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“Alkaf successfully uses the oppressive mood and ominous hauntings to convey real-life terrors, from sexual violence to societal expectations, that keep young women from being heard. A gripping, perceptive read.”

– Booklist, Starred Review

“Piercing observations into the teens’ struggles gaining autonomy are explored alongside sensitively wrought instances of trauma and sexual violence via immersive prose.”

– Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“A perceptive examination of trauma and its manifestation on women’s bodies, minds, and voices.”

– Kirkus Reviews

The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette’s

Written by Hanna Alkaf
Published by Salaam Reads / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

For over a hundred years, girls have fought to attend St. Bernadette’s, with its reputation for shaping only the best and brightest young women.

Unfortunately, there is also the screaming.

When a student begins to scream in the middle of class, a chain reaction starts that impacts the entire school. By the end of the day, seventeen girls are affected—along with St. Bernadette’s stellar reputation.

Khadijah’s got her own scars to tend to, and watching her friends succumb to hysteria only rips apart wounds she’d rather keep closed. But when her sister falls to the screams, Khad knows she’s the only one who can save her.

Rachel has always been far too occupied trying to reconcile her overbearing mother’s expectations with her own secret ambitions to pay attention to school antics. But just as Rachel finds her voice, it turns into screams.

Together, the two girls find themselves digging deeper into the school’s dark history, hunting for the truth. Little do they know that a specter lurks in the darkness, watching, waiting, and hungry for its next victim…

Primary ISBN: 9781534494589
Publication Date: September 2024
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, eBook
Young Adult, Age 14 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Home Country

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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