Author - Laura Steven
Release Date - September 19th, 2023
Genre - Young Adult Thriller/Mystery
Synopsis
A sapphic enemies-to-lovers retelling of Jekyll & Hyde, this dark academia thriller follows two roommates who must solve an infamous cold case of serial murders on their campus after an arcane ritual gone wrong prompts another death.
Ten years ago, four students lost their lives in the infamous North Tower murders at the elite Carvell College of Arts, forcing Carvell to close its doors.
Now Carvell is reopening, and fearless freshman Lottie is determined to find out what really happened. But when her beautiful but standoffish roommate, Alice, stumbles upon a sinister soul-splitting ritual hidden in Carvell’s haunted library, the North Tower claims another victim.
Can Lottie uncover the truth before the North Tower strikes again? Can Alice reverse the ritual before her monstrous alter ego consumes her? And will they give in to the ill-fated attraction that’s growing between them?
Exploring possession and ambition, lust and bloodlust, femininity and violence, The Society of Soulless Girls is perfect for fans of The Secret History, A Lesson in Vengeance, and The Grimrose Girls.
Representation: Sapphic, Queer, Asexual, Autistic, Neurodiversity
Trigger Warnings: sexual harassment, on page animal death, suicide, self-harm, violence, murder, physical abuse
Trigger Warnings: sexual harassment, on page animal death, suicide, self-harm, violence, murder, physical abuse
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Review:
A Society for Soulless Girls is an amazing young adult dark academic book. We are given a dual perspective, Lottie and Alice, throughout the book, along with beautiful descriptions. Usually, I have a hard time visualizing what I am reading, but Laura Steven’s described these dark academic vibes, old buildings and surroundings, right down to the smells and feelings. I felt like I was right there with the main characters, smelling what they were, and feeling what they felt. One of my favourite lines was the description of Lottie’s father sounding like sunshine and honeybees. I did not connect with Lottie as much as I did with Alice. She is introverted and finds love and comfort in libraries.
Laura Steven’s made sure we had really great Sapphic and ace representation. And she did not shy away from some very loved tropes from enemy to lovers with a nice slow burn, grumpy/sunshine, and, of course, the one bed trope.
If you are looking for a beautifully written Jekyll and Hyde retelling containing Sapphic main characters on a dark academic exclusive boarding school back drop, I highly recommend you give A Society for Soulless Girls a go. You will not regret it.
Laura Steven is an award-winning author from the northernmost town in England. She has published several books for children and young adults; her debut novel The Exact Opposite Of Okay won the inaugural Comedy Women In Print Prize in 2019, while The Love Hypothesis was optioned for TV by an Emmy-winning team. Her books have been widely translated, and her work has appeared in The i Paper, The Guardian and Buzzfeed.
I would like to Thank TBR Tours, Laura Stevens, and Netgalley for a copy of the book for review and blog tour purposes.
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