As far as the writing style goes, this one does have sharp teeth… perhaps too sharp for me. I didn’t get to see much of the boys, unfortunately. Marin was a tad bit too edgy for my taste and her moody/angsty teenage inner dialogue did her no favour at all. I just simply could not handle a messy love triangle (not poly, why tho) on top of this. I’d been thrown off this story from the very beginning and it was safe to say that this is indeed Not For Me. Others who read more than me may enjoy this and hopefully have a better time.

The best part about this book is the cover, I have the softest spot for the artist and Francis always delivers — 10/10 for them.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this eARC for a honest review.
This book was not what I was expecting in a good way. This book is an upper YA horror with a sprinkle of romance. What I loved about the book the most was how the characters interacted and hated and loved each other to the point you don’t know if you want the hate or love them either.

Wow. This was a TRIP down a dark and twisted path. I’ve already recommended it to everyone I know and I’ll be preaching it’s gorgeous prose and upsetting characters you can’t help but root for for the rest of time.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for a honest review.

This one is a really difficult one to rate! The prose was beautiful and atmospheric, I was hooked with the mystery, and I really loved Adrian and Henry's characters. I think this is going to be a huge hit and will be some the book of the year for a lot of readers. I do, however, think that the story's pitch left me with some mixed feelings because I went in expecting one thing, but got another. This is probably closer to a 3.5 for me, so I may have another read through without any pre-existing expectations soon.

So just a few notes: this is not a queer book (though there are pretty queer moments) and this is not a romance (though there were moments that definitely leaned in a romantic nature). The love triangle that *we* see is very much defined by the obsession between Marin/Jamie and Henry and Adrian. I'd actually have loved the story to take place over a longer period of time to really play with these dynamics. It's dark, but maintains a YA tone, I can absolutely see Howell's intent was to write a dark academia story but merged with some YA themes/character types. I'm not personally a fan of these YA tropes, but that's a personal preference. There are paranormal elements so it diverges from the dark academia books that exist to primarily critique academia as an institution. For what it's worth, I'd actually say this has some really similar tones and themes to folk horror books.

If you are intrigued by a dark YA love/obsession triangle, are a fan of Kelly Andrews' writing, and want a YA dark academia (with dark academia as a theme, not just an aesthetic), definitely pick this one up.

(Low-key would love a prequel of Henry, Adrian, and Baz.)

Boys With Sharp Teeth
By Jenni Howell
(A review by Jamilla @ A Guide to Portable Magic on Substack)

“Hauntings take more than mist and mountains.”

Boys with Sharp Teeth welcomes you to a world of grief, desperation and all the horrible choices we make just to feel alive.

“I thought it would be easier, this sinking into a made-up person’s skin.”

Marin’s cousin Sam is dead. Labeled an accidental death by the authorities. But she’s the one who found the body by the lake, saw the bruises by his arms. Someone held him down in the water, until he wasn’t Sam anymore and Marin knows exactly who.

Adrian. Baz. Henry. Three pampered rich scions from the fancy boarding school on the outskirts of Amberdeen where Sam worked as a night security guard. Sam thought they were his friends but there’s no way they would see a townie as a friend. They killed him and she’s going to make them confess.

“I could be anyone, with this many stories waiting for me. No, even more: I could be so many people, that maybe, just maybe, I could actually find myself.”

Infiltrating the prestigious Huntsworth Academy with a fake name, fake grades and a fake check she’s praying doesn’t bounce yet, Marin pledges to have the three culprits tied up in knots and off to the police station in chains in two days. But Huntsworth is not what she expects, there’s something sinister going on here and Henry and Adrian are far more mysterious and captivating than she had anticipated, she fears that in their dark gazes she truly begins to see herself and be seen.

Does she cling to their warmth and minacious comfort? Or should she continue on the path to finding out the truth of the night her cousin died, knowing that the knowledge could leave her ever changed?

“There’s something immortal in all of us. Unlearn the rest. Unlearn the fear.”

Boys with Sharp Teeth is exactly what I expect to read from the dark academia sub genre: an outsider with a bone to pick unraveling all the secrets of a mysterious group, attempting to destroy them but realizing that things can only ever be transformed. Moody, shadowy settings, eldritch horrors lurking in them and a question about life misunderstood and warped. A metaphor that you can’t quite nail down.

I loved the discussion on Rene Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy, loved the way the different allures of the boys spiraled around Marin like the cool coils of a snake, enclasping her until they were reformed, unable to be apart.

Although I’m not entirely sure that I liked this story, I found the prose to be so vivid and enthralling, creating an immersive world, filled with so many excellent moments that I can already see plastered all over booktok. The unfathomable Henry Wu and the forlorn Adrian Hargreaves with their intellect and wit will certainly tempt and coerce many to their side. Marin’s grief stricken quest for answers in the death of her beloved cousin will grip you into the mystery. And the revels certainly do intrigue. A solid debut that fans of The Atlas Six and The Secret History will love.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for gifting an eARC in exchange for a honest review.

"Boys with Sharp Teeth" delves into the darkest corners of academia with a narrative that is as haunting as it is compelling. Set within the cloistered halls of an elite boarding school, this debut novel weaves a mesmerizing tale of revenge, desire, and the intricate web of secrets that bind its characters.

From the outset, J plunges readers into a world where every whispered rumor and calculated move holds significance. The protagonist’s quest for justice is fraught with moral ambiguity, navigating a landscape where the line between right and wrong blurs with every twist of the plot.

The novel’s strength lies in its complex characters, each meticulously crafted with layers of vulnerability and deceit. The interplay between the vengeful protagonist and two enigmatic boys unfolds with a mix of tension and intimacy, drawing readers deeper into a narrative that pulses with raw emotion and psychological depth.

Atmosphere is key in "Boys with Sharp Teeth," with the boarding school setting serving as a character in its own right—a labyrinth of privilege and peril where alliances shift like shadows and secrets lurk behind every closed door. J’s prose is lyrical yet razor-sharp, evoking a sense of unease that lingers long after the final page is turned.

While grappling with themes of power dynamics and the consequences of obsession, J deftly explores the darker facets of human nature with nuance and sensitivity. The novel’s exploration of love and loss, tinged with elements of the paranormal, adds a haunting dimension to its already rich tapestry.

For readers captivated by atmospheric thrillers and the intricacies of dark academia, "Boys with Sharp Teeth" is a revelation. J’s debut marks the arrival of a bold new voice in contemporary fiction, offering a narrative that is as provocative as it is unforgettable.

There are 5-star books you love and stare fondly at on your shelves, and there are 5-star books that haunt you from time to time. BWST is the latter. This book's teeth are as sharp as those of its boys and its heroine, and no one, least of all you, dear reader, will leave unmarred by the bites they take out of each other.

The plot seems pat enough at first. A boarding school, a girl intent on revenge, two devilish boys with far too much power, and tumultous ✨feelings✨ arising and binding them all. But there's always something ugly whispering at the seams of these tropes that promises more and more. And oh boy, does this book deliver. There's a bleakness to its philosophy and a hungry horror that builds throughout, culminating in a moment that's as shocking as it makes complete sense. If you're a fan of flawed people, lyrical prose, and books that leave you a little jumpy, then I can't recommend BWST enough!

Thank you Jenni and NetGalley for the ARC!

I truly enjoyed Boys With Sharp Teeth! If you too are pulled to read this book quickly, congratulations, you're human. If you are able to understand the senior class discussions while reading quickly, my congratulations on your admission to Huntsworth Academy alongside Marin. If you discern the main characters' motivations as well as Marin's...good luck looking at a mirror the same way again! These characters are staring down their dark sides and forcing the reader to consider facing their own, too.

I will make Boys with Sharp Teeth available to my high school readers as supplemental/fun reading. It was really enjoyable to be completely surprised with the plot unfolding, but remain unsurprised with how each main character behaved. Well done--I was expecting creepy teen entertainment and instead was gifted a unique story I'm still turning over in my mind a week after finishing (not often accomplished in the YA I read).

I don’t want to look at mirrors anymore.

A definite page turner that’ll leave you hungry for more, but nothing is ever enough. Jenni crafted such a hauntingly beautiful yet twisted story exploring grief, revenge, justice, and so much ✨tension✨

"Dark twisted Raven Boys" *slams credit card on table repeatedly*

If you liked The Whispering Dark and Your Blood My Bones by Kelly Andrew you cannot miss this.

Right from the beginning, Boys with Sharp Teeth had me in a chokehold. The characters are not sane, they're out of their minds and I was <i>eating. it. up.</i> Jenni Howell's writing is so stunning and gorgeous and omg I wanted to live inside this book forever, I took my time reading it to draw out the experience as much as possible. And the ending? Y'all are not ready for the emotional damage.

6 stars, definitely one of the top 10 best books I've read this year.
Insane debut. I can't wait for whatever Jenni is writing us next.

I received a digital advance reader copy from the author via NetGalley (thank you so much I'm literally blessed). All opinions are my own.

BOYS WITH SHARP TEETH took my breath away. The prose was lyrical but packed a sharp punch. Love muddled with obsession made for one of the most agonizing love triangles I've ever read. One of those books, I won't be able to stop thinking or talking about.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

It was filled with angst and tension and mysteries and I really enjoyed this wild, wild ride!
Elusive and charming Henry, mysterious but intriguing Graves, sweet and gentle Baz... and in the heart of it all, courageous and reckless Marin / Jamie. I love every characters and how their story came together in one cohesive thread of revenge and deceit.
I had so much fun reading this book!

4 ★

All you have to do is compare a book to The Raven Boys and it’s on my TBR immediately. While I didn’t exactly get TRB vibes from Boys with Sharp Teeth, it reminded me a lot of Kelly Andrews’ books, an author who I find writes similarly to Maggie Stiefvater. But all comparisons aside, Jenni Howell is an author of her own.

The writing in Boys with Sharp Teeth is top-tier. Jenni Howell is a truly gifted author and I was so impressed by her words. With each line, you can tell this is a book she put a lot of effort into. BWST did not read like her first book at all. If I hadn’t known this was a debut before reading, I would’ve been disappointed going to look for more books by her only to realize they don’t exist yet.

I loved getting to know ̶J̶a̶m̶i̶e̶ ̶V̶a̶n̶e̶ Marin James. She was so relatable and I think she will definitely be a character readers love. I also appreciated Marin and Baz’s dynamic. I was rooting for them and loved seeing their friendship evolve. As for the love triangle, I wasn’t really a fan of either Adrian or Henry as love interests. They were interesting characters separately and together, but I didn’t see them as good matches for Marin.

Full review closer to release date as this is a 2025 release.

P.S. This is not an LGBTQ+ book and there are no queer characters.

I got access to this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
This book was. WHIRLWIND lemme tell ya. the angst, the tension, the academia setting? loved it. it felt like a slightly more paranormal version of If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio (which is one of my favorite books). I didn’t get a queer vibe from this, which some had told me I would experience- which is why i gave it four stars. There was a love triangle, but it wasn’t super defined either. it was more a manipulation and obsession triangle, which i’m still into for the angst. A pretty good read overall!

This is exactly the book I've been looking for recently, so I was very excited when I got the chance to request an eARC. I was so obsessed with the descriptions and promotion posts for it: boarding school setting, revenge, twisted philosophy, yearning, etc... so I'm really glad that this actually delivered and (personally) fulfilled my expectations!
I finished the book the day I received the ARC, and literally couldn't put it down. I thought I guessed the endgame in the first half of the book, but it turns out I wasn't completely correct, which made things more interesting to me. I'm also surprisingly satisfied with the ending, and I would love to know what happens next. I loved the morally grey characters, the relationships each of them had with one other, and the intensity and tension in it all.
I think I will definitely do a reread in the (near) future.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

At the outset, Boys With Sharp Teeth promises a juicy, sordid mystery with all the trappings of a dark academia hit. There's a murder, an elite boarding school, an assumed fake identity, dangerous and sexy rich boys...certainly everything you'd want to sink your teeth into. But alas, I found the book to be more about aesthetics than substance, leaving me disappointed and hungry in the end.

This book immediately drew me in as it's set 45 minutes from my hometown. I was immediately charmed by the familiar locale and a main character that I found intriguing and relatable. The mystery was enticing from the jump and the characters at the boarding school felt like shadows I wanted to uncover and shine a light on.

But I was quickly let down. Sadly, a lot of this book relied upon telling not showing. The relationship between the mc and her deceased cousin is the emotional crux of the story, yet we never even get so much as one flashback to understand their importance to each other. The setting I was so excited about reading about does nothing to inform the story, and the two male leads were cut out caricatures with no real substance. All of the dialogue felt stilted for the sake of pretension and mystery, and I never felt like any of the characters had any sort of REAL conversation or connection.

This book also takes "nothing happens" to a whole new level. I'm a huge fan of pretentious, dialogue-heavy novels that are more idea than action, but none of the scenes or conversations stood out to me or managed to grab my attention.

I'm so sad to give this one a poor review. I hope other readers really love it and see things in it that I missed. On the outside, it has all the components of my favorite kind of novel, but it didn't hit the mark for me.

The roaring engines and the tension from Summer Sons meet the mirrors from Beholder in this eerie and thrilling young adult dark academia story.

‘Where Graves is stone and lightning, Henry is softer, slipperier, a boy I’m never quite sure if he’s there to save me or because he likes watching me struggle.’
 
Okay, first of all, this is not a romance, not even close. There’s so much attraction and repulsion without knowing if there’s a sexual charge underneath that it made me gasp for air and want to read on and on and on. Eyes lock, fingers brush, bodies touch until the tension is almost unbearable, but there’s never a sweet kiss, a shiver out of anticipation, a smile of recognition. This story is twisted and obsessive and sooo addictive.

‘The movement brushes my hair against his cheek and lets his breath tickle my ear.’

Jenni Howell’s writing is phenomenal, lush, and feverish, as if it were screaming in capital letters. Sometimes, I was wondering what the eff I was reading and where it would lead to, IF it would lead to something. But at the same time, I didn’t care because I highlighted so many passages and felt the constant thrill tugging at my heart.

‘Graves’s mouth moves, but I can’t hear him, all I can hear is the engine’s roar and the violins’ whine and then there’s Henry, his hand moving to mine.’

Jenni said either you’re team Henry or team Graves, and I think she’s right. I had a soft spot for the violin-playing, wicked smart boy seeming to be made of stone, but he felt so much softer on the inside to me, constantly hiding his true self.

‘I can feel his eyes on me, reminding me of every time he’s had me inside out, splayed across the table in front of him. He says nothing.’

This book grips you at your throat and tries to suffocate you, so you probably end up loving or hating it. But that’s exactly what this story is about. Hate is not that far from love, after all. I’m a lover and can’t wait for what Jenni Howell has in store for us next!