Where Sleeping Girls Lie

by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

From the bestselling author of Ace of Spades comes a rip-roaring mystery that delves into the world of dark academia. With death at every corner, Sade and her friends have to uncover the harrowing truths of their boarding school in this look into female friendships with a haunting twist.

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.

A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2024 by Cosmopolitan, Entertainment Weekly, Goodreads, The Nerds Daily, She Reads, and so much more!

It’s like I keep stumbling into a dark room, searching for the switch to make things bright again...

Sade Hussein is starting her third year of high school, this time at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy boarding school, after being home-schooled. Misfortune has been a constant companion throughout her life, but even Sade doesn’t expect her new roommate, Elizabeth, to disappear after Sade’s first night. Or for people to think she had something to do with it.

With rumors swirling around her, Sade catches the attention of the girls collectively known as the Unholy Trinity and they bring her into their fold. Between learning more about them—especially Persephone, who Sade is inexplicably drawn to—and playing catchup in class, Sade already has so much on her plate. But when it seems people don't care enough about what happened to Elizabeth, it's up to her and Elizabeth's best friend, Baz, to investigate.

And then a student is found dead.

As Sade and Baz keep trying to figure out what’s going on, Sade realizes there’s more to Alfred Nobel Academy and its students than she thought. Secrets lurk around every corner and beneath every surface…Secrets that rival even her own.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250800855
Publisher:	Feiwel & Friends
Publication date:	03/19/2024
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	31,562
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is the instant New York Times, International bestselling,&Award-winning author of Ace of Spades. She is an avid tea drinker, a collector of strange mugs, and a graduate from a university in the Scottish Highlands where she received a BA in English Literature. She also has an MA in Shakespeare Studies from Kings College London. When she isn’t spinning dark tales, Faridah can be found examining the deeper meanings in Disney channel original movies.

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is the instant New York Times, International bestselling,&Award-winning author of Ace of Spades. She is an avid tea drinker, a collector of strange mugs, and a graduate from a university in the Scottish Highlands where she received a BA in English Literature. She also has an MA in Shakespeare Studies from Kings College London. When she isn’t spinning dark tales, Faridah can be found examining the deeper meanings in Disney channel original movies.

Editorial Reviews

★ 01/08/2024

Àbíké-Íyímídé (Ace of Spades) presents a powerful look at grief, rape culture, and moving on from loss in this exquisitely crafted paranormal mystery. Following her father’s death from a heart attack, recently orphaned Sade Hussein begins attending Alfred Nobel Academy, an elite boarding school. Soon after her arrival, her roommate Elizabeth goes missing. Elizabeth’s disappearance and school administrators’ commitment to sweeping it under the rug haunt Sade; unfortunately, hauntings are something she is well acquainted with. Death has always plagued Sade: her father’s, her mother’s suicide, and the drowning of her best friend, whose ghost often appears to her (“Sade felt her, the shadow girl from her nightmares, crawl into bed with her, and hold her close”). Suspecting foul play, Sade and new friend Basil embark on a mission to find Elizabeth and, with help from the Unholy Trinity—a group of popular girls who may know more than they’re letting on—the teens not only uncover clues about Elizabeth’s vanishing, but a culture of patriarchal violence terrorizing female students at the academy. Àbíké-Íyímídé employs exceptionally perceptive character dynamics rendered via beautifully twisty prose to deliver a searing indictment of sexual violence and the lengths to which corrupt institutions will go to discredit and silence survivors. Sade is Black and the supporting cast is intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Molly Ker Hawn and Zoë Plant, Bent Agency. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"Àbíké-Íyímídé (Ace of Spades) presents a powerful look at grief, rape culture, and moving on from loss in this exquisitely crafted paranormal mystery." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Where Sleeping Girls Lie is a beautifully written coming-of-age mystery that should appeal to fans of Tiffany Jackson, Kara Thomas, and Jumata Emill." —Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Àbíké-Íyímídé’s sophomore novel captures the spirit of dark academia. . ." —Booklist

"Sade is an easy protagonist to root for. . . the portrayal of kids fighting back against an old-guard, damaging system makes for an undeniably empowering read." —BCCB

"A boarding school mystery that tackles fresh topics. . . " —Kirkus

“Enthralling from the very first page, WHERE SLEEPING GIRLS LIE sinks you into a world flooded with deception and secrets. Unexpected but utterly earned twists and turns lead Sade deeper into this mystery, pulling the reader right alongside her. Àbíké-Íyímídé has expertly constructed a thrilling story anchored by pain and kept afloat by hope.” —Racquel Marie, author of Ophelia After All

“A harrowing mystery about a school festering with rot and a girl ready to walk right into its ugliest depths, with twists that made me gasp out loud. Àbíké-Íyímídé is back with a knife-sharp novel pointed right at the heart of society’s darkest corners.” —Andrew Joseph White, NY Times bestselling author of Hell Followed With Us and The Spirit Bears Its Teeth

"Flawless mystery. Where Sleeping Girls Lie builds with riveting intrigue, peeling back the facade of institutions and exposing the tender beating hearts of the girls trying to survive." —Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights

“Incisive and devastatingly insightful, Àbíké-Íyímídé rends a thriller in which every character is hiding painful secrets from themselves and each other, and true to life, justice is a hard-won thing. Where Sleeping Girls Lie paints an honest portrait of the rage of teenage girls and the catharsis found thereafter.” —Joelle Wellington, author of Their Vicious Games

"Where Sleeping Girls Lie seductively blends the irresistible camp of Mean Girls with the propulsive campus whodunnit of Wednesday and the vigilante thrill of Promising Young Woman. Àbíké-Íyímídé is an incisive force—and a total vibe." —Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six

From the Publisher

03/01/2024

Gr 9 Up—British author Àbíké-Íyímídé is back at it with another thriller in the same vein as her Ace of Spades. This time, readers are immersed in the prestigious boarding school Alfred Nobel Academy where main character Sade Hussein has recently transferred. Despite claims that the school is unwelcoming to new students, Sade is relatively quickly accepted by a handful of students just as her roommate goes missing. Meanwhile, Jude presents himself as a potential bad boy love interest. Turns out there's more to the bad boy edge than readers originally anticipate as Sade and friends uncover a sinister secret text thread where unscrupulous boys tell all, including date rape brags. As the finale is revealed, the perspectives shift multiple times, and unreliable narration is revealed. Overall, the work is ambitious, running long with too many characters and plot complications. The author wants to spend time establishing the setting and cast, but only the most determined readers will push past to the real intrigue. The book does have a nicely diverse cast, including a Black, Muslim main character. The LGBTQIA+ representation is excellent with two exceptionally well represented sidekicks whose identity is not just a plot device—readers will wish Basil was their bestie. VERDICT A decent thriller to add for Àbíké-Íyímídé's growing fanbase.—Leah Krippner

School Library Journal

2024-01-05
A mystery upends a London girl’s attempts to heal her grief-stricken life.

Recently orphaned Sade Hussein, a wealthy Nigerian British Muslim 16-year-old, was home-schooled before she entered the Alfred Nobel Academy, an international boarding school. There she meets Elizabeth Wang, her roommate and “house sibling,” a role describing those assigned to help new students acclimate. Sade soon becomes familiar with the school cliques, including the infamous—and beautiful—Unholy Trinity, comprising Persephone Stuart, Julliette de Silva, and queen bee April Owens (who used to room with Elizabeth). Sade’s new friendship with her roommate is abruptly interrupted when Elizabeth goes missing, and the Unholy Trinity approach Sade, curious about what might have happened. Meanwhile, Sade is investigating with Basil dos Santos, Elizabeth’s best friend, when a music box belonging to the missing girl mysteriously appears on Elizabeth’s bed. When attractive playboy athlete Jude Ripley shows an unwanted interest in Sade, one of her new friendships is negatively affected. Along with dealing with a missing roommate and complicated social dynamics, Sade, who struggles with panic attacks and night terrors, is haunted by a ghost girl, who visits her in regular nightmares and begs her for help. The very large cast, the uneven pacing and characterization, and the presence of several complicated storylines slow down the flow of this ambitious story. The characters are broadly diverse in ethnicity and nationality.

A boarding school mystery that tackles fresh topics but struggles to knit together multiple complex narratives. (content warning) (Mystery. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews