Where Sleeping Girls Lie

Thoughts 💭 ‼️Please be advised that the following thoughts addresses the topic of sexual violence.‼️ This book confirmed for me that I love YA books, period! I believe it’s because they are easy to get through and always have just enough drama to leave me speechless! Plus, they’re some of my favorite shows to watch on Netflix. 😂 Anyway, this book is a fantastic mystery thriller! I’ve never read a story set in the UK before, and it shows me that I need to explore more works by authors like her. The narrative jumps right in, as we find our main character, Sade, grappling with her new roommate Elizabeth’s sudden disappearance. The author does an excellent job addressing the issues that persist in girlhood, particularly within a misogynistic and rape culture. Most importantly, she sheds light on what these girls must do to survive by telling stories that often aren’t believed, and revealing experiences that remain in the shadows. As I always say, both publicly and privately: “I believe you.” 🥹 Sade is one of my favorite characters, and I absolutely love everything about her! The author takes us on a profound mental journey of grief with Sade, making us question our understanding of the events unfolding. Sade’s desire for justice mirrors our own, reflecting a justice that feels like it’s never quite enough. (I could get spiritual here, but I’ll refrain for the sake of brevity.) One of my favorite aspects of the book was its focus on diversity. Honestly, I was thrilled to read about the representation of queer characters, even though it’s not something I typically seek out. And I must say, I was genuinely shocked to discover that Sade has a twin sister! I must have missed that detail, or it was a well-placed surprise. 😂🤣 It all made sense once I found out!

This book was perfect for the season, with fall mystery vibes, and read as an audiobook. I went into this book with the reminder that this was a YA read set in high school. It reminded me of the TV series Riverdale. I really enjoyed this book but just wished it was at least college-age students, but not a dealbreaker. The mystery was great, I kept guessing wrong until the very end. lol. Fantastic writing and a powerful book. The voice-over actress was perfect. I kept imagining the main character was Marsha Thomason. I highly recommend it.

5 stars!
This is the standard for YA mystery/thriller! It has everything complex characters, an intriguing story, & actually tackles important topics without being too juvenile just because it’s YA

See my goodreads review!

Kept me on my toes.. not bad for my first mystery book.. there are some noteworthy trigger warnings