About the book
(from the Jonathan Ball Publishers website):
Ten years ago, four students lost their lives in the infamous North Tower murders at the elite Carvell College of Arts, forcing Carvell to close its doors.
Now Carvell is reopening, and fearless student Lottie is determined to find out what really happened. But when her roommate, Alice, stumbles upon a sinister soul-splitting ritual hidden in Carvell’s haunted library, the North Tower claims another victim.
Can Lottie uncover the truth before the North Tower strikes again? Can Alice reverse the ritual before her monstrous alter ego consumes her? And can they stop flirting for literally fifteen seconds in order to do this?
Exploring possession and ambition, lust and bloodlust, femininity and violence, The Society of Soulless Girls is perfect for fans of Ace of Spaces, The Secret History and The Inheritance Games.”
My Thoughts
I was immediately taken in by the idea of a dark and mysterious college in the 90s. It was a scenario I could absolutely identify with – not necessary the “dark and mysterious” bit, but university in the 90s. Maybe because I was Alice at that stage of my life, I was only wearing long dresses (whilst refusing to wear anything with a ‘label’, including Mr Price), I had long black hair and was basically living my favourite oxblood Doc Martins. Alice is a bad-ass though, where I am probably the total opposite – but this is NOT about me, I digress!
“This girl who was soft at heart, who was both the vast, dark woods and the glorious light of a full moon, who was angry at all the thousand tiny ways she’d been hurt in her life.”
“The Society For Soulless Girls” is dark, mysterious and even a little disturbing at times. If you enjoyed Netflix’s take on Wednesday Adams’ school career in “Wednesday”, you would surely appreciate this book.
This medium-paced Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde retelling was an easy and entertaining read. The chapters switch between the Alice and Lottie’s POVs, giving insight into each characters’ experience and psyche.
“Alice reminded me of the woods: vast and beautiful and dark, but overgrown with defense mechanisms; thistles and hogweed, poisonous mushrooms and gnarled roots. Talking to her was like grabbing a fistful of nettles.”
Is Carvell College haunted or cursed, or is there something else at play? Oh, did I mention that Carvell used to be a convent years ago?
“Time heals all wounds, but not the ones you leave infected.”
I enjoyed the well-written characters, and the exploration of female anger and feminism.
“Anger was a constant current. It felt fundamental to me as a person; a force of nature I couldn’t live without, like gravity.”
The ambience is dark and atmospheric and deliciously supernatural. The fact that I read this book in the aftermath of “spooky season” (just after Halloween) probably played a huge part as well. I did feel that the sapphic romance was a bit rushed. But in general, this was a very enjoyable read!
What I enjoyed:
• Dark academia
• YA mystery thriller
• Self-discovery
• Enemies to lovers
• Creepy location
With thanks to Jonathan Ball Publishers for the opportunity to read this book.
RRR (Roelia Reads Rating) 3.5/5
The details
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, South Africa – Jonathan Ball Publishers
Publishing Date: August 2022
Format: Paperback
About the Author
@roelia_reads Laura Steven’s “The Society for Soulless Girls” #aesthetic ❤️🔥 #roeliareads #ya #thesocietyforsoullessgirls #laurasteven #booktok #booktoksa🇿🇦 #books @Jonathan Ball Publishers ♬ Lucretia My Reflection (Vinyl Version) – The Sisters Of Mercy