On its publication date, I’m delighted to be sharing my review of Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. I adored Ace of Spades, meaning I had extremely high expectations for Faridah’s sophomore novel. These expectations were easily beaten though, as Faridah smashes it out of this world again. Thank you so much to Usborne for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This review originally appeared on The Nerd Daily.
Sade Hussein is the new girl at Alfred Nobel Academy, a prestigious mixed boarding school. She’s always been home-schooled, and has no idea what to expect when she steps through the doors of her imposing new home.
But she certainly didn’t imagine her roommate, Elizabeth, going missing on her first night. Or for people to think Sade had something to do with it. Instead of blending in, suddenly everyone is talking about Sade, including the Unholy Trinity – a group of the most popular girls at the school.
Swept up in their circle, Sade still can’t shake the sense that there’s more to Elizabeth’s disappearance – especially as no one seems to care what’s happened to her. And then a student is found dead.
With sinister secrets rising to the surface of Alfred Noble Academy, Sade and her new friends must uncover the truth surrounding Elizabeth’s disappearance and bring the culprits to justice…before Sade’s own secrets catch up to her.
Publication Date: 14th March
TW: rape, murder, death, sexual assault, suicide, suicidal ideation, racism, grief, misogyny, death of a parent, child neglect, domestic abuse
My Thoughts:
Where Sleeping Girls Lie is Dark Academia at its finest – this is pure excellence through and through.
This book simmers with rage and that deep seated anger that gnaws at you until it is released. It leaves scorched earth in its wake. At its core, this is also very much a mystery story and Faridah has packed the pages full of twists and turns. There are some jaw-dropping revelations and the pacing is spot on, allowing you to build relationships with these characters while also keeping the pages flowing past you effortlessly.
I also adored the use of code throughout the book. On one hand, puzzle solving is always fun and I sat deciphering a passage of Morse Code just to unlock pieces of the puzzle. On the other, the use of this signifies the way language is enshrouded with hidden meaning throughout the book. Many people are talking in coded references to secrets they know about. It also reflects the coded language of the Alfred Nobel Academy itself. The school is so preoccupied with upholding its traditions and using this archaic language to communicate, with its own dictionary of words and phrases. For me, this elevates the mystery to a whole different level.
Sade is one of my favourite YA protagonists from recent years – she is smart, driven and complicated, not always telling the reader everything she knows. She becomes embroiled in this world of secret societies, missing girls and death as she gets pulled further and further into this seedy web of secrets. This is a book about vengeance and justice, sitting deeply in the ambiguities and the morally messy areas of those themes. Sade personifies that ambiguity at times. I connected with her instantly and she is messy and flawed, like any good heroine should be. She is incredibly believable and my heart ached for her. That grief weighs heavy on her shoulders and utterly shapes her world view. Grief profoundly changes you as a person and Faridah captures this so well. I also thought the surrounding characters are excellently fleshed out, becoming three-dimensional from your original sketches and glimpses of them. The supporting cast is well-developed and the central romance is an understated gem within the rest of the narrative. It develops at a natural pace and has cracking dynamics, dialogue and chemistry within it.
It is a dark book that deals with sensitive subjects. In particular, it examines toxic masculinity and rape culture through a searingly angry lens. It demands to know why this behaviour is accepted and enshrined into the very fabric of these institutions – seeking justice for the violence brought against women’s bodies, particularly when the victims are deemed as lesser by society. We see this on the very first few pages with the discussion of a slave owner’s statue and this personifies the idea of legacy outweighing the tangible violence and suffering hidden within that same legacy. As good Dark Academia does, it rips the fabric of these institutions to shreds. Actions should have consequences but when the system is built to protect certain people from those consequences, what price should they have to pay? It is a book that challenges and provokes in really interesting ways. This is a deeply moving and tough read, but it is also hopeful and provides solidarity in the darkness. It is just utterly striking.
Wrapped up in the themes of justice is an incredibly profound thread about grief. It hit a place deep within my heart with its raw honesty and vulnerability. Certain scenes brought me to the brink of tears and I sobbed at the ending – this is coming from a reader that scarcely cries. Faridah’s writing is just that stunning and all-consuming. There are also Shakespearean references through this, particularly to Hamlet, that tie these central themes back to the classical stories and show how timeless they are. It pays homage to the original influences of Dark Academia, while also grounding them in such human vulnerability.
Where Sleeping Girls Lie was powerful, impactful and unforgettable. This is a book that clamours to be read and won’t ever leave your head – ensure you pick it up.
A Short Book Lover 
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