A review by colittle
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Wonderful prose, but the worldbuilding felt rushed at times and dragged at others. The characters were not as three-dimensional as one would expect from a book of this length, though some were likeable enough. At times the dialogue felt as real as an overheard conversation, and other times it was full of snappy, whiplash comebacks that fell utterly short of realism.
Felt like a YA novel with gore and sexual content thrown in as set dressing; when mature themes were actually discussed, it was brief and without depth. SA used gratuitously and egregiously as a plot device, with a minor character in one instance seeming to forget about it overnight— ick.
Biggest strength was the use of tension and suspense; while I didn’t always enjoy reading Ninth House, I kept turning the pages all the same.
A competent book overall, but that should be a given from a bestselling author.
Felt like a YA novel with gore and sexual content thrown in as set dressing; when mature themes were actually discussed, it was brief and without depth. SA used gratuitously and egregiously as a plot device, with a minor character in one instance seeming to forget about it overnight— ick.
Biggest strength was the use of tension and suspense; while I didn’t always enjoy reading Ninth House, I kept turning the pages all the same.
A competent book overall, but that should be a given from a bestselling author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Cursing, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Sexual assault