Scan barcode
sarahlkelly'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Vomit
emily_therese_4's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
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
5.0
If I could rate this book 6 stars I would. I love this book with all my heart, it made me feel all the emotions and I’m so so excited to read book 2
Update: reread October 2024
This is and will always be my comfort book. These characters feeling like family to me and this world feels like finally coming home after a long day. It’s like my own fucked up culty version of Harry Potter and I eat it up EVERY DANG TIME.
PLEASE check the triggers before reading this. It is full of trauma and heartbreak, but also really cool shit and an incredible setting.
This book has all of the things I love in it. Dark academia, murder mystery, complex characters, a unique world and plot. Brilliant banter.
If I wasn’t crying I was laughing. My heart breaks for Alex and all the things she is put through during this book and her life. I can relate to her. She’s a freaking badass who’s been dealt a shit hand but STILL never ceases to stand up for the people she cares about. She is an incredible character and her tenacity is enviable.
Also the way I feel so immersed in this book is like no other. The deeper meanings, the descriptive language, the utter perfection that is this fucking plot. I will never stop loving it.
Update: reread October 2024
This is and will always be my comfort book. These characters feeling like family to me and this world feels like finally coming home after a long day. It’s like my own fucked up culty version of Harry Potter and I eat it up EVERY DANG TIME.
PLEASE check the triggers before reading this. It is full of trauma and heartbreak, but also really cool shit and an incredible setting.
This book has all of the things I love in it. Dark academia, murder mystery, complex characters, a unique world and plot. Brilliant banter.
If I wasn’t crying I was laughing. My heart breaks for Alex and all the things she is put through during this book and her life. I can relate to her. She’s a freaking badass who’s been dealt a shit hand but STILL never ceases to stand up for the people she cares about. She is an incredible character and her tenacity is enviable.
Also the way I feel so immersed in this book is like no other. The deeper meanings, the descriptive language, the utter perfection that is this fucking plot. I will never stop loving it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
zia_c's review against another edition
The prologue and the first chapter read like it was written high on marijuana. Smh! There's so much unnecessary info dump and random cut offs of narrations that I couldn't comprehend where the hell the author was going with the narrative.
The heroine came out to me as a self centered, self righteous, harmonal teenager. Why? You may wonder. It's because she's whining about one thing or the other every two sentences and thinking about Darlington on every third. She's also kinda dumb and annoying. Idk how the hell she got the job when she can't even follow basic instructions and endangered a group of people with her because of her rampant monologues of fuck knows what.
I don't think I can continue further because it's really hurting my brain to understand the story and the character. Even mathematics never gave me this kinda pain.
Anyway, this book was a part of a book club this month that's why I gave it a flip. I hope others enjoy it.
The heroine came out to me as a self centered, self righteous, harmonal teenager. Why? You may wonder. It's because she's whining about one thing or the other every two sentences and thinking about Darlington on every third. She's also kinda dumb and annoying. Idk how the hell she got the job when she can't even follow basic instructions and endangered a group of people with her because of her rampant monologues of fuck knows what.
I don't think I can continue further because it's really hurting my brain to understand the story and the character. Even mathematics never gave me this kinda pain.
Anyway, this book was a part of a book club this month that's why I gave it a flip. I hope others enjoy it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Blood, Vomit, and Medical content
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis
freshbatchofbooks's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape
libcolleen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, Blood, Medical content, and Classism
Minor: Vomit
bookdrag0n's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
ireadinbed's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
So many books that take me a while to get into I cannot get myself to give them a five star rating. But I can't bear to downgrade ninth house for my own mood when I started reading.
Alex and Darlington are such amazing characters and I am enthralled by this seedy, magical vision of New Haven. I loved pretty much everything about this book and I was expecting to find it super offensive after a fee reviews I saw tbh.
Had to immediately move on to Hellbent!
Alex and Darlington are such amazing characters and I am enthralled by this seedy, magical vision of New Haven. I loved pretty much everything about this book and I was expecting to find it super offensive after a fee reviews I saw tbh.
Had to immediately move on to Hellbent!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual assault
rcableson's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
keotshepile's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Vomit
salty_mermaid's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-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
3.0
Reading Ninth House was exciting and I thoroughly enjoyed the gothic vibes. I love Dark Academia and witchcraft. There were numerous times the writing felt grimy and raw and electrified, as if exposed to a live wire.
Despite loving the story and world-building overall, I rated it lower because there was one huge turnoff. I felt the rape scene was far too violent. So much so that it felt gratuitous, from 0 to 100. Like if it’s not based on a real story, god forbid, why have a 12 yr old who just got her period get brutally raped by a dead ghost?
At the time this event was announced, I hadn’t yet been completely sold by the fantasy or bought in to the world.
After that, it felt like the author was trying too hard to explain why Alex was a tortured convict/ drug addict. As someone who has experienced the perils of drug addiction first hand, i can say that I don’t believe the author has experienced the type of drug addiction depicted in the book because the writing wasn’t believable in this regard. And maybe the author doesn’t proclaim to have this experience, I just think this part of the book needed more attention and care.
Either way, I enjoyed the book and I applaud Bardugo for venturing into the realm of dark academia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Gore, Rape, Excrement, Vomit, and Murder