This book was okay. I like the gothic/academia aspect of it and thar made it very atmospheric but quite a bit of it felt repetitive.

I did not finish this around 60%. Correction: DNF at 33%. Well, it felt like 60%, it really did.

I thought this would be right up my alley: yay, dark academia and all that jazz. But just—no.

This book apes characters and plot points from The Picture of Dorian Gray. I didn’t realize this going in, and looking now through blurbs and other reviews it seems that almost no one else noticed this or they just neglected to mention it. Who can say why.

This apeing wouldn’t necessarily be an issue except that the book is unforgivably humorless, with boring characters and a sort of strident-tough-girl writing style that is just too cringey.

It is also needlessly long. Other than that, though, it’s grand!

For real though, I can see a certain subset of teenaged “dark academians” (those who haven’t yet discovered Wilde or humor) really liking this. It will read as mature and sly and a bit dangerous, and that will thrill them. They will eat it up.

For me this book had such promise!!! I was really excited to read this book and found myself not connecting with the characters. I am not sure if it is because its YA (not the books fault) but I just could not relate. I wanted more paranormal factors and was just overall unhappy with the writing style. I am sad to say this was not for me, but the cover is gorgeous and I do think there are people who will enjoy this book!

This dark academia novel piqued my interest when it was described as We Were Liars meets The Raven Boys. Marin is seeking revenge after her cousin is found dead of an overdose at the elite boarding school he attended. Wanting answers, Marin infiltrates the school and the group she suspects has something to do with his death. But infiltrating the school is one thing, uncovering some of the school's deepest, darkest secrets is another.

A dark and twisty story with lyrical writing. Perfect for introspective or angsty teens - or those of us who just remember how that felt.

I really enjoyed this a lot! Some of what I assume were meant to be twists weren't twisty but I generally feel that way, so I'm not sure how others will feel. The atmosphere and writing are so worth the read regardless.

If you love
-dark academia
-murder mystery
-creepy boarding school
-teens with a secret
-witchy/supernatural vibes this is for you
Triggers include
-murder
-violence
-drugs
-car/motorcycle accident

This was tough to get through. At the start we meet Marin whose beloved cousin Sam mysteriously passes, Marin believes he was killed. She begins to attend the school where her cousin was a security guard under a new alias Jamie Vance. There she meets Sam’s old friends and potential suspects.

Unfortunately it was a challenge to get through this. The supernatural elements aren’t revealed until the final chapters and you’re still left wondering what happened. Marin/Jamie was not a likeable character to me and I was left unsure who to root for if anyone. I think the premise sounded interesting and the cover is what caught my eye but the story just wasn’t there for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

3.5 stars, rounded up! I was very intrigued with the premise of this book, and I did love the vibes while reading it. What threw me off what the writing- it felt like it was doing too much at times. I can definitely see younger patrons eating this book up though!

Jenni Howell’s “Boys with Sharp Teeth” delivers an intriguing dark academia premise that ultimately falls short of its potential. The novel attempts to blend the occult elements reminiscent of Leigh Bardugo’s “Ninth House” with the privileged social dynamics of “Gossip Girl” and the suspenseful intrigue of “Pretty Little Liars,” creating an ambitious cocktail that doesn’t quite mix smoothly.

The concept of the story truly drew me in as dark academia girlie - wealth, power, and murder, however the execution stumbled with the progression of the plot.

Despite its flaws, “Boys with Sharp Teeth” maintains enough intrigue to keep pages turning, even as I navigated through occasionally muddled prose. The novel delivers sufficient atmosphere and mystery to satisfy genre fans, though it never quite reaches the heights of its more polished influences.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Macmillan for an audiobook ALC and a digital ARC respectively!

Boys with Sharp Teeth is a dark upper YA novel of revenge, obsession, and hunger.

To start off with praise; Jenni Howell has a descriptive prose that matches this gritty atmosphere. Paired with Jennifer Pickens’s narration of Marin, you feel our main character’s anger and angst. With the gorgeous cover of the characters and my limited ability to visualize in my head, it felt like Marin telling me this story. I had the pleasure of attending Jenni’s release party, and I appreciated hearing the journey of her writing and the book.

Charlene Thomas,at the event, had a perfect description that this book is a fever dream. I found the concept and the characters intriguing and but I felt slighted hindered in my understanding with just the audiobook initially. I did request if MacMillan would kindly give me a digital arc. Generally, I understood the plot and Jamie/Marion‘s motivation, but I had a harder time believing and understanding some of the foundations of the story. I was confused how her cousin l, whom was one of the academy’s security guard, became close with Henry, Adrian, and Baz to the point of like staying over in their dorms and being best friends. I’m not sure an elite academy would hire a 16 year as a security guard (I had to check that cause I missed that and thought he was like in his 20s+). I think this honestly would have made more sense if these characters were in college. I liked getting to know some background of the guys by the end, but I wanted to learn about everyone’s relationship sooner which I think would have helped my foundation questions.

Overall, this was a good debut—an instant NYTs Bestseller!—and I look forward to Howell’s future books!

A 10/10 dark academia book with a twist. Boys With Sharp Teeth, follows our FMC, Marin, who finds herself at Huntsworth Academy after her cousin turns up dead at the school. She has an inkling of who might be the culprit so she sets out to find out the truth and who did it. While doing her investigating, she starts feeling an attraction to Henry Wu and Adrian Hargraves, her two main suspects.

This truly was an amazing book that really captures your attention from the very beginning and will have you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what happens next. The plot itself and the plot twist were incredible, Jenni Howell did a fantastic job writing this. I love this so much and can't for what the author has in store for us in the future.

The premise of this book was so interesting. I was really invested until about the 70% mark. I felt that it dragged a little and I found myself slogging through to finish. That being said, I know that I have some students who would absolutely love this.

This was absolutely giving the dark academia vibes I hoped for! I was completely hooked the entire time. I need more!!!

Wow! Just wow! Tension filled, twisty, obsessive and addictive - this story does it all. Jenni Howell has proven herself to be quite the writer with her debut. I was hooked instantly and wasn’t released until long after the final page. I can see how this can be quite a polarising story, especially with the push and pull between Henry and Graves, but consider me fully hooked. What a ride!

What a wild ride this was! Dark and gothic. Crazy twist ending. It was a TRIP! I ate this up from start to finish and look forward to more from this author.

Dark. Gothic. Academia. Revenge. The twist at the end. It was a wild ride.

Some stuff at the beginning was a little hard to believe. Like how a 17 year old girl managed to con her way into a super elite boarding school. But once I got past that, it was a really great read.

Got an arc from work, 3.5/5

This was an interesting premise that managed to keep me guessing even when I thought for sure I knew how it was gonna go! I don’t know if “cerebral” is the right word but it uses a lot of philosophy and thought experiments as a scaffolding on which it builds its plot, both the supernatural and the mundane and I can see that being very divisive. Some kids are gonna be bored, and some kids are gonna eat this shit up and grow up to be absolute devotees of Donna Tartt. This wasn’t *not* for me but I’m also not convinced I would’ve been the target audience even at YA age. It definitely has a target audience though, and I hope they find it!

That being said, I’m sad to report that even with a cover like that it’s not polyamorous :/ I can’t even say “polyamory could’ve saved them” because no I think that actively would’ve made them worse lmao

Seventeen-year-old Marin James adopts a new identity to infiltrate the elite Huntsworth Academy, seeking justice for her cousin's mysterious death. As she delves deeper into the school's secrets, Marin becomes entangled with two enigmatic students, Adrian and Henry, uncovering a web of deceit, obsession, and supernatural elements that blur the lines between reality and illusion.

Howell's prose is lush and atmospheric, immersing readers in a world where every mirror reflects more than just a face. The narrative explores themes of grief, revenge, and the seductive allure of power, all set against the backdrop of a haunting boarding school. While some may find the plot's twists and philosophical undertones challenging, fans of *The Raven Boys* and *We Were Liars* will appreciate the novel's intricate layers and emotional depth.

This book was written for you if:
- You're drawn to stories that intertwine mystery with supernatural elements.
- You enjoy complex characters navigating morally gray situations.
- You're a fan of dark academia settings with a touch of the eerie and enigmatic.

This book was like stepping into a fever dream you’re not sure you want to wake up from. Boys with Sharp Teeth is moody, atmospheric, and unapologetically intense — think secret societies, revenge plots, and dangerous boys with secrets. Very If We Were Villains meets Cruel Intentions, but with its own unhinged twist.

The story follows Marin, who sneaks into the ultra-elite Huntsworth Academy to get to the bottom of her cousin’s mysterious death. Her plan? Get close to the two most powerful (and possibly deadly) boys at the school. Predictably, things spiral.

What I loved:

The vibes. Howell nails the eerie, obsessive energy that makes dark academia so addictive.

Marin is a mess and I liked that about her. She’s not here to be likable, she’s here to cause chaos.

The writing is sharp and lyrical. Some lines had me rereading just because they hit that good.


What didn’t quite work:

The pacing. It dragged a bit in the middle — I found myself skimming here and there.

Some of the twists felt obvious. Like, I wanted to be shocked, but I saw a lot coming.

A few character relationships could’ve used more depth. The chemistry was there, but it didn’t always feel fully earned.


Still, I flew through it in a couple days and was totally immersed. It’s one of those books that lives in your head a little after you finish, even if you're not totally sure why. Definitely recommend if you like your stories messy, intense, and a little bit dangerous.