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pagesofplatypus's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I can't say I've ever read a book like A Lesson in Vengeance.
Lesson one: follow an unreliable narrator.
Lesson two: add some witchcraft.
Lesson three: add in a boarding school setting in the middle of winter.
Lesson four: make it lesbian.
Victoria Lee's A Lesson in Vengeance is a perfect mix of the semi-obscure academic references of Dead Poets Society, the Gothic atmoshpere of Wednesday, and the twisty, wintry murder mystery of The Pale Blue Eye.
Felicity Morrow is haunted. Cursed to reckon with the ghost of her ex-girlfriend, one whom she feels directly responsible for killing. When new girl Ellis arrives at the prestigious Dalloway, she is the only one who understands Felicity and embarks on a mission to prove Felicity isn't haunted. As their relationship deepens into something more than friends, Felicity will question how far she's willing to go to seek the truth.
The atmosphere of A Lesson in Vengeance is established perfectly. A suspenseful mix of gloom, secret societies, schoolroom gossip, and age-old secrets. Entering Felicity's fractured mind has readers constantly guessing the story and themselves. And the unsettling questions of what we're willing to believe and what we're willing to tell ourselves will follow readers even after the last page.
Lesson one: follow an unreliable narrator.
Lesson two: add some witchcraft.
Lesson three: add in a boarding school setting in the middle of winter.
Lesson four: make it lesbian.
Victoria Lee's A Lesson in Vengeance is a perfect mix of the semi-obscure academic references of Dead Poets Society, the Gothic atmoshpere of Wednesday, and the twisty, wintry murder mystery of The Pale Blue Eye.
Felicity Morrow is haunted. Cursed to reckon with the ghost of her ex-girlfriend, one whom she feels directly responsible for killing. When new girl Ellis arrives at the prestigious Dalloway, she is the only one who understands Felicity and embarks on a mission to prove Felicity isn't haunted. As their relationship deepens into something more than friends, Felicity will question how far she's willing to go to seek the truth.
The atmosphere of A Lesson in Vengeance is established perfectly. A suspenseful mix of gloom, secret societies, schoolroom gossip, and age-old secrets. Entering Felicity's fractured mind has readers constantly guessing the story and themselves. And the unsettling questions of what we're willing to believe and what we're willing to tell ourselves will follow readers even after the last page.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug use, Gun violence, and Mental illness
abbythebookfairy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was well worth the read. It intimidated me a tad, and I found Felicity slightly annoying in the beginning, but honestly? She grows on you.
You’re unfolding a mystery from the eyes of someone who should know the answers, but doesn’t. You follow a deep love story, and you find yourself so invested in finding the answers that you forget you’re just reading.
The ending was not shocking, but it was definitely well done. In my opinion? You shouldn’t always have to be shocked by the ending, just enjoy the way that it was executed.
I grew to love the characters, and understand them. Their flaws and fears, as well as their strengths and joys.
I think this book will live inside my mind for a long time.
You’re unfolding a mystery from the eyes of someone who should know the answers, but doesn’t. You follow a deep love story, and you find yourself so invested in finding the answers that you forget you’re just reading.
The ending was not shocking, but it was definitely well done. In my opinion? You shouldn’t always have to be shocked by the ending, just enjoy the way that it was executed.
I grew to love the characters, and understand them. Their flaws and fears, as well as their strengths and joys.
I think this book will live inside my mind for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Gaslighting
sammy357's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I've never read dark academia before and I really only started the book because I thought the premise was interesting and wanted to read more sapphic books, so maybe I wasn't the intended audience.
I thought their would be magic, witches, and ghosts in the book and that's what I was most excited for. That and the mystery of the Dalloway Five.But unfortunately there wasn't actually any magic involved.
I wasn't really invested in the romance or the characters. Honestly from the beginning Ellis gave off bad vibes. When I read that she was a "method writer" I knew she would be a walking red flag. I mean have you ever heard of a method actor that didn't take it too far?
Overall the book was okay. I liked the beginning because of the hints of magic and a haunting, wasn't really invested in the rest of the book, and liked the last couple chapterswith the murder and Felicity trying not to get framed.
Wouldn't read again but I don't feel like I wasted my time reading it.
I thought their would be magic, witches, and ghosts in the book and that's what I was most excited for. That and the mystery of the Dalloway Five.
I wasn't really invested in the romance or the characters. Honestly from the beginning Ellis gave off bad vibes. When I read that she was a "method writer" I knew she would be a walking red flag. I mean have you ever heard of a method actor that didn't take it too far?
Overall the book was okay. I liked the beginning because of the hints of magic and a haunting, wasn't really invested in the rest of the book, and liked the last couple chapters
Wouldn't read again but I don't feel like I wasted my time reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Child abuse
Manipulation, substance abuse (alcohol mostly), suicide references (no actual abuse) reference to racist history at a PWIdecie's review against another edition
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Stalking
crusoe's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Sexual content
Minor: Racism and Alcohol
sayhar13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Mental illness, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
jcurry447's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Murder
persephonefoxx's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“The question isn't whether magic is real. It's whether I can touch it without being consumed by it.”
There is a certain irony that a book that criticises characters for pursuing witchcraft in a shallow and aesthetic way finds itself more focused on aesthetics than a plot. This is a story that values witchy and dark academia vibes first and plot second.
When I say that I didn’t know where this book was going, it is not in the usual way you’d expect from a tale marketed as a thriller. It was because for 75% of this story, it didn’t really go anywhere. The bulk of this book involves Felicity experiencing her slowing building flirtation, struggling with mental illness, and ignoring a sea of red flags amidst a list of dark academia brand backdrops.
The real substance in this book hides in the final quarter. It is here that the events I expected 100 pages ago started firing off in quick succession. The last 15% is a whirlwind and a victim of pacing issues due to the sheer amount of plot existing within.
Overall, this is a book with a strong start and an okay ending (although I am conflicted about the epilogue and if it even has a place in the story). But it got severely lost along the way. As a literary tale of grief and female anger and its relationship to witchcraft both past and present, it is a fully fledged entity with pacing issues. As a thriller, it misses the mark. It is not a bad book, it’s just not a memorable one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Emotional abuse, Racism, and Classism
seren's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
sleepysapph_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Violence, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Minor: Racism