"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.

This book is a haunting tale surrounding the the intricacies of trauma and sisterhood set in an all-girls' school

This is a fun YA story set at the Malaysian St. Bernadette's all-girls school..

A screaming hysteria hits the school - creating a creepy academic horror story.
Khadijah and Rachel are our heroines and they are safe from the hysteria at first. They are complex and interesting characters with separate personal stories. Alkaf has done an excellent job of creating interest in each girl's story and suspense

#simon&schuster #thehystericalgirlsofstbernadettes #hannaalkaf

not quite my favourite book but still very enjoyable!
everything is built carefully and slowly. a bit to slow for me though.

Thank you to the Publisher for my arc!


So this book was definitely one of those situations where I am not the target audience for this and thats okay with YA thrillers for me anymore its kind of hit or miss and this was a miss for me. Right off the bat you get an intriguing beginning but it kind of falls flat for me. The different perspectives that all kind of felt the same honestly just left me confused due to the writing style.

ARC received from Netgalley. Thank you for providing the copy in exchange of the review for the book.

I have always adored Hanna Alkaf's writings. She wrote this with the imaginary St' Bernadette's in the confined spaces of the hustle bustle city of Kuala Lumpur. Give me the vibes of the famous convent school in the same city, but with more scare and spices.

OK let's face it, who doesn't want to know that there will be a ghost lurking in every corner of a school. Just kind off, well we suspected it all along, but we haven't encountered it yet. And this book validates all the feelings of teenagers, just trying to move along with life, day in day out till their last day of school.

But then the first scream started, and it was followed with a string of other students screaming (and they were called the screamers).

I love that this book even though it might scares some people, because of the theme, also tackles the issue of sexual assaults, in a very subtle manner, but it is there. You cannot ignore it. You wonder why Khadijah, the main protagonist did not talk.

And you got Rachel, an A star student, a teacher's pet, who don't even have a friend, but was being haunted slowly by a lost soul?

Alas, the abrupt ending for a person did glitched this book in some way, like the writer is trying to wrap up quickly and dusted the screaming incident with a punishment so swift, that I do wish justice was much taken care of in a much more satisfied manners.

3.5 stars rounded up. This book was scary in a haunting, realistic way. I liked the characters and how feminist the story felt.

The story deals with some heavy topics but never feels too heavy. It's written in a light, quick way that keeps things entertaining and meaningful at the same time. All in all, I'd say it's a decent dark academia story.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

CW: mentions of sexual assault
I felt a little unmoored when the book first set up to be something different from what I expected, but once I understood what the book set up to be, I was sold with no notes.
The horror that the real world poses to young women and leads to the world branding them hysterical runs parallel to the supernatural terror hiding underneath the surface and only peeking at the edges. When the two eventually intersect, the result is something quite breathtaking.
THE HYSTERICAL GIRLS OF ST. BERNADETTE'S offers some fantastic character work, a tender approach to trauma, and quiet horror that'll give you goosebumps. Once the threads connect and the reader makes sense of what has been happening all along, as well as how the story finds a resolution, they will feel as victorious as the protagonists.

What a beautiful metaphor for how it feels when people in power abuse young girls. I loved the multiple perspectives, the ghost like spooky-ness, Each family was a window into how trauma is processed and I appreciated that variety,.

Honestly I am sad to say I Dnfd this book midway. I love other books by this author so this made me sad- but the plot wasnt compelling enough, and the pacing off.

I love that this YA book is set in Kuala Lumpur…that alone makes it stand out from a lot of what’s out there. And the book covers a tough topic, though not explicitly.

St. Bernadette’s is the best school for girls around, perched atop a hill…only the best make it through the gates. One ordinary day a new girl starts to scream in class. Then another. Then another. By the end of the day there are seventeen of them.

Khadijah is a girl with her own problems; she doesn’t speak. But her sister is one of the screamers.

Rachel is trying desperately to live up to her strict mother’s expectations while also trying to carve out a life for herself. Is it possible?

And why are the girls screaming? And what will happen next?

This is definitely YA for YA, but I like that it exists for girls, even if I don’t know that I was crazy about the ending. Probably a 3.5 for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette's" by Hanna Alkaf is a haunting tale that delves into the complexities of trauma and sisterhood, all centered around the dark secrets lurking within the walls of an all-girls school. Before going into this book, I definitely recommend looking into content warnings for this book, specifically with the SA content depicted within the book. This book focuses on female togetherness as well as feminine rage against those who want to keep women silent, who say that they are just “hysterical.”

From the very beginning, you are drawn into the eerie atmosphere of St. Bernadette's, a prestigious institution where girls strive for excellence while grappling with their own inner demons. Alkaf expertly brings together multiple narratives, mainly focusing on Khadijah and Rachel. These different perspectives each shed light on the experiences of different characters as they navigate the aftermath of a mysterious outbreak of hysteria. I really enjoyed the character growth of Rachel as she discovered her independence and tried to distance herself from her overbearing mother. I also really loved how Khadijah, through the power of female togetherness, found her voice again in order to speak up for those still coming to terms with their own trauma.

Through Alkaf's storytelling, you are given glimpses into the hidden traumas and buried pain that haunt the halls of St. Bernadette's. The tension is developed very nicely throughout the book, and the atmosphere of St. Bernadette’s kept me engaged throughout. Despite the chilling nature of the events unfolding, there is a palpable sense of empathy and compassion that underscores the narrative, offering a nuanced exploration of the ways in which trauma can shape and define us.

I did, however, experience a bit of a disconnect from the plot and characters, mainly due to language barriers. There was some terminology used throughout the book that I wasn’t familiar with and sometimes led to confusion. The ending of the book was also a bit confusing, though I liked how St. Bernadette’s essentially became sentient and was a safe space for the girls.

Overall, "The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette's" is a powerful story that offers a timely reminder of the strength and resilience of young women in the face of adversity. I can’t wait to read more from Alkaf!