It’s like I keep stumbling into a dark room, searching for the switch to make things bright again...
Sade Hussein is starting her third year of high school, this time at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy boarding school, after being home-schooled all her life. Misfortune has clung to her seemingly since birth, but even she doesn’t expect her new roommate, Elizabeth, to disappear after Sade’s first night. Or for people to think Sade had something to do with it.
With rumors swirling around her, Sade catches the attention of the girls collectively known as the ‘Unholy Trinity’ and they bring her into their fold. Between learning more about them―especially Persephone, who Sade is inexplicably drawn to―and playing catchup in class, Sade already has so much on her plate. But when it seems people don't care enough about what happened to Elizabeth, it's up to she and Elizabeth's best friend, Baz, to investigate.
And then a student is found dead.
The more Sade and Baz dig into Elizabeth's disappearance, the more she realizes there’s more to Alfred Nobel Academy and its students than she thought. Secrets lurk around every corner and beneath every surface…secrets that rival even her own.
Add to your library to track progress and write reviews
Find Where Sleeping Girls Lie Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.
3 books in catalog
Dark academia thrillers and young adult mysteries exploring institutional racism, privilege, and hidden corruption have found a prominent contemporary voice in high-concept fiction. British author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé gained widespread acclaim with her debut young adult novel Ace of Spades, an instant New York Times bestseller that combines social commentary with psychological tension.
Her expanded body of work includes the boarding school mystery Where Sleeping Girls Lie and the collaborative novel Four Eids and a Funeral, reflecting her versatility across mystery, romance, and speculative storytelling.
Born on October 13, 1999, and raised in Croydon, South London, Àbíké-Íyímídé pursued higher education in Scotland at the University of Aberdeen, studying English, Chinese, and anthropology before receiving her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. She continued her academic studies by earning a Master of Arts in Shakespeare Studies from King's College London. In addition to writing novels, she has contributed articles and essays to publications including The Bookseller, gal-dem, NME, and Reader's Digest.
Her debut novel, Ace of Spades, published in 2021, received the 2022 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens and established her presence in young adult literature. Beyond her standalone novels, Àbíké-Íyímídé has contributed stories to major media franchises, including Marvel's Spider-Verse and BBC's Doctor Who. An avid tea drinker and collector of strange mugs who enjoys analyzing Disney Channel original movies, she is represented by literary agent Zoë Plant at The Bent Agency.
Àbíké-Íyímídé specializes in dark academia, mystery, and contemporary young adult fiction that pair fast-paced suspense with sharp social commentary. Her narratives frequently examine systemic inequality, institutional secrecy, and the pressures faced by marginalized students navigating elite academic environments, utilizing dark atmosphere and multi-layered character relationships to drive her plots.
Where Sleeping Girls Lie
