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A review by itzbrianna
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
“But the thing about grief was that even one hundred good days were sometimes weighed down by an overwhelming guilt of forgetting.”
Where Sleeping Girls Lie is a riveting mystery that takes place at Alfred Noble Academy (ANA). Sade, the protagonist, joins the academy to start her junior year of high school after being homeschooled. On her first night there she makes friends with her roommate Elizabeth, but it’s short lived once it’s revealed that Elizabeth is missing.
This novel is a slow burn mystery that takes its time leading up to the climax of the story. Every so often, my own theories of what happened to Elizabeth changed as we learn that ANA has way more secrets than a missing girl.
Faridah perfectly weaves the process of trauma and grief in the characters journey so much so that I felt it heavily at times while reading. I enjoyed how this book kept me guessing and though the reveal was a bit predictable, the execution made it all worthwhile.
In terms of character development? Not as strong as I would’ve liked. Naturally we get most of Sade because she’s the protagonist, but the other characters who seemed to be her partners in crime aren’t as fleshed out as I would’ve liked.
The pacing? It started fast for me and then seemed to slow down a lot around the middle. And then picked up right at the very end. It seemed A LOT could’ve been cut out to make this book a bit shorter to help with the pacing.
Overall, I enjoyed this and would read again to see if I feel the same way. If you enjoy descriptive storytelling in a dark academic setting, then def read Where Sleeping Girls Lie.
BUT wtf happened to the dad??!
Where Sleeping Girls Lie is a riveting mystery that takes place at Alfred Noble Academy (ANA). Sade, the protagonist, joins the academy to start her junior year of high school after being homeschooled. On her first night there she makes friends with her roommate Elizabeth, but it’s short lived once it’s revealed that Elizabeth is missing.
This novel is a slow burn mystery that takes its time leading up to the climax of the story. Every so often, my own theories of what happened to Elizabeth changed as we learn that ANA has way more secrets than a missing girl.
Faridah perfectly weaves the process of trauma and grief in the characters journey so much so that I felt it heavily at times while reading. I enjoyed how this book kept me guessing and though the reveal was a bit predictable, the execution made it all worthwhile.
In terms of character development? Not as strong as I would’ve liked. Naturally we get most of Sade because she’s the protagonist, but the other characters who seemed to be her partners in crime aren’t as fleshed out as I would’ve liked.
The pacing? It started fast for me and then seemed to slow down a lot around the middle. And then picked up right at the very end. It seemed A LOT could’ve been cut out to make this book a bit shorter to help with the pacing.
Overall, I enjoyed this and would read again to see if I feel the same way. If you enjoy descriptive storytelling in a dark academic setting, then def read Where Sleeping Girls Lie.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence