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crystaldianee's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death and Medical content
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Kidnapping
koistyfishy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️/5
I knew that from page one... No, actually I knew from the first sentence that I was going to like this.
By the end of chapter 2, I was in love and by the end of chapter 5... I WAS OBSESSED!
I finished this ages ago... and it's still the book I keep coming back to, thinking about, obsessing about and recommending to anyone who will listen to me for more than 5 seconds THAT THEY NEED TO READ THIS!!!
𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Four years ago Lilia Vespertine watched her mother commit suicide, or at least that is what everyone says to her is what happened. No one believes her when she says her mom was sick and infected with black worms Lilia saw crawling out of her when she died. Now haunted by the trauma, and determined to discover a cure for her mom's illness, Lilia is studying to be a scientist. When tasked to write a paper on a "make-believe illness" Lilia writes about the worms, which urns her a full scholarship to the mysterious and prestigious Dracadia University. The reason is the disease is very much real. It is called Noctisoma and is found nowhere else but on the island, the university is found on. Her knowledge of the disease sparks a few curious questions. Soon, she finds herself in very close proximity to Professor Devryck Bramwell, a brilliant and devastatingly hot pathologist in charge of the laboratory researching the disease. And something about Lilia Vespirtine keeps drawing Professor Bramwell in...
𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
Lillia is feisty, and she has a pretty hard exterior as she has grown up in a difficult environment, where life hasn't always been fortunate towards her, and even basic necessities have been difficult to come by. Her home life before leaving for Dracadia is just as difficult because while her mother's boyfriend is pretty ok, the company he keeps is very questionable, causing her to garner quite a bit of unwanted attention now that she is older.
I loved her tenacity, her curiosity and her metaphorical balls that she was able to question and challenge things and stand up for herself when she needed to. Her thirst for knowledge and her drive to try and understand it was really impressive. Having read a few books that contain a woman in STEM, I am often wary of the depiction as it often turns into a "sexist fest". I appreciated that this book didn't do that. She is given credit. She was never underestimated or had her ability diminished. Her sex wasn't held against her and I liked that it gave a very good representation of what a woman in STEM could look like. About the fact that she can be smart and brilliant and passionate and have a mind that makes her equal.
Professor Devryck Bradwell was definitely an interesting character and MMC. He was an absolute dick and arsehole which meant obviously I love him and he plays into the whole "I hate everyone, including her". He often likened Lilia to a virus, parasite and poison, that has crawled into his mind and infected him. He is not happy about her presence and he is really not happy about what her presence does to him. He is haunted by his own trauma. Scarred from being physically and emotionally abused by his parent, and dealing with his grief that he hasn't come to terms with in the years since he's lost his brother. He is a hard man, doesn't take shit and has this bad-boy persona that should not exist on a professor.
I'm not going to lie, when I first saw that a big part of this plot had to do with gross parasitic worms that remind me of leeches, especially since some of them have teeth, I was a little bit grossed out. BUT, the writing in this has such a compelling and alluring effect that I was absolutely addicted to its pages. The way that the science and the fantasy elements are blurred together, especially since the aspects of science were so rooted in fact, that it was almost impossible to discern what was real and what wasn't was brilliant!
You can see, no actually, YOU CAN FEEL that Keri Lake has done a lot of scientific research into this book because the terminology, methodology, examples and aspects she pulls from science is not just common knowledge. The tools, equipment and procedures used were spot on.
Do not be persuaded that this is long, because it will not feel this way. The book takes time to develop but its pacing felt right and gave the characters a chance to grow and develop feelings for each other. I do think the ending was a little fast though - especially for the reveals that came at the end.
𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Dual POV
▶ Touch Her You Die
▶ Dark Academia
▶ Forbidden Romance
▶ Morally Grey MMC
▶ Tending to Injuries
▶ ProfessorXStudent
▶ Age Gap
▶ He is a Daddy Death
𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Hand Necklaces
▷ "Fuck It"
Overall I loved this! I am STILLL THINKING ABOUT IT! It sang to the scientist within me and made my happy place purr. ACTUALLY, lots of things in this book made my happy place purr. This is currently tied as one of the best books I have read this year.... so there is that...
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault, Blood, and Kidnapping
Minor: Gun violence and Rape
milena99's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment
alyshapowe11's review
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
doahdancer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Wasn't expecting it to be as much of a horror/thriller as it was, but the gothic atmosphere and the twisted mystery the author interwove gripped me at every turn.
Age gap romance is a penchant of mine, but it can be difficult to find done well. This book nails it and then smothers you with a couple really scorching sex scenes. The tension and build up to that point was perfect for me.
Where this book loses points is at the end. There is a final, very large twist which had the potential to be really fulfilling, but it felt rushed and underdeveloped. Overall, it's the perfect ending, but the execution was an 8.5 instead of a 10.
Will absolutely be grabbing her other book Master of Salt & Bones in short order. Very impressed by this first step into Keri Lake's catalogue.
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape
tashrifa's review
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Sexual content, Medical content, and Murder
selestre's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Vomit, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Colonisation
_terah_hansen_'s review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide, Stalking, and Fire/Fire injury
llams's review
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism
ana_withlovexox's review against another edition
4.0
tropes: romance entre profesor y alumna, diferencia de edad, tócala y te 💀, romance prohibido, y sociedad secreta.
Este libro es una grata sorpresa, los personajes y la trama son demasiado interesantes. Si considero que el inicio puede ser considerado lento para los que solo vengan por el romance, pero si también te interesa la trama y entender las dinámicas en la academia, entonces no te parecerá tan largo.
En cuanto a la trama, me aprecio totalmente interesante y me atrapó, en especial cuando investigaban el parásito, pero creo que el acto final se le salió de las manos a la autora y metió demasiado información que podría dejar a muchos confusos.
En cuanto a todos los personajes me gustaron los que tenían que gustarme y los que tenía que odiar los odié. Lilia me pareció una buena protagonista, era decidida y apasionada, además que hacía lo que necesitaba para ayudar a su hermana y seguir adelante. Devryck es Devryck like, solo pensar en el me para el corazón, súper pasional, enfocado y, bueno, el haría lo que sea, LO QUE SEA, para conseguir lo que quiere.
La relación entre Devryck y Lilia me encantó, es un poco slow burn, pero me pareció perfecto. Más que todo porque gran parte de la razón por la que se gustan es porque se consideran súper inteligentes el uno al otro, primero establecieron una base de respeto mutuo y luego la atracción física fue creciendo. Sus momentos juntos, tanto los spicy, como los normales y los vulnerables me parecieron muy buenos y ambos luchan para estar juntos y vivir felices.
En lo que cabe, el libro me gustó mucho, aunque el final fuera algo confuso. Además de que me hubiera gustado que el epílogo sea enfocado en Devryck y Lilia.
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail