I wanted to love this book. The description, title and the cover honestly made me think I’d downright adore it. A dark academia featuring LGBTQ rep, unsolved deadly mysteries and — justifiably — angry girls? Sign me the hell up.

But it all ended up being a bit of a disappointment. The mystery at the core of the Society for Soulless Girls makes little sense, and the “big reveals” peppered into the book don’t clarify anything, but further muddle it all up. (Too many important details are glossed over too quickly when they should be explored further — the possessions, for one.) Also worth noting that the antagonists of the story are difficult to wrap your head around — how everything plays out with one feels way too easy, and not how you’d expect someone so villainous to react in that kind of situation. In general, I do wish more time had been spent by the author and editorial team on developing vital parts of the plot, as well as the motivations for each side character. (Some of them really could have used it!)

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.*

I absolutely looooved this book. The setting, the characters (especially Alice) and the story in general. It's probably one of my favourite books this year. I do wish there was more romance between the characters but I guess trying to survive evil doesn't leave you too much in the mood. So it is sapphic, but I wouldn't jump at recommending it to someone seeking a sapphic romance, unless they wanted romance on the back burner and dark magic and possession up front. All in all, a great book.

This is the ultimate famine rage story and I loved it!!!
The descriptions in this book were awesome and I felt like I was right there in the story.

Anything pitched as a Jekyll and Hyde retelling is for me. Not to mention the sunshine/grump romance sprinkled throughout.

I picked up on the way this story would end from pretty early on, but to have these girls go through a rollercoaster of emotions, among other things, to get there kept my attention hooked until the very end.

Big fan of alternating point of views through the different chapters as well, it helped to give more definition to both Lottie and Alice; as well as giving insight to how each girl was internally fighting against the different obstacles set against them.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the e-arc!

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC!
Am I? In my dark academia era?! I am OBSESSED with this story.
First of all, it is so atmospheric—I have an incredibly hard (read: impossible) time picturing what I’m reading, but I can practically taste the air at Carvell College.
The premise of this book is super cool— a queer retelling of Jeckyll and Hyde, but also like a supernatural legally blonde (I did see that in another review but it absolutely fits), and also a bit like Scooby Doo.
Our main, incredible cast consists of Lottie—our brilliant jock, sunshine personified, seriously tho brilliant girlie pop, Alice—obviously her opposite. My sweet noodle is a menace in her head, she is angry and brilliant and like? Such a badass—I would like her wardrobe right now. Andddd my bb Hafsah— my personal fave, my explicitly autistic angry “slutty” (her words) love who is basically me 😂
A lot of what I should talk about is really integral to the plot twists so just know this gets 👀 very wild 👀 I had a lot of fun reading this and highly recommend it (especially for my religious trauma bbies)

The Society for Soulless Girls disappointed me in a lot of aspects. I had seen a lot about this book when it was released in the UK, and I was super excited to read it. I loved the title, the dark academia setting, that it was was sapphic, that there was a mystery and that it was a Jekyll and Hyde retelling. Unfortunately the book didn't live up to my expectations. Where I felt the most let down was in the atmosphere. I didn't feel like I got enough gothic lushness to really support the story. I also wasn't a huge fan of Alice and Lottie's relationship, it never felt like it was fleshed out very well and seemed rushed. I could have gotten over a lot of these pieces, but the ending made me absolutely angry and completely ruined the atmosphere of the novel.

thank you netgalley for the arc !

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ 3/5 stars ✩࿐

read if you like:
♡ slow-burn sapphic enemies to lovers romance
♡ grumpy x sunshine
♡ dark academia
♡ dual pov
♡ dr. jekyll and mr. hyde retelling
♡ feminine rage

⁀➷ a knife-sharp sapphic dr. jekyll and mr. hyde retelling, the society for soulless girls worries at the wound of feminine trauma and unleashes its rage with blood dripping from every page. as laura steven wittily divines in the dedication, this one is “for the girls who were born angry”.

⁀➷ after a string of four unsolved murders in its north tower resulted in the closure of illustrious carvell college of arts - now, ten years later, the doors are once again open for enrolment. affable lottie with her field-hockey scholarship and sharp-edged alice are thrust together as roommates, with neither of them too happy with this arrangement. with both of them holding their cards close to their chest as to why they’ve come to carvell, the ever-widening distance between the two of them is all but unbridgeable. when the cycle of deaths is once again set into motion, alice and lottie will have to set aside their differences before it’s too late.

⁀➷ with the extreme marketability for feminine rage in media right now this book is more than timely. that, and how perfectly its contents slot it into the dark academia sub-genre raises flags as to why it’s not a huge hit as of yet. indeed, despite a raft of positive reviews and a warm enough reception, the response seems a little underwhelming, all told. whilst i may have my own misgivings regarding the slightly unmoored plot, the society for soulless girls is well and truly a strong contribution to the dark academia body of work. the nods to the secret history were tasteful without being derivative and the transfiguration of dr. jekyll and mr. hyde was inspired rather than parroted. the writing itself was clean and tidy, albeit struck occasionally by a few instances of overwrought mfa-adulterated prose. i found myself utterly caught up in futile attempts to uncover the secrets infused within the walls of carvell more than once to no effect - to my surprise. i enjoy a good plot twist as much as the next person, if not more. safe to say i was caught off guard more than once with the sinister mysteries scoring every page and with all those character blackouts.

⁀➷ in having alice and lottie be essentially two sides of the same coin, the characterization made manifest the different symptoms of feminine rage. their extreme dissimilarity and the head-butting it then necessitated contributed significantly towards the tension thrumming throughout the plot. not to mention that this core struggle then inevitably compensated for when scenes seemed to be taking on a desultory pace and really picked up the slack. a testament to steven’s writing, the dual pov seamlessly circumvented the all too common pitfall of the characters' voices ever bleeding into one another. alice with her cigarette pants, litanies of famous philosophers she’d name-drop apropos of nothing and her air of affected meanness that was fooling no one, could not have been further from her elle woods coded, effervescent counterpart, the indomitably cheerful lottie. if you haven’t gathered from my slightly derisive description, i found alice to be grating a little too frequently for my taste and therefore really strained to care much for the romance between herself and lottie - much as i felt an affinity for the latter.

➸ conclusion :
a meandering but otherwise pulsing with sinister fun read, the society for soulless girls is a grimoire in female anger.

** I'd like to thank Random House Children's for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

Rating: 3.2/5 ⭐️'s

I had no idea this book had already come out when I'd requested the ARC from the folks over at Netgalley. Apparently this upcoming release of Sept. 19th is the US release, so it has been out in the UK since last year. So, I guess I could be interpretating this story differently than UK readers due to my distance from England.

Anyway, onto the review! Always keep in mind that any amount of criticism doesn't mean you shouldn't discredit the book immediately! I did read this book quickly, but my opinions don't change.

As always, I like to start with the characters before the plot. Let's observe protagonist #2 - Alice. Alice feels written to be a stereotypical goth girl. From the Doc Martens to the angry cussing and black sheep attitude, it's obvious she's trying to be the "idea" of what a goth girl is like. Don't get me wrong, plenty of goths can be this way, but it's a little comical. Having a very emo look was fine, but it just kept pushing the stereotype with her type in authors and preferred activies with a roommate. Her description of high school made me cringe, as it sounded like every 12 year old's experience in life, but tried to be edgy. Her narration was also very disjointed at the start of the novel, somewhat just blabbing different things that don't impact me. The self-pity also gets tiring quickly. Now, Protagonist #1 - Lottie. While I know girls in sports can be just as preppy as other girls, I found her personality so different than what you'd expect. If someone is playing field hockey, I'd at least expect someone with a slight masculine feel and a strong build. It's noted that Lottie looks like she'd be on the cover of Sports Illustrated, but I don't see it. I think this was done to show the "grumpy x sunshine" trope. I think an emo girl and a girl who defies sports/attitude stereotypes would've been a better combination. Lottie felt irritating at points and stereotypical in her own way - blonde, tan, and blue eyed. Geez. I wonder if these descriptions of the characters throughout the novel were done with the intention of art being made of them. It helps with envisioning characters, but do I seriously need this much useless information on their clothing choices?

Next is the romance. Alice is suffering from a classic "I loved my best friend and she moved away" trope and this seems traditional of queer representation for some reason. As a queer person myself, I understand this trope, but it would be refreshing if it wasn't so common. In addition, the romance between these two was...lacking. So much of it was spent in nothing. Which, by the way, as an asexual person myself, I serverly wished to have seen a bit more come from that revelation. How complicated was it for her? How did it affect her feelings for Alice? All of that and more is what I wanted. Being asexual is *hard* and there's a lot of emotions that come from that and it's very hard to brush it off. I would've 100% preferred for Lottie to come out as asexual and explore some of the aromanticism that can come with it before confessing to Alice.

Now, I shall talk about the general story and the pacing. I found the chapters to be too short and the POVs jumped a little too quickly. I understand that you always want to know what's going on for the other character, but I think it's a better idea to take some pages and flesh out some more thoughts and feelings and settings. Mystery demands quick pace, but it's also okay to take some time with the characters. Also, while I am an *avid* curser, the instances where the curse words were added felt a little awkward and felt like they were there for a tinge of shock value. The writing in this story felt blatantly YA and very much like it is targeted toward an age group that hasn't experienced college yet. As a college student, I know the feeling of going to a new place and feeling alone, but this felt like any other college beginning in a book. The metaphors in this book were neverending and while I enjoy them in my personal writing, there has to come a point where it's meaningful rather just being there for the quote potential. Pacing was a bit messy and truthfully, maybe this type of feminine rage is not my type of feminine rage. As for its inspiration, The Stange Case of Jekyll and Hyde, I find that it might've been more appropriate to have an outside character interpret Alice and Lottie, especially to add a higher sense of suspence. A third person might've also suited this book more, but that's a personal preference.

The plot itself? Somewhat unremarkable to me. I love the Jekyll and Hyde story and this came up short. In all honesty, sometimes the language of the "transformations" made it seem like werewolf transformations were happening.

Overall, I feel as if this book promised many things, but let down on some of them. This is by no means a diss on the author, as everyone views books through different lenses and different expectations. For me, though, I failed to feel entranced by this English school full of mystery and the girls who are experiencing strange things. Dark academia, at least to me, is a severely mismarketed genre and because of this, people expect one thing and then end up disappointed when it's not like "The Secret History" by Donna Tart. Dark academia has to be more than just aesthetics!


At the end of the day, you may love this book. Plenty of people do! Don't be afraid to pick it up and try it yourself if it entrances you, but just know that not every book is what it seems ;).

Happy reading!

"For the girls who were born angry."

Thank you Netgalley & Random House Children's Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Society for Soulless Girls wasn't a bad book by any means - but I'm not sure it was for me. You start off with Lottie and Alice, both starting their first year at a new school that was closed for a decade due to a slew of on-campus deaths. The first 25-30% of this book was honestly pretty boring. Nothing interesting really happened until around the 30% mark, and I did have to cajole myself through that initial blandness.

I've got to be honest - I disliked Alice. I completely understood her: she was prickly, self-righteous, mean-spirited, judgemental, and vindictive. Despite understanding that all of that stemmed from her fear of not being accepted, she was impossible to like. Being inside her head for those mean moments might've helped me understand her, but I didn't like her. In some ways, I think my understanding of her made me dislike her more.

I do have a general agreement that anger, in women, is seen as this perverse behavior that we should not allow ourselves to experience, and I agree that angry women aren't inherently bad. In fact, I find myself angry a lot of the time. Like Alice, I've been an angry teenage girl, and I think the thing about Alice I had an issue with was her innate need to make everyone feel as bad as she did. Anger is ok, it's a neutral emotion, in my opinion, because we all experience it - but how Alice displayed her anger is what bothered me about her.

Lottie, on the other hand, was okay. She didn't instill any particular love in me, but I didn't dislike her, and I actually enjoyed a lot of her chapters - she was a dog with a bone, and she was going to solve that mystery even if it killed her. I wished she had a tiny bit more self-preservation, of course, but what heroine in a mystery thriller is known for self-preservation, anyway?

I did actually enjoy the settling of this story. I felt swept up in the campus fear, could perfectly picture Lottie walking alone through campus at night, and could see Alice hunkering down in the old-as-hell library. I think I actually could've loved this book if the pace had picked up a bit more in the beginning, and if Alice was just like 15% nicer. I'll also admit that I found the author quite funny - a lot of their little quips ("albeit in a satanic way") really made me laugh, and I found myself screenshotting those moments because I liked them so much. I also loved the female relationships in this book. Their love for each other, for their fellow women, really shone through.

In the end, if you're into mysterious, gothic college campuses hiding dead bodies and creepy secrets, and can accept a hard-to-love MC, you would like this book!

This is a sapphic YA novel about unsolved deaths, and the ways women are forced to make themselves docile to exist and be seen as intelligent in society, in the form of a very loose Jekyll and Hyde retelling. Unfortunately, the ways in which this book was unrelentingly teenaged made it pretty annoying in a lot of ways. Out of the two POV characters, I could only really stand one of them— and that was not because she was well written, but because she vaguely reminded me of someone I am close to. I only really liked one character, and her character felt like both the token non-white character and exposition for the very small amount of research the author did on autism (if any was even done). I could go into a further analysis of what was wrong with that particular character, and how her neurodivergent traits were seen as equal to aggressive, violent, murderous thoughts, but I don’t feel like it at the moment. The plot seemed like it was going to turn out well, but it just didn’t seem to make much sense as the book continued, which was annoying because of the high hopes I had for the novel and for the characters, as a huge personal fan of dark academia and a somewhat sapphic person myself (gender is weird)

So, after finishing this book, I'm left with some mixed feelings. Firstly, though, there was a lot to like. The setting, for one, was lush and atmospheric. The writing also added to the tense atmosphere. I particularly liked the descriptions of the settings. The fact that it's a Jekyll and Hyde retelling was also interesting enough (once I figured it out--because somehow between requesting the arc and getting to the halfway point in the book, I'd somehow completely missed that).

My biggest problem lies a bit with the pacing. There are a few different mysteries needing to be solved throughout the book and I felt like the reveals at the end weren't entirely satisfying, to me. It wasn't that they didn't make sense, it just felt as though some of those reveals ended up taking a leap in logic and I was a few steps behind. I could understand, vaguely, how the characters had arrived there. There just seemed to be parts that I felt I'd either missed or weren't there, so that when the reveal happened I was more confused than satisfied. I'm sorry for being vague, but I hate giving spoilers in arcs unless they pertain to some trigger warnings or the like.

Speaking of, here's a spoiler: the killing of Salem was something I was not expecting and really wished there'd be some sort of trigger warning at the beginning so I'd have been able to prepare myself for it (or skip reading entirely). It was honestly abrupt and while I understand, sort of, why it was there, I really hated it and in the end it felt like the reason for it happening didn't seem to have a pay-off. Truly, it was just there for shock value.

Ultimately, this was just okay and while I appreciate the examination of female rage and how women aren't allowed to be angry, I wish the book had done things a bit differently. Especially since the latter half of the book felt particularly bloated at the end. I'd still say that if it sounds at all interesting to give it a try, but just be warned about some pretty graphic animal death.

When I came across the plotline promising a dark academia retelling of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," adorned with gothic and supernatural elements, my excitement knew no bounds. I couldn't help but let out a joyful shriek as I embarked on this journey, eager to discover the mysterious adventures that lay ahead.

There were numerous aspects of the book that I adored, starting with the haunted school setting. Carvell Academy of the Arts, notorious for a tragic event that occurred a decade ago, holds the secret of four students' untimely deaths, leaving behind a trail of cold cases. Now, the academy is reopening its doors, attracting students who appear to be more interested in unraveling the past mysteries than pursuing a fulfilling education. Among them is Lottie Fitzwilliam, determined to delve into the secrets surrounding her friend Janine's presumed suicide by jumping from the haunted North Tower.

Lottie, a blonde aspiring hockey player, shares her room with Alice Wolfe, a goth and intellectual with anger management issues. Alice studies philosophy and chose the academy to be closer to her ailing mother, whose health worsens with each passing day.

The dark atmosphere of the school serves as a constant warning that something sinister lurks within its walls. Unexplained incidents start to occur, such as Lottie waking up to find herself covered in dirt without any recollection of where she spent the night. On another occasion, she discovers a ruby embedded in her neck, which seems to exert control over her whenever she attempts to leave the premises.

Things escalate further when Alice stumbles upon an ominous ritual described in a mysterious book within Carvell's library. Is the North Tower truly claiming more victims, and is there a cold-blooded killer lurking in the shadows, hiding behind their innocent eyes?

I appreciated the ideas behind the story, the well-developed characters of Alice and Lottie, and the gothic ambiance of the setting. However, the execution of the overall mystery fell short for me. The progression felt unrealistic and too far-fetched, the pacing dragged at times, and the conclusion left me somewhat unsatisfied.

In my opinion, the anger of young girls could have been portrayed in a more impactful manner.

As a result, I have decided to give this thrilling installment a three-star rating, as my expectations were set quite high, and I experienced some disappointment. Nevertheless, the author's brilliant ideas and well-crafted characterizations have piqued my interest, and I look forward to exploring more of her works in the future.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I enjoyed the tone of this book a lot--I think that it was atmospheric and gothic. Outside of that, I wasn't a huge fan. The way the characters spoke and interacted with one another felt very unbelievable and wooden. While I was intrigued by the plot, I found the execution to be a bit lacking in the sense that I found it hard to suspend my belief at times, and while the setting and tone were a bit gothic and pretty atmospheric, the action and other descriptions were a bit dry/dull. I wasn't a fan of the pacing, as well. I did, however, really enjoy the discussion on female rage. I think that a lot of times in YA, those discussions can be very surface level, and this fills a really interesting niche in YA literature. I think that, especially in current times, these discussions on feminism and female rage are really important and really relevant, and I did appreciate that and enjoy reading that.

Reviewing based on early review copy received from Netgalley.

Age range: older teens, 15+ due to language and violence.

Genre: Supernatural mystery, romance, feminism.

Told from the perspective to two main characters, Lottie, and Alice, who are both 19. They are entering their first year of university which you’ve likely already gathered from the synopsis, is the backdrop for a tale of mysteries. Ten years ago, four students died without a reasonable explanation. Lottie grew up with the consequences of those deaths through her family’s relationship with one of the victims. She is determined to figure out what happened. She is also a jock, a tall blonde who has been accepted based on a field hockey scholarship into the English program. Alice has ambitions of becoming a judge and is studying philosophy. She chose this university so she can stay close to home since her mother is ill. Alice can be described as a goth and struggles with “anger” issues throughout the story.

Both characters are affected by the supernatural pulse of this location. Lottie starts sprouting rubies out of her neck and Alice splits her soul in two through a ritual. Philosophy and gothic literature are ruminated on through the girls’ perspectives. There are some witty thoughts, to be sure. I particularly enjoyed the descriptive imagery produced by the author. “With a strength I never knew I had, I stood firm, rooted like a tree, immovable despite being vastly outnumbered. I felt invisible roots burrow down into the earth, and the dragging grasps were nothing more than a gentle breeze among my leaves”.

Overall, the pace is good, I was well engaged throughout the book and read it within a few days. Action is saved till the end of the book. The romance aspect felt like it could have used some additional development. But then, it is YA so maybe my expectations are higher than they ought to be. The ending was not believable for me but made for an interesting symbolic tale concerning female rights and power in modern society. Almost all characters of focus were female. I would recommend this book to young women.

Uh it was okay. Honestly, most of the characters, dialogue, and writing in general felt wooden and disjointed. I thought the premise was interesting and I caught some of the vibes but it wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a very atmospheric read. I did think the characters themselves and parts of the plot weren't very believable, and I found the entirety to be lukewarm at best. I was promised humor in the synopsis, but found no humor or satire within the book itself. The text was very dry and very boring to me. I think the idea had potentional, but it fell very flat.

Thank you to Random House for the arc in exchange for review.

TRIGGER WARNING: animal death

This was a pretty decent Gothic dark academia novel, that hinges on a Jekyll and Hyde retelling which i can kinda see where that plays in, however i think this book stands on its own discussing female rage in a way i haven't seen in YA before and i think its desperately needed. aside from the death of a black cat. this book was pretty good.

but seriously though,

the kitty death was unneeded

Sincerely,

a very upset black cat owner .

This book seamlessly blends together an exquisite combination of beauty and darkness. From the very outset, I found myself captivated by the enigmatic allure of the mystery, the contrasting magnetism between Lottie and Alice, and the masterful command of language that exuded true artistry.

Dark academia has swiftly emerged as one of my favored genres, and this book took it a step further by interweaving elements of the supernatural and embarking on a journey of sapphic relationships filled with both sunny and brooding adventures. It was a literary concoction that completely ensnared my attention and held me spellbound from start to finish.

The utilization of multiple narrators was a brilliant stroke. Initially, I held reservations, having heard of others' unpleasant experiences with audiobooks featuring multiple narrators. However, my worries were swiftly dispelled as I embarked on this audio journey. The narrators were absolutely fabulous, bringing the characters to life with distinct voices and perspectives. It was a true auditory delight, leaving me torn between my affections for Alice and her alluring darkness and Lottie and her perpetual radiance. Perhaps it is possible to love them both equally.

Furthermore, the book's tapestry is enriched by the intricate dynamics and profound depth of the supporting characters who accompany Lottie and Alice on their quest for truth. Each character adds a unique dimension to the story, further immersing the reader in their interconnected lives and providing a rich tapestry of relationships that greatly enhance the narrative's intricacy.

In summary, this book masterfully blends beauty and darkness, drawing readers into a compelling mystery that enthralls from beginning to end. The allure of dark academia is elevated by the infusion of supernatural elements and a heartfelt exploration of sapphic relationships. With exceptional narrators, the audiobook amplifies the distinct voices of the characters, leaving readers enamored by the complexities of Alice and Lottie. The ensemble cast of supporting characters adds depth and richness to the tale, making it a truly captivating literary experience.

A promising premise that unfortunately falls seriously short in execution. We didn't even approach the point until about 80% of the way in, and then said point ended up being a thin veneer of trite leaning feminism.

I never like to say that a teen novel has a lesser expectant audience, so I would never say that this was "good fora teen novel". Every age reader deserves stellar writing. This book was good, but not great. Without spoilers, I thinks some more detail could have been written into some areas, such as the transformations. I loved the relationship building method for the characters, specifically Alice and Lottie. Will recommend to many readers who like teen stories, the occult and supernatural stories.