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.

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.