Love dark academia vibes but this book missed the mark. The story started well with a murder mystery, hints of a haunting, and a secret pen Pam. However, the story quickly turned down a road that felt forced.

Ultimately the cover brought me in, but the description SOLD me. I have been in a reading slump lately but devoured this.

This was just what I needed with the dark academia vibes I was craving! I could not put it down. Will definitely be looking for more from this author.

Did not finish/DNF at 28%

This book was just not for me! I was getting a little confused. By 15%, I was lost. Maybe it was the wording? I feel like the pacing was also a little off!

I do plan on trying it again when I am in the mood! Maybe in the winter?

For those who love a spooky tale... this one is for you. There's elements of fantasy within this story, but I think due to the suspense you find yourself wondering if it's really 'real' or not. I think this book would be great to pick up if you're a mood reader and ready for fall. I listened to it on audio though I received it as a e-reader copy. I would recommend reading the physical copy I had a hard time following the audio and I think it's just the nature of a more 'thriller' esc story.

I don't think I'd read it again, but I'm happy to have read it to recommend to friends and students.

Oh... if you like Mindy McGinnis or the story "The Hollow Inside" -- You'll enjoy this book!

Dark, edgy, and surprisingly emotional—this YA novel hooked me right away. The mix of supernatural tension, sharp writing, and raw teenage vulnerability made it hard to put down. It leans into angst and grit, but in a way that feels authentic to the story. A strong, fast-paced read that kept me invested from start to finish.

Review:
Boys with Sharp Teeth is a dark, twisty, and utterly captivating read that had me hooked from the very first page. Jenni Howell delivers a story that blends murder mystery, dark academia, and just a touch of the supernatural, all set within the tense, competitive world of an elite boarding school.

The novel follows Marin, who assumes a false identity to infiltrate her cousin’s friend group and uncover the truth behind his death. What follows is a thrilling game of secrets, power struggles, and complicated relationships, with every character hiding something that keeps you guessing. The narrative is fast-paced and atmospheric, filled with sharp dialogue, biting tension, and moments that made my heart race.

Howell’s writing is exquisite. Her descriptions are vivid and immersive, painting the boarding school as a world that is at once beautiful, privileged, and darkly claustrophobic. Marin herself is a compelling protagonist—vulnerable yet fiercely determined, flawed yet empathetic. The supporting cast is equally fascinating, with some characters unhinged in ways that keep the reader on edge and others hiding secrets that slowly unravel as the plot progresses.

The book also handles themes of identity, desire, and morality with nuance. Howell balances emotional realism with eerie, almost gothic undertones that enhance the story without ever overshadowing the characters’ journeys. The romance elements, while present, are secondary to the central mystery, adding tension and complexity without derailing the main plot.

The ending is nothing short of shocking—twists pile up in ways I didn’t see coming, leaving me stunned and eager to revisit the story to catch all the clues I missed. This is a book that lingers, compelling you to think about the characters and their choices long after the last page.

Boys with Sharp Teeth is dark, thrilling, and emotionally layered—a must-read for fans of YA thrillers with gothic vibes, complex characters, and a story that isn’t afraid to get messy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jenni Howell, and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to live this. I loved the title and the cover. I enjoyed the premise and the setting. The actual story and pacing fell short (for me). I would give this author another try though.

"Boys with Sharp Teeth" explores many facets of the human mind. It was dark and twisty with a hard focus on the characters and not so much about the plot in my opinion. It explores paranormal aspects as well, which added a different layer to the book than what I was expecting.

We follow a high school senior, Marin, to a prep school outside of her hometown. She takes on an alter ego, Jamie Vane, to enroll at the school to find out what happened to her cousin, Sam, the night he died and to find the truth of who killed him. She has her sights set on three particular students who she knew Sam hung out with, Graves, Henry and Baz. Jamie has one term to find the truth, expose the killer and get out before she is caught as an imposter. What she finds at the school will haunt her and leave her mind reeling.

I would recommend this to dark academia lovers who enjoy delving into the characters and their minds. I can see how this may not be for everyone, as for me, it was hard to get through all the internal monologuing involved and I wanted to get into the plot and the investigation. Overall, the writing was great, and the characters were well fleshed out. What fell short for me was the lack of balance between the plot progression and the character development.

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.

The first half was really strong, I did love the set-up and how mysterious it all felt, but the closer it got to the end, the more it went off the rails for me. I feel like the further I read, the more it started to lose me. It was a progression of disinterest. I enjoyed the philosophical concepts that were incorporated into the story. I liked how much of a personal battle the MC was having with her own mission and place in this story. That aspect was really well done. I think if you enjoy this sort of dark tone, paired with a more cerebral storyline, you'll like this one a lot. Sadly, for me, the ending just left me lost.

The blurb of this is so intriguing and the cover immediately grabbed me. It's a dark academia setting and I did enjoy the first half as things were set up and Marin grew closer to Sam's friends. As things got more on the paranormal side, I got a little confused and kept waiting for explanations that never came. If you're going to have strange, seemingly impossible things occurring, you have to give us something, or else the audience could be frustrated or give up on the story.

Good idea and start, just didn't execute like I'd hoped.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Roaring Book Press and NetGalley for the copy.

I adored this book! Such a nostalgic 'Raven Boys' vibe. Perfect for the Fall time, I'll be sharing it with my social media followers.

⭐⭐ | 2 stars

What a let down this was. I really enjoyed how this book began (particularly the atmospheric writing and sense of mystery), but liked it less and less as the story continued. It was predictable and the end felt entirely self-defeating. In my opinion, the horror elements are far more prevalent in this book than what was advertised, which I didn't enjoy at all.

As many have said, unfortunately, the best thing about this book is the cover.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Roaring Brook Press for eARC in exchange for my opinion.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7435290328

I was bored. Characters fell flat. I wanted something more dark academia.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the gifted ebook to read and review.

I wanted to love this book but it didn’t live up to my expectations. It is targeted for readers like me who love dark academia and unreliable narrators. However, the descriptions of scenes and characters could get really confusing which made it hard to follow. There is a lot of inner monologue with little dialogue and action. The dialogue was written in an unusual way that it was hard to tell who was talking. I loved the concept of the story but it was also hard to immerse myself in it. I feel like the advertising of this as a romance is way off and insensitive within the context of the story. I was also taken aback by the glorification of self harm when this is advertised as YA.

I enjoyed this one. I liked the dark academia setting and thought the characters were well drawn out. The first half of the book flew by and I did struggle a bit to engage as much second half, but overall still enjoyed!

Thank you Jenni Howell and Roaring Book Press for this arc!
I saw this all over instagram and loved the cover. I loved the synopsis. It held the promise of a juicy dark academia novel.

However it did not hit the mark for me, and this was a bummer, I was really excited for this book and really wanted to like it. I spent the majority of the book unsure of what was going on. It was easy to get lost in the philosophical conversations referencing the matrix and if you could really trust your senses. Trying to keep up with that, the Shakespeare quotes and the zig zag plot was a lot. It felt like there was always too much going on and personally it was hard to keep up with. I am giving this 2 stars for 2 reasons.

1-The concept with our main character talking to someone unknown through leaving notes in an old book was fun.
2-The truth behind the mirrors was neat! It had so much promise. It’s something I had not seen before
I would have liked more of the ghosts and mirrors.

This book was chaotic,and not in the good way.
I will say it DID feel like a bad 2010 teen horror movie, which could have been so fun if that was the intention. Instead it felt forced to be more serious than that.

I was going to DNF, however my best friend was also reading this to review. I felt like her and I needed to ride this weird confusing ride to the end.

DNF at 20%
I'm sorry, I just can't do it.

The writing and the way the character was thinking felt overly convoluted and it was so hard to get into.
I didn't connect at all with the main character, and when the supernatural element was introduced, I could tell where the story was going to go, and I don't think I care enough about the murder mystery or the entire cast of characters to keep going.

The vibe of the school also felt very strange and unrealistic, like how can you get accepted into a super rich high end school like that??? And there is like 5 people per class. Maybe that's part of the plot, but I guess I'll never know.
I might have sticked with it if I read it a few years ago when I was more into young adult books, but I can't be bothered now, it's just not for me, I'm not the target audience anymore.

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy!

Oh... this book...

What a pretentious spiral of nothing.

The idea of this book was AWESOME. I liked the book world... but that is all.

The main character was INSUFFERABLE. Her continuous internal dialogue made me want to stop reading, but my stupid curiosity kept me reading... Unfortunately.

The mystery and the ambiguous mirror of it all was SO INTERESTING... but the main character just killed it for me. I just wanted to actually do some detective work instead of just complaining... I just couldn't do it.

Also... the ending.. it was a slap in the face... GAH.

I had such high hopes for this book anddd it was kind of a flop.

Did not finish. A bit too much like the comps mentioned, but also not interesting enough to stand out. World building felt fine but did not propel me along.