In exchange for an honest review, I received an early copy of "Where Sleeping Girls Lie."
It's my second novel by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, and I enjoyed it significantly more than her debut work.

The story begins with an mysterious death at a private boarding school, and we gradually learn how our mc is involved in the mystery. The plot is well-developed and features a diverse cast of intriguing characters. I was constantly intrigued by Sade and wondered who she truly was.

While I wasn't surprised by the resolution of the mystery, I enjoyed how it unfolded. The novel possesses all the elements of a typical YA mystery novel, but its execution made it a five star read for read for me. Although the romantic aspect was subtle, I wanted the characters to just kiss already. The tension between them was so palpable. I loved the dynamic between Sade and her love interest.

If you enjoy well-crafted mysteries that evoke a range of emotions, from rage and sadness to quiet joy, I highly recommend checking out this story.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's already out, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

Overall, I did really enjoy this book. It's an academy story, like Faridah's Ace of Spades, and takes the reader on the twisty, holy shit kinda ride.

The reason this book lost a star for me was because of the pacing there were many times during the first 50% of the book that I felt kinda dragged or slowed down the books momentum.

Overall, it think its obvious that the author took time and care with her characters, their stories, and the trauma these include. I'd definitely recommend this one!

I really enjoyed this. It explored so much, with intrigue and girl's doing their best to survive. It kept my interest from beginning to end. And I loved every bit of it,

I mean just wow. I am not much of a thriller fan but I do like dark academia. This has the dark academia vibes, thriller and more. Totally gobsmacked with the arc at the end. Unexpected but its what made me like this lot. It got confusing leading up to the reveal but overall a nice ride of a book

Thank you to NetGalley, author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group: Feiwel & Friends for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I really enjoyed this!! My partner read Ace of Spades last year and really enjoyed it, so Àbíké-Íyímídé's work has been on my radar for a while. I love anything that is a creepy boarding school, so this was perfect. I would have loved to read this in the fall because the writing was so atmospheric. Even though it is a mystery book and can be pretty intense at times, it was still a cozy read and would be great to read with tea and a blanket. The book had me hooked in from the very beginning and kept my interest at all times. I loved seeing Sade get to know all the different students, and I especially enjoyed seeing her and Persephone's relationship develop. There is definitely some intense subject matter, but I feel that everything was handled well and appropriately. There was important messaging throughout, and I didn't know quite how the book was going to end until it was ending. There were a few surprising twists, but it is a YA book, so somethings were predictable or were not totally shocking. It was so well-written though that I would definitely recommend!

After reading ACE OF SPADES last year, I was really anticipating what twisty goodness awaited me in @faridahlikestea sophomore novel. Dare I say I liked it more!?!

WHERE SLEEPING GIRLS LIE is a suspenseful tale filled with dark academa, secrets and a mysterious edginess. When Sade Hussein suddenly finds herself orphaned, she is enrolled at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy. Misfortune has been a constant companion all her life and soon she finds herself in the middle of a series of crazy events, beginning the night her roommate goes missing. It doesn't take long for Sade to realize there's a lot more to Alfred Nobel Academy than meets the eye and she goes on a journey to uncover what has been hidden behind the school's traditions.

Although I felt this was more of a slow burn at times than a page turner, I was here for suspense and tension! It grips you from page one and I HAD to know what happened next. The mystery of it all was well crafted and I had fun trying to predict where the story was going and coming up with my own theories.

On a more serious note, I fully applaud the way the author handled the heavy subject matter and sensitive topics in this book: with care while also shedding light on some harsh realities. You can expect to explore the themes of power, privilege, race, mental health, queer representation and oppression. I'd also suggest checking TWs before reading, I don't want to divulge them here due to possible spoilers!

Read this book if you like:
Dark academia
YA mystery/thrillers
Diverse characters
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

In this dark academic novel Sade’s roommate disappears after her first night of her third year of high school. Students suspect that Sade is somehow involved. Her roommate’s best friend is on a mission to get to the bottom of what happened. When a student is discovered dead, Sade and Baz must work together to unearth what other dark secrets their school holds. This is a book about secrets. Fans of A Deadly Education and books with plotty twists and turns will enjoy this book. Thank you to NetGalley and to Feiwell & Friends for the advanced review copy.

After Sade’s parents pass away she goes away to the Alfred Noble Academy boarding school. Immediately she’s thrown into chaos when he roommate disappears. With her being the new girl and potentially the last to see Elizabeth, Sade is put on radar as a suspect. She decides to take it upon herself to try to figure out what happened to Elizabeth along with her new found friends.

This was a slow burn story for me. The beginning did draw me in, but I begin to think, when is something going to break and give me something else? That is in the first 60% that is a huge set up and lay out of the characters and happenings. It’s not until about 65% when a certain twist/information is dropped that I perked up and was like wait what???? At that point my interest peaked again and I needed to know the how and get all the rest of the information. That last 35% is where the answers to this equation is put together.

I always love a good dark academia book that includes some deaths and deep secrets of the past/present and this one has just that. While this one isn’t an Ace of Spades, i do feel as though Faridah does a great job of creating an interesting narrative, and one that is not easily guessed. That I loved because I was left with the reveal and found myself going back and thinking about things from the beginning, putting it all together. I would recommend giving it a read. Just know that there is a slow build up to the end reveals that will bring the story all together.

Thank you to Feiwel & Friends and Netgalley for and advanced reader copy!
Boarding school Mean Girls? Yes, please. Sapphic Muslim main character? YES, PLEASE! Mysterious disappearance and dark secrets? Sign me up!
Where Sleeping Girls Lie was insightful, compelling, and heart wrenching. I love a good thriller and this did not disappoint. I didn't see so many twists that came and fell in love with these complex characters. This YA Contemporary thriller dives heavily into experiences so many of us women have in our lifetimes and I’m thankful to Faridah for telling this story.

Please check trigger warnings before reading.

I love academic settings, and the writing worked well to paint the mysterious (and creepy) atmosphere. Without the dark secrets, attending the Alfred Nobel Academy could be fun! I liked Sade, and her backstory was compelling, but I connected more to Baz and Persephone, with whom she interacted the most. We follow Sade as she tries to balance her studies, the investigation of Elizabeth’s disappearance, and dealing with the trauma caused by her family and the grief that seems to follow her. I had fun picking on foreshadowing and coming up with theories.

With the target audience and the themes, I was scared that the ending would be too utopic. I’m glad that while it was empowering, it was also realistic because shedding light on the issues and dismantling the systems that enable them to persist can’t happen overnight. It’s a fight with wins and setbacks, and I think the author illustrated it well.

The pace was a little slow for me. It eventually picked up, but I wish it did so sooner so we could soak up all that unfolded for a little longer. I also wish we learnt more about the Houses, they were one of my favorite aspects!

Overall, I enjoyed my read! If you’re looking for a YA mystery and like boarding school settings, this one’s for you, but check the TW!

Thank you so much to the publisher for the e-ARC and Colored Pages Book Tours for having me on their tour!

This book was full of so many twists and turns. I was constantly trying to guess at who did what and how and why??? The characters were interesting and I think Basil was my favorite. It was also an interesting commentary on the patriarchy and how it can permeate in the education system. Some of the stories were all too real.

Faridah has truly amazed me with this story. Thank you, Faridah, for pulling me out of a reading slump. When Sade finds herself at a prestigious boarding school after the passing of her father, she finds the chaos is just beginning. Shortly after her arrival, her roommate, Elizabeth, goes missing. In the midst of learning the school and its culture, another student ends up dead. Sade and Baz, Elizabeth's best friend, start an endeavor to find Elizabeth and figure out how all the occurrences are connected.

Faridah writes in a way that truly encourages you to fall in love with the characters. This story has so much redemption and strength within it. There was also a lot of work that you can actively seeing Sade go through to better herself as a person. All in all, this story is one that really will stick with you. Words cannot begin to describe the passion that is clear in this story and the care that went into every page. I found myself wishing I was reading this when I was doing other things.


C 9
A 8
W 8
P 10
I 10
L 8
E 10

Thanks to Turn the Page Tours, Macmillan Kids, and Macmillan for the copies of this book!

I looooove dark academia and Faridah's last book, ACE OF SPADES. I knew I had to read this one and am so happy to be part of the Turn the Page tour for this! WHERE SLEEPING GIRLS LIE is an eerie, atmospheric read taking place at a boarding school, and I loved the inclusion of morse code and Alan Turing into this storyline. I don't want to say too much, but Faridah always does such a great job highlighting important (and dark) themes in a gripping and powerful way. I'll forever be reading her books!

Sade, the new girl at Alfred Nobel Academy (ANA), discovers dark secrets and coverups after her boarding school roommate disappears. These secrets lurk around every corner and beneath every surface … secrets rivaling her own.

I really enjoyed this dark, slow burn mystery. The story is filled with suspense, tension, and twists. The author couldn't have chosen a more perfect setting, and I could completely visualize the ANA campus with its unique dormitories from the descriptions. Plus, the characters are diverse, interesting, and well-defined. Add in themes of class, gender, misogyny, racism, and trauma, and it's a very engaging read. This would have been a five-star for me with a slightly faster pace at the beginning and a slower pace at the end.

I would recommend Where Sleeping Girls Lie to anyone who enjoys a good YA murder mystery, especially if they enjoy a relentless pursuit of the truth with some social commentary thrown in as well. I can't wait to see what this author writes next!

Check the trigger warnings before reading. This book contains heavy, sensitive topics.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an early copy of this book.

Ms. Àbíké-Íyímídé simply does not miss! Where Sleeping Girls Lie is taut with suspense from beginning to end, handling intense and traumatic situations deftly while giving a very raw and real depiction of what it entails. I will follow Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and her works to the end of this earth.

A read that will have you holding your breath.

Hits:
- I enjoyed the character banter, specifically with Baz, as he added great comedic relief to the madness.

- The SUSPENSE was amazing, and had me holding my breath! It hits you quickly from page one and lasts until the very last page. I was completely engulfed in this story, and had to force myself to put this book down.

- The writing was phenomenal. The events were placed and organized perfectly. Even when we had to flashback to the past for some context, it was not rushed and added thorough clarification, answering major questions. All the pieces of the puzzle fit and came together seamlessly.

- I appreciated how the author handled the sensitive topic of this book with care while also not shying away from the harsh reality of it. This book did a great job providing a very realistic and raw depiction of what happens when gRaPe occurs, highlighting the actions of and effects on everyone involved.

- As a personal preference, I don’t like romance as a part of my mystery/thrillers, and I enjoyed how this didn’t make romance a huge part of the plot. However, at the same time, I loved the tension between some of the characters and felt it was the perfect amount.

Misses:
- Jude and August (they did not make or break this book for me, I just despise them and wish them nothing good).

Overall, this was an amazing read and wholeheartedly one of the best young adult mystery thrillers I’ve ever read.

sade hussein is starting her third year of high school, and first year outside of homeschool, at the prestigious alfred nobel academy. she’s felt like a bad luck charm her whole life, so she shouldn’t be surprised when her roommate, elizabeth, goes missing after sade’s first night. sade now has to balance her course load with solving a potential murder.

i’ve been anticipating this book ever since the author began teasing it, so i’m really happy i finally got to read it! faridah àbiké-íyímídé is an amazing author. there were so many details throughout this book that built on each other. there were also several plot twists, an essential for a murder mystery. there were a lot of characters, but i never had trouble following along with this aspect.

i highly recommend this to ya mystery readers.

I loved the premise of Where Sleeping Girls Lie. The book starts off like a mystery. Readers are thrust into Sade Hussain's life as she begins her third year at boarding school. This is a huge change for Sade as her previous education was from homeschooling. She is thrust into a world of privilege, entitlement and power, where those with it receive little consequences for their actions. There is plenty of interesting, complicated and damaged characters with enough twists in the plot to keep readers interested. The length of the story is a bit of challenge. While I love a thick book, I think the book would have been stronger had it been concisely shortened by about 100 pages. There is plenty of padding to the plot intended to round out and supplement the story, but I found myself skimming at times.

I really liked the themes of class, gender, power corruption, misogyny and racism. I loved how the author portrayed trauma and the lasting effects on victims. Add to that, the overall story is entertaining, engaging, and has enough twists to keep readers interested.

Overall, I found it a solid read. It's interesting, well written and filled with a lot of relevant themes. I found some issues with pacing due to the length of the book, but I didn't think it detracted too much from the overall story. There are some triggers in this book, so readers may want to be aware of those before venturing into the story.

I enjoyed this dark and heartbreaking story. The setting was dark academia complete with snobby teachers and a strict dress code. I liked the slow burn of the story because it built up tension. However, at times the story seemed to be too slow. There were large chunks were not much happened except going to class. Then, towards the end everything picked up but there was also a lot of info dumping as several back stories were revealed. The ending was a bit abrupt and messy but I felt like I needed more.

I loved the exploration of femininity, power, friendship, and class. This book left me enraged and thinking, which was definitely the goal. Overall, this one didn't capture me as much as the authors first book but it was a captivating and interesting story.