusive, British independent schools and a widespread culture of rape, exposed through survivor accounts posted on her everyonesinvited site. Like Soma Sara, Àbíké-Íyímídé’s wants to empower girls, something she highlights. But she also makes it clear that the rot can’t easily be rooted out, it requires an ongoing process of resistance, support, and accountability.

The novel’s not flawless: the sapphic elements seemed understated; the diary entries and transcripts felt like unnecessary embellishments; some developments weren’t totally convincing or read like the remnants of abandoned storylines – especially the relationship between Sade and her father, and her treatment by her family. Although I really liked the bond between Baz and Sade and the detail of life at the school. For the most part I found this intensely gripping, and the underlying political and cultural messages powerful and undeniably relevant.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Usborne for an ARC

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where Sleeping Girls Lie has left a lasting impact since I read it earlier this year. I have always adored dark academia, and was hoping this book would be another decent addition to the genre, but what I found here was something unique, meaningful, and so emotionally charged. I cherished every page of this powerful novel.

This novel had all the suspense of a Shakespearean tragedy, and I was entirely bewitched by the unravelling mystery. The twists and turns were incredible, particularly one towards the end of the novel that truly made me gasp. If you’re looking for a suspenseful dark academia novel, you’ll find that in Where Sleeping Girls Lie, but this book is so much more, in the best way imaginable.

The author superbly navigates some of the most difficult topics, telling an important story through sensitive and compelling prose. The boarding school setting was the perfect place to explore rape culture and how the system protects the perpetrators and blames the victims. This is a story of survival and trauma that should be read by everyone. I’ll be thinking about this story for a long time, and I hope it will have as much of an impact on others as it did on me.

The sapphic romance was well-woven alongside the main storyline and was a lovely addition. The full cast of characters were so distinct and interesting. Everyone had a purpose and a place within the mystery. Basil was my favourite character. Ironically, I was listening to the audiobook and playing on my Nintendo Switch when it was mentioned that Baz was doing the exact same. I love listening to audiobooks when I’m doing something else because my brain is impossible to please, yet there were so many moments when this book made me freeze in place and immerse myself in this incredible story.

I cannot recommend this enough. This was definitely my favourite book of 2024 and I hope I’ll inspire at least someone to pick up this masterpiece.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I post about queer books on: Instagram Twitter TikTok

[Lena B · Rating 1 out of 5]

0.5/5 stars page count 398. i’m so mad at everyone that hyped this book up bc this has to be one of the worst books i’ve ever read. the messages are important and i loved the diversity of the cast but the execution was absolutely awful. every single character was flat and had no personality. i couldn’t tell between them. it read like a really bad coming of age tv show with every trope imaginable in the words and sentence structure. not a single original thought or sentence or interaction in the entire book. it was painfully slow and extremely boring and the mystery was ass and its resolutions were so boring and the ending was way too happy ending and unrealistic. (yes i know not everything was ideal but everything worked out perfectly for all our central characters at the last second). you’re telling me a rich white and affluent family will settle for just money after their son was murdered and the girl accused doesn’t have to do ANY jail time? NONE? she just gets to walk around freely? absolutely none of the reveals were interesting in the least i was unbelievably bored the entire time. also so much was vague??? like i had to churn my brain for so long to understand half of what was happening. but then she’d also draw out the most pointless and boring interactions? also the inconsistencies drove me absolutely insane. for example the book later referenced a painting the narrator had seen when she first entered the school that WAS NEVER MENTIONED I REREAD THAT FIRST CHAPTER THREE TIMES TO MAKE SURE. the book read like a really flat really boring summary. the structure was bad. the book kept flip flopping between opposing things “she could never enter the water again bc it triggered her” three pages later “the only place she ever feels free is in the water” WHICH IS IT???? also so many sub plot seeds were badly planted that amounted to absolutely NOTHING. NOTHING. she also tried to be interesting by adding in a morse code for the reader to decipher and some interrogation room transcript but the morse code took fucking forever and was pointless as fuck and the random shift to the TWO interrogation transcripts was so weird and jarring and brought absolutely nothing to the story. i know what she was trying to do and this book could have been really good but the execution was truly so bad. this was a huge waste of my time and money

[b ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"sade knew that sometimes justice looked like this: it wasn't fair, and it wasn't just."

— five thousand stars.

alright. that's it. where do i sign my faridah àbíké-íyímdé stan card?

on a serious note, when ella recommended ace of spades to me last year, i literally ate it up. such an amazing book talking about really, really important topics, and i absolutely love when authors can weave more serious, real world topics into books. then to find out ace of spaces was her debut novel? say less, i'm sold. give me her second book now.

and give it to us she did, and yet again with such important topics, this time touching on topics such as rape, misogyny, sexual abuse, suicide, drugging, and so, so much more. what i thought would be a simple murder mystery/thriller turned into a spine-chilling ride that genuinely had me enticed from beginning to end.

and here is where i feel like my review is going to go from something well put together and thought out to complete word vomit. ugh. always happens. usually, what i would do here is highlight the two main characters of the book and explain what i liked or didn't like about them, but the fun thing with where sleeping girls lie is that there are so many characters—not enough for it to feel convoluted or confusing, but still quite a large cast—that i feel like simply listing them is not enough. it also doesn't help that most all of my opinions on certain characters will be completely fueled by spoilers, and i don't want to ruin the suspense for anyone who genuinely wants to read the book. so i'll leave you with a little blurb; these characters are, without a single doubt, so interesting. they're all flawed in their own ways (some more than others, as well as some not being "flawed" at all, but rather being an entire book of red flags instead............) and they are all so strongly written. when you have a large cast of characters, it becomes difficult as a writer to make sure that they all have the same amount of love and care put into them, but i think àbíké-íyímdé did an absolutely amazing job at making sure all of our side characters were strong, well written, and fleshed out, so we felt just as betrayed by them... woah, i mean what? guys, seriously? who said that...

buttttt... i can't lie, and act like i don't have a teeny, tiny issue with this book. and my issue is a similar issue that i had with ace of spades: the ending. something i hate with books is when they have like, all this tension, and all this buildup, but the ending feels super rushed and unsatisfying, and both wsgl and aos had this problem. the endings felt like more of a "recap" and less of a satisfying way to end the story. i still adored this book, but i do hope that in future works, we see more fleshed out, well rounded endings! obviously, seeing as this is only her second officially published, full length novel, i can't be too harsh, and i won't be, but i definitely hope that's something she improves on in future works. her books are sooooo so good, until the end. i just want to walk away from the final page of the book feeling satisfied with how the story wrapped up!

there are also some things i've seen mentioned in other reviews that i, unfortunately, cannot disagree with, such as the pacing (this is very slow-burn, and there were quite a few day-to-day pieces that could have been omitted). the promised sapphic representation was also there, but it felt a bit more like an afterthought than an actual plot-point, which makes sense given that it WASN'T the main plot. i think i just went into this expecting more on that front, and was let down a bit. this doesn't make the book bad by any means, i mean obviously? i gave it five stars! but just some things to take note of if you're going into this expecting something more fast paced or if you're expecting a sapphic romance that takes up a lot of the book. that's all!

anyway, i leave you with the following, since morse code has it's place in this book...

- .... .- -. -.- / -.-- --- ..- / ..-. --- .-. / .-. . .- -.. .. -. --. / -- -.-- / .-. . ...- .. . .-- -.-.-- / -- ..- -.-. .... / .-.. --- ...- . .-.-.- .-.-.- .-.-.- / -. --- .-- / .-. . .- -.. / - .... . / -... --- --- -.- -.-.--

"keep swimming. or if that's too hard, at the very least, float."

[Aubrei K (earlgreypls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I (like everyone else) loved Ace of Spades and thought it was one of the best YA thrillers in recent years - so I was STOKED to start Where Sleeping Girls Lie.

After finishing the book and reflecting on it a little I decided I really loved it - but I think it's best to go into it with the proper expectations or you may be disappointed.

Where Sleeping Girls Lie is about Sade, a teenage girl starting at a new boarding school. She recently lost her father and the author alludes that she may be running from some dark secrets in her past. The day after she arrives to school, her new roommate goes missing. Sade spends most of the story trying to figure out what happened to her roommate while also getting acclimated to the school, its cliques and rules, etc.

- I would not call this a thriller. It leans more towards the mystery side and I think a lot of that has to do with the pacing, which is very moderate. I don't think this is a bad thing by any means, but I do think it's good to know going into it that this isn't a twisty page turner that will have you on the edge of your seat. It is more of a slow burn, and instead of "solving the mystery" being the motivation to keep reading, in my case it was just learning more about Sade and seeing how her relationships evolved.

- The author did a GREAT job creating all of these characters. I think memorable characters are one of most important parts of a good book, especially for those of us who read 100+ books a year. It is so easy for characters to just be vessels for the plot that blend into the story, but I think the main characters all stood out in their own ways and I appreciated their complexities.

- IMO this was a little longer than it needed to be. I think it could've been 50 pages shorter and that would've held my attention more consistently.

I will read anything this author writes! I would also definitely not complain if she turned this one into a series... just saying.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review*

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took a while to get good, but when it did, it was really good.

Hate books like this, but we need books like this. Need to keep exposing the light on toxic masculinity and toxic male privilege. Need to stop protecting boys behaving badly and start protecting our girls more.

[Toya (thereadingchemist)]

DNF at 50%.

Ooft. I am so sad that I have to DNF this one after absolutely LOVING Ace of Spades, which is one of my all time favorite reads. I had such high expectations for this book, and it did not deliver...in the slightest. The plot is dragging, and there isn't enough happening in the background to distract me from the fact that Sade's roommate has been missing for some time now, and nothing is being done to actually address that. Even listening to this book at 3x speed didn't help with this snail pace.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing a review copy.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you were trapped in an elevator with me and you had to listen to me pitch this novel I’d say picture Mean Girls meets Èlite but with a BIPOC queer cast and a Black Muslim girl as the main character of a YA contemporary mystery set at an elite, private boarding school in England. Interested yet?

The insane thing is that halfway through this book I had to find out the author is one year younger than I am! Can you imagine what that knowledge has done to me?? She’s younger than me and not only a NYT bestselling author but has just published her second novel?? Irreparable damage as well as ten years off my life, that’s what that knowledge has done to me. Àbíké-Íyímídé deserves it, though, she’s truly that girl!! 💖🍬🩰🎀

If I had to summarise the novel’s premise in a few, short sentences I’d say it’s about Sade Hussein, who has been homeschooled all her life, which, through a series of tragic incidents, has been turned upside down, leading her to start her third year of high school at the Alfred Nobel Academy. On the first day, she begins to befriend her roommate Elizabeth, who disappears after Sade’s first night. While Sade teams up with Elizabeth’s best friend Baz to find out what happened to her, she also catches the attention of the three most popular girls at school known as the “Unholy Trinity”. Sade feels herself drawn to Persephone, who is one of the Unholy girls, which leads to her getting tangled up in the social food chain though everything culminates when a student is found dead.

There are two things, that this book does really well:

The first is creating that boarding school meets mystery thriller atmosphere that has the characters attend English lit classes on Shakespeare in the morning and try to solve a missing person and murder case in the evening. While I wouldn’t describe the atmosphere as gothic, this novel has a ton of dark academia vibes going for it and I’m not even a DA fan but this intrigued me. 🕵🏻‍♀️

The second is that while it’s definitely more of a slow-burn thriller and while the narrative is propelled forward not by an insane number of plot twists or suspense, it’s a very character-driven novel and that mainly shows in how Sade and all the others secondary characters are granted a lot of depth as well as room to grow and for the reader to explore them. None of the secondary characters, and later on suspects and potential murderers, felt superfluent or unnecessary. It can be quite tricky to balance a larger cast of characters and have every one of them feel like valuable add-ons to the narrative but the author skilfully bounces to and from between them, picking up a lead or train of thought just when you think it has gone cold.

As a character, Sade herself is a bit on the quiet side even though a lot is going on inside of her as she has to deal with great childhood trauma. She is reserved, but intelligent, clever, and has an iron backbone. Overall, she makes for an interesting foil to some of the more extroverted, outgoing characters such as Baz – or Basil, and together they make a really great platonic sleuthing duo situated in a very balanced power dynamic (just two queer babies solving crime and kicking ass).

In general, the book is big on themes of friendship and platonic relationships and themes of same-sex as well as inter-sex friendships. There is a slow-burn sapphic romantic relationship going on/slowly developing between Persephone and Sade who are both evenly matched inside as well as outside the classroom but it’s more of an on-the-side storyline and not the novel’s main focus.

Among other topics, this book explores r@pe culture, s€xual assault, misogyny (in the media), and racial discrimination but it does so in a way that to me, felt absolutely appropriate for a YA readership. It’s part of what makes the novel and its modern-day setting believable as all of the themes above are incredibly current.

My two minor complaints would be that the paperback edition clocks in at 400 pages which, well, isn’t earth-shattering but it’s not a little for a YA mystery book. Its length is a result of a lot of over-detailed scene-setting and descriptions that are given at all times. The author seemed to have been very keen on relaying every single detail about a character’s actions such as hand or body movement, a room’s furniture or setting up the environs of a conversation that at times almost distracted from the actual scene or conversation.

What I also found a little weird is that whenever the characters used social media, no names were used. So instead of saying “Sade opened Instagram/X/TikTok/…” it was always something similar to “Sade opened her social media app” or “She checked the messages she’d been getting on her social media account”. I don’t quite know why this was done because there are a lot of other brands that are name-checked but yeah, it is what it is.

All in all, a more than solid debut-follow-up. After I read Ace of Spades I knew I was going to pick up whatever the author would put out next and this novel really didn’t disappoint me. Four stars from me.