A review by bookmarkyourthoughts
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

dark emotional mysterious tense 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

3.75

"Ninth House" is such a creepy yet oddly cozy read. Coming from a life of dead-end jobs and criminal relations, Alex Stern is given a second chance as she's recruited to attend Yale University in the town of New Haven. But of course, not everything is as it seems. While trying to keep up her academia, Alex is pulled into secret organizations, mysterious deaths, and strange paranormal activity.

This dark mystery novel is full of a multitude of plotlines, interesting characters, and an absolutely gorgeous gothic setting. Bardugo brilliantly draws out the secrets among the characters and university, enticing readers to eagerly read to discover more.

Though a little slow at some points, this was such a phenomenal read and a great introduction for me into dark academia literature.

๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—”๐—— ๐—œ๐—™ ๐—ฌ๐—ข๐—จ ๐—Ÿ๐—œ๐—ž๐—˜
๐Ÿ’€Dark academia vibes
๐Ÿ’€Urban fantasy
๐Ÿ’€University/school setting
๐Ÿ’€"Whodunnit" plot
๐Ÿ’€Spooky settings and spooky beings
๐Ÿ’€Reluctant hero trope
๐Ÿ’€Womance
๐Ÿ’€Found family trope

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