Where Sleeping Girls Lie is dark academia at its finest—this is excellence through and through.
I adored Ace of Spades, meaning I had extremely high expectations for Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s sophomore novel. These expectations were easily beaten though, as she smashes it out of this world again. This book simmers with rage and that deep seated anger that gnaws at you until it is released, leaving scorched earth in its wake. At its core, this is also very much a mystery story and Àbíké-Íyímídé 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 and 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 Àbíké-Íyímídé 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. Àbíké-Íyímídé’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.
Where Sleeping Girls Lie is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of March 14th 2024.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
In Where Sleeping Girls Lie ― a YA contemporary mystery by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, the New York Times-bestselling author of Ace of Spades ― a girl new to boarding school discovers dark secrets and coverups after her roommate disappears.
Sade Hussein is starting her third year of high school, this time at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy boarding school. After being home-schooled all her life and feeling like a magnet for misfortune, she’s not sure what will happen. What she doesn’t expect though is for her roommate Elizabeth to disappear after Sade’s first night. Or for people to think she had something to do with it.
With rumours swirling around her, Sade catches the attention of the most popular girls in school – collectively known as the ‘Unholy Trinity’ – and they bring her into their fold. Between learning more about them – especially Persephone, who Sade finds herself drawn to – playing catch-up in class, and trying to figure out what happened to Elizabeth, Sade has a lot on her plate. It doesn’t help that she’s already dealing with grief from the many tragedies in her family.
And then a student is found dead.
The more Sade investigates, the more she realises there’s more to Alfred Nobel Academy and its students than she realised. Secrets lurk around every corner and beneath every surface…secrets that rival even her own.
