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3.02 AVERAGE
3.02 AVERAGE
DNF @ 41 pages
It's just so slow and not all that mystery-heavy, and I just don't have any more time for slow-moving mysteries right now. Maybe if I was in the mood for girl-dynamics-in-boarding-school stories, I would have stuck with this, but I came into this wanting spooky vibes and an intriguing mystery about a missing girl. I'm not saying that this book doesn't do that, but it didn't really do that in the first 40 pages, and I'm impatient at the moment.
It's just so slow and not all that mystery-heavy, and I just don't have any more time for slow-moving mysteries right now. Maybe if I was in the mood for girl-dynamics-in-boarding-school stories, I would have stuck with this, but I came into this wanting spooky vibes and an intriguing mystery about a missing girl. I'm not saying that this book doesn't do that, but it didn't really do that in the first 40 pages, and I'm impatient at the moment.
My friend Kate (Bibliophile Book Club) was kind enough to lend me her review copy of this one, knowing how much of a sucker I am for anything involving witchcraft or teen cults.
It didn't disappoint - opening with a rather gruesome death, we follow Violet and her group of frenemies as they become obsessed with magic and believing magic is real (I mean - who didn't have a witch phase). Comparisons to The Craft are unavoidable, there are similarities, but the book reads like a fond hat tip to the cult film rather than a retelling or rip off.
I flew threw this one, it's a stunning book and one for your shelf if you've ever wondered if that luck spell could really work.
It didn't disappoint - opening with a rather gruesome death, we follow Violet and her group of frenemies as they become obsessed with magic and believing magic is real (I mean - who didn't have a witch phase). Comparisons to The Craft are unavoidable, there are similarities, but the book reads like a fond hat tip to the cult film rather than a retelling or rip off.
I flew threw this one, it's a stunning book and one for your shelf if you've ever wondered if that luck spell could really work.
Content warning for sexual assault and animal death
An incredibly strong and ominous first chapter! The justified anger of girls and women, and the horrors placed upon them without their consent, is what carries this story with Greek myths and dabbles of witchcraft weaving throughout. Greek mythology plays a very large part, and I think anyone who has a great interest in that may enjoy this book!
My favored parts of this were Annabel (the enigmatic and enchanting Aesthetics professor), Nicky (unexpectedly the student I was most interested in learning more about by the end!), and all of the myth and lore surrounding Elm Hollow Academy and the woman who opened the school many, many years prior. I found myself a bit confused during some chapters, feeling as if something was happening "off-screen", and when it was mentioned later on I had felt that I missed where it was previously mentioned to connect the plots together!
There was quite a lot that I could appreciate and understand coming from this book, and a few parts that I felt I couldn't. I would not discourage anyone from trying it out for themselves, as I think many people will enjoy it!
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book!
An incredibly strong and ominous first chapter! The justified anger of girls and women, and the horrors placed upon them without their consent, is what carries this story with Greek myths and dabbles of witchcraft weaving throughout. Greek mythology plays a very large part, and I think anyone who has a great interest in that may enjoy this book!
My favored parts of this were Annabel (the enigmatic and enchanting Aesthetics professor), Nicky (unexpectedly the student I was most interested in learning more about by the end!), and all of the myth and lore surrounding Elm Hollow Academy and the woman who opened the school many, many years prior. I found myself a bit confused during some chapters, feeling as if something was happening "off-screen", and when it was mentioned later on I had felt that I missed where it was previously mentioned to connect the plots together!
There was quite a lot that I could appreciate and understand coming from this book, and a few parts that I felt I couldn't. I would not discourage anyone from trying it out for themselves, as I think many people will enjoy it!
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book!
Eh. 3 stars. There was such promise here, and there are elements that could have been absolutely amazing…BUT the negative parts of the book overshadowed them.
Here’s what I liked:
• The dialogue was actually pretty realistic throughout. I felt like the teenagers sounded like teenagers and the teachers spoke with an air of authority pretty well.
• I enjoy a slow burn, and this is a slow burn.
• I enjoyed the premise
• Witchy vibes
But here’s what I didn’t like (buckle up):
• Flat characters with no personality and all interchangeable at times
• Too many toxic people. It made me not care at all for any of them
• The prose was a bit pretentious at times
• The story took me back to school at times, and I had to practically sit through a lesson during this. No thanks, I did my school time.
• The ending was genuinely unbeleibale
• I hated Violet and thought she was an idiot throughout. And her behaviour towards things that happened to her (that she LET happen to her) is fucking irritating.
• The book was just far too long. It could have easily been 25% shorter.
• Seems a bit derivative.
So yeah. A mixed bag. I’m glad that I read it, but I’m also glad I didn’t buy it.
Here’s what I liked:
• The dialogue was actually pretty realistic throughout. I felt like the teenagers sounded like teenagers and the teachers spoke with an air of authority pretty well.
• I enjoy a slow burn, and this is a slow burn.
• I enjoyed the premise
• Witchy vibes
But here’s what I didn’t like (buckle up):
• Flat characters with no personality and all interchangeable at times
• Too many toxic people. It made me not care at all for any of them
• The prose was a bit pretentious at times
• The story took me back to school at times, and I had to practically sit through a lesson during this. No thanks, I did my school time.
• The ending was genuinely unbeleibale
• I hated Violet and thought she was an idiot throughout. And her behaviour towards things that happened to her (that she LET happen to her) is fucking irritating.
• The book was just far too long. It could have easily been 25% shorter.
• Seems a bit derivative.
So yeah. A mixed bag. I’m glad that I read it, but I’m also glad I didn’t buy it.
dark
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am sad, because this sounded so good. DNF roughly halfway through - I flipped through and there's nothing left I want to read. Can I get a new book of Annabel's lessons, without Robin, Violet, animal sacrifice, or murder? Cool.
Could have been something incredible. As it was, it was another story in which women are “empowered” through enacting violence—and not even in an original way. Little mention of class, no mention of race—both aspects crucial to understanding the politics of witchcraft. Still, a fun read. Good to see intimate friendship between women.
This compelling and sometimes confusing book absolutely had me hooked. It was an atmospheric story of witchcraft, sisterhood and murder that drew me in completely. I really liked Violet and the other girls, even if the storyline lost me at points.
2.5 stars!
This book was underwhelming. While the book had a good premise, I couldn’t bring myself to care about any of the characters. The writing style was easy to read and I enjoyed the setting of the private girls school, but everything else fell flat. This book had so much potential and I’m so sad it didn’t meet my expectations!
This book was underwhelming. While the book had a good premise, I couldn’t bring myself to care about any of the characters. The writing style was easy to read and I enjoyed the setting of the private girls school, but everything else fell flat. This book had so much potential and I’m so sad it didn’t meet my expectations!
Someday I will find a female-driven, all girls dark academia novel that's just as good as The Secret History. Today is not that day.
First, this is NOT a YA novel. I know because I read a ton of YA and I write it myself. This is an adult novel for the most obvious reason that it's narrated by Violet's adult self--10 years after high school--as she looks back on her past. That's a very common dark academia trope, and the most distinct landmark of an adult novel. Sure, it's relatable to a YA audience, but IT'S NOT YA.
Now let's get going.
I wasn't sure if I was going to rate this 3/5 or 4/5 stars. There's a lot to like about this novel, sure. The prose, god, the luscious prose that kept me reading even when the plot dulled and meandered. The literary discussions are to die for. Analyses on The Furies and Dante's Inferno, complex expressions of female oppression and female rage. Violet's friendship/infatuation with Robin. Violet's desperation to belong. Violet grappling with the realities of painful girlhood and womanhood. The twist in the murder mystery at the end.
Thing is, this isn't really a thriller. It's a dark academia novel. A literary fiction novel. I see a lot of bad reviews because this may have been marketed wrongly and the audience didn't know what to expect. I came here fully expecting a The Secret History-esque novel, and that's what I got. It just came up short.
I have two main gripes with this novel. The first is that I couldn't connect enough with the characters. Violet and Robin were distinct, but I couldn't tell Alex and Grace apart until halfway through. And I didn't understand--didn't wholly feel their idealization of their teacher Annabelle. Sure, they took her teachings to heart (and beyond), but it felt like their "obsession" or infatuation for her was forced--not properly believable. And because of this, I couldn't understand why they kept vying for her attention. I don't even remember what the teacher looks like. All I can imagine is that she was "cool" and otherworldly and teaching them about the sublime (peak dark academia, lovely), but anything else? Felt more like their obsession over her was tacked on to fit a dark academia checklist.
My second grip is with the last 20% of this book. This is not a spoiler, but there are 2 girls murdered in this novel. The first one happened before Violet came to the school, and the 2nd one happened after. The first murderer was a shocking twist, and I liked it. The second? Not so much. The second was the murder with MORE GRAVITY, and yet it felt HANDWAVED. What the hell? We aren't offered enough of an explanation, and sure, it could be mystal and magical and the like, but it felt gimmicky because there really was no meaning to it. And then the ending... the last scene... I get what the author was trying to do but it really didn't fit with Violet's character development, I think. I felt like the author knew she wanted to end with that scene but ended up writing a book that didn't fit it... and yet went with that ending anyway.
Anyway, there you go. I'm a huge fan of dark academia novels and I really appreciate Katie Lowe's writing. Her prose is a real work of art, and her ideas are thoughtful. But unfortunately, I don't think it was carried out as well as I had hoped.
First, this is NOT a YA novel. I know because I read a ton of YA and I write it myself. This is an adult novel for the most obvious reason that it's narrated by Violet's adult self--10 years after high school--as she looks back on her past. That's a very common dark academia trope, and the most distinct landmark of an adult novel. Sure, it's relatable to a YA audience, but IT'S NOT YA.
Now let's get going.
I wasn't sure if I was going to rate this 3/5 or 4/5 stars. There's a lot to like about this novel, sure. The prose, god, the luscious prose that kept me reading even when the plot dulled and meandered. The literary discussions are to die for. Analyses on The Furies and Dante's Inferno, complex expressions of female oppression and female rage. Violet's friendship/infatuation with Robin. Violet's desperation to belong. Violet grappling with the realities of painful girlhood and womanhood. The twist in the murder mystery at the end.
Thing is, this isn't really a thriller. It's a dark academia novel. A literary fiction novel. I see a lot of bad reviews because this may have been marketed wrongly and the audience didn't know what to expect. I came here fully expecting a The Secret History-esque novel, and that's what I got. It just came up short.
I have two main gripes with this novel. The first is that I couldn't connect enough with the characters. Violet and Robin were distinct, but I couldn't tell Alex and Grace apart until halfway through. And I didn't understand--didn't wholly feel their idealization of their teacher Annabelle. Sure, they took her teachings to heart (and beyond), but it felt like their "obsession" or infatuation for her was forced--not properly believable. And because of this, I couldn't understand why they kept vying for her attention. I don't even remember what the teacher looks like. All I can imagine is that she was "cool" and otherworldly and teaching them about the sublime (peak dark academia, lovely), but anything else? Felt more like their obsession over her was tacked on to fit a dark academia checklist.
My second grip is with the last 20% of this book. This is not a spoiler, but there are 2 girls murdered in this novel. The first one happened before Violet came to the school, and the 2nd one happened after. The first murderer was a shocking twist, and I liked it. The second? Not so much. The second was the murder with MORE GRAVITY, and yet it felt HANDWAVED. What the hell? We aren't offered enough of an explanation, and sure, it could be mystal and magical and the like, but it felt gimmicky because there really was no meaning to it. And then the ending... the last scene... I get what the author was trying to do but it really didn't fit with Violet's character development, I think. I felt like the author knew she wanted to end with that scene but ended up writing a book that didn't fit it... and yet went with that ending anyway.
Anyway, there you go. I'm a huge fan of dark academia novels and I really appreciate Katie Lowe's writing. Her prose is a real work of art, and her ideas are thoughtful. But unfortunately, I don't think it was carried out as well as I had hoped.
I’m not really a fan of anything magic, supernatural or fantasy but I absolutely LOVED The Furies.
A Sixteen year old girl is found dead on school property posing on a swing with no known cause of her death. We meet Violet who reflects back on the series of events that led to the girls murder... and the part she played.
The opening chapter had me hooked and although it was a little slow at times, I found myself engrossed in the book and couldn’t wait for the truth to come out.
It reminded me of The Secret History a little but didn’t have the same character depth to it like that did. It was creepy, intense at times but a book I’ll be raving about for a while. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of the authors work in the future
A Sixteen year old girl is found dead on school property posing on a swing with no known cause of her death. We meet Violet who reflects back on the series of events that led to the girls murder... and the part she played.
The opening chapter had me hooked and although it was a little slow at times, I found myself engrossed in the book and couldn’t wait for the truth to come out.
It reminded me of The Secret History a little but didn’t have the same character depth to it like that did. It was creepy, intense at times but a book I’ll be raving about for a while. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of the authors work in the future