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Where Sleeping Girls Lie

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Where Sleeping Girls Lie

By: Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Narrated by: Natalie Simpson
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About this listen

A haunting and compulsive new dark academia mystery of secrets, lies and revenge, from the award-winning, bestselling author of Ace of Spades, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. Perfect for fans of Holly Jackson and Maureen Johnson.

This was a mistake, the voice in her head whispered. You should never have come...

Sade Hussein is the new girl at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy. She has no idea what to expect of her mysterious new boarding school–an institution steeped in tradition and secrets. But she certainly didn't imagine her roommate, Elizabeth, to go missing on her first night. Or for people to think Sade had something to do with it.

Suddenly everyone is talking about Sade, including the Unholy Trinity: the three most popular girls at school. Swept up in their circle, Sade can't shake the sense that there's more to Elizabeth's disappearance–especially as the teachers don't seem to care.

And then a student is found dead.

It's clear there's more to Alfred Nobel Academy and its students than Sade could have imagined–and she must race to uncover the truth. But secrets lurk around every corner and beneath every surface...secrets that rival even her own.

©2024 Usborne Publishing Ltd (P)2024 Usborne Publishing Ltd Best of 2024 Black Creators Bullying & Abuse Difficult Situations Islamic Heritage Literature & Fiction Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Physical & Emotional Abuse Thrillers & Suspense Student

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Critic reviews

"A heart-racing and twisty thriller." —Alice Oseman

"Strong Gossip Girl vibes and a whole lot of mystery." —Buzzfeed
All stars
Most relevant
🗣💬: " ...animosity isn't always a negative thing, it was sometimes just a symptom of caring for someone... deeply"

👩🏾‍🏫 𝔾𝔼ℕℝ𝔼: Dark Academia/ YA / Mystery

🎡 𝕋ℍ𝔼𝕄𝔼𝕊: Found Family . SA . Elitist privilege

📄 ℙ𝔸𝔾𝔼 ℂ𝕆𝕌ℕ𝕋: 576

✍️ ℙ𝕃𝕆𝕋: Sade Hussein is the new girl at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy. She has no idea what to expect of her mysterious new boarding school - an institution steeped in tradition and secrets. But she certainly didn't imagine her roommate, Elizabeth, to go missing on her first night. Or for people to think Sade had something to do with it.

💟 𝔽𝔼𝔼𝕃𝕊:
- The plot itself is brilliant but the pacing didn't seem to work (I'm not sure how else it could have been executed though, as there weren't any moments/sentences that felt like they should be cut).
- A dark deep-dive into the world of misogyny and how easily sexual abusers are protected.
- Very YA in its delivery...sometimes I just want a book with school students in it to know that there really is more outside of their world of school and they don't need to turn into inspector gadget and solve everything themselves.
- The friendships are wonderful
- Some of the conversations are stresssssful and extremely angering
- There are definitely moments that felt like "oh those boys wouldn't really go as far as x,y & z" and I think those are the moments to really pay attention to and maybe question why we don't think some of the most heinous things women have had to endure at the hands of men, are realistic.
- Something was definitely missing from this book; as much as it held my attention, I was left slightly dissatisfied..it felt as though THIS was the debut and couldn't live up to Ace of Spades for me.
- I would still recommend it and as I said, I didn't feel the urge to DNF (but that might be due to the audiobook keeping my attention)

Dissatisfied but hooked

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4.7 stars for a wonderful, impossibly addictive read


“Where Sleeping girls lie” follows Sade Hussein as she navigates the mysteries of Alfred Nobel Academy after experiencing significant losses. As she integrates into the school, the disappearance of her roommate propels her into dangerous territories, prompting her to fight against losing another person. The novel expertly explores themes of reputation & abuse of power in elite education, as well as dangerously toxic masculinity, and the impact of microaggressions on young women, while maintaining a thread of hope throughout the narrative.

I really enjoyed this book. The pacing sometimes felt slow at times but the overall story was gripping and immersive. The narrative, the world-building, and encountering the diverse characters were all elements that I adored. I was fully absorbed and found it impossible to put down.

Highly recommend to Mystery Thriller fans. (Please check trigger warnings).

Eerie, thrilling and captivating

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Its brilliantly performed but really quite dull…., probably more aimed at 10-15 year olds.

Bit of a children’s book

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I love how each character was portrayed . I’m here for Sade doing the work and fighting until the end for everyone

Loved it !!!

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A fun and thrilling ride.

I had a few questions but I guess they will never be answered.

Grateful I did not attend a boarding school

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