It never fails - when a book character arrives at an elite school there is bound to be secret societies and/or ancient evils. This book is no different. It does have something of a novel approach but the general thrust of the plot is fairly expected. Its dense and sort of plodding so it requires patient reading.

An interesting story inspired by Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It was definitely atmospheric and moody; I liked the two main characters but I didn’t necessarily think they had chemistry, so seeing them as a couple didn’t quite work for me, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying this story!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for access to an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Ten years after the North Tower murders led to the unsolved deaths of four Carvell students, the school is finally able to reopen and welcoming in both old and new members of staff and a new host of students. Among these new students are Lottie and Alice, who are thrown together as roommates despite their almost immediate struggles getting along. Between Alice's struggles to control her anger and to keep herself in check and Lottie's obsession with researching and investigating the long-cold case of the North Tower murders, their first days at the newly opened Carvell are difficult enough as it is. And things only get worse after another student dies in a way eerily similar to the original murders. Is this the killer's return, a copycat, or a horrific coincidence? And to what lengths will Alice and Lottie go to find the truth?

Using a Jekyll & Hyde retelling as a way to explore the depths of feminine rage isn't something I ever thought I would see, but Laura Steven really went out there and did it, and she did it so well. The mystery kept me guessing throughout and the slowly shifting relationship between Lottie and Alice was so interesting to watch as they each floundered to protect themselves and later one another from the darkness haunting their school. I spent most of this book seething angrily, and not in a bad way like you might think. Watching Alice and Lottie and their friend Hafsah and so many other girls and women on Carvell's campus be repeatedly corrected and looked down upon for any actions or behavior that wasn't deemed to be ladylike by the men in the story was such an upsetting and deeply relatable experience to read about, and I'm honestly so grateful to Laura Steven for writing a story where girl's are taught their whole lives to fear and hate their anger and their rage and finally learn to come to terms with it as a part of who they are and even to embrace it. Because feminine rage is not the evil it is painted by so many to be, and this story proves that you are still important and, even more so, can still be *good,* even with your anger.

Alice, on the other hand, is not as excited

This was just fine. I think for me it was personally a two, but I can see myself loving it as a teen, so I'm landing on a three star. My largest complaint is that it took a long time to get to what the book was sold as and then the ending was quite cheesy. Additionally, I found Alice really hard to like as a character. I think I would've liked the whole book more if it had just been from Lottie's POV.

EVERYTHING I NEVER KNEW I WANTED. SAPPHIC RETELLINGS ARE THE BEST. GIVE THEM ALL TO ME, . AND JECKLL AAND HYDE--DO I EVEN HAVE TO....AAAAHHHHH!

This is a really cool book. I love the plot, and it was very different than the normal, but so read this is a dark academia enemies to lovers retell of Jekyll and Hyde. And this is the first time I’ve read this Author and I think she did a wonderful job with. It. Definitely read the trigger warnings before you get into it ! Three stars






Hyde.

this was a fun, creepy, twisty novel! I loved that the book was written in dual POV and we get to hear the story from Lottie and Alice's point of views. Occasionally, it will even go back and hear what the other one was doing at the time. Alice wants so badly to silence the negative thoughts in her head that it leads her to make some questionable decisions but at the heart of her she just wants to be accepted and loved, much like we all do. I enjoyed how the story wound its way, dropping hints along the way to help figure out what's really going on. I liked the supernatural aspects and Salem might be on of my favorites!

This one didnt grab my attention unfortunately. I don't think it's bad and think a lot of people will like it. It just wasn't for me.

This book opens with hearing about Lottie, who has decided to attend Carvell, a university that has been closed for 10 years due to deaths happening on campus. Lottie decides to attend to figure out what has happened to someone her family was close to. Lottie meets her roommate, Alice, and it seems that there’s more to Carvell than meets the eye. The question is if Lottie and Alice can figure it out, or will they be new victims to the campus and its ghosts.

I found this book captivating. It started off a little slow for me, but that was appreciated at the end when the background information helped me understand what all happened and was happening at Carvell. I would definitely read more about Carvell in the future - I think the author could easily find another mystery at Carvell and I would appreciate that. However, I do think it is a solid standalone, and I would not fault the author for leaving Lottie, Alice, and Carvell as it is.

A dark academic sapphic enemies-to-lovers retelling of Jekyll & Hyde? Ummm yes please! That’s what originally intrigued me about this book. As we all know, I’m currently in my dark academia era. Thankfully I really enjoyed this retelling and I’m very excited to read more by this author.

3.5 stars

I didn't love or hate this. I liked it and I'm perfectly fine with that. I loved the Jekyll and Hyde them definitely. That is on of my favorite literary classics so I was already on board with that. I like that the spooky vibes start just about right away. I like that the main characters were opposites. I dig a grumpy/sunshine situation in both platonic and romantic relationships. I will say that at one point both of their attitudes about each other did begin to grate my nerves some although given their ages I always try to give them some grace for it. All in all it was a good read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children for the copy in exchange for my review.

The Society for Soulless Girls follows two students, Lottie and Alice, the first years to attend the newly reopened Carvell after almost a decade of closure following a series of strange murders. Lottie has come to find answers, Alice has come to learn, but both find themselves drawn into the mystery surrounding the North Tower and the ghosts that still haunt the academic halls.

Steven does an amazing job of painting the school with a dark, creepy academic feel, almost Carvell it's own character. The cast is diverse and well fleshed out to create a more realistic feel to the story. Both of the MCs are flawed, Alice especially who deals with severe anger issues. As someone who dealt with a terminally ill parent and the inability to turn to someone to express that, I get that anger. This story establishes very well the fact that girls have the same anger and fury that boys do, and they need healthy ways to deal with them, even if it's just wrestling with their brothers (as the example given in the book).

The romance is pretty much second string and felt a little forced, but I did enjoy seeing Lottie and Alice go from their VERY prickly first meeting to the end where they come to trust one another.

If you're sensitive to body horror I would be careful with this, but other then that I really recommend this story.

I read about 45% of this and had to give up unfortunately. This book is WEIRD. In a good way, mostly. I like the characters and the author did a very good job at making the school another main character. However the body horror was too much for me. I would recommend for other people who like a dark academia horror book though.

Thought provoking and creepy. Carvell College was closed for ten years after a spate of mysterious student deaths. It has just reopened, and Lottie and Alice are two members of the new class. Lottie is there with the goal of solving the case, but is soon in over her head. Alice just wants to study philosophy, but her constant anger is getting in the way. When she stumbles upon a book which describes an arcane ritual to subdue your anger, she of course has to try it. Not the best plan... Can Lottie and Alice discover the truth behind the deaths and their connection to this strange soul-splitting ritual? Pick up The Society for Soulless Girls and find out.

First off, I loved the eerie dark academia atmosphere. The creepy supernatural elements really amped up the story. I also enjoyed following along with the mystery. I didn't really connect with the romance though. It felt kind of shoehorned in. I had no idea about the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde connection prior to reading, but I can totally see it now. The "angry girls" messaging is timely, and something that I do tend to enjoy. The levels of violence here are a bit much for me, though. Overall, I did enjoy the read

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Society for Soulless Girls captivates readers with its great writing style and a compelling main character whose depth and relatability draw you into her world. The author skillfully unveils the protagonist's inner thoughts and emotions, allowing readers to truly understand and empathize with her journey. While the narrative maintains a strong grip throughout, the ending feels somewhat rushed, leaving a sense of disappointment as loose ends are hastily tied up. Despite this, the overall experience of the novel is enjoyable, thanks to the author's storytelling prowess and the engaging exploration of the main character's unique perspective.

This book was unputdownable - and quite honestly, Laura Steven led me by my nose through the book, because I had NO idea where it was leading or who was responsible. Cleverly crafted with some complex characters.

I liked the premise and the plot was interesting But I felt like the characters needed a little more shaping because sometimes I didn't understand their motivations.

This book was a little different than what I was expecting, but honestly the story was still really good.

Carvell College has been closed for ten years after four students lost their lives in the North Tower murders. Now it’s reopening with rules regarding the tower and no one is to go near it.

Roommates, Lottie and Alice, couldn’t be more different or have more different reasons for coming to Carvell.

Lottie’s family knew one of the victims of the North Tower murders and is hell bent on figuring out is going on.

Alice is at Carvell because it’s close to home but still an escape.

After finding a weird ritual she thinks will help curb her anger issues that turns out to be a soul splitting ritual, Alice feels great, at least for a while. The rage returns only 100 times worse and she must enlist Lottie in helping her figure out how to fix it.

In all the story is really intriguing and if you like retellings and sapphic romance this book is for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, I liked the school setting, the relationships and friendships made. I liked the bit about the book in this, I think the book be an interesting read. I totally recommend this. I liked the sapphic representation in this. I liked how the author didn’t make the whole book about their sexuality.

I had such a good time with this! I heard it's a Jekyll and Hyde retelling, and I didn't get the biggest vibes but still some! I loved the slow burn in the romance and the FF representation was immaculate! I can't wait to read more from this author because wow, I love their writing style.