A review by kiwi_00
The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette's by Hanna Alkaf

emotional tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I enjoyed the book, I liked reading about the characters at this girls only school, I related with that and the atmosphere (though I'm not from Malaysia!). I liked the care taken to write about a character(s) who experienced
SA
and the fact that it could trigger some readers. 

I really wanted to rate this higher but I think the main gripe I have with this book is the pacing. For the first 50 pages, the scene was set and everything was really well written and described. Around 150 pages, it was beginning to feel a bit like I was slogging through the book especially since
there were so many character povs that were very similar and I don't feel like that they added much to the story.
And the at the end of the book, everything felt rushed and there was probably difficulty to wrap up all plot lines. I honestly wanted more about Khadijah, her sister, her mother and her friends. I think that would have made for a nuanced story about
SA and PTSD, especially that was the primary motivation for Khadijah to start investigating.
As for the mystery/investigating,
the ending was too vague (i'm aware that SA does not always end in the perpetrator going to prison, but the book feels unfinished)
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