Where Sleeping Girls Lie - shelf-to-table.org

Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

4 Stars

“Where Sleeping Girls Lie, I write to young girls who feel so much anger, and need desperately for someone or something to tell them their rage is important, and that the capacity to heal from deep wounds is not at all impossible.”

Where Sleeping Girls Lie follows Sade as she transfers to a mysterious boarding school, only for her roommate Elizabeth to suddenly disappear—an event the school seems disturbingly unconcerned about. Refusing to let Elizabeth be forgotten, Sade begins investigating alongside Elizabeth’s best friend, pulling her deeper into a web of secrets, lies, and unsettling truths.

I absolutely loved this novel. It struck the perfect balance between thriller, contemporary fiction, and a subtle hint of romance. While the opening was a bit slow for me and took some time to fully pull me in, once the story gained momentum, I couldn’t put it down. I needed answers. The mystery kept unfolding in unexpected ways, with plot twists coming one after another and constantly keeping me on edge.

The setting was one of my favorite elements—an elite academic boarding school layered with tension, secrecy, and unease. It added such a strong atmospheric pull to the story and made the mystery feel even more immersive. The plot was gripping, and the characters were incredibly well done. Each one served a clear purpose, contributing meaningfully to the overall story.

Before the First Page

This book had been sitting on my TBR for way too long, and I was seriously craving a twisty, boarding-school mystery. I’d heard so many great things about the author’s writing—especially her ability to balance atmosphere, emotion, and suspense—and I’d been meaning to pick up one of her books for ages. This finally felt like the perfect time to dive in.

Book Thoughts

Book Synopsis

After transferring from homeschooling to the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy, Sade Hussein hopes for a fresh start—but her new roommate disappears after their very first night. With rumors pointing at her and the police doing little to investigate, Sade teams up with her roommate’s best friend, Baz, to uncover the truth. As another student turns up dead and the elite “Unholy Trinity” circles closer, Sade realizes the boarding school is hiding dark, dangerous secrets—ones that may be more connected to her than she ever imagined.

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Baz completely stole my heart. His friendship with Sade and Persephone was easily my favorite dynamic in the book—their bond felt genuine, supportive, and deeply comforting amid all the chaos. I was also genuinely surprised by the relationship between April and Francis, but by the end of the novel, I absolutely adored Francis and truly believe he was one of the best guys in the group.

“Sometimes justice looked like this: it wasn’t fair, and it wasn’t just. But it was something. A start.”

Beyond the mystery, this novel explores heavy but important themes such as grief, trauma, healing after tragedy, and learning to rely on the people you can trust. It also thoughtfully addresses LGBTQ+ representation and difficult topics, including sexual assault, making it an emotionally layered and impactful read. Overall, Where Sleeping Girls Lie is an eccentric, twist-filled, and emotionally resonant novel that I would highly recommend—especially for readers who love dark academia vibes mixed with suspense and heart.

Shelf-To-Table

The perfect food pairing for this novel is a Blackberry & Brie Grilled Cheese. Just like Where Sleeping Girls Lie, this sandwich balances softness (friendship, loyalty, healing) with tension (secrets, suspicion, and the unsettling quiet of a boarding school hiding something). The blackberry’s deep color even mirrors the novel’s dark academia atmosphere—elegant, mysterious, and a little dramatic.

Do you think the greatest danger in the novel came from the mystery itself, or from the culture of silence that allowed secrets to remain hidden?

I think the greatest danger came from the culture of silence that allowed secrets to remain hidden. While the mystery itself was dangerous, it was the unwillingness of people to speak up and confront the truth that allowed problems to grow and continue harming others. When wrongdoing is ignored, covered up, or kept secret, it creates an environment where more issues can arise and where people feel pressured to hide their own experiences and secrets as well.

One of the novel’s strongest messages is that silence can be just as damaging as the actions being hidden. The longer the truth stays buried, the more people are affected by it. Eventually, the truth always finds a way to come to light, and what matters most is how people respond when it does. Learning from the truth, taking accountability, and showing compassion to those who have been hurt are what allow healing and change to happen.