Boys with Sharp Teeth will be released on April 8, 2025. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC for review purposes; all opinions expressed here are my own.
Jaymie Vane is the newest student at Huntsworth Academy, an exclusive prep school where nothing is what it seems—particularly not Jaymie herself. Under this assumed name and false pretenses, she’s entered the school from her life in the small, forgettable nearby village with a single motive: track down the Huntsworth students responsible for her cousin’s murder, and get revenge.
With the name of three potential murderers and her fierce determination, Jaymie is certain that her investigation will be easy. But surrounded by crisp jackets, old scars, and mirrors that show far more than a simple reflection, she quickly discovers that Huntsworth is a place where nightmares are as powerful as lies.
To earn her revenge, Jaymie may have to give up everything—including herself.
Sharp writing, a carefully developed atmosphere, and almost surreal plot twists combine to make Boys with Sharp Teeth a compulsive read. This story absolutely capitalizes on dark academia’s thread of magic, allowing a sense of the paranormal to develop throughout and add to the atmosphere long before the characters—or readers—fully understand it, or are even sure that it isn’t just another lie. This layer of unreality contributed hugely to the appeal of the characters and story; it was often very hard to dissect what was and wasn’t real, particularly with the descriptive prose and metaphors, which created so many questions for the reader.
Howell managed to make the story feel complete while providing very little closure, which left me finishing the book with the same sense of unease that permeated the entire book. It also meant that, unlike many eerie stories that somewhat fall flat once the big reveal occurs, Boys with Sharp Teeth maintains its darkly mysterious edge beyond the final page. Indeed, the writing here is one of the biggest strengths of this book; Howell’s word choice and prose is phenomenal,
Reading this as an advance reader’s copy, I wasn’t able to find the extensive content warnings on the author’s website that the opening note indicated would be present, but I hope that they’ll be updated there as the release date draws nearer, as they are absolutely necessary. In particular, I think that Boys with Sharp Teeth could’ve benefited from a few more sensitivity readers with regard to the somewhat blasé discussions and portrayals of suicide in the second half of the book; if you find this to be a triggering topic, I suggest proceeding with caution through this story.
I highly recommend Boys with Sharp Teeth to dark academia lovers ages sixteen and up.
Quick note: I’ve seen this book mentioned in multiple places as including LGBTQ+ rep, which it does not. I also would not classify it as a romance, another common tag; the developing relationships between the characters are founded far more on secrets and self-aware manipulation than romance.
young adult / dark academia / horror / standalone / ages 16+
Jaymie Vane is the newest student at Huntsworth Academy, an exclusive prep school where nothing is what it seems—particularly not Jaymie herself. Under this assumed name and false pretenses, she’s entered the school from her life in the small, forgettable nearby village with a single motive: track down the Huntsworth students responsible for her cousin’s murder, and get revenge.
With the name of three potential murderers and her fierce determination, Jaymie is certain that her investigation will be easy. But surrounded by crisp jackets, old scars, and mirrors that show far more than a simple reflection, she quickly discovers that Huntsworth is a place where nightmares are as powerful as lies.
To earn her revenge, Jaymie may have to give up everything—including herself.
Sharp writing, a carefully developed atmosphere, and almost surreal plot twists combine to make Boys with Sharp Teeth a compulsive read. This story absolutely capitalizes on dark academia’s thread of magic, allowing a sense of the paranormal to develop throughout and add to the atmosphere long before the characters—or readers—fully understand it, or are even sure that it isn’t just another lie. This layer of unreality contributed hugely to the appeal of the characters and story; it was often very hard to dissect what was and wasn’t real, particularly with the descriptive prose and metaphors, which created so many questions for the reader.
Howell managed to make the story feel complete while providing very little closure, which left me finishing the book with the same sense of unease that permeated the entire book. It also meant that, unlike many eerie stories that somewhat fall flat once the big reveal occurs, Boys with Sharp Teeth maintains its darkly mysterious edge beyond the final page. Indeed, the writing here is one of the biggest strengths of this book; Howell’s word choice and prose is phenomenal,
Reading this as an advance reader’s copy, I wasn’t able to find the extensive content warnings on the author’s website that the opening note indicated would be present, but I hope that they’ll be updated there as the release date draws nearer, as they are absolutely necessary. In particular, I think that Boys with Sharp Teeth could’ve benefited from a few more sensitivity readers with regard to the somewhat blasé discussions and portrayals of suicide in the second half of the book; if you find this to be a triggering topic, I suggest proceeding with caution through this story.
I highly recommend Boys with Sharp Teeth to dark academia lovers ages sixteen and up.
Quick note: I’ve seen this book mentioned in multiple places as including LGBTQ+ rep, which it does not. I also would not classify it as a romance, another common tag; the developing relationships between the characters are founded far more on secrets and self-aware manipulation than romance.
young adult / dark academia / horror / standalone / ages 16+
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