I loved the vibes of this book, I’ve never read any dark academia before but this book has convinced me to start!
The female rage and generational trauma is done really well
I didn’t feel the romance, kinda felt like it came out of no where
Overall I did really like this book and would read others from this author
Also the narrators where excellent!
3.5⭐️

Ten years ago, four students died in the North Tower at Carvell College of Arts, an elite institution which was forced to close following the deaths.

Carvell has now reopened and new student Lottie is investigating what happened when her roommate, Alice, stumbles upon a ritual hidden in the library and the North Tower claims another victim.
Can they work together to solve the mystery before more students die?

This is a modern retelling of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde with a feminist twist. It explores possession and the violent impulses women have, that everyone has and what would happen if we lost control of our anger. It also highlights the abuse inflicted on women throughout history when they allowed their deepest emotions to be seen.

This is dark academia with a creepy convent setting, an immortal cat, a ghost nun and strange arcane rituals that were all, honestly, fabulous fun. It is also poignant and extremely well written, a lovely flowing read, it is character driven in terms of chapters alternating between the points of view of Lottie and Alice but the location is a character too and it is really well done.

A dark sapphic fantasy with supernatural edges that is perfect for crisp autumn nights.

I really struggled to get into this audiobook - I found the narrator quite distracting and I generally just struggled with the story.

A fun addition to the dark academia tradition. An elite boarding school! On-campus murder! Sleepwalking and transformations! Supernatural mystery! Lots of gothic notes and a lively, witty writing style make this feminist urban fantasy whizz by. The narrator made the story an enjoyable listen despite the occasional lapse in accent.

I didn't realise this book was YA at the time of requesting but was pleasantly surprised as I did enjoy it but then as the story progressed it felt lacking something and became hard to pay attention to. I liked the dual POV and really enjoyed this element of the story getting to see two sides of the same story but something just didn't sit with me and for that reason I didn't love it.

I listened to this as an ARC audiobook. It was a very interesting book with strong female characters. The basic plot was easy to follow and the narrator helped to bring the book to life. It’s not my normal type of book, but I did find it entertaining.

I unfortunately wasn't able to finish this audiobook, but the narrators were excellent. I loved the story as far as I got. The characters were a teensy bit cliched, but I think that might also be because I just got to meet them at the beginning of their story.

This was a bit of a slow start but then it suddenly became very exciting as the mystery of the soulless girls and the deaths of girls became apparent. A really enjoyable book with some great twists and surprises.

This is one of the best stories I've ever read/heard. The characters were absolutely fantastic and had such depth. The audio was done brilliantly. This is my top read of 2022.

“𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬: 𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐦𝐬; 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐠𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐝, 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐬. 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬.”

>>𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗢𝗙 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮<<
The way I feel about House of Hollow is the way I feel about this book. When I tell you I loved this book, I mean I LOVED it! It had everything I wanted in a creepy read—the characters, the setting, the mystery, Salem the cat and those rubies of Sister Maria.
Carvell was closed for several years because four teenagers lost their lives on the boarding school grounds. Now the doors are unlocked and once again welcoming students. Lottie and Alice are two of the new students who happen to be roommates. The complete opposites of each other, these two are haunted by a call to a dark tower and struggling with simmering anger. Steven focuses on anger and we explore how this affects Alice and her choices.

Get ready to have this book recommended to you multiple times. It is well written and the eerie atmosphere is everything. I love Alice and Lottie and they are the perfect examples of the 𝐠𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐲/𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞. There are creepy rituals, blackouts where the character is unaware of how they got there, rubies that appear in unexpected places and that haunting tower that pulls the reader in. The design and layout are stunning and the moment the title and cover make sense - perfection! I didn't want this book to end, I devoured it. I read this book in the month of October, it was one of my spooky season reads and it was perfect. This book delivers on all the spookiness and must be on your TBR.

- Boarding school
- Dark Academia
- Eerie pull to a dark, haunted tower
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde retelling
- Slow burn romance

Want a YA? Read this. What something creepy? Read this. Want to know which book to buy next? BUY THIS.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the gifted audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book, I can;t stop thinking about it. It perfectly encapsulates that beginning of University feeling where you don’t quite fit in, reminds me of always feeling like I was angry and shouldn’t (because society!), and the stupid and impulsive things we do in our teens and twenties because our brains aren’t fully developed. Underpinning that are threads of female friendship and love that just wrap it all in a lovely hug.

I love Steven’s exploration of female anger and the way it is frowned upon. As someone who has a hormone condition that makes me prone to very erratic mood swings (I describe some of these as red mist hulk mode) it was so nice to read a character that I related to so much in Alice. I think I would have tried something drastic like a soul splitting ritual to try and suppress it too.

As much has Alice thinks she’s alone in this, Lottie is right there with her trying to work out what is going on at this mysterious college but also trying to be a friend and being just as insecure as her.

This is a delicious story of mystery, friendship and love, self discovery, and sticking it to the patriarchy. The narrators for the audiobook, Beth Easdown and Farrah Cave, really bring each character to life showcasing both vulnerability and strength throughout the story.

Verdict: Excellent YA thriller, perfect for those who like Dark Academia and a Sapphic Romance.

Angry, violent, angsty teenage girls holed up in an exclusive college battling inner and outward demons. This was a great time. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was superb and I loved that the two main characters had two different voice actors, which really helped with the accents and personalities of the two girls. I enjoyed the supernatural element but I'm not sure it completely worked with the ending, which felt a little flat after a wonderful mysterious build up through the book. Definitely one I'd recommend though, especially if it is the first in a series as I think this story could develop further.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I loooooved this: sapphics, dark academia and horror? Sign me the f* up!!
I recommend this to anyone who'll listen to me!

This wasn't quite the Sapphic Jekyll and Hyde retelling I was expecting, however it worked! and it provided me with the dose of Dark Academia I needed at this time of year.. great!

Alice & Lottie met as assigned roommates in their dorm, at the recently re-opened Carvell College. Lottie's family are hesitant for her to go, considering the deaths of several students previously leading to the schools closure, whilst she is adamant to go. Alice has a deep rooted anger problem which she is willing to do anything to bring her own walls down.. even if it's a little bit, occult-ish.

This YA mystery has plenty of twists and turns, and is narrated by two English women, which takes a little getting used to, if like me you're used to American narrators, however their accents help to immerse in the Carvell College setting.

This book touched on asexuality, which I was pleasantly surprised by. We do have a not-quite-enemies-but-we're-also-not-friends to lovers situation blossoming throughout the book, which is pleasant but did feel more rushed in the final chapters.

This was my first audiobook through Netgalley and I did really enjoy it! Thank you NG, it was a fun listen!

When I first head about this book, a sapphic Jekyll and Hyde retelling in a Dark Academia setting, I thought... what's not to love

We join Alice and Lottie, as they meet through being assigned as roommates, when joining the illustrious Carvell College of Arts. But the College is has a dark history of deaths that Lottie is determined to uncover the secrets of. We also have Alice who has a few anger management issues and, as you do, seeks out a ritual to help with this, with a big consequence she can't imagine going in.

Can Alice and Lottie got over their initial impressions of each other and together solve the mystery all whilst stopping Alice being taken over by her angry alter ego.... Maybe.... and just maybe they will also start to see each other in a different light along the way!

I got the audio of this book through NetGalley (and had also preordered the physical copy and happy now to have it in my collection) The two different narrators were both great and helped keep the two POVs separate and distinct when listening.

*DID NOT FINISH*

There was nothing wrong with the book, at all. In fact, I would really like to pick up the physical edition and give it another go. I am VERY interested in what is going to happen and I was left wanting to know more about the murders and the storyline.

Sadly, I was just really not connecting with the narrators so I was not enjoying listening to the book. I think it could have been the accents.

Once I got into the voices of Lottie and Alice I was hooked in to this haunting, dark YA tale of murder, rituals and self discovery. The creepy college and tower are characters in itself providing the ideal backdrop for the two girls fight their way through the mystery. With twists, horrifying turns and snappish dialogue between characters it was an absorbing listen. The narration worked well and added an extra layer to the story.
It's a book that lingered and gave me a book hangover

I for one am deeply here to Laura Steven’s pivot into the sinister, dark academia side of YA.

Ten years ago, four teenagers died at Carvell College of Arts. And now, it’s reopening it’s doors for new students. Determined to be there, sunshiney Lottie insists on attending, even if that mean she has to share a room with grumpy Alice.

But all is not as it seems. Lottie finds a ruby implanted in her neck, and keeps blacking out. And Alice stumbles across an ancient ritual that might deal with her uncontrollable anger for good, which naturally does not go well. But how are these connected, and can Lottie and Alice save each other?

There’s a lot to love here. Stevens’ trademark wit sings through the pages, but is also blended in with a rich atmosphere, a compelling mystery and a sincere appreciation of gothic literature. I read pretty much the whole thing on the release day of my own book because it was just the kind of pacy, gripping read I needed.

3 Stars!

Synopsis: The Carvell murders left a mark and Carvell closed. But, years later Carvell has reopened and Lottie is determined to figure out the truth behind these mysterious deaths. However, when Lottie meets Alice, the mystery of these death becomes much more complex.

CW/TW: Death/Animal Death/Animal Cruelty/Murder/Mentions of Sexual Assault/Suicide/Mentions of Suicide/Blood/Violence/Possession/Sexism/Misogyny/Chronic illness mentioned – others may be present.

Rep: Bisexual MC, Sapphic MC, Asexual (Possibly Demisexual) MC, Queer side characters, Implied Neurodivergent side character (unspecified), Mentions of a chronically ill family member.

The Society For Soulless Girls, by Laura Steven, is a Jekyll and Hyde inspired/retelling with sapphic leads. As a lover of Gothic books I was thrilled to see this book on Netgalley!

Narrated by Beth Easdown; Farrah Cave – both Narrators were absolutely excellent and truly helped bring the experience to life. Both MC’s had such distinct voices and the narrators captured them so well – I adored both narrators and definitely believe they contributed to my enjoyment of this book.

Steven’s writing is incredibly atmospheric and engaging, it definitely hits the mark on being Gothic and manages to build tension and mystery well. The dual POV of Alice and Lottie also worked incredibly well for this particular book. Not only are the two characters polar opposites, they also have a very different view and experience of the Carvell Curse.

Lottie, we follow, as she arrives at Carvell with the intention to find out what actually happened to the victims of the Carvell Murders all those years ago. However, Lottie soon learns something more sinister may be behind the deaths as she begins to have unusual experiences at Carvell that leave her grasping at wisps of truth. Alternatively, Alice is at Carvell for the academics but when her anger starts getting the best of her she takes an unconventional route to help control it which leads to her experience blackouts and strange experiences. The two eventually realise they must work together to find the truth. The two pov’s work well to show how the two characters experiences differ but are also inextricably linked together. It gives us two unique insights into the mysteries surrounding Carvell and keeps you intrigued!

The plot was also interesting. However, it felt a little slow. The book has an incredibly slow start which is not inherently an issue as it set up Carvell, its mysterious past , and the characters. But, it felt a little drawn out to me and could have perhaps been a bit shorter because when the action actually begins the story is much more interesting. I really loved the mystery behind the deaths, questions as to if it was truly murder, or suicide, and if it was murder – who or what killed the Carvell victims. This was a very intriguing mystery that had a lot of twists and turns that kept you engaged. I also enjoyed the two mysteries experienced by the two MC’s.

Lottie’s mysterious experiences revolving around the tower where the deaths occurred was very interesting and I enjoyed watching her try to unravel the truth. Similarly, I enjoyed Alice’s own mysteries surrounding her anger and blackouts and what was truly happening to her, and how this was linked to the murders and to Lottie.

The book definitely felt inspired by Jekyll and Hyde especially with the focus and exploration of the duality of humanity, of good and evil. Though, and perhaps this is due to my own preferences, it seemed to lack something – subtlety perhaps. The book deals with many important themes that are explored throughout the whole book, but some times it felt a tad heavy handed. However, I did appreciate the themes explored and enjoyed how the author explored them through the plot and characters!

The characters were ok. Lottie is all pep and bright smiles and curiosity – which was great – she was a strong character (physically and mentally) and still had that brightness. However, it didn’t feel like she really developed beyond this persona and therefore fell a little flat. Similarly, Alice is all shar edges, pretention and anger. – which was interesting, it was nice to see a female character who wasn’t nice, happy, soft. But, again she didn’t really develop beyond this persona and came across as judgemental and a bit flat.

I was so thrilled to see this book would centre a sapphic romance and I did enjoy that it did. However, because of the characters lack of development the romance fell a little flat. It is incredibly slow burn (which I adored) but it didn’t fully capture me.

Overall, The Society For Soulless Girls by Laura Steven was an intriguing and atmospheric read that I enjoyed, but would have liked a little more from.

*I received an eARC via #Negalley and #HarperCollins UK in exchange for an honest review -thank you!*

3.5
I didn't love this as much as I'd hoped at the start but it was still enjoyable. I was hoping more for a murder mystery/thriller than a paranormal/mild horror with a slight mystery.
It was well written and I appreciated the different narrators for each POV as I think that helped keep me in mind of who we were hearing from.
I'm keen to read more from Laura Steven.