A review by courtthebookgirl
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-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
5.0
I need to start in a weird place for a review: I didn’t see my own five-star rating coming. The first half (literally half), I really struggled. It moved slowly and there was a tremendous amount of world-building that took place (as a non-fantasy reader, that is something I find challenging to follow).
That said!
When this book picked up, it PICKED UP. It went from hard to follow to impossible to put down. It was captivating and exciting and compelling. Alex had a chokehold on me and wouldn’t let go. Darlington… oh, my Darlington. I’ll spare the spoilers.
This book is hella dark and twisty, and quite the literary ride. The writing is flawless and there were whole passages I highlighted. The world-building (while, yes, slow) was absolutely necessary to follow the plot to its crashing conclusion.
I have always loved dark academia (especially when it includes a Dean of Students, because I am one 😂), and this also has a twisty horror vibe with a slew of secret societies to keep it truly interesting.
In the first half of the book, I wasn’t sure we were getting above 3 stars. Now I know that all of that was necessary, and clearly 5 stars for me in the end. I can’t wait to read 𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙡
That said!
When this book picked up, it PICKED UP. It went from hard to follow to impossible to put down. It was captivating and exciting and compelling. Alex had a chokehold on me and wouldn’t let go. Darlington… oh, my Darlington. I’ll spare the spoilers.
This book is hella dark and twisty, and quite the literary ride. The writing is flawless and there were whole passages I highlighted. The world-building (while, yes, slow) was absolutely necessary to follow the plot to its crashing conclusion.
I have always loved dark academia (especially when it includes a Dean of Students, because I am one 😂), and this also has a twisty horror vibe with a slew of secret societies to keep it truly interesting.
In the first half of the book, I wasn’t sure we were getting above 3 stars. Now I know that all of that was necessary, and clearly 5 stars for me in the end. I can’t wait to read 𝙃𝙚𝙡𝙡