Review: Boys With Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell

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What's the Vibe?

Grief and Loss

Gothic Academia

Hidden Identity

Huge thanks to Roaring Brook Press for the ebook of Boys With Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell to review.

Something sinister resides at Huntsworth Academy.

Two boys. Two girls. One unexplained death. And a search for answers that only leads to more questions. Boys with Sharp Teeth follows a group of students some who are not who they seem, secrets, and something that may be much more dangerous than grief alone. Who, or maybe even what, is to blame for all of the death and destruction that haunts Huntsworth?

Jenni Howell's writing is enchanting. It has a lyrical quality to it, and reads like a sonnet about grief and loss and the desperate need to understand the why. Why do we lose one person and not another? Why do some people suffer infinite loss while others seem to suffer none? It is the haves and have-nots of loss, wrapped in prose so haunting it almost feels like a spell.

And this cover? I want this cover as a piece of art on my wall.

While the writing is beautiful, there is this underlying malevolence that slowly leaks into the story. At first, you are captivated by the musicality of the words themselves, but then the darkness starts to creep in. It is subtle, it is sinister, and it is completely consuming. The atmosphere builds in such a quiet, unnerving way that before you realize it, you are fully trapped inside Huntsworth Academy, searching for answers right alongside Marin.

At first, I did not really like Marin/Jamie. She started out so incredibly selfish that I struggled with her. But her growth throughout the book became one of my favorite parts of the story. She redeemed herself in a way I am always hoping for from complicated characters, but we don't always get. She is one of the most redeemable characters I have read, even with that ending.

Let's talk about that ending. Mind-blowing does not even fully cover it. It left me craving more in a way not many books have before. Not just in the “I want to return to this world” kind of way, but in the “I need to know what happens next” kind of way. It felt unfinished in the best possible way, like the story had sunk its teeth in and refused to let go.

Boys with Sharp Teeth is creepy, lyrical, haunting, and full of grief-soaked darkness. If you loved Hollow Girls or The Invocations, this is absolutely one to add to your list.