Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

48 reviews

heytherekaity's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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gondorgirl's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

For being an incredibly messed up dark academia this book was surprisingly cozy? Like reading a fever dream. 

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ceilidhwilliams's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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encryptedorchardpest's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0


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minimicropup's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Main POV 👍: Meandering, subtly meaningful narrative
  • A student of Catherine House through their first, second, and third (final) year of the program. Just before admission they were involved in an incident where they witnessed a traumatic event, leaving them oscillating between catatonic mania and indifference.
 
Atmosphere 🫶: Claustrophobic, lost, ethereal with a sensory and emotional writing style.  
  • Set at a secretive, elite academic institution in a remote area of rural Pennsylvania
  • Selective description of people, places, and things – lots of room for rich imaginings
 
Cred Rating 👌🧑‍🎓: Realistic and Magical Realism
  • Captures the angst and undertones of academia – jumping through hoops, uncomfortable limbo of being a "new adult", peers that are both moral support and a competitive threat, the whole maze of pretension, pressure, and potential
  • Secretive sci-fi feeling that seems purposefully underdeveloped, even magical. We don’t understand the science/magic exactly, how being a graduate allows for power and prestige, or how final the consequences of “failure” may be
 
Growls and Howls 🐺: 
  • I get how this could be boring or too weird. Not much happens and yet a lot happens? It isn’t repetitive but also isn’t rooted in any specific plot. 
  • The characters are strange…it isn’t that they aren’t well developed, but it’s that they seem like ghosts. They are likeable and I could identify with them sometimes, but they also seem slightly “off” somehow. I loved it, but if you aren’t in the mood or a fan of that type of read, then it could be disconnecting.
  • Dosing could make a big diff in the reading experience. I read it all one cold, rainy day. If I had to take extended breaks I can imagine being confused or forgetting where we left off. 
 
Reading Journey 👌: Passenger on an overnight drive through a dark, unfamiliar place. Discussions, music, falling in and out of sleep, never quite being comfortable, lucid dreaming, wake up to the dawn feeling like somehow minutes and days have gone by.
 
Mood Read Match-Up:
  • Character-driven studies in isolated settings
  • Mash up of absurdist, magical realism, dark academia
  • Mad scientist sci-fi / witchy soft fantasy energy
  • Subjective commentary on academic institutions, education, and student experience
  • Speculative fiction filled with symbolism, similes, metaphors
  • No plot, only vibes
 
Vibes: 😶‍🌫️😵‍💫😎
 
Content Heads-Up: Symbolism around suicide, depression, and addiction
 
Format: Hardcover

😍 This was one of my Favourite Books of 2023

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johannawilbur's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75


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homebodywitch's review against another edition

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adventurous 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? Yes

5.0


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aisabel's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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khakipantsofsex's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

4.0


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styleofdress's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75


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