4.5⭐ (rounded up)

Oh, I was not ready for this.

The Story: Marin's cousin, Sam, was killed, and to prove it, she lies her way into the prestigious boarding school he worked at to investigate his so-called 'friends'. Her three suspects, Henry, Graves, and Baz, are quick to pull her in, forcing her to wrestle with her feelings and sense of justice.

My Thoughts: This book felt very 'Saltburn' to me, in the best way.
To start, I wasn't sure this would be for me. Marin starts out feeling deliberately young in her way of thinking, even for high school, making being in her head almost a chore. Thankfully, the character growth/expansion is quick, and whether that's who she actually is, or the role she is playing, it suits the story wonderfully. The characters and dynamic are so toxic, I was 100% here for it. The investigation, while well done, took a back seat (for me, at least) to how interesting the characters were.
Point of note: suspension of disbelief is definitely required to get into the story, as her getting into the school initially is highly questionable. Personally, I am unbothered, but that may be make-or-break for some people.

The Narration: The narration was perfect. I wasn't actively thinking about the narrator throughout, as the voice fell perfectly in line with the tone of the story.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Not my favorite. I feel like this book was trying really hard to be If We Were Villain's and it just didn't work. At first it's your run of the mill teen thriller where the main character is convinced a murder happened and she's going to prove it while the adults tell her she's crazy. Than by the end it's fantasy? I was very confused. The book is very flowery with it's writing which for me was not great but for others might be. I also was so confused once we added magic kinda into the book. I gaslight myself into thinking I was crazy and I still after finishing am not sure if there was magic or if the author was trying to use magic as a metaphor. And I'm still not sure if we got an answer as to why Sam or if it was just a "he's right there" kinda thing. I thought Jenni Howell did a pretty good job with the audio. She had the right sadness in her voice for Marin since she's suppose to be grieving and lost while trying to solve a murder.

Ａｕｄｉｏｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ
3 ☆
Seventeen-year-old Marin James has spent her entire life living in the shadow of the exclusive Huntsworth Academy. And when her cousin's dead body is found in a creek on school property, Marin knows exactly who's to blame: Adrian Hargraves and Henry Wu, the enigmatic yet dangerously alluring leaders of the school's social elite.

The premise and the cover art caught my attention, but unfortunately, the story wasn't keeping my attention, and I DNF'd at 70%. With that being said, will I attempt to reread or finish this book? Yes, I will, but will I rush to do so? No, because honestly, I'm not that interested in finding out what happened.

The audiobook is good, and the narrator did a good job telling the story. She literally gave you dark and gloomy vibes, and her voice was magical for this story. I listened at 2x speed, and she was still easy to understand and listen to.

Thank you, Netgellay, and MacmillanAudio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

The narrator really utilized and added to the alluring vibes and the gothic atmosphere for the book. I think their performance matched the tone of the main character. So I enjoyed that!

However, the story while very rich in atmospheric vibes for a haunting story, set on finding out the truth of a murder, lacked anything more than pretty words. It had no substance.
The lack of believable also affected the story. Look I know it's fiction but even I cannot ignore how a much school wouldn't follow up on a transfer student who's cheque's keeps bouncing back and has no transfer information. That's a fantasy at that point.

The students were pretentious and would have fit the story, but when the story is lacking, it all just lacks luster.
Disappointed in this.

Story: DNF at 36%
Spice: 0
Narration: 3 ⭐ so far...

I really loved the narrator; she has an amazingly deep/husky voice with a little southern drawl. Perfect for the vibe of this book but she sound more like an adult than as a senior in high school.

The reason why I DNF'd.....

I just really think this one wasn't for me. I was very intrigued by the book cover and the synopsis but once getting into the story it was just underwhelming.

this book is fucked up in a perfect way

i really need maren to chill tf out like bro.

the author did their job, i really was stressed out by this book. the narrator really ate this up. i was so anxious while listening to this, the prose really made the story feel so real.

this book definitely kept me up at night lol

This dark academia novel is a jumble of twists and turns with unreliable narrators and a touch of the paranormal? I'm not sure. I can't pretend that I totally got everything involved with this book, but it was a very entertaining read and I enjoyed it all the same. The characters weren't particularly likeable and I liked that about them. Every once in a while I enjoy a good story that leaves me thinking hmmm...what did I just read? The audiobook is a great way to enjoy this new release.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for this audiobook ARC!

Honestly, I didn't think I was gonna like this book, but I gave it a try because I wanted a YA thriller. I took one look at this book and thought it was gonna be about teens and vampires or some cliche book.

LEMME TELL YOU I WAS WRONG. The narrator gave LIFE to this FMC. Like if I were to picture what Marin's voice sounds like, that was it. The writing style of Marin narrating everything and the constant barrage of spitfire, anxious thoughts constantly being on guard while trying to earn the trust of Henry, Adrian and Baz was fantastic. The plot and the surprise twists and turns......I could bet that you won't guess what is gonna happen next.

Anyways, I won't bore you with all my thoughts because all you need to know is that the audiobook version is GIVING. The characters? Frightening (in a good way). This YA/thriller/dark academia vibes is what you never knew you needed. And trust me, you need it.

It's a mysterious dark academic read. Although the story itself is quite original, I thought the pacing was erratic at times. This is worth reading if you enjoy dramatic, dark young adult fiction with a hint of the forbidden and the unsettling. The narration, in my opinion, was really well done. The tone and enigmatic atmosphere were executed flawlessly.

This book was spectacular, there were so many twists and turns that kept me guessing the whole time. the naration is done wonderfully perfectly fitting to the tone of the book.

This narrator was phenomenal and did most of the heavy lifting because the mythos of this book wasn't as strong as it could be. Unfortunately, marin was the best part and her boys need some time with editing, they just a bit lackluster.

I must say, the voice of the narrator, Jennifer Pickens, fits this story brilliantly. She sets up an incredibly beautiful and dark atmosphere that fits the story so well. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of this novel. The story was crafted with artistry, all the quotes from famous thinkers and philosophers were splendidly giving depth to the story. There were times where it felt too long to get to the point but I get it. The author wanted us to feel what Jamie was feeling, encapsulated and ensnared in the boys world.

I do think the book was a bit too long but I enjoyed every second of it. I loved the hate, the loathing Jamie felt towards the boys and the mind games being played. Even when she was waking up for classes at 8 am I would still picture her surrounded by darkness and I'm not sure if it was because of the narration or the actual story and I don't even mind. This is true dark academia, filled with suspense and paranormal. There is love in this story but not romance. These boys love each other as much as they hate one another. There are powerful forces moving them and their intentions. Honestly, this book was great!

Thank you so much Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me the opportunity to listen to this book.
I can't wait for it to hit our stores!

A roller coaster of raw emotions. A local guy is dead. His cousin / best friend is determined to find out who is responsible.  Welcome to Huntsworth Academy. Marin infiltrates the exclusive school with a mission. She uncovers the secret lives of the school's social elites. The book id full of teen angst and bubbling over with twists and turns. Loved the atmospheric feel of the book.

Jennifer Pickens did an outstanding job as the narrator.

3.5 stars

I was so excited to get an audio copy of Jenni Howell's BOYS WITH SHARP TEETH just from the cover alone. That being said, THIS BOOKS IS NOT LGBTQ+. I am not sure if the publisher is trying to push this narrative, but it's very disappointing to see that this book was not queer (the cover says otherwise). Marin James has always lived in the shadow of Huntsworth Academy. When her cousin’s body is found on campus, she’s convinced Adrian Hargraves and Henry Wu are to blame. Disguised as a student, she infiltrates the school seeking justice. But as she’s drawn to the boys and their secrets, the lines between truth and illusion begin to blur.

Marin uncovers a dark, otherworldly secret within Huntsworth’s gates, and reality begins to blur. To enjoy this book, you have to suspend disbelief—something I expect with YA, which is why I rarely read it. IYKYK. I won't go into too many details, but the ability for Marin getting into the Academy gave Legally Blonde ridiculousness. Despite these flaws, the writing was haunting and mysterious, creating an atmospheric and suspense-driven storyline. Though the ending had believability issues that were continued throughout the story, I still enjoyed it wrapping up the way it did. As mentioned above, I don't normally read YA, so I am unsure if I'd dive into this author's works again, but I think Jenni Howell would slay writing adult fiction!

First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book as an audio ARC! I greatly appreciate it!

I should've known a Raven Boys comp was too good to be true, but I simply couldn't resist, even with the dark academia bit, which almost always means a book is a slog. Alas, though, this was... Meh. The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and the writing style is nice, but first person POV that wasn't disclosed in the description? Hard pass. To make that POV worse, Marin is incredibly unlikeable, so I didn't care in the slightest if she met her goal or not. And the path to get to said goal was predictable. There are some nice passages and descriptions, but I couldn't bring myself to care about any of these people.

Two stars out of five for Boys With Sharp Teeth!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.

I have to admit this one didn't do it for me. I got roughly halfway through the book before DNF. I wasn't motivated to want to know the rest of the story.

Boys with Sharp Teeth is a YA dark academia novel filled with lush prose creating a dark and atmospheric setting.

Marin James knows her cousin Sam's death wasn't an overdose, she knows it wasn't an accident, and when local police close the case without looking into her concerns she turns her self into Jamie, a transfer student at Huntsworth academy so that she can investigate the students she knows were involved. Who is friend and who is foe? Marin gets lost in the world trying to find answers.

This is a book where I would absolutely recommend you listen to the audiobook. Jennifer Pickens creates such a rich, dark, creepy atmosphere. While listening I felt like I must be locked in a library with pouring rain outside. She really brought the story to life and portrayed how confused and torn our main character feels.

I enjoyed this and I would recommend you pick it up if you enjoy dark academia. The audio narration was wonderful! Thank you to the publisher for providing an ALC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


3.75 stars rounded up to 4 out of 5 Stars

Unfortunately, I DNF’d early and didn’t get pretty far through this one. I’m a big dark academia fan, but this one didn’t offer me much in terms of genre innovation and I didn’t connect with the writing style. Would add it to my classroom curriculum though, so I'll likely pick up a phsyical copy and finish it at some point.

Readers who like dark academia will be drawn to this cover and title. The book inside is a bit tonally flat and melodramatic for adult readers, but I know many teens who will LOVE it

Thank you to macmillion audio and netgalley for the opportunity to listen to a complimentary copy of this audiobook.
First off, the narrator, did an amazing job narrator the audiobook (but I did have speed up the speed a lot for listen).
I neither hated or loved this book, however I felt this book dragged on a little too long for my liking. I'm a huge fan of dark academia and morally grey characters, This just just fell a little short.