Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

111 reviews

elleyvette's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicide, and Sexual assault

melchncookies's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I’m not sure why, but this book took me forever to finish. That said, what an amazing work. As an adult reading a book on SA for a YA audience, I think this book is amazing. It deals with the unfortunate reality on reporting SA, death, rape-culture, justice, and power unchecked. I love a messy heroine, and Sade is that. 

The middle of the book was the most difficult to get through for me. I felt like the story could have moved along, but the end makes it clear why you had to read all of it. That said, the writing style was excellent. I have not read any other works by this author, and now they’ll go on my watch list.

I highly recommend reading this. It’s a little healing, even for adults.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Bullying, Rape, Sexual assault, Child death, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Death

Moderate: Self harm, Mental illness, Addiction, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Murder

jay_da_bookworm's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Mental illness, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Rape, and Death of parent

Minor: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

itzbrianna's review

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??!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Suicide, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence

sariereads's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Rape, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Physical abuse, Sexism, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Murder, Grief, and Mental illness

Moderate: Drug abuse

Minor: Dementia

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Took a while to get good, but when it did, it was really good. Hate books like this, but we need books like this. Need to keep exposing the light on toxic masculinity and toxic male privilege. Need to stop protecting boys behaving badly and start protecting our girls more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Confinement, Misogyny, Alcohol, Bullying, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexual harassment, Death, Murder, Child abuse, Stalking, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent

aliciaxingram's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Blood, Bullying, Sexual assault, Addiction, Murder, Rape, Suicide, and Child abuse

thissagreads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

After reading Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé‘s debut “Ace of Spades” I wished there was more character development and felt the story paced too slowly, with a rapid conclusion that left me feeling as though a lot of the story was still missing. So when I picked up Where Sleeping Girls Lie, I was slightly hesitant, but was intrigued by the story’s synopsis. Well I’m happy I read this story, because when I finished, I wanted more!! 

There was the right amount of mystery, diverse characters, multiple plot twists, ladies loving ladies -but not with an annoying romance trope- and a solid story which threaded all of the pieces together, wonderfully. The pace wasn’t too fast or slow, and the narrator’s voice was able to shift into different accents, beautifully. 

I had high hopes from Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and she knocked this book out of the park! Where Sleeping Girls Lie is a must read. Five stars!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Suicide, Child death, and Sexual assault

Minor: Drug use, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

catstead's review

emotional sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Suicide, and Death of parent

jasminedaria's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Death, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Drug use, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Rape

Minor: Animal death