This book was the perfect mix of mystery, dark academia, romance & femininity. Fast paced, very good story telling making want to know more. Relatable characters, even balance on likeable & unlikable characters. I will definitely read some more from this author!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Big for the sapphic spooky girls. Thought this was such a fun book to read. Alice and Lottie's chemistry was off the charts and loved their growth throughout the book. Also thought the commentary of "angry girls" being a problem for men to solve was done well.

“Wrath is a sin. I am a sin.”

Anger is a natural feeling. We all experience it more than we’d like to admit, everyone does. So why is it that female rage is the most ridiculed and misunderstood? The Society for Soulless Girls by Laura Steven takes this as its thesis statement of sorts and tackles it head on. Steven presents a sapphic Jekyll and Hyde retelling that begs the question: Why is female rage demonized? Why is male anger so normalized and expected? Fans of The Secret History, The Nun, and Fear Street will find this book to be exactly what they’ve been missing. The romance, along with the pacing, is a tad rushed at points but that seems to be at least slightly intentional. The star of this book is anger in its rawest form. Steven frequently uses the word primal to describe her female character’s feelings of anger. I think that alone paints a good image of what you’re in store for. Can things truly be as black and white as good and evil? Are we all capable of one or both? If dark academia has you in its clutches the way it does most, check out The Society for Soulless Girls in September. Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!

I really wasn't sure about this book before I read it, but I am glad I gave it a chance, it is a modern retelling of Dr Jekyll and Mr hyde, the author did a great job which surprised me because that can be hard, it is told from dual points of view, thought her did great with that because sometimes it can be confusing but it was pretty straightforward, I thought this was going to be a boarding school mystery book but it was more of a thriller/suspense / true crime book, it really had a little bit of everything even some supernatural and romance. The story itself was pretty decent but I really liked the characters a lot and that kept in the story moving along. I would definitely say a strong four stars, thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this Arc and exchange for an honest review

I really wanted to love this one. I love a good dose of murder and it's even better when there's a supernatural twist. But this one just was not for me.

I found that I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing style, with many details being straight out told to me instead of shown. The characters also weren't my favorite. They felt a bit like cutouts rather than real people that I'd want to read about. Combined, this made for a book that simply was not for me. Of course, this is just my opinion! It has enough darkly mysterious charm that I'm sure others with love!

(I was given an arc of this book through Netgalley in return for an honest review).
Overall Rating:
-Characters: 5/5
-Plot: 3/5
-Setting: 3/5
-Romance: 4/5
-Description: 3/5
-Enjoyment: 4/5

The Society for Soulless Girls is a book about two girls who attend a college that was recently reopened after a string of murders occurs on campus. Lottie, the jock, is attempting to solve the mystery behind the murders while her roommate, Alice, accidentally stumbles upon a ritual that unleashes the supernatural and the dark history of the college.
Overall the premise of this book sounded appealing, but it was kind of slow for the first half. There would be a few chapters where the pace would pick up, but it would always slow back down and I had to push through it. The characters were lovable and humanly flawed which made them all the more endearing. Overall the setting was good, but the history of the ritual and the connections to the college’s history was kind of confusing. The theme, however, was executed excellently.

I was absolutely riveted by The Society for Soulless Girls. I could not put it down. I thought it was so well done. I love sapphic dark academia and this book was everything I needed it to be and more. If you love books where girls get to be a little unhinged, don't hesitate and pick up this book.

A sapphic enemies-to-lovers retelling of Jekyll & Hyde, this dark academia thriller follows two roommates who must solve an infamous cold case of serial murders on their campus after an arcane ritual gone wrong prompts another death.

This was fantastic and felt like it was written specifically for me. Loved it, highly recommend!

I love a good school story, and the Gothic horror twist to the Society for Soulless Girls is unique and compelling. Told in a dual point of view from roommates Lottie and Alice, you are drawn into the mystery of the ominous deaths of four students that had closed Carvell College of the Arts. Lottie, our would-be Sherlock, feels a strong compulsion to solve the murders, as her father/family knew one of the victims. Lottie finds herself pulled to the North Tower, where the murders took place, and she winds up blacking out only to find she has a ruby rosary embedded in her skin and an odd connection to Sister Maria, one of the nuns from the time when Carvell was a convent. Alice, on the other hand, who was suffering from angry impulses, ends up trying a ritual she finds in a "philosophy" book that tears her soul in two, leaving her calm and placid, until the ritual runs out and she becomes homicidal. Together with Hasfah, another student who performed the ritual, Lottie and Alice dig through the threads of mystery. They end up tracking the author of the book down (conveniently, the reversal ritual is missing), only to find that he's gone mad. The girls finally get somewhere when they discover the North Tower and Library are connected and that Dean Mordue and librarian Kate Feathering are involved, leading them to discover the eponymous society. The mystery is neatly wrapped up by the end, with some supernatural events open to interpretation, and not in a way that is immediately obvious to the reader. It's a suspenseful page turner, for sure.

I love a good retelling, especially when it's queer. I'd seen the orginal (?) release of this on tiktok and was super excited to find it on here because I'd ben checking on it in my system for months and it wasn't available so I don't actually know what's up with the publication timeline but its funky. I adored the writing style in this, and I thought the book was incredibly well paced to me feverishly turning the page. It was so refreshing that the main characters weren't the moral beacons of light. I adored Alice. A little heavy at points, I really wish there had been some warning about the animal cruelty but overall great story. And may I just say, nice.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Delacorte Press for allowing me to read this book!

SPOILERS AHEAD.

I had been lowkey following this book for some time now-- saw it on a Goodreads list for queer retellings over a year ago, saw it come out in the UK and hoped it would come over to the US. Unfortunately, I think my having waited for it set my expectations too high. I was looking forward to angry girls reacting, repressed rage spilling out and over, and to challenges of raging against patriarchy.

Like many USian theater kids, I loved Arthur's Halloween song of "Jekyll Hyde", and enjoyed the musical, so I was looking forward to adding a book to what I liked.

Things that I liked in the Society for Soulless Girls: the rubies in throats, possession, and helping others. They were newer additions that I thought spoke well-- the rubies too were repressed anger, choking and dangerous, unable to be removed, remarked upon but never questioned, as decorative as they might seem.

Unfortunately, those where my likings ended. As was mentioned before, there was a scene of animal murder that had not been warned for, I also was not fond of Alice, who started out. . . I know getting off on the wrong side is a trope. I know that this book billed as rivals to lovers. Still, it seemed so at odds with being a student? There's stand-offish and there's being an outright jerk to someone you've just met because they're excited to move in-- which clearly, Alice was too.
So too were the outbursts of anger at just about everything-- when a boy asks to borrow ink (are they using inkwells? For the #aesthetic?) Alice shoves him to the ground because he. . .asked a question. There are other times her rage felt way more well-placed, such as when she was experiencing flashbacks or in situations where she wasn't comfortable, where her rage was self-protection.
when she's thinking about how she considers harming others because of inconveniences? Yes, it's during a part where she's more self-reflective of how it isn't normal, to which I'm . . ."get help, Alice, you're in the twenty-first century"

Too, the double "twists", right on top of each other felt. . .flat. Oh, of course they were to blame, but of course they've also been set up the entire time and framed so well even they think they've done it, turns out Everyone Was Innocent (even though the mood swings and threats bring actual attempts?) Maybe if the first came much earlier in the book, maybe the second wouldn't feel so hollow. Or ever, leave the historical murders, and keep the rest the same. It fell flat to me, in a sort of "why even bother", or "this is overcomplicated". It served to seemingly simplify the narrative, and give our raging women an even more of "actually they were the victims all along", when they fully believed they had killed people, and then concealed their murders together. Yes, the men are to blame, but it felt so . . . hollow.

I don't know. Maybe this just wasn't the book for me. I hope others can and will enjoy it!

I'm used to read College stories, but this one had a different theme. There, it is more related to thriller, true crime and a little bit of surnatural than real magic or even fantasy.
Lottie and Alice are two new students at Carvell Academy. The school has been closed for 10 years after strange deaths occured, and they are roommates during this new schoolyear. But Alice is always angry, and doesn't want to be friend with this sunshine and fun and brilliant girl.
But Lottie has a mysterious side too, she's here because she wants to know how the former murders happened.
And she's irremediably attracted to the North Tower where the bodies has been found. And this attraction is far from normal...

Great thriller, I enjoyed the main theme which was the perception of angry women in society. Does it fit for a woman to be angry ? I liked how the author showed this, and how it is slowly deconstructed.
I found the storytelling a little bit slow, and even more the connection between the two girls. That took more than the half of the book for them to begin to be friends.
Lots of litterature references, a small enemies to lovers in the end, and a full women society, yes, I liked this book !

The Society for Soulless Girls by Laura Steven presents an intriguing premise—a reopening of an elite college marred by past murders, a sinister ritual, and a haunted library. However, while the concept holds promise, the execution falls short.

One of the notable aspects of the book is the lack of distinct voices for the main characters, Lottie and Alice, who have contrasting personalities. This makes it difficult to connect with them on a deeper level and understand their motivations. The constant suspicion between Lottie and Alice feels forced and hampers the development of their relationship.

Additionally, some plot elements, such as the animal murder, don't effectively contribute to the overall storyline. Certain twists are predictable, diminishing the impact they could have had. The promised slow-burn romance between Lottie and Alice fails to materialize, resulting in a lack of chemistry between them.

The book draws parallels to Jekyll and Hyde, which is an interesting concept. However, the execution of these parallels, as well as other plot and characterization inconsistencies, leaves something to be desired. The dialogue often feels contrived and lacks authenticity, making it difficult to fully immerse oneself in the story.

On the positive side, the premise holds potential and the book touches on themes of identity and duality. The haunted setting of Carvell College adds an eerie atmosphere to the narrative. However, the characters themselves feel flat and fail to leave a lasting impression.

In conclusion, The Society for Soulless Girls offers an intriguing concept with its reopening of a college haunted by past murders. However, inconsistencies in plot, character development, and dialogue prevent it from reaching its full potential. While the book may appeal to readers who appreciate paranormal mysteries, it falls short of delivering a truly captivating and immersive experience.

2.3 rounded down to 2/5

Not bad. I felt like we could have leaned into the horror more. Don't feel like I got a resolution to the rubies in Lottie's throat, unless I missed that part. I wanted it to be sped up also. I felt like the pacing was quite slow.

I don't think I read much of the blurb past a Jekyll and Hyde retelling if I'm being honest.

I liked this. A dark, Gothic YA thriller. And when I say dark, I mean there were some dark parts that I wasn't expecting. Silly right? Knowing it's a Jekyll and hide retelling. But I was still a bit surprised.

I loved the supernatural element to it. That some things were left open to question. As the characters questioned it, so do you as the reader. But where it may not normally work for other books, it works for this one. Leaving some spookiness to the overall feeling you're left with.

There may be some triggers to look up of you're sensitive to certain things. I was a little squeamish over one in particular: animal abuse/death. And it's not overly bad and it's quick, not graphic but be aware. But then there's the supernatural aspect to it. So maybe think along the lines of Binx from Hocus Pocus.

A good read, I'd recommend to anyone who loves dark academia and Gothic reads. Anyone a fan of supernatural and YA thrillers will definitely want to check this out.

Enemies to lovers, murder mystery what more could you want! It’s a lot like dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with a big twist! So many plot twists you don’t actually expect what ends up to be figured out towards the end! Such a good read! I was hooked in chapter 1 and it’s not easy to hook me in the first chapter! Laura Steven is a writing genius! Get this book when it comes out!!

Reviewed for NetGalley:

This had a strong start. Murder mystery, intrigue, younf adult dorm life.

But unfortunately, dual perspectives are either a hit or miss for me and this didn’t work for me.

Carvell College is re-opening after 10 years, hoping to escape its dark past with a fresh start Lottie has come to solve the mystery that's fascinated her since childhood while Alice is running from her own demons. These two women couldn't be more different when they end up as roommates living under the shadow of the infamous (and forbidden) North Tower. Unfortunately, the past isn’t ready to let go.

We get to experience this story through alternating viewpoints as Alice and Lottie find themselves growing closer to campus secrets and each other. This is so much more than a romantic mystery as elements of the supernatural seamlessly weave together to explore the depths of how female rage has been regarded over time.

The Society for Soulless Girls by Laura Steven was everything I was hoping for and more. This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

I adored this book! The author did an amazing job creating the atmosphere and making you feel like you were a student at Carvell. I loved the gothic/dark academia vibes and the dark humor of the main characters. This book explored possession and the supernatural, violence in women, and femininity. This book would be perfect to read during the fall for the dark academia vibes and the general spookiness. Highly recommend!