This might be my favourite Hana Alkaf book so far. Not just because it appeals to me for ultimately being a dark academia book but for how much I connected and felt the story.

Readers should be warned to read the trigger warnings before getting into this book as it deals with some very heavy topics. But I think this book should be praised for how well these topics are handled.

At its core this book is about women. It’s about how we’re treated by society as a whole. The balance between being the perfect and demure, being told to be seen and not heard, to be independent and self-sufficient, but also being gaslit into believing our pain isn’t real, that our suffering is our own fault, that we’re weak and feeble and need to be protected. The book perfectly shows this with its variety of female characters who all deal with their own different trauma and what we do to protect ourselves from it.

One thing that is often seen within Alkaf’s work is her blend of Malaysian mythology within her writing. While this book touches on mythology it instead uses the concept of screaming hysterics and gives it meaning and ownership. That this isn’t just some case of female hysteria. In a world where women’s voices are never heard - sometimes screaming is the only way.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting and engaging and as someone who grew up in an Asian household with Asian ideals, I connected with the characters. While I did feel the story dragged slightly at the start of the third act and the conclusion came without a proper “return to normalcy” - it feels like an important book that needed to be told. In a time when women’s voices are being silenced and their trauma is being ignored - this book reflects the society we are in and shows how detrimental it is to the young women in it.

Wow!! This book follows to girls that attend St Bernadette's. The first pov is a young lady who has stopped speaking after the trauma of her step father sexually assaulting her. The 2nd POV is another girl who attends the school who has all the pressure of having the best grades from her mother. At the school one day a girl starts to scream causing a catalyst of other students screaming. The more Khadijah digs into the past she finds out this happened before and a girl went missing back then. This is such a powerful read and I loved that the author included trigger warnings.

Hanna Alkaf’s The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette's is an intriguing exploration of adolescent trauma and the societal pressures that exacerbate it. The novel delves into the lives of the young women at a Catholic boarding school, using horror as a lens to magnify their struggles. While the book certainly has its merits, it also presents a mixed bag of experiences for readers.

At its core, the novel attempts to blend psychological horror with a critique of institutional and familial abuses. The premise is promising: a group of girls begins exhibiting bizarre behaviors and symptoms, which seem to be tied to a sinister force within the school. However, the execution leaves something to be desired.

One of the main challenges with the book is its pacing. The narrative lacks a cohesive structure, which affects the buildup of suspense. Instead of a gradual and engaging build-up, the story often feels disjointed. This pacing issue may leave readers feeling more curious than genuinely intrigued or terrified.

Moreover, the novel tackles difficult subjects such as sexual abuse, specifically involving a stepfather, which is a significant trigger warning. The issue here is that while the book does provide a warning about sensitive content, it doesn’t specify that the abuse is perpetrated by a stepfather. For some readers, this detail could be distressing and warrants clearer disclosure.

Despite these concerns, The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette's succeeds in its thematic ambitions. It serves as both a cautionary tale for young women and a metaphorical critique of the ways in which institutional and familial pressures can distort and damage lives. The story’s underlying message about confronting and surviving trauma is both powerful and necessary.

In terms of the horror elements, the book falls a bit short of expectations. The horror is more subdued and psychological, and for readers seeking a traditional horror experience with a clear-cut sense of dread, this may be unsatisfying. The horror here is more about the psychological impact of the girls' experiences rather than outright terror.

Overall, The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette's is a thought-provoking read with important themes, but it may not fully satisfy those looking for a conventional horror story. Its strengths lie in its social commentary and the portrayal of complex emotional landscapes, though it might benefit from a more focused narrative structure and clearer content warnings.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hanna Alkaf, and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for providing me this arc to read in exchange for my honest review.

St Bernadette’s is an esteemed all-girls mission school, and its graduates are known to emerge being some of the brightest women with great futures ahead of them. But when the girls start screaming for no reason at all, and then one goes missing, its reputation might be at risk. But what about the girls, the “hysterical” screamers who might possibly be the next to go missing?

The thing about growing up SEAsian is, haunted school stories are something you grow up with. Everyone’s got a school ghost story, many at the schools we attended ourselves: possession, strange sightings, you name it. THE HYSTERICAL GIRLS OF ST BERNADETTE’S plays up those themes, but what I especially liked was the way it presents the idea that the monsters and the danger isn’t the otherworldly, but something that wears a charming human mask—is, in fact, a human. It is the adults who care more about protecting the school’s sparkling reputation than its own students despite their suffering, despite the disappearances. The same adults who shut down investigations into a missing girl to save the school’s reputation. The adults who dismiss young girls’ suffering and calls for help as them being “too emotional” or “hysterical.” And even worse, the adults who take advantage of the power imbalance and hide behind claimed innocence.

Thank you to the author herself, Hanna Alkaf, for sending me an arc of this amazing book in exchange for a review!

I loved the authors setting for the book. This is a part of the world I am not familiar with. The culture, the clothing and even the words were new to me so it was very interesting.
I don't normally start looking into where a country is on a map, or if there is a history of hysteria actually happening in real life so this book really got me thinking and researching.
Add to that the main story of how women are viewed in society, cultural expectations, and finding your voice and this story really grabs you and coaxes you along on a very interesting story.
There are instances of sexual assault, bullying, and gaslighting that goes on but in many ways it is subtle and isn't graphic or violent.
This is a book worth reading.
Enjoy!

WOW I was not expecting such a riveting horror story when I picked this up - what a read! Dark academic meets murder mystery-esque story with strong female leads? Count me in!

The story took me a little while to get into, mostly because I had a difficult time keeping track of all the characters. Once I picked that up, the rest of the story took off! While a really suspenseful storyline, the major themes and topics were soul-crushing as many of us can relate to them, even today. Khadijah and Rachel were incredibly written characters with strong arcs that were easy to like and connect with.

While a bit mature for some of my students, I still planning on adding this one to my classroom shelves as the messages are so powerful and important. Thanks so much for the ARC!

I just finish this book a while ago and OMG there are so many things I want to share.

First, the characters' complexity. I LOVE HOW Kak Hanna addressed the issues because THE THINGS HAPPENED TO THEM HAPPENED TO A LOT OF YOUNG GIRLS.
- Rachel. The have to be miss perfect. Who crumbled under her mother's pressure. I NEED TO HUG THIS GIRL:( hate how it's true this kind of girl is the most vulnerable to be in predator's den.
- Khad.... The mother-daughter relationship is sending me to a rollercoaster ride. How young teenager girl often has to pay with their bodies or even their lives is hurting. You're understood and loved, Khad. I love how even in her lowest condition, Khadijah is a fighter.
- AND FLO AND SUMI DESERVED ALL THE BEST THINGS IN THE WORLD. Their friendship is the best of all 😭♥️
- Oh and how the headmistress prioritizing the school's reputation over literally everything else? Disappointed but not surprise. Hard pill to swallow. It just reflected the reality how bad our education system actually is.

Second, the issues. I love how Kak Hana made it uncomfortable to read but handled sooo delicately. Surely, it didn't exploitative and the points came across quite well.

Third, the writing. It feels so atmospheric. It gave me goosebumps. It's uneasy (as it should).

Forth, the mystery, the pace, the clues. If you love or an avid reader of CTM, this book might not amaze you as much. Thing is the ending is either a hit or a miss. For me, St. Bernadette's is just so so. The first half was very intriguing. The second half could be faster and I'd love to have the ending and the explanation, the dots connecting to be more elaborated. It felt rushed in the end. But I personally still enjoy it. It's the journey that counts.

Last, the horror. I love horror stories. Urban legends. Mass Hysterical at all girl school. I can see it clearly happening. It felt so close to home. And I love how in the end it remains as a mystery.

Give this book ago. Thanks so much Kak Hana for the arc in exchange of honest reviews. I love it.

This one is for my dark academia horror girlies but I would say this is pretty approachable horror. There’s more a sense of foreboding and eeriness rather than gore or anything even close to that. I thought this book was really fantastic and I did not want to put it down. It speaks to the way society treats women and girls as commodities. We are owned and used by our parents as wish fulfillers and work horses and mirrors and then we are traded to men to be more of the same.

“Sumi’s words play in my head, over and over. So it’s confirmed. You were right all along. Why are words so often not enough? Why must we buy belief with bodies? And how many bodies does it take?”

“She couldn’t have known. I know this. I know it deep down in my bones. She couldn’t have known what he really was. But part of me is still angry. Angry about the times I spoke and wasn’t heard. Angry about what it took for her to believe me. And my anger is a wall that keeps her firmly on one side and me on the other.”

“It feels like a long time since someone prioritized us over our utility.”

Those quotes were really soul crushing.


My only real criticism is that I kept wondering when the two main characters would come into contact but don’t worry, it does eventually happen. There is also heavy emphasis on the tiger mom trope which made Rachel’s mom felt wholly irredeemable to me. It did emphasize for me that women contribute just as much to our downfall and demise as men do.

I will say, every single time I read St Bernadette’s (which was a lot of times) I kept thinking of the dance scene in Grease where Kenicke’s date says “They call me Cha Cha because I’m the best dancer at St Bernadette’s” and then Frenchy says “With the worst reputation.” Im sorry if this ruins the book for you 😅 but i mean…. This is a direct quote “After all, St. Bernadette’s has a reputation to maintain, yes?”

This book also delves into traumatic mutism which I promptly researched. It’s a very interesting subset of selective mutism which I first read about last year in The Luis Ortega Survival Club. I learn so much from fiction books. I hope you do too!

“Strange”, I think. Strange how beauty can exist even in the darkness.”
😱
St. Bernadette’s School is one of the best in Malaysia with girls dying to go to this prestigious academy. However when a girl starts screaming in the middle of class it brings up rumors of when this happened before. A chain reaction is set off that has girl after girl being sent home for becoming hysterical at school. Khadijah is struggling with her own demons in silence while Rachel is trying to find her voice at home. Told in dual POV we get to see both girls journey to find out why girls are screaming…and why it happens to them.
😱
This is my first Malaysian-themed YA thriller and I’m so here for it. I have read two #books this week that dealt with sexual assault, both in different ways and I think we need so many novels like this so that our youth can hear they’re not alone. This title by @hanna.alkaf releases September 24 by @simonandschuster

CW: sexual assault, disassociation, PTSD, trauma, pe*ophila, emotional abuse

The ending was very abrupt and not what I wanted 3.75 ⭐️

I picked up this book because I love YA thriller and I went to an all girls high school so it seemed right up my alley and it was! One of my favorite things in books is when the setting of the book takes on a character role and that's a huge component of The Hysterical Girls of St., Bernadette's. The school has a personality and history and is a vital component to the story.

A huge element in this book is also how teenage girls are usually just labeled as "hysterical" whenever they are going through something difficult, This book touches on the fact that so many times girls are just pushed to the wayside because people don't believe them or their stories, the characters in this book are just expected to ignore and move passed the screaming epidemic that seems to be taking over their school, along with all the internal battles people around them don't know they're fighting.

Thank you Kak Hanna and Salaam/Simon & Schuster for the e-ARC!!

I love the story line, especially the main plot points the Hysterical Girls! Because I live in SEA. The story itself was so firmly grasping that I couldn't put down my book until I found out what happened to the girls, but the ending /sigh/ kept me yearning more!!!

This book is more than just a gripping mystery; it is a compelling exploration of adolescence, mental health, and the societal expectations that shape young lives. This novel is a powerful reminder of the importance of understanding and addressing mental health issues, especially in environments where they are often stigmatized or misunderstood.

ARC received from Netgalley & Simon & Schuster Books.
Thank you for providing the copy in exchange of an honest review.

4.5 / 5 stars

Hanna Alkaf's The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette's is a gripping novel that captivates readers with its short, straightforward chapters and alternating points of view between the main characters, Khadijah and Rachel. This structure keeps the narrative pace brisk and engaging, making it difficult for me to put the book down from start to finish.

One of the novel's standout features is its stark and distinctive characterization. Both Khadijah and Rachel are complex, vividly painted characters with their own unique struggles. It's hard to choose a favorite because each girl is so relatable and well-developed. Rachel's narrative, burdened by her mother's relentless expectations, resonates deeply. Her constant fear of disappointing her strict mother is a theme that I believe many readers—especially Malaysians—will identify with.

Khadijah's story, on the other hand, is heart-wrenching. Traumatized into muteness by the sexual assault from her stepfather, she battles against a world that too often dismisses and victim-blames her. This is all too real for us women, of course. Even though things are done TO us, we are always treated as if we're the ones in the WRONG. Hanna Alkaf created the painstakingly realistic portrayal here through these St. Bernadette's girls.

Although people eventually listened to Khadijah when, it was already too late. The assault had to happen for people to listen to her, and her journey highlights the painful reality of being unheard and invalidated.

The setting of St. Bernadette's school itself becomes a character in the novel, much like the creepy house in the movie Monster House. Mind you, I love that movie. Hanna Alkaf breathes life into the school, giving it a personality that stands out among the girls, known as the "screamers." The red herrings sprinkled throughout the story add to the suspense, and I was more than intrigued to uncover the mysteries of the school and its tragic history with previous screamers.

However, the book's ending did feel rather abrupt and anticlimactic. It seems rushed, leaving many loose ends untied, such as the resolution of Rachel's relationship with her mother and the extent of the missing girls' trauma. While open endings can be effective, this one lacks the closure needed to feel satisfying. The absence of clear resolution for the characters' struggles is the only reason this book isn't a solid 5 star read for me.

I NEED ANSWERS TO A LOT OF QUESTIONS !!!

But overall, this book is a compelling read with strong, relatable characters and an intriguing plot. Despite the somewhat unsatisfying conclusion, the vivid writing and engaging storyline really make it a worthwhile read!

2.5 /5 ⭐️

This novel has such a compelling synopsis and plot, but ultimately lacked the pacing and narrative structure to create an effective novel.

“The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette’s” primarily follows the perspectives of Khadijah and Rachel as they deal with the high expectations of their families while attending the competitive school: St. Bernadette’s. One afternoon a student begins screaming in the middle of class for no apparent reason, by the end of the day, more students become affected. As each day passes, the girls become more on edge as more girls fall victim to the scream.

The biggest problem with this book is the lack of set up to make the cause of a scream a mystery. The girls are more concerned with their personal lives that when they do find a potential piece of evidence for the cause of the screams, the internal monologue just jumps back to their dissatisfaction with their lives. I wanted to see the girls actually solve the mystery by obtaining clues and working together but in the end, when the mystery is “solved”, I was not satisfied as a reader because the characters did not really do anything.

Another main issue was the lack of pacing, which created no suspense within the plot. All of the biggest plot points are given away in the synopsis, which lead to absolutely no suspense to the story. Within the first 50 pages, I was able to guess the cause of the screams because it followed a very familiar archetype.

A final aspect of this book that I believe is worth discussion is the idea of marketing a book as a “dark academia thriller”. While the book is in an academic setting, we never critically see the characters interact or use their studies in a meaningful way to propel the plot forward. Because of this, I would not consider the novel to fit within the dark academia sub-genre, but rather a YA novel that takes place at a school.

Of course, Hanna Alkaf just did it again! Not an easy read; but l enjoy it a lot. I love the fact that it has that Malaysian setting as well.

3.5
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. This book was a very interesting duel pov story about girls at a boarding school that are faced with a mysterious case of spontaneous screaming. I liked the two main characters but I do feel like they were both underdeveloped. I also liked the plot line but i feel like the book ended too abruptly. If this book had like 50 more pages I think my ranking would have gone up. The slow pace in the beginning resulted in an overly rushed climax and ending. That being said I still really like this and would recommend to anyone looking for a semi spooky novel this upcoming fall.

︶︶ ⸝⸝ 💄 ꒰ thank you to netgalley for this arc!

𐬹 ۫ ۪khadijah doesn't speak a word. after past experiences show her she isn't listened to, she's silent. but everyone around her isn't.
⠀⠀ when khadijah's classmates start screaming, for no obvious reason, the past is dug up and khad takes it upon herself to "save" her classmates ⠀⠀and put a stop to the panic of St Bernadette's.

⠀ ⌒ ꜥ 🗯️˖ 3.5stars. ⠀i LOVED this book.
the dual POV, the seamless switching between them that didn't leave me confused, the loveable characters, i adored it all.
i've never read a malaysian-centered book, so this was a big treat!!! i loved learning about malaysian culture, googling words in malay that i didn't know the meaning of before. fun fact, "cirit birit" means diarrhea in malay! love knowing that now ❣️
the casual mentions of current things i know school-age children talk about (e.g. kpop music videos) was refreshing. there were no over-the-top "i'm trendy and hip like you!" references, which i, sadly, find in modern YA books.
⠀at the end, i don't think i can quote the book, so i'll just paraphrase, "who am i to determine what's normal and what isn't? how would i know how trauma has affected someone else?" and that hit SO hard, oh my gosh. props to Hanna Alkaf <3<3
this book genuinely was really good. i don't normal pick up books like this, but i thought i would give it a go. i would recommend this to my friends, as it kept me thoroughly entertained. i had trouble picking it up because i thought it would end too fast, but i also wanted to read it really bad. very conflicting!!!!

they also just mention monkeys casually sitting outside??? lol?

One day, girls across St. Bernadette’s start screaming as if possessed before collapsing. None can remember fully what they saw. The rest live in fear that the screaming is something contagious, that they would be next. Khadijah is picking up the pieces of her life after having been assaulted by her stepfather. She can’t speak as a result of the trauma. When her sister becomes one of the afflicted, Khadijah takes it upon herself to discover the cause of the screaming, which leads her to unearth a nasty secret, one which the school refuses to acknowledge because its reputation must be protected at all costs.

Overall, this was a surprisingly mature YA book about living with trauma, abusive/neglectful adults, being the eldest daughter in an asian household, and the inescapable reality of predatory men.

ARC received on exchange for honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Salaam/Simon &Schuster 💙

I give five ⭐. Hanna would be my autobuy author 😬

Some people say, ghosts from Europe or America would never be scary for us in Southeast Asia, they haunting too far for us. But bring any pocong, ponti/kunti, kuyang, any familiar ghost 👻👻👻

This St Bernadette looks like any school near us, with the dark legend, ex hospital or ex mass grave, stories told from granny to mom to daughter.

But, how if the ghost came from, not last centuries, not last decades, but from nine years ago?

I love how Hanna blends ghost stories with mental health issues, presents the story neatly.

Would definitely buy the hardcover as soon as it released in Indonesia 💙💙💙

"The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette's" is a young adult thriller novel by Hanna Alkaf. At St. Bernadette's, a girls school in Malaysia, some of the students suddenly start screaming. Nobody knows why or what it means and the screamers don't remember what happened. Khadijah is a student who already has had trauma, being sexually abused by a stepfather, so now she is no longer talking. When her younger sister becomes one of the screamers. Khadijah decides that she has to find out why this happens to protect her sister. The book switches between Khadijah and Rachel, another student who is dealing with pressure from her overbearing mother. Rachel finds herself slipping into another persona and becomes one of the screamers herself. This mystery thriller deals with a lot of difficult topics, which are acknowledged in the beginning of the book by Alkaf, letting readers know in advance and that if the book becomes too difficult for them, they are welcome to stop reading and care for themselves. A must buy for most young adult collections.