I requested this book because I loved the author's Ace of Spades (another twisty mystery). This one pulled me in right away - I love boarding school settings and unreliable narrators. Definitely influenced by the #MeToo movement which makes it very timely.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc to review.

3.5 - I was giddy starting this book—the dark academia vibes and the undercurrent of creepy drew me right in and scratched the itch I didn’t realize I had, a perfect blend of Wednesday and Mean Girls.

We meet Sade, who starts attending a very prestigious boarding school. She’s introduced to her roommate Elizabeth, who shows her around helps her get acclimated. But something seems off from the moment Sade arrives—and it isn’t long before Elizabeth disappears and other mysterious things start happening.

Overall, I liked a lot about this book, and it would have been rated even higher for me if it had been significantly edited down. At over 400 pages, way too much time is spent in the middle that could have been condensed to focus on moving the plot forward. It moved both too slowly but also too quickly, as far as the speed of the relationships developing in the number of days that pass. I’m really glad I read it and do recommend it, especially to younger readers (note serious trigger warnings and some mature themes explored).

If you like YA mysteries that take place in elite boarding schools with a strong black FC that has been through tragedy, then you need to read this. This dark academia follows the fmc Sade, who is starting school in a new boarding school after the death of her sister. When her roommate goes missing, she starts to investigate what's happening in the school and everything haunting the students and herself. There are sudden disappearances, murders, mean girls, and a bit of sapphic romance. I liked this, though it was a bit slower-paced than I expected. I liked the main character, and I felt for her for everything that had happened in her past and for her anxiety. Also, there is a tad bit of teenage crush/tension, but it's not that developed and briefly mentioned. Overall, this was an okay, dark, twisty mystery with lots of secrets. I would definitely recommend this book but please check all the content warnings before reading. Thank you to the publisher for this arc for an honest review.

Read if you like:
- Ya murder mysteries
- Black Muslim fmc
- Sapphic crush
- Boarding school
- Dark Academia

This story drew me in at first. I was very intrigued to learn more about Sade's past and what happened to Elizabeth. There is something to be said about a slow burn when it is done properly, but there were multiple times I considered not finishing this book. There was quite a bit of your typical high school drama fluff. I understand that some of that was necessary towards building to the end reveal, but I believe the details could have been trimmed and shortened. I consider myself a feminist, so the events in this story brought me to anger (which is a powerful thing for an author to have that impact on a reader). However, the way the story ended was much too rainbows and butterflies in comparison to the bleak reality of the situation. I did thoroughly enjoy the revealing of the girl Sade kept seeing in the pool and I feel heartbroken over August's betrayal. Overall, this book just wasn't for me.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The YA category is producing some amazing literature. I wish I had a book like this when I was a teen.

Where Sleeping Girls Lie is Abike-Iyimide’s sophomore novel and a highly anticipated 2024 release for me because I loved Ace of Spades so much.

This dark mystery follows main character Sade who is the last living member of her family. Death and darkness seem to follow her around (literally and figuratively). She attempts to begin her life anew at Alfred Nobel Academy, a prestigious boarding school in England. Within hours of being there, her roommate, Elizabeth, goes missing.

As Sade tries to figure out what happened to her roommate she also begins to uncover secrets and lies of students at the school. But also, we begin to discover some secrets Sade has of her own.

The writing in this is superb. I love when YA writers don’t write “down” to their audience. And just like in Ace of Spades there are strong distinct characters. This book deals with very important themes such as rape culture, belittling marginalized voices, and issues of class. I’ll definitely be recommending this to some teens I know.

A slow build mystery - realistic, timely and on point. Uncovering a group of male students who victimize the female students - and I was absolutely on board. Heavy with on point commentary regarding today's use of media and lack of accountability.
Sade adjust to boarding school life - assigned to established students also in third year. After her roommate disappears, Baz, Elizabeth's best and seemingly only friend, pushes for the school to delve deeper. With no support.
Together, Sade and Baz investigate on their own, determined to not only expose the truth about Elizabeth's disappearance but the school's obvious neglect, racism, classism, etc.

Faridah Abike-Iyimide hits hard with her second novel. Could this be better than her first? Quite possibly.

Where Sleeping Girls Lie is a dark, twisty novel filled with secrets layered with more secrets. I could not put it down and had no idea where it would end up and loved every bit of it.

I was very excited for this one! What captured me initially was the sheer beauty of the cover and then discovering this is Faridah Abike-lymide's YA novel I was READY!

In general, I love their writing. The writing is beautiful, and right off the bat, I strongly desired to see Sade develop throughout the story, especially after reading the author's note. I think what hindered my reading experience was the pacing. While the story is a great one, it is very very slow. I had about 3 attempts to get into the story and even then it ended in a soft dnf at 40%.

If you are a fan or a fan of mystery in general, this book is worth a try as some may enjoy the slower pacing of the story.

DNF @ 45%

Having loved Ace of Spades, I was super excited for Where Sleeping GIrls Lie.
However, this one was just too slow. I found Sade to be initially interesting, but it felt like the focus was mostly on day to day things versus her clear secrets and the mystery surrounding her roommate.

The pacing just didn't work and I wasn't invested enough in the plot to keep going for another 200 or so pages. Too long. Too slow. Forgettable side characters. Wish I liked it more.

Following her father's death, Sade Hussein enters high school after a lifetime of homeschooling. A friendship quickly develops with her new roommate, Elizabeth until Elizabeth mysteriously disappears. Sade's quest for answers to what happened to her unravels the mysterious dynamics of her school, where no one seems concerned about the Elizabeth. As she endeavors to learn and adjust to the politics of high school, Sade discovers dangerous truths about her peers.

I really struggled with the slow pace and prolonged build-up, but the book provides valuable insights on timely issues (as flagged in the content warnings). Despite its drawbacks, the plot offers a nuanced exploration of current challenges in our society. I would recommend for mature YA readers but would share content warnings from the author (noted in the beginning of the book).

Thank you to Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, NetGalley, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. I believe it was one of those books that was a bit of a sleeper--the cover and description did not do it justice, but every person who read it loved it. So I was very excited to read this advanced copy of Where Sleeping Girls Lie. This one follows student Sade Hussein who is attending an elite boarding school after a lifetime of home schooling. Her parents are dead, and she has enrolled herself in this school. Immediately upon her arrival, her roommate disappears. What unfolds is a search for the roommate but so much more. The story touches on many heavy subjects, all described in the introduction: sexual assault, privilege, rape culture, depression, and more. Every detail feels like a clue, and there are several unexpected turns that will keep the reader engaged. This is an important story underpinning a whodunit. It is best for older students, but a story definitely worth a read and a share. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC.

Beautifully written and great overall message. The beginning was a little slow but it picks up very fast.

Exposing boarding school male dominated patriarchy and their ability to morph the story and get away with it, by a sapphic? Yes loved this story.

Not fully sure what is April’s motives but we can speculate.

This story was wonderful and now I’m going to read more of this author

With the social structure of Mean Girls and the mystery of Pretty Little Liars, this novels settles in nicely among the YA canon. Still, Where Sleeping Girls Lie stands out through the depth of its plot and themes. Sade is an unreliable guide through an even more unreliable world of privileged boarding school students that hide endless secrets and commit horrific acts. Àbíké-Íyímídé establishes her rightful place on bestseller lists with her twisted depictions of high school depravity that are, unfortunately, not too far from reality.

I won't say anything about this plot because I discovered it as I went and this is how you want to jump into this one. Trust me.

I adored this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. It was enthralling and captivating and I was surprised time after time. It wasn't an easy read by any mean, and some of it was especially hard for me to read but I still couldn't stop reading. I wanted to know everything, to figure out everything... The setting was as creepy as it was detailed and it build such an atmosphere. I'm a sucker for boarding school stories for some reasons and this one one of the best ones I've read.
So read this, love this and also, take care of yourselves.
I cannot wait for Faridah's next book.

I had a hard time getting started on this one, partially because i just couldn't get that into Ace of Spaces. But once i actually began reading, i couldn't stop. The characters were complex and interesting, the story unfolded at a really good pace, the mix of what you knew versus what was still not clear was a compelling balance. I am not a "try to figure out the mystery!" kind of reader, more just one who is along for the ride and hoping for a good story, so i can't say whether all the clues were there to figure out what was really going on if only you looked for them. But i really enjoyed the book, and particularly appreciated the refusal to make everything at the end perfectly satisfying, which i think is a trap that YA can fall into.

This would be a great book for high school libraries.

Ace of Spades was one of my top 10 books last year, so I was very excited to read this author’s new novel. Let me say, it did not disappoint! Where Sleeping Girls Lie is YA thriller set in a boarding school. Like Ace of Spades, this book is full of excellent representation and social commentary. I loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mcmillian books and for allowing me to read and review this book!

Just like Ace of Spades, this one was very well done. There were many many secrets in the hallways of at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy boarding school. The characters, I Loooved the characters and their personalities. Sade, Persephone, and Baz were my absolute favorites (Baz at number one) and their chemistry was 👌🏾!

You can tell that Faridah really took her time with this story. All of the plot twists and little secrets and clues all tied together seamlessly. I can’t say TOO much without giving spoilers, so I’ll just say to put it on your list for the new year!

This was a decent YA mystery! This story revolves around one girl who is new to school life in general let alone boarding school and uncovers dark secrets amongst the grounds after the disappearance of her roommate.

I loved the story but the pacing was entirely too slow. It took me several times to read this book because I struggled to get into it each time due to the pacing alone. And I feel like it could’ve been a bit shorter because there were several parts that didn’t do anything for the plot.

Outside of that, I really enjoyed the story and mystery here and the twists. We are introduced to some interesting characters outside of our main protagonist Sade and the dark academia vibe was spot on. While not mind blowing it was still worth the read.

3.5 stars

Where sleeping girls lie is a great YA, teen, mystery thriller! A bit juvenile for my taste but I’m 26 so not quite the right audience. I definitely recommend this for teens and even older middle grade students. Loved the diversity within the high school students. Loved having bisexual Muslim representation!

Absolutely stunning and the perfect follow-up to ACE OF SPADES (which was also a banger of a book!). WHERE SLEEPING GIRLS LIE follows Sade Hussein, recently orphaned and battling trauma, as she arrives at Alfred Nobel Academy (ANA). Soon Sade is wrapped up in a mystery that involves a missing roommate, a dead body, and a dangerous and powerful set of ANA students.

The way this book unfolds is almost magical. The build up is well done, and when the mystery is finally introduced it becomes so intricate. While this book is over 400 pages, it is a page-turner and I loved every bit. The characters feel rich and each little twist was fresh. A really stunning look into power systems and how they work to oppress victims.

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. WHERE SLEEPING GIRLS LIE out 3/19/24.