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A review by padme
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I hesitated before picking this book up, due to the dark subject matter and the mystery genre (which I typically don't read). I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it - I did, in the end. I found the mysteries and the characters very engaging, and I really enjoyed Bardugo's writing, and how all the seemingly unrelated characters and plots had all tied together by the end of it. There were clues early on as to how the book would end, but I was still completely shocked at how the mysteries were resolved. The twists and turns caught me by surprise, even though looking back I can easily see how the groundwork had been laid and how I could have solved it myself if I'd been paying attention. However, I do want to note that this book covers some very heavy subject matter, and you should not read it without checking the content warnings first. I haven't experienced anything like what happened in the book, and I still found it difficult to get through certain sections, as they were deeply disturbing. It's definitely an adult book, so read the content warnings and judge for yourself whether you're capable of reading it.
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, and Sexism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Racial slurs, and Racism
There are some very detailed descriptions of sexual assault and rape in various forms - the main character does not have a happy backstory, and a lot of that is revealed through detailed flashbacks that don't flinch from the traumas she's undergone. And even in the present, there are some very dark things happening in her life.