Sade Hussein wants answers to her sister's death and she can only find those at Alfred Nobel Academy boarding school. Right from the start, the reader will feel as if they have been dropped off in a story half-told. This is disorientating and can take from the overall flow of the plot. It takes a little time to sort through all the elements and characters of the story. While the pace was steady and the plot intriguing the resolve leaves a sense of anticlimactic ness.

Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Thank you so much Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the free audiobook.

Blurb:
A girl new to boarding school discovers dark secrets and coverups after her roommate disappears.

✨ My thoughts:
A solid book, and a fantastic audiobook. Definitely 3.5 stars rounded up. I would have loved it to be just a tad shorter but it was still enjoyable. Dark & dramatic, this story is compelling and will have you entertained. This is my first book by this author and I will read more! Ace of Spades is still on my TBR!
Where Sleeping Girls lie is out now!

Happy reading 📖

I enjoyed the audiobook for this one so much. The narrator was excellent and it was nice being able to hear the different accents.
This book was full of so many twists and turns. The characters were interesting and Basil was my favorite. It was an intriguing commentary on the patriarchy and how it can permeate in the education system. Some of the stories were all too real.

Following up on her explosive Ace of Spades novel, author Faridah Abike-Iyimide offers readers another edge-of-your-seat mystery novel. Where Sleeping Girls Lie begins with a disappearance but leads readers on an exploration of family drama, privilege and male power. A terrific novel that will stay with readers long after the last page.

I was so excited to read this one! The cover is captivating and the synopsis sounded like my type of read. As soon I pressed play, I got so hype because I knew this was going to be an amazing audiobook production. Did you hear when they said “I’m sorry” like that? Well I’m actually going to be the one to say sorry because I cannot finish this. I tried so hard to hang in there. It even was my bookclub’s choice for April and I still wasn’t motivated to finish. I listened for the first three hours and couldn’t believe the story was coming along so slowly. I try to give books a fair shot and I think if nothing is pulling me in at 20%, I have to protect my peace and move along to the next. I will be reading her debut book because I’ve heard amazing things! I appreciate the publisher for sharing this copy with me for my honest review.

I was really excited to read Àbíké-Íyímídé's newest release. A boarding school. a roommate disappears, a clique of popular girls. What's not to love? Where Sleeping Girls Lie has all the right pieces of an engaging novel, but something was lacking in the delivery. I was genuinely surprised with some twists, but overall it was missing something.

It took me a few tries to really get into this audio, but once I did I really did enjoy it! It just started out a little slow.

Long story short: boys are the literal worst and smash the patriarchy to smithereens.

Had to wait a little longer for it, but the author's second book was so worth it. This was so freakin' good and impossible to put down. The content is somewhat uncomfy at times, and the TW/CW are important to be aware of, but it crafted a chilling and intriguing mystery set at an elite boarding school. And as infuriating and appalling as some of the characters are in their behaviour, Sade and the friends she comes to trust led an incredible story that serves the justice it can in time.

After reading Ace of Spades for my book club, I had high expectations for Àbíké-Íyímídé's 2nd book. And she sure delivered.
I think the setting spoke to me a bit more than AoS. I'm just a sucker for English boarding school settings, something about that atmosphere really pulls me in. And everything that followed in this book only worked to make me like it more. This book was atmospheric, it took its time, making the climax of the mystery all the more satisfying. The one issue I had with AoS, being that the climax and ending felt rushed and a bit unfinished, was not an issue here. I really enjoyed all the characters, I found them to be well-rounded and compelling-- especially our main character Sade, of course. The exploration of trauma and teenage-girl-rage was excellent, although heavy and a bit triggering. But that's the point. I would definitely recommend this book to customers with the caveat of reading trigger warnings, as I do for other books with heavy themes. That being said, I think these themes are written in a thoughtful way that doesn't come across as trauma-porn-y, or like it's done for shock value. Everything is intentional and meaningful, and presented in a way that is perfect for a YA audience. As for the mystery, I found myself totally invested and interested in how it would play out. I have a bad habit of suspecting everyone and everything, and oftentimes figuring out the reveals before they're revealed, I had my suspicions with this one, which I won't get into for spoilers sake, but I was actually surprised by the resolution. And that is the making of a great book in my books (ha).
After liking this one even more than I liked AoS, I will definitely be reading anything else Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé writes, and recommending Where Sleeping Girls Lie to customers in the YA section, or anyone just looking for a great mystery.

The audiobook and eArc tandem read made the story so much fun . This is my favorite book by the Author and I cannot to read their future work .

Thank you for the Arc .

Review: Where Sleeping Girls Lie - Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"After being home-schooled all her life and feeling like a magnet for misfortune, Sade is not sure what will happen when she starts at a new school. 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 realizes there’s more to Alfred Nobel Academy and its students than she expected. Secrets lurk around every corner and beneath every surface…secrets that rival even her own."

I am late to the Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Ace of Spades is 100% on my tbr now) but this book made me a fan. The writing was fantastic and the story was spooky and tense and largely satisfying. Sade was a compelling narrator because her trauma prevents her from being completely honest so as she processes her family tragedies we learn more about her motivations. I would have loved to get more time with Persephone and the plot twist didn't do it for me entirely but it didn't really impact my overall appreciation for the story.

Would highly recommend picking this up if you're a fan of #darkacademiabooks and books like #theconjoined and #grown

TW/CW for su!c!de, misogyny and SA.

A massive thank you to @macmillan.audio for this fantastic book.

#wheresleepinggirlslie #darkacademia #yabooks #bookreviews #tbr #macmillanaudio #readinginstead

I adored Ace of Spades by the same author so I was eager to read this new release. The premise was arguably quite similar but I didn't mind. I was fine to read more of the same.

However this one started awfully slow and took a long time to get going. Unlike the author's debut, this one lacked the early juicy hook. Instead I had to push through for the sake of this review.

Thankfully the story ended really strong and I was ultimately glad I waited it out. The story had some more serious subject matter than Ace of Spades which landed to a more serious tone and less juicy.

I would definitely read whatever the author writes next and will likely reread Ace of Spades in the meantime.

Amazing story. Suspenseful, heartbreaking and hopeful. I appreciate the details on world building and character development. Faridah’s writing is exquisite and kept me wondering all through the story.

From the get-go, I was hooked on this mystery. It's got that classic "new girl at a private school" vibe with all the drama, suspicious characters and excitement you'd expect. The characters are interesting, the plot keeps moves along, and even though it's a bit of a marathon on audio (13+ hours!), I never found myself bored. If you loved "Ace of Spades," you'll definitely vibe with this one too.

Where Sleeping Girls Lie is a YA mystery centering around Sade Hussein, a recently orphaned girl with a dark past. This story follows her first few months at Alfred Noble Academy, a private boarding school, after being homeschooled all her life. She immediately befriends her roommate, Elizabeth, who goes missing the day after she arrives. While she and Elizabeth’s best friend, Basil, try to piece together what happened to her, they find that there may be something sinister going on at their school right under everyone’s noses.

What I liked:
- The plot. This was so fun and twisty and I could never guess what was going to happen next.
- THE CHARACTERS. The main characters (Sade, Basil, and Persephone) were all so lovable and everyone else felt fully fleshed out and very realistic. They all felt like people I’ve known at some point or another in my life (which was especially infuriating for the characters I didn’t like).
- This book explores the power that the extremely privileged hold in the world and how harmful it can be (def check TWs)

What I didn’t like:
- The pacing. I’ll admit, this is on me. After reading Ace of Spades, I was fully expecting this to feel more thriller-y and have a faster pace. I would recommend going into this with the expectation that this is more of a medium-paced mystery.
- The length. This is more of a preference for me, but it’s hard for longer books that aren’t fantasy to hold my attention. I did feel like this could’ve been at least 50 pages shorter (maybe even 100) and it probably wouldn’t have taken much away from the story.

Overall, I really loved this and highly recommend the audiobook. I will read anything this Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé puts into the world!!!

Actual Rating 3.5
TW: Rape, Suicide

Sade was homeschooled for her first two years of high school but is starting this new school year at a prestigious boarding school. She feels as if misfortune follows her; it’s not long before it strikes again, and she finds herself at the center of swirling rumors. As she tries to navigate her classes, her friendships, and catching the eyes of the most popular girls at schools, Sade finds herself struggling to deal with her grief and find answers of her own. Can she find the answers she’s looking for, or will she find herself swept up in the secrets of the school?

The atmosphere starts off strongly in the book, with excellent setting descriptions and hints of Sade’s past trauma, as well as an immediate start to darker things lurking at the school. While not much happened in the first portion, the details of the school and new characters maintained my interest.

Despite there being many secondary characters who played an active role in this story, they were all strongly characterized and well developed. This made it easy to keep track of who was who and added to the immersion of the story. I do think the story lost a bit of impact due to the amount of mundane daily school activities/interactions that were included throughout and how long it took to really get into the mystery.

If you’re interested in a slow mystery set at a well-to-do boarding school that explores themes of loss, trauma, and elitism, then you’ll probably love this one. The narrator of the audiobook was excellent and elevated the experience. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The MC begins at a boarding school just before her roommate goes missing. She must clear her name and find her roommate, but the school has secrets that will do anything to stay secret.
A powerful representation of how many institutions protect their own image over the well being of some of its members. This book was so well written and the atmosphere was perfectly dark academia. I would definitely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio.

WOW what a great read!! This had me hooked from page one. Very well written and the narrator did great.

As a newcomer to books by Faridah Àbíké-Ìyímídé, I had no idea what to expect as far as her writing style, but I must say I love it! She has a remarkable way of writing, one that makes you never want to put the book down. I loved the atmosphere created in this book, and I loved her character build-up, details added, and the ease of which the book flowed. It all seemed so effortless and perfect, and I am now a Faridah fan!

In this dark academia mystery, we follow Sade Hussein, a young girl who is now attending an elite boarding school in England, Alfred Noble Academy. Sade has experienced a few tragic incidents in her life, the last being the reason she is now at Alfred Noble. During her first week at the boarding school, Sade's roommate, Elizabeth, disappears. Sade and Elizabeth's best friend, Basil (Baz), are now on a mission to find out what exactly happened to Elizabeth and, most importantly, whether she is still alive or not. Sade and Baz, along with a few other characters, discover the dark and terrible things going on at the school, things that many people, unfortunately, turn a blind eye to.

Warning: This book is a very heavy read, with several triggers - death, suicide, rape, sexual assault, drugging, misogyny, and racial discrimination.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially the setting, characters, and, of course, the mystery and twists themselves. I do, however, feel like this could have been a much shorter read. I received an e-ARC (audio) and also bought a physical copy (because I fell in love with it very early into the story) and I feel like it could've been a 300 pg read as opposed to a 400. Nevertheless, it was still great! 4.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, and Faridah Àbíké-Ìyímídé for such a wonderful and compelling read!

The sinister vibes were right!

I really enjoyed the ambiance of this one. Dark Academia vibes with the school setting, and how the school minders are strict and don't seem to take what you say seriously. There were several times that I thought our FMC might have been an unreliable narrarator and that fine edge that Faridah walked where is she? or isn't she? was masterfully done. I listened to the audio book for this read and it was a perfect vehicle for this book. Narrartor did a wonderful job!

Usually YA horror/ mysteries aren't really my thing, but since I really enjoyed Ace of Spades, I felt like this would be a good time, and I was not dissappointed. It was a wonderful read and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next.