Malaysian writer tackles trauma, female rage with sensitivity

Included in the beginning of the book by Malaysian author Hanna Alkaf is a list of trigger warnings, a much appreciated touch as the story touches on trauma and its effects.

- Charmaine Lim

The care with which Hanna approaches the topics which range from abuse to mental health is appreciated, with her even telling readers to "please set this book down and come back to it when you can" if the subject matter is too difficult for them.

The girls of St Bernadette's, a top all-girls' school, have begun screaming and no one knows why.

One of the students, Khadijah, has gone silent in the months after a trauma tore her life and family apart.

The screaming girls reopen old wounds, but everything changes when her younger sister falls victim to the inexplicable phenomenon.

Meanwhile, top student Rachel is cracking under the weight of her overbearing mother's expectations.

She may choose to ignore her classmates, but the screams are catching up with her, determined to pull her in.

As their paths intertwine, the girls begin uncovering a dark secret lurking within the walls of their school.