I’d like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to receive this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately this book was very flat and built up to nothing for me. The constant sprinkling in of philosophers and bits of Latin to sustain the dark atmosphere also was a bit annoying because it just felt like nothing was really happening. I had to DNF it halfway through reading it because the stakes would be raised just to be substantially dropped. It really felt like a very mediocre YA book that was trying to make itself more serious by sprinkling philosophical quotes here and there but it just felt pretentious in a way? I don’t know but this wasn’t it for me.

I was SO excited to get to read this ARC. I mean, look at the cover! 😍

Seventeen-year-old Marin James adopts a new identity as Jamie Vane in order to infiltrate Huntsworth Academy and get revenge for her cousin’s suspicious death. When she gets there, she finds herself swept into the social circle of her three top suspects, and soon discovers that nothing is as it seems on the outside. The two boys at the center of it all have devastating secrets they’d do anything to protect, and Marin will do anything to uncover them. But will she lose herself to the character of Jamie she’s created to stay hidden? Or to something more sinister?

Jenni Howell’s writing style is so much fun to read. Her prose is beautifulll! I love me a good metaphor, and this book is full of them in all their dark poetic glory. I’ve heard the prose referred to as fever dream-esque, and that’s a spot-on description. Sometimes it’s unclear what Marin is thinking when she acts, things just happen with so much intensity that you can’t help but just hold on for the ride. And while I love that writing style, sometimes it was a little too unclear what was actually going on. I honestly wanted this book to be longer so we could have more time with this world and these characters!

If you’re looking for a read where all of the characters are a little bit unhinged, where there may or may not be something spooky lurking in the shadows, and where love is forgone in favor of revenge, I’d give this one a try. Fever dream or not, the writing will have you thinking about it for days after (especially if you’re a writer!)

The cover is the best part of this book.

DNF at 40% -- I just couldn't do it. This book is a mess, and I still don't know what it going on.

Bummer.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc.

I did finish this ARC, but took some time to do so.
I likely am not the target audience for this book.

Didn't fully understand the main character's need to find the truth behind her cousin's death--I do understand wanting to know the truth, but not to the extent Jamie/Marin went to in her own investigation. I needed more background about the cousin's relationship/younger years--there were stories, but just didn't seem that Jamie/Marin would be so hard-core set on this entire search.
I couldn't really root for or get behind her motives and need for justice. If there had been more of a background story or something to pull at my emotions, it may have had me rooting for her.

Also, for the elite boarding school (Huntsworth) she was accepted to be a student, mid-term, without pre-payment, etc., seems way too far-fetched, even for a dark academia/fantasy novel, right? Maybe? I did like the location in Tennessee, Appalachian Mountains--and mentions of Nashville, Knoxville. The campus descriptions were excellent and provided the appropriate backdrop for suspense, mystery, prep/boarding school life--even if, at times, it felt pretty cookie-cutter.

I did appreciate that one of the students, Baz, has a chronic condition (that I share) and that was an interesting aspect of the story...and (spoiler) a possible way to "off" someone. I like the incorporation of current technology that was mentioned in the story (insulin pump). Granted, alcohol doesn't mix well with this condition--and would've been interesting to possibly include that to their storyline; however, the absence didn't diminish that character's story or arc. They were my favorite of the characters.

The mix of philosophy before each chapter was interesting, at times, and led to some academic discussion, but I didn't get any real sense that it mattered at all. All of the characters were just moody and spoiled, and just blah.

I did enjoy the Mirror analogies and sections and would've liked that explored more. It could have led up to more suspense and made the last 30(ish) pages really hum! That's when the book, for me, finally picked up the pace, after dragging for so long! It could've also tied in well with the paranormal aspect of the story and may have been more interesting.

3-3.25 stars

Thank you Macmillan Publishing and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of Boys With Sharp Teeth in exchange for review.

This book requires an immense suspension of disbelief. Everything that needs to happen for the story to progress happens in the most obvious and frankly, stupid way.

The book's plot is convoluted but also banal. Marin, assuming the identity of a made-up student named Jamie, is sneaking into a well-to-do boarding school because she believes a group of students are responsible for the death of her cousin.

Luckily, Marin/Jamie runs into one of the people right away. Then of course she's put in the same building as them and even put in the same room as one of them (because this is a very progressive school in a Southern state that is okay with co-ed rooms for teenagers).

Jamie is supposed to be investigating the murder but doesn't really do much. She's scathingly angry at the two males, especially Graves (one of my favorite moments of the book is when Jamie asks why Adrian Hargraves is nicknamed "Graves", she's smart as a whip, that one). You'd think you would want to be in their good graces for investigative purposes, but Jamie isn't really investigating, so who cares?

The book tries to cosplay at spouting philosophy, but it's so poorly done and so melodramatic that you'll feel nothing but cringe. The story wants to be a swooning, gothic-lit-esque psychodrama, but it falls flat. It's an immense slog after Part I, and towards the end, I felt like the book would just never end. The supernatural twist is downright silly.

To compare this to The Raven Boys series is asinine. This book lacks nuance and any real character development. It's also far too long and has an unsatisfying conclusion.

oh this felt like CLASSIC dark academia goodness. there's a thick layer of pretension thrown over everything, but underneath it's gritty and dark and sinister and perfect. jamie/marin is a fascinating main character, because she simultaneously believes herself so morally superior to the other characters and at the same time is just as sinister and terrible and ruthless as them as well. i loved the twists and pulls all over this one.

I did myself a disservice by not binging this book, so I will almost certainly give it a reread, but GOSH do I lovr the atmosphere of this book. The writer did incredibly with creating a dark atmosphere through the writing style. I absolutely love dark academia, and maybe that's why this felt a little lack luster to me? The characters weren't as compelling as most dark academia that I read. I will be receiving my OwlCrate edition soon and giving it a reread to see if I hindered my own experience the first time!

DNFed at 23%. Almost a third of the way into the book but it felt like nothing was happening and I was b o r e d.

when her cousin’s body is found in a creek on huntsworth academy’s property, marin james knows exactly who’s to blame, and will stop at nothing to get justice. she infiltrates the school and worms her way into the lives of adrian hargreeves and henry wu, the two boys she’s sure are responsible for her cousin’s demise. as she carries on this ruse, though, the lines between right and wrong and revenge and attraction begin to blur.

this book reminded me of the girl you know, in that a girl sneaks into an elite school to find answers—and revenge—for her dead family member. there were plenty of differences, but still, i would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed that one, and vice versa!

boys with sharp teeth was such a captivating story. we have the murder mystery at the forefront, which was interesting enough to keep my attention, but on top of that we have the complex relationships between marin and the two boys, which made the story even more thrilling. this is a story i can absolutely see myself returning to at some point, and i’m looking forward to whatever’s next from jenni howell!

This was pretty good. I definetly enjoyed it. I thought it was a unique story. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. I think it’s worth the read.

I love a good character-driven story and boy oh boy were these characters a doozy. A fancy school full of lies, betrayal, murder mystery, and a group of kids that really need a hug makes for a really entertaining book.

The magical elements really kept me on my feet and honestly made me question so much of the story, but the way things were tied up at the end made for such a good book.

Thank you Macmillan Publishing and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of Boys With Sharp Teeth in exchange for review.

3 stars

This delivers on dark academia mystery with unrelatable entitled rich kids who have incredibly dark and haunted pasts.

I loved the premise of this book, spooky and studious with a dash of lying and false identities. I also really loved the pacing of this book especially the first 75% it felt very of life realistic though apparently the entirety of the story is about two weeks? It took some very bizarre turns that I didn’t expect but wasn’t fully invested in. I had the hardest time determining two of the main characters relationship. And while I felt I understood what was happening towards the end I was also very confused… without giving any direct spoilers the alternate reality aspect didn’t fit in with the story in my opinion. It was still a fun read though, thank you!

If you are a Petty Crocker like we are, then Boys with Sharp Teeth is right up your alley. It is an enjoyable read, with a beautiful plot and fun twist ending.

Thanks to Macmillan Children's and Roaring Book Press for an eARC for an honest review.

This is marketed as dark academia with hints of the supernatural and a YA thriller.

This follows Marin James who recently lost her cousin in a mysterious death ruled to be overdose, however, she thinks one of his three friends at Huntsworth Academy - Adrian Hargraves, Henry Wu, or Baz killed him. She disguises herself as Jamie and infiltrates the school determined to find his killer. Overall, I found this overwritten and meandering, the premise sounded interesting and while I love morally grey characters, these did not have any true depth for me. Felt melodramatic and faux philosophical as well to me. Reminded me of a hybrid of the vibes of Catherine House with the mystery premise of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife. I wanted to DNF several times.

2.5 rounded up to 3/5

3.5 - I was so excited for this one, as it is marketed as a dark academia, young adult philosophy, and a bit of a gothic horror. Although I enjoyed this book, I was a bit let down.

Boys with Sharp Teeth is a dark academia/thriller taking place at an elite boarding school. Marin comes to Huntsworth Academy after finding out that her cousin has been murdered, determined to figure out the truth. She knows that Adrian and Henry are involved somehow and will do anything to get in their inner circle to seek justice. A love triangle unfolds, where Marin feels more seen and understood by these two boys than anyone ever before.

The setting of this book, while a bit unrealistic in the details, was really atmospheric. I was really impressed by the author's writing, especially as a debut book. The actual genre of the book is a bit hard to place, because of how it definitely is young adult, but incorporates dark academia, a bit of horror, and psychological thriller. There also was paranormal elements, which made the book lean slightly fantasy.

I thought this was going to be a gay romance but it was more of a love triangle, where I think more development was needed. The book was less romance but a subplot of the love triangle, where Marin is in love with both the boys for different reasons. I got a bit bored towards the middle of the book, after really being hooked in the beginning by the setting and the mystery that was unfolding.

Overall, not the book for me but I really enjoyed the writing! Thank you to FierceReads for the free booK!!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC and ALC I received in exchange for an honest review.

There were things that I truly loved from this book especially the dark academia atmospheric vibes. I am always a sucker for that kind of vibe in books.

I kind of wish that the characters were college students and not high schoolers because some of their decisions were more mature than you would expect from high schoolers. The mystery was interesting and kept me engaged.

Overall, it was a good read. I don't think I would recommend the audiobook version though. The narration did not work for me and I had to speed it up sooo much in order to be okay with it.

3 stars
——————

I haven’t been this confused by a book in a long time.

The description of this book is what really drew me in. But while the vibe of the book is immaculate and the writing was poetic, the actual plot left me completely lost. The start of the book was interesting. Girl seeks revenge for the death of her cousin. But it fell apart as I went on. I almost DNFed halfway through, but hung on hoping it would get better. Somehow, this one is neither character or plot driven. That left it in limbo for me. There are points where it feels like nothing is happening, which can be fine. But here, it just felt like the book was primarily unexplained filler. Entire plot lines just end without explanation or go on and on without explanation. I got that this was suppose to have a bit of supernatural to it, but it’s never clearly explained for me. The book exists, but that was about it for me.

I love a morally grey character, which I absolutely got here. Marin/Jamie is incredibly unreliable as a narrator. Graves and Henry both have this air of mystery to them. But there was no character growth. Everyone remained stagnant and within their roles, if not devolving within them. I rooted for no one and nothing.

I could not connect with this book at all and I was really disappointed by that.

Thank you so much to Fierce Reads and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Jenni, come outside. I just want to talk real quick. Firstly- how dare you? Second- how dare you? How dare you write a book that altered my brain chemistry and had me in complete bi panic the whole time. I loved this so much. It was mysterious, fierce, romantic, and tense, but SO GOOD! I loved everything about it. From the story, to the characters, to the plot, to the conclusion. I couldn’t get enough. When I wasn’t able to read it, I was thinking about reading it. It was everything to me. I want to erase it from my brain so I can read it for the first time again. Truly.

Jenni- give me everything you ever write. I am a forever fan!

Absolutely beautiful prose. I love the aspects of the paranormal woven in, and though I did predict the murder, I still did not expect that final twist at the end!

Thank you to Net Galley for the eARC!

A girl seeking revenge against the group of students who murdered her cousin finds herself in over her head as she becomes entangled with them and her feelings begin to grow twisted. To say I didn't like this book was putting it lightly. This had me so excited from the get go, the tag line "they're wicked, she's worse" completely got me, and the whole cover made it seem like it would be queer, and then throwing in "raven boys" completely sold me... but the red flags were there and I should have known better. The first red flag is "we were liars" and honestly I should have turned away from this book souley based on that. Marin/Jamie is going to go undercover to solve her beloved cousins murder ( completely unreleastic how she goes about it and you never feel the actual familial love between Marin and her cousin you're just told.) Marin immediately falls in love with the guys who are involved in her cousins murder (in this insta love weird love triangle) and honestly it just came out of nowhere, there was zero chemistry and it made no sense. Next issue, the whole fact that the cover doesn't even include Baz, the other member of the group so that the cover makes it seem like a poly/queer book when THERE IS NOTHING QUEER OR POLY ABOUT THIS BOOK. This book was an entire case of : wayyyyyy to long, nothing happens, and just ridiculousness. I was dragged until the end, and even the end was so unsatisfactory. The mystery was so bland, the relationship and resolution of it all was just not good. Anyone who is rating this 5 stars, I have questions, did we read the same book? For a book titled "boys with sharp teeth" this entire experience felt like I was being torn apart with the dullest butter knife and it just keeps going. I adore dark academia murder mystery, I love a complex love interest, I love a revenge story, yet somehow none of that actually worked in this. Suffice to say, this is not for me, but I guess if you love We Were Liars, you'll have a fantastic time with this one.

Release Date: April 8, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Roaring Brook Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*