This dark academia horror follows Marin and her quest to fake her way as a student at a prestigious boarding school long enough to solve her cousin's murder. Based on the title, I fully expected some vampires to show up, but -spoiler alert- there were none.

I had a difficult time keeping the two main male students straight because they were a bit too similar. The magical bit was not developed enough for it to be very coherent and I felt confused at the end. I didn't find the characters relatable and they were all unlikeable, which I don't mind in a story but some people do. I really liked the whole premise of the story, but it needs to be tightened up for clarity and it dragged in places. I'm still not really sure what happened there at the end.

Good audio narration.

This one was sooooo promising…

When I started this book I was sure I was going to love it. Sadly, the more progress I made, the less I enjoyed it.

The author has a great writing style, quite descriptive, but kind of eerie and storyteller-like.

The main thing that didn’t do it for me was the plot. I was so disappointed !

The ending fell flat and I sometimes asked myself if I was the only one confused about the characters, or if the author was too.

I liked Marin’s character in the beginning and appreciated how she started driven by purpose and ended completely lost. As for the other characters, they felt kind of one dimensional.

Dark, intense, and utterly captivating, Boys with Sharp Teeth dives deep into the complexities of friendship, trauma, and survival. Jenni Howell’s gritty prose pulls you into a world where loyalty is tested and secrets cut deep. A haunting, unforgettable read.

Boys with Sharp Teeth is a unique dark tale that takes place in Huntsworth Academy where Marin is trying to find out what actually happened to her cousin who mysteriously died on campus.
the narrator did an incredible job of capturing Marin’s anger and grief throughout this story. as a listener, I could truly feel her hatred towards Adrian and Henry and her desperation to avenge her cousin’s death.
although I loved the mysterious dark academia setting and the uncovering of twisted secrets that lurked there, half way through Marin’s pov started to feel monotonous to me. I found myself wanting more depth from this story and its characters but many aspects felt surface-level other than the intense emotions Marin experiences. I loved the angst in the beginning but I feel like it never really developed or changed as the story progressed.
thank you Netgalley and Roaring Book Press for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

After the main character’s cousin dies, she enrolls in the elite boarding school he had been attending and infiltrates the friend group he was a part of.
I really thought this would be a vampire book and it just wasn’t. The character development was strong and each character had their own personality and backstory.
Honestly this book was just too sad and upsetting for me. I also disliked every single character. I think I may just not have been the audience but I couldn’t get behind it.

Genre: Fiction – Dark Academia, Light Horror, Murder Mystery
Age: Teen
Themes: Dealing with death, revenge, elite schools
Read For: Netgalley
Obtained From: Thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the Advanced Listening Copy of this Audiobook
Song Recommendation for the vibe:
Hashtags: #netgalley #boyswithsharpteeth #academia #darkacademia #boardingschoolbooks

This book was enjoyable. I’m such a sucker for dark academia and this book fit that so well! This was 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars. For me, I felt as though some of the book was a bit confusing and I didn’t quite like the ending of the book. I think the characters were fleshed out great and you couldn’t guess which character not to trust.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook.

Amazing cover art, dead body, dark academia. Yet, the plot did not keep me interested. I struggled to finish.
The narrator was amazing and helped me get through this book.

I went into Boys with Sharp Teeth expecting something moody, mysterious, and maybe even a little dangerous. And while the premise had serious dark academia potential — elite prep school, dead cousin, and magnetic, possibly monstrous boys — the execution just didn’t deliver for me.

The protagonist, Marin, starts off with a lot of fire, but her sudden and convenient assimilation into Huntsworth felt too fast to be believable. The chemistry with the two boys, Adrian and Henry, was meant to be electric and edgy, but it read more like chaotic whiplash than tension. I kept waiting for the intrigue to take hold or for the supernatural elements to truly elevate the plot, but things stayed vague and murky well past the halfway point.

Atmosphere-wise, there’s an attempt to mix horror, romance, and mystery, but it ended up feeling like a swirl of tropes rather than a focused story. When the love/hate dynamic overshadowed the actual murder mystery, I realized I was more frustrated than curious — and that’s usually my cue to bow out.

This might work better for readers who enjoy messy characters, toxic relationships, and a slow-burn descent into madness, but it just wasn’t the right fit for me.

Honeslty, this just wasn't for me. The vibes were cool and I get what the author was going for, but I struggled to stay interested.

Unfortunately, I DNFd this book at 60%. While I loved how atmospheric it was and the narrator was great, I found it difficult to connect to the characters or understand what their motivations were. The protagonist was the exception—Marin had a clear goal and a fairly distinct voice. However, the dialogue further distanced the reader from characters that were already unfamiliar. I can't imagine any teens (or adults) who would speak in philosophical debates and literary quotes. It worked for dark academia, but it asked a bit too much suspension of disbelief from the reader. The pacing was another issue for me; I really did enjoy the premise and I wanted to see where it was going, but at over halfway through I didn't feel any closer to answers than in chapter one. Marketing may have contributed to this problem, as it has been marketed as mystery/romance/paranormal, but it felt more like a literary YA with most time spent watching the others and thinking about Marin's past. At this point in the novel, I would have expected more than an unbelievable miscommunication leading to a half-hearted relationship with Henry and a few different suggestions of other deaths at the school.
The comparison to Raven Boys initially pulled me in, but I needed the characters to feel more like actual people, even in their unique setting and circumstances.

I wanted to love this book, but it was a struggle to get through it. The narrator of the audio was awesome, but I found the writing to be "purple prose" and quite clunky/convoluted at times. The book is more vibes than anything. And yet, the setting/description was lacking.

I definitely think I enjoyed this book more by listening to it than I would have reading it. I can see how sometimes it would seem long winded but I really did enjoy the story and the voice actors.

“Boys with Sharp Teeth,” by Jenni Howell

A girl going to a private school to find her cousin’s murderer is a solid plot and I was glued to the story. I love the dark academy mixed in with a bully type romance and tons of mystery. I loved how the school had a supernatural quality to it where the students were doing tarot and stuff, it was a nice touch. I loved the complicated main characters and not being able to trust anyone, even just being a reader I felt the lack of trust in each character when they interacted. I think readers who like RuNyx or Kaylie Smith’s books would love this book.

I listened to the audiobook version and the narration was so good. I loved the pacing and voice. It really brought the book to life in my mind.
5 out of 5 stars, so good.

-Academy
-Ghosts
-Secret Identity

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

If there’s one thing this book has its absolutely nails, it’s the atmosphere!
From the very first page, the book pulls you into a world that is haunting & steeped in a shadowy kind of beauty. Every scene drips with dark academia, weaving together a sense of eerie mystery and unease that lingers long after you’ve put the book down.
It’s the kind of book that thrives on its aesthetic—moody, immersive, and rich with evocative imagery.

Boys With Sharp Teeth - Jenni Howell
⭐ ⭐ ⭐

However, while the vibes were impeccable, the execution left something to be desired. The concept itself is fascinating, promising a story steeped in intrigue, but the uneven pacing made it difficult to stay engaged.
There were moments that dragged and others that rushed past without giving key developments the weight they deserved.

This book didn’t nibble—it devoured.

Boys with Sharp Teeth sank into me like a promise I didn’t want kept. It’s wild and aching, a story that bares its teeth and asks you to love it anyway. The writing? Sharp as bone, soft as bruises. The kind of prose that makes you flinch and lean closer at the same time.

It’s not just about dangerous boys. It’s about hunger. About grief and desire braided so tightly they cut.
And it’s about the people—flawed, furious, fragile—who dare to get close enough to be bitten.

This isn’t a romance with neat lines and soft glances.
It’s a feral thing that wants to be held wrong and real and reverent.

And I let it.

Because sometimes the stories that scar you
are the ones you never want to forget.

I did not understand what was going on much of the time. I think the author tried too hard to make the kids sound smart by quoting philosophy.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

The narrator really did a great job with reading this book. I found the story a little difficult to get into, as well as finding the characters a little unlikable. Once finished, I did enjoy the overall story, but ultimately it was not for me. The author is incredibly talented and she knows how to craft a great mystery.

Ever wanted an angry girl lying her way into a boarding school to figure out who killed her best friend only to find out those killers might be irresistible? Me either.....
I enjoyed this on some levels but perhaps it was just too grungy for me and the "mystery" of it all was just not very gripping. I am hopeful for more titles by this author but this was not for me and it is hard to recommend.

Narrator was okay.

I'm a big fan of Jenni Howell, and this was no exception. Even better as an audiobook, highly recommend!