queenbee6's review
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Car accident, and Death
Minor: Drug use
gracescanlon's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This just didn’t hit for me.
Strike one: The story was odd, as was the main character. Also, the narrative voice continually switched from conversational to more lofty prose, often from one sentence to the next and back again. Many of the more conversational ones were actually dependent clauses, which brought the immediate shift in tone from literary fiction-esque sentences to non-sentences into even sharper contrast.
Strike two: The book touched on issues around those who grew up with money and those who didn’t, but didn’t delve deeply into them. This was fine, actually, for much of the book, as the MC idolized the old-money characters for most of it. However, her shift in opinion of those types of characters neglected to address topics like entitlement and never knowing financial struggle or hardship. She did, however, shift her thinking on theft from such people. So to see one side of her opinion about the “haves and have-nots” change, but not the other (at least not on the page), rang insincere.
Strike three: The entire book was so predictable that when it met the tired tropes and twists without deviation, I was truly in disbelief — disbelief that anyone could be that unoriginal.
Strike one: The story was odd, as was the main character. Also, the narrative voice continually switched from conversational to more lofty prose, often from one sentence to the next and back again. Many of the more conversational ones were actually dependent clauses, which brought the immediate shift in tone from literary fiction-esque sentences to non-sentences into even sharper contrast.
Strike two: The book touched on issues around those who grew up with money and those who didn’t, but didn’t delve deeply into them. This was fine, actually, for much of the book, as the MC idolized the old-money characters for most of it. However, her shift in opinion of those types of characters neglected to address topics like entitlement and never knowing financial struggle or hardship. She did, however, shift her thinking on theft from such people. So to see one side of her opinion about the “haves and have-nots” change, but not the other (at least not on the page), rang insincere.
Strike three: The entire book was so predictable that when it met the tired tropes and twists without deviation, I was truly in disbelief — disbelief that anyone could be that unoriginal.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual content, Misogyny, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Classism, Drug use, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
swampkun's review
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
thought this book was a great cozy end-of-summer read, though at times it felt slow and the dialogue unrealistic, as if striving for poetic over believable. But the writing style is compelling, and I enjoyed the way the writer explored fate through the lens of grief.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Drug use, Death, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Suicide
Constant mentions of grief over the death of a parent throughout. There are frequent mentions of murder and manslaughter, and a scene of a death by poisoning is depicted. A character’s suicide is mentioned in passing.milliemark's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Drug use
bobin's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
I have really mixed feelings about this book.
Spoiler
I think the fact that the main character was really, in many ways a reversed tarot card of Rachel was interesting, but I still found the ending a little hollow.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Death of parent, Drug use, and Death
Minor: Suicide attempt and Suicide
mel024's review
dark
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
hmm. hard to say how i feel about this book!! it felt very very derivative
of every other quote unquote dark academia book out there, but that possibly says more about the genre itself than this book in particular. the books greatest strength was also its biggest failure; the mysticism inherent in the tarot never felt real, even though Hays painstakingly explained what they meant. any mentions of ann feeling a sense of magic or power was noted in past tense, as afterthoughts. it simply failed to live up to the expectations it set for itself in the mysticism. the characters were interesting, albeit incredibly tropey — there’s not much original about the woof ok writing that out just made me knock my review down from 3.5 to 3.25. not a bad read by any means, but let’s just say i was glad i got this from the library and didn’t waste money on it
of every other quote unquote dark academia book out there, but that possibly says more about the genre itself than this book in particular. the books greatest strength was also its biggest failure; the mysticism inherent in the tarot never felt real, even though Hays painstakingly explained what they meant. any mentions of ann feeling a sense of magic or power was noted in past tense, as afterthoughts. it simply failed to live up to the expectations it set for itself in the mysticism. the characters were interesting, albeit incredibly tropey — there’s not much original about the
Spoiler
spoiled heiress turned cold blooded killer, the ambiguously brown manual laborer who never stays on the right side of the law, and the pervy academic praying on younger students.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Murder
Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Eating disorder
thewillowwood's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An interesting and fast read with a dark mystery that was entertaining to watch unravel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Drug use, and Grief
Moderate: Murder, Car accident, and Suicide
Minor: Eating disorder, Alcohol, Blood, and Sexual content
amandalorianxo's review
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book is a wii bit slow in terms of pacing the first quarter ish of the novel. But, once all the main characters are introduced and Ann has more of a sure footing in her place at The Cloisters, it picks up. The two twists were a good touch to keep me engaged but I lowkey wish there was a confrontation or two prior to the twists. It has a little bit of dark academics vibe but not actually set in a college but a known institution.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Drug use, and Murder
gardens_and_dragons's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
dark academia will always be my favourite genre and this story is a good example. It’s a really good debut for the author and excited to see where she goes with it.
the atmosphere of the Met was filled with claustrophobia and mystery, the history of the tarot was interesting, and the characters suffer from their own hubris. it ticks all the boxes for a dark academia.
I liked that there was always a push or pull on whether things are orchestrated or designed by fate here.
Mostly did not rate it higher though I enjoyed it because the ending felt like it could have been a bit more expansive.
the atmosphere of the Met was filled with claustrophobia and mystery, the history of the tarot was interesting, and the characters suffer from their own hubris. it ticks all the boxes for a dark academia.
I liked that there was always a push or pull on whether things are orchestrated or designed by fate here.
Mostly did not rate it higher though I enjoyed it because the ending felt like it could have been a bit more expansive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship and Drug use
Moderate: Murder and Gaslighting
Minor: Death of parent
belava's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Murder and Drug use
Minor: Suicide