I really enjoyed this book. It was funny and creepy and everything I could’ve asked for in a supernatural fantasy book. There were lots of twists and turns and I didn’t see any of them coming!!

Carvell college of arts was once a well-renowned institution. Nowadays, it’s plagued with the memory of the 4 students that died in the campus’ North Tower. 10 years after the infamous North Tower murders, Carvell re-opens and Alice and Lottie enrol as students. Lottie is determined to figure out what happened to the students who died. Meanwhile, Alice stumbles upon a sinister ritual which is meant to help her control her anger. All too soon, unexplainable things start to happen. Can Lottie uncover the truth about the North Tower murders? Can Alice reverse the ritual before her satanic alter ego consumers her? Buy the book and read it to find out!!!

The audiobook is beautifully narrated. It is dual POV and dual narration which gives a nice touch to the audio. The speakers of both characters also have the right accents which is a bonus.

The book itself is the perfect mix of fantasy and romance with a dark academia setting. The romance is a enemies to friends to lovers slow burn which suits the book really well. It’s the supernatural Jekyll & Hyde retelling which is really at the centre of this book. Alice and Lottie are both really strong characters and the book screams GIRL POWER.

It’s funny, it’s dark and it’s incredibly well written. I would highly recommend it!!!

This book had the potential to be a 5-star material, but instead it just got 3 stars… why you ask? Because of the way in which the story is marketed. The presentation line suggests: “*A dark and funny YA thriller with a supernatural twist. From the winner of the Comedy Women in Print Prize*”, but I really didn’t see what was funny in the description of gothic lifestyles, esoteric rituals, and not to mention character deaths. Quite a lot of them. Next is the “YA” category, which readers notice from the first pages that it should have been more appropriately classified as “new adult”, next to women psychology. The characters’ behaviors and development also doesn’t fit the description and I had to get near the end of the book to make some sense of the two main storytellers of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK Audio, Electric Monkey, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads!

#TheSocietyforSoullessGirls #NetGalley #LifeLongLearning

I really enjoyed this! I loved the narration! I found the personalities of the protagonists coming through in the narrators performances and I really welcomed that.

I didn't read the blurb for this before I went in, and I read along with a physical copy. It was not what I expected at all and I really had good fun! I felt like it was a mixture between a mystery and a YA fantasy.

I really enjoyed the plot progression and really felt as though I was in tune with the characters. I wanted to know just what was going on... I was really surprised by the twists and thoroughly enjoyed myself! Great autumnal read/listen for me!

At its core, The Society for Soulless Girls is about female anger and how the world perceives it.

Throughout the story there is a constant sense of eeriness and mystery, hidden secrets and murderous intent.
Alice and Lottie just started at the newly re-opened university, the Carvell College of Arts. A college known not only for its academic merits, but also for the infamous North Tower murders that occurred on campus almost ten years ago, forcing the elite university to close its doors.
While Lottie is determined to find out what happened all those years ago, Alice tries to find an outlet for her rage at the world at large. Through different ways, both stumble into a supernatural and sinister soul-splitting ritual that is described in a secret book hidden in the university library.

I appreciate that the audiobook was divided into chapters and even more that the two main characters were read by different narrators.

The Society For Soulless Girls by Laura Steven

This is a great dark academia novel, it’s loosely based on Jekyl & Hyde but with some Nuns and a murderer thrown into the mix. Plus a bit of slow burning romance.

I did really enjoy this book even though its probably aimed at a younger audience than i am, that being said there is some swearing so definitely aimed at the older end of YA.

The story is told from the perspectives of two main character’s Lottie and Alice and it tells you at the start of each chapter who is speaking. It gripped me early on but did lag a little in the middle before picking up the pace again towards the conclusion.

I will say that i listened to this as an audiobook and although the two narrators did a great job of telling the story there were some pretty bad mispronunciations that really should have been picked up. I found them incredibly distracting and they brought me out of the book. The worst example of this was pronouncing Holy as Holly in a book where Nuns and a convent are central to the story. It’s a shame as both girls voiced the characters really well and “acted” it well but both mispronounced words multiple times.

Overall an enjoyable book but i would recommend the physical book over the audio

Such an exciting invigorating read! I loved the lesbian rep in this it was so refreshing and fun to read about, especially with the quirky voice of the main character.

I flew through this book so fast. I cannot wait to read more from this author—I really am going to go out and buy the hardcopy, as I’ve enjoyed the narrator for this so much but know I would like it even better if I read once myself as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audio ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A Sapphic Jekyll & Hyde retelling set in the College? Sold.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, probably more than I expected to if I'm being honest. The narration of this was so well done and I'm glad the both MCs had a different narrator. It made distinguishing between the POVs a lot easier and helped elevate the complexity of their characters. Now, I'm not a major fan of slow burn romance but I do think that listening to this story helped me get over that a little bit. I could appreciate seeing Alice and Lottie's love story unfold in the subtlety of sleeting glances and gentle touches but also in their personal struggle with accepting that there are feelings between them. I also loved seeing how very different both of these characters were but were both so very flawed too.

In addition to their enemies to lovers story we have the bones of this book. Which includes murder, rituals, and investigation and above all else rage. There was such rage in this book, and I think that's what ultimately led me to be as enthralled with this as I was.

Overall, I enjoyed how eery this was and can appreciate the darkness that came with this. A perfect read for the spooky season.

DNF at 37%
I was excited to read this because it sounded so good and it’s set at a boarding school and I love boarding school settings but unfortunately that’s just how it goes! I don’t have any concrete reasons for not liking this, except I just… didn’t like it at all. I was bored through most of it – I told myself “okay let’s listen to 30 mins real time and then make a decision (to push through or just dnf). I think I didn’t even make it 10 minutes and I was zoning out and didn’t even want to make myself listen to the book.

We were promised a lot in the book and I don’t think I saw any of that. I found everything so boring and I try to immediately stop reading when I find the book boring. Yes, I saw the book was dark and while I do like I couldn’t bring myself to actually care about it. Apparently there’s humour in the book – I did not crack a single smile through the bit that I read. I didn’t like the narrators so I think that added to my dislike of the book.

Really enjoyed this book.
Audiobook narrator was very good and the characters felt very separate and different.
Story came together very well and flowed really easily throughout.
Felt very invested in these characters stories and outcomes in the book, they had a real relatable quality to them and I wanted them to succeed.
A great dark academia/fantasy book.
4/5 stars overall.

-90’s
-Angry Women
-Only 151 Pokemon exist
-Floppy Disks
-Goths
-Dark Academia
-Spiritual Possession
-Cursed School
-Ex convent
-Sapphic
-ACE ACE ACE (reads as grey ace)


Ex-convent is turned into a fancy art college, 4 people die from falling out of a tower, school closes, mystery not solved, school reopens 10 years later.

Alice is a classic 90’s goth, carries a briefcase and wants to be a judge. She has anger issues and tries a ritual to contain her anger. It backfires and splits her soul in half, one good, one bad. Fun. Also, likes women.

Lottie is the pretty, athletic blonde (pretty sure she’s blonde….) who wants to solve the Carvell mystery. Keeps finding herself out of bed in the middle of the night with no memories. Reads like she’s grey sexual/romantic. See quote:
Spoiler.......
'hell, I'd never even entertained the concept of romance before' she also mentions not wanting to kiss anyone till she met Alice

Alice and Lottie are roommates. They instantly dislike each other due to Lottie looking like a high school bully and Alice being a jerk.

Slow burn enemies to lovers. Loved the dark nature and the exploration of women's anger.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for giving me an ARC audio of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I listened to the audiobook. Dual POV. Both narrators, Beth Easdown and Farrah Cave did an excellent job. Highly recommend the audio if that's your thing.


How I rate books
1- I disliked this book very much. Highly unlikely to read this author again
2- Eh. I didn't hate it. Might give the author another go
3- It was fun
4- Amazing and would read again
5- I'm in love. Give me more right now!

DNF at 20%

I could not finish this book: the characters were insufferable and pretentious and I just couldn't go on listening to their whining.

„The Society For Soulless Girls“ reads like a paranormal, sapphic and even creepier retelling of „Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde“.

In the 1980s, four suspicous deaths shook the students of the elite Carvell College of Arts to their core and led to the school’s subsequent closing. Now, ten years later, Carvell opens its gates to a new student body once more. Lottie is determined to uncover what exactly happened a decade ago, but before long, sinister things start happening again and she – along with her roommate Alice – finds herself right in the middle of it all.

I haven’t read a whole lot of books of the dark academia genre, so I thought I’d give „The Society For Soulless Girls“ a try. Unfortunately, it left me a little bit disappointed.
I did enjoy the overall storyline, the paranormal elements and the creepy vibe this novel emanates. However, I wasn’t a big fan of the characters, which almost always tends to dampen my reading experience. I did not much care for either Alice or Lottie and whilst I appreciate the sapphic romance, I didn’t buy their supposed attraction. Also, there aren’t a whole lot of characters in this book to begin with, which makes it impossible for the reader to try and figure out for themselves who, if anybody, might have had a hand in those gruesome events.

Even though, this book wasn’t quite my cup of tea, I’d still recommend it to fans of dark academia, paranormal mysteries and sapphic romances.

A very promising premise: sapphic romance and gothic murder mystery that loses something in the execution and conclusion. I loved the themes of female anger and empowerment but found the intricacies of the plot were slightly muddled. Also as it had a 90s setting I was expecting more retro vibes, but aside from a mention of a floppy disk it felt like it could easily have been set in the present day.

The society for soulless girls a book about 2 girls who join a school where a tragic accident occurred years before This book would appeal to young adults who like dark academic books. Good representation and easy to read but slightly predictable.

Book review (sorry it's been a while) I have been reading voraciously but haven't been posting. This was a netgally arc
This book needs to be read. It's a solid 5🌟 a beautifully written tale of Gothic horror, feminist power and explores the topic of female anger incredibly well. The characters were so well developed I feel as if I know them. Fabulous parallels drawn from classics such as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde weave into this story of murder suicide and hauntings. There is even a beautiful love story. This is a must read for anyone i can't wait to explore more of this authors work.

Actual rating 2.5/5 stars.

Carvell College of Arts was once an elite and well-renowned institution. Now, the only thing it is known for is the series of murders that occurred there, ten years ago. It has reopened its doors and students flock there, despite its history. Some have more than the desire for an education as their reason for attending there, however.

I was so sad and shocked not to find myself loving this one more. I love isolated settings, elite academic institutions, and the dark academia genre so felt sure to find much to appreciate here as it delivered all three. However, the supernatural twist didn't wholly work for me, despite my immediate bond with these characters and my interest in the setting they were placed within.

I found some of the twists to be predictable but also the journey there felt a little prolonged and repetitive, on times. I wished for this to venture into darker territory and for more of the setting to be traversed. However the characters were brilliantly executed and my favourite aspect about this novel were how authentic and individual each appeared. They ensured Laura Steven to be an author I sample from, in the future.

I really feel the idea behind The Society for Souless girls was brilliant and the blurb sounded perfect for me but I was a little disappointed. Although it was read very well by the narrators I thought the descriptions were off and there was detail in things that didn't need visuals, like the descriptions of the clothes. The bragging about how what they drank e.g. 5 whiskey/vodkas and cokes was also annoying and unauthentic.

I wanted to like this book but it wasn't for me.

It's a great premise, but one I feel could have been executed better. One of the main characters Lottie is pretentious and comes off as basically what the girls say they hate. So it's hard to warm to her character. It could have been a bit more in-depth too. The ending comes fast and leaves you a tad deflated. To be honest with you I was a bit puzzled at what year it was too. For all this, I'm deducting half a point.

Even though I’ve said all that I seriously enjoyed it. Complete juxtaposition or maybe even contradictory, but it is a great book. The narration from both Beth Easdown and Farrah Cave was spot on. It is also a book I would highly recommend. It’s also kind of a feminists wet dream to be fair.
A story of darkness and hope. Filled with Rubies and Diamond souls. And packed full of the soulless.
It’s a story that has waited a very long time to be told.

4.5/5

This 1990s, Northumberland-set dark academia has supernatural elements of possession and soul splitting in a sapphic Jekyll and Hyde-esque novel all about the power of female anger - and the men trying to repress and profit from it.

It is a deliciously creepy book. While there is certainly supernatural things happening, the question of exactly how much and how far it will go haunts the book. The supernatural also has some body-horror like elements, which I find particularly creepy (it's definitely much less than other books, such as JUNIPER AND THORN, but there's a little bit of it!)

The setting matches this very well - the north English countryside with it crags and cold and forests. I LOVED seeing the UK setting, and in a beautiful part of the country that's often overlooked for London. The autumn and winter timeframe plays well into the atmosphere too - it can get very cold up there and the loss of light across the book reflects the increasing danger.

As a dark academia, set in a university, it is full of literature and philosophy references. Lottie is takes English Literature courses (including Gothic Literature and its impact on readers) while Alice studies philosophy. I love academic references in books, and dark academia is the natural place for it - and it's done so accessibly. If, like me, you've never studied either of those topics, the book never once makes you feel dumb or on the outside of "getting it." And all the discussion of gothic literature fits in so well with the Jekyll and Hyde-esque nature of the story (though it is certainly not a simple retelling!)

I loved Alice and Lottie! There's a great contrast between the ever-angry Alice, seething against injustices and also minor frustrations of life, while Lottie is ever cheerful. The book explores how both paths are valuable and necessary - and neither are wrong, if handled thoughtfully and not allowed to run away (as both can be damaging to the self if taken too far.)

And of course, there's their slow-build and slow-burn relationship. I particularly liked the discussion of Lottie's asexuality - and the demi/grey-nuance of it. The fact that she is attracted physically now does not invalidate that she never was before.

I am looking forward to Laura Steven's next book!

This is a book that grew on me as I read it. I’d heard that the characters in this book were annoyingly pretentious and found myself agreeing at first. The character of Alice seemed unreasonably angry but by the end of the book I liked the anger. The plot was very clever and the plot twists were good. Not that type that make me stop and put the book down or give me goosebumps but enjoyable nonetheless. The narration was nice to listen to although both narrators mispronounced just a couple of words each.