Review by booksofjades - Boys with sharp teeth

You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.

booksofjades 's review for:

Boys with sharp teeth by Jenni Howell

4.25

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The epitome of dark academia, this book was twisted, emotive and dark, set within the prestigious boarding school of Huntsworth Academy our main character Marin's late cousin worked security at. Structurally, this book is split into sections based upon the meditations of Rene Descartes, providing a philosophical and almost psychological structuring on the timelines within this book. With philosophy often a way to ones 'self' this story really got under my skin with the darkness it held, and the disturbed twisted desire that was present that was nothing I've ever seen in a horror before.

Compared to we were liars and the ravens boys this is labelled as a YA- and while i agree with the age range it certainly sits at the higher end with the themes and trigger warnings involved, although I didn't agree with the comparison with the other books, having read we were liars and hating it, that certainly was not the case with this book.

Grief stands out within this book not just because of the late cousin and his mysterious death but of the ghastly presence throughout everything and the events that unfold. I certainly have feelings about the two main male characters of interest, Adrian and Henry, which will require a lot of unpacking, whereas our other female character Baz is someone i grew to love and want to protect. The dynamics within this trio shift with our plot, not knowing who to trust next, our overall villain was not who I expected though and the outcomes at the end broke me with how I had grown attached to certain characters. The strange occult aspects crept up on me unexpectedly and the extremes had my jaw on the floor - but I daren't say more as I feel this needs to be experienced by the reader themself. Fueled by selfishness and greed, this book leaves our characters and reader - utterly broken by the end.

Overall, I highly reccomend this book both for the depth of its writing, character development and uniqueness like nothing ive consumed before.

Content Warnings