Post Date Recap: This book date was a setup. Translation: This is an ARC of Where Sleeping Girls Lie that I received from NetGalley to provide an unbiased review. Thank you to the team for allowing me this opportunity.

This review is for the audio book so I am going to start with the narrator Natalie Simpson. I thought she did an excellent job of narrating and did a fantastic job of giving each character a distinctly recognizable tone as well as replicating one of the teachers’ Canadian accent very well. Her voice is incredibly soothing which, to me, was both a positive and a negative. It was almost too soothing given the story content. I didn’t feel a ton of emotion as the main character seemed pretty flat with a detached/unemotional tone through much of the story.

This is a new-to-me author and I have to say that I fell in love simply from the cover. That is an absolutely stunning cover that immediately screams “READ ME” as soon as you see it.

I desperately wanted to love the story as much as I did the cover, but there were some misses that are probably, admittedly, a little nitpicky on my end. While I can easily give this four stars and say that I liked the story, I didn’t love it as much as I wanted to.

First I will say that this is not a plot driven mystery/thriller and if you go into it with that mindset you’ll be disappointed. I wasn’t digging my nails into my seat breathlessly awaiting the next twist… there really aren’t any twists. At least none that made me gasp. This was a much more methodical story with exquisitely crafted characters and beautifully described settings.

While I did love the detail that the author put into the nuances of each character and setting description that was very intricate, I did think that there were a lot of steps that could have been skipped in this story that were, instead, drug out making the story probably 25-30% longer than it needed to be.

A personal nitpicky thing for me is that Sade feels a lot. And I don’t mean that she literally has a lot of emotions—because as I mentioned before, her personality came off fairly flat—but literally “feel” or some variant of this word was used A LOT throughout the story. It definitely put a barrier between me and the story, but this is something that may not bother many readers and so I don’t allow this particular point to affect my overall rating.

I can, without hesitation, recommend Where Sleeping Girls Lie (and, again, that cover…) with a strong caveat that any reader should go into this expecting a slow paced mystery, not necessarily an edge-of-your-seat riveting thriller. I especially would like to highlight the diversity spectrum for ethnicity, religion, class, and sexuality that is something STRONGLY needed in literature today.

Audiobook Review - The narration is fantastic and really helped hook me in! Beautifully written and full of suspense and intrigue. Hand this to YA thriller fans. Recommended for all YA collections!

I want to start right off the top saying that I am not an own voices reviewer. I enjoyed this book but I didn't like it as much as this authors first book. I found the concept to be a bit to dense for me and I had a hard time relating to this one. I aware this is on me because the writing was beautiful and the story was really good. I just felt it wasn't my favorite.

Where Sleeping Girls Lie is a 2024-YA Mystery from Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, author of the successful 2021 YA Mystery, Ace of Spades, which I've heard incredible things about. Even though it's been sitting on my shelves since 2021, I haven't yet picked it up, so when I received a surprise Audio ARC of this new book, I was beyond excited to finally be checking out Àbíké-Íyímídé's work.

In this story, we follow Sade Hussein, who has recently been enrolled in Alfred Nobel Academy. ANA is a prestigious boarding school. Sade is in her third year of high school and ends up starting the school year a little late, following the death of her father. The action kicks off on Sade's very first day at the school, as she sees it for the first time and meets Administrators, some students and also her roommate, Elizabeth.

I have to say, I was drawn into this extremely quickly. I love a 'new girl' trope and this author nailed it. My favorite aspect of that is just learning about the setting and other characters right along with the new girl.

Previously, Sade has been home-schooled, so this type of environment is completely new to her. She's a little anxious, still grief-ridden from her father's passing, but all things considered, the transition seems to be going fairly smoothly. That is until Elizabeth disappears. The school claims Elizabeth left, that she needed a break, but Elizabeth's long-time best friend, Baz, isn't buying it. Sade and Baz begin to bond and Sade agrees that Elizabeth's sudden departure is suspicious, but why the lies?

Rumors are swirling, drama is occurring and Sade finds herself in the center of a lot of it. When another student is found dead, events are really kicked into high gear.

I thought it would take me a long time to read this book, because it's a pretty good-sized Mystery, coming in at 416-pages. That wasn't the case at all though. I flew through it. It's such a gripping story, with complex characters, intriguing mysteries, as well as great tone and atmosphere throughout. It's an incredibly well-written story.

I loved and appreciated how Àbíké-Íyímídé took her time creating the setting and putting Sade's arrival there in good context. Sade is a character you can really sink your teeth into; there are so many layers to her story. I also found the mysteries both very intriguing. First, Elizabeth's disappearance, from what you learned about her in the short time that she and Sade got to know one another, it seemed shady as heck. She wouldn't just leave. And the death of the other student, in the context of everything else going on, was shocking. There were definite jaw-drop moments throughout this one for me.

This story gave me everything I wanted. There was a sense of foreboding oozing from every page. I was scared, but in a way where I didn't even know what I was scared of. I never knew what was going to be revealed next. The entire story was so compelling. If you enjoy stories set at Private Schools, full of Drama, and wealthy character behaving badly, you have to pick this up.

Additionally, if you enjoy nuanced mysteries with dark shadows lurking around ever corner, you have to pick this up. Or if you just want to see if the hype is real, you have to pick this up. In short, pick it up!

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
This was a delightful surprise and I can't wait to read more from this author!!

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, author Faridah Abike-Iyimide, and NetGalley for providing me this ALC in exchange for my honest opinion. This audiobook will be available on March 19, 2024.

2.5 STARS, which is kind of generous.

Freshly orphaned Shadday arrives at boarding school. There’s something eerie about Alfred Noble Academy. Then one of her new friends goes missing.

I don’t know if I had the wrong expectations, but I went into this book expecting dark academia. What I got was a mystery plot wrapped up in a lot of boredom, characters I didn’t much care for, and lack of atmosphere. The first 60% was utterly monotonous to me, and it wasn’t until about the 75% mark that I felt the book actually had an engaging plot.

When the reveals unfold, you find out that this book is supposed to be about a very important topic. Since this is YA, the messaging is blunt and a bit heavy-handed. I liked how the fallout felt somewhat realistic and cynical. Unfortunately, if Where Sleeping Girls Lie wasn’t a self-imposed obligation ALC, I would have DNF’d early on.

NARRATION: The narrator has a British accent. The actual delivery is adequate as far as clarity, enunciation, etc. However, I was underwhelmed by the performance.

Sade just transferred to a new boarding school and after knowing her less than one day, her roommate has gone missing. What dark secrets are being held in these hallowed halls? And why does it seem like everyone wants them to stay that way?

I absolutely loved Ace of Spades, so I knew that I had to get my hands on this one. Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé has such a talent of drawing out dark academia for a younger audience. This book was really well written, and the story was really strong. While this book is categorized as YA, it definitely deals with some really dark themes, so make sure to check out trigger warnings before you pick it up.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook!

This is such a good story! I will be telling all of my friends to read this one for sure! This book made me want to keep reading more and more. I couldn’t put it down!

I’m not a suspense/mystery reader. This was an excellent read. Sade Hussein is going through it. Death seems to follow her everywhere. She’s alone in the world. Her new boarding school is supposed to be a fresh start that allows herself to distance herself from her traumas. Will it though?

Sade doesn’t even get the opportunity to decide whether or not her new roommate is someone she’ll become friends with. She finds herself enmeshed in a mystery that she and her new friend Basil are trying to unravel.

My favorite part is the book was Sade’s willingness to see her new classmates at Alfred Noble Academy for who they are instead of who others perceive them as. The author explores many themes in this novel. The main one being the sexism that drives the motives of the headmaster.

Where Sleeping Girls Lie has got to be the best audiobook experience of the year! Thank you to NetGally and the publishers for an ARC of this audiobook. This was such a fast paced gothic mystery that really dives deep into some heavy topics of loss and trauma. All of the characters felt so real and the relationship development was so natural that I found myself sad that my time had ended with them. I look forward to reading more of Faridah’s work.

I always love a compelling dark academia story. I also love when there’s great cross-representation! Add in an excellent narrator and it’s a winner! This book had all of the vibes you’d expect at an upper class British boarding school. Our main character is new to the school and her roommate goes missing the first night. What’s a girl to do? Time to create a new Scoobie squad to figure things out. And boy howdy did they uncover some doozies along the way!
I felt this book was stronger through the first 75% and then it started to go a bit off the rails but thankfully got back on track by the end. Definitely recommend!
*Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio

When I heard that the author of Ace of Spades was writing another book, I didn’t think twice about anything. I just added it to my TBR lol And of course I was right to do so. Now don’t get me wrong, this book did teach me that I don’t actually like slow burns of any kind, but it taught me some other things too…… Like the fact that Àbíké-Íyímídé can write one hell of a mystery!

Ok so I know this is a me thing, but I felt like this took entirely too long to set up. This audio is 17 hours! And I was lucky that I was listening to the audio because I might have gotten annoyed and put it aside for a while. But I was able to speed it up a little and that helped me along. I know it’s a me thing since I’m not a lover of slow burns, so take what I say with a grain of salt lol And it IS a gorgeously written book, so it was entertaining, I don’t want to take anything away from that. I just wanted a thriller from start to finish. (Which Idk why because Ace of Spades was the same way lol)

Now if you stick to this book until the end, you will know that the beginning may be a bit slow, but the middle and the ending had twists and turns I never saw coming. And I mean that in the sense of, I sat up straight and said, “WHAT?!” This book took a lot of different turns that I was not expecting, and that’s saying something because I can usually always pick the person. But this scenario didn’t even cross my mind. It was a welcome twist after that slow burn. BUT again, like with the previous book I reviewed, I thought the way it was told was annoying. I’d much rather read a book where I’m given all the information and then when I guess it was still wrong. But with these recents books, my guess was wrong, but the information was doled out in such a way to keep you in the dark the whole time.

The romance was cute and I actually felt that it was more prevalent in this one. I know its a thriller so it shouldn’t really matter, but when it’s 2sLGBTQ+ rep, I’ll take what I can get. One of my pet peeves is when a book is touted to have some type of rep and it’s a miniscule part in the story. (There was another story that I read earlier this year where I was annoyed by this same thing lol) So I was happy that this one showed them flirting and they were actually having fun together. We don’t really see them in a real relationship, except for a small part, but in my mind that gave them a whole happy ending lol

The narrator also did a great job. I was engaged and obviously couldn’t stop listening. I thought she did a good job. I did like the way she did the parts where it got to be some weird happenings and the way her voice changed as things began to get uncovered. It made me go look at her back list. Definitely impressive.

This book wasn’t what I was expecting, but that was what kept me intrigued lol I had to find out what was happening to them and why she had to do this things. And why other people had to do these things. It definitely is a book that will keep you on your toes. And please, for the love of all that’s holy, STAY OUTTA THE GROUP CHAT!

I think I liked this book even more than Ace of Spades. Both this book and that one are the kind of stories that just sort of stick with you. While you’re reading it’s hard to stop because you get sucked in and want that next piece of the puzzle, and yet once it’s done, once everything comes together, it’s hard to move on.

More than the characters, or even the story itself, it’s the kind of book you keep thinking about after you finish because so many parts feel (and are) just a little too real to find any comfort or real closure - the line between fiction and reality non-existent. It’s very good, it’s more than a little unsettling (check the trigger warnings), and I can’t wait for her next book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook - great narration that really helped to bring the story and characters to life.

Reminiscent of the Truly Devious series. A girl with an anterior motive goes to school for the first time as a Junior in high school at a prestigious academy in England had more on her mind than learning. She makes friends for the first time and tries to expose a conspiracy that goes deeper than at first thought.

Sade is a newbie when it comes to education outside of her home and is leaping right in at a prestigious private school. However within hours of her arrival her roommate goes missing and a mystery arises to be unraveled.

Sade slowly learns about the dark corners of the school and reveals she wasn’t so naive to at least part of the game.

There are lots of twists and turns and the age on infuriating trope of how much rich, white boys can get away with at the expense of those around them.

The end is satisfying when it all comes together, but until big reveals happen her deep interest in a missing roommate she only met for a few hours doesn’t really make sense.

Read if you like:
🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ rep
🖤 Black/Muslem Rep
📓 Dark Academia Vibes
😢 Me too vibes
🔍 Mysteries
🤑 Rich Kids
🏫 Boarding School Settings

* I would recommend checking TWs before proceeding as there are several aspects that may be triggering in this book.

This book is the definition of a slow-burn mystery, but I absolutely loved the way it was done and the narration was absolutely perfectly done! I loved the hint of sound effects utilized as that made it even more intriguing!

The book is told from the single PoV of Sade a black Muslim student whom has lost her family to suicide and death and now has enrolled at a boarding school after the recent passing of her father, the last of her immediate family.

Upon enrolling and getting to the school her roommate goes missing in her first 24 hours on campus and something just doesn’t feel right and thus the investigation commences for Sade to figure out what really happened to her missing roommate.

I loved the feeling of secrets and lies being everywhere, not knowing who could be trusted- even our narrator- is she reliable?!

The dark telling of the story was so well done and gave a very atmospheric vibe to the story that I truly enjoyed so much as it made the story that much more immersive!

This was my first book by this author, but it definitely won’t be my last as I truly loved this one so much!

Thank you to the publisher for my ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé was one of my most anticipated books of 2024 and it did not disappoint. The cover..... stunning! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was a slow burn with intriguing sequencing and plot points so it held my attention the entire time. Brilliant character development and the imagery of the surrounding were very well done. The institution and town was like an additional character. The narrator had the perfect cadence for this read. I purchased a hard cover because I need this for my shelves.

<i>Keep swimming. Or if that's too hard, at the very least, float.</i>.
Hands down, 5 stars.

I was completely entranced in this story from the first chapter. When Sade's unfortunate circumstances leave her an orphan, she ends up at an elite and prestigious boarding school. After being homeschooled her whole life, Sade is excited to for this big change and to make friends, however the secrets of this dark school begin to unravel as Sade finds herself in the middle of a mystery. A mystery where life and death hangs in the balance, not only her own but also for her newfound friends.

Vibes of the book: YA sapphic, dark academia, powerful families, deep rooted secrets, slowburn murder(?) mystery, systematic corruption

Beyond that, this book shines a huge spotlight on the importance of sexual assault awareness as this story does cover very heavy themes. Definitely check the trigger warnings before reading. Àbíké-Íyímídé shows the VERY REAL reality of privilege, misogyny, and purposeful mishandling of sexual assault allegations by those in trusted positions of power.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé for this audiobook ARC and for my best read of the year.

This was a slow burn that held my interest the entire time. The narrator is enjoyable and really brings the story to life. I love dark academia books and this didn't disappoint. The characters felt mature which I appreciated. Some YA books the characters feel much too juvenile but not here. I loved the flawed unreliable characters and the twisty mystery. Highly recommend!

Ace of Spades has been on my TBR list for ages, so when I saw Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé had an upcoming new release coupled with an author event at Powell’s, I prioritized the book in my queue (and ultimately received an audio copy through NetGalley, for which I’m grateful!). The setting of this book is vividly depicted in the world of dark academia as newly orphaned Sade enrolls in boarding school at Alfred Nobel Academy. Each dorm or “house” has its own famous scientist name, and each student seems to have their own clique and secrets. Sade’s roommate Elizabeth goes missing and dread mounts as Sade presumes the worst but seeks to find the truth. The atmosphere of this book really reminded me of The Secret History. Mystery, death, sinister acts (trigger warnings abound), hierarchy of athletics and toxic man-boys cast a shadow over the campus. This book is long (17 hours) and feels long… I felt a bit like treading water at times but intrigued persevered through the lulls. Some of the twists felt like a cheat and unanticipated/unguessable. I appreciated the diversity of characters and the final resiliency that reminded me of Chanel Miller. The audiobook narration is excellent!

I am a huge fan of this author, and with this book she has become an auto read author for me. Although the pacing was a bit off and the book should have been edited down in length (the middle dragged a bit and the dialogue was a bit repetitive at times), I was always looking forward to returning to this audiobook (and I do think audio is the way to go with this one.....it was very well done). I always enjoy a boarding school setting, and this was no exception. I think some of the characters (Sade, Basil, Persephone) were well developed, but some of the secondary characters could have been a bit more fleshed out. I liked the way that the mystery unfolded, and I liked the messages the author left the reader with in the end.