Reviews with content warning for Drug abuse - Catherine House

"I don’t think I had fully realized it until right then: I wasn’t the only one at Catherine on the run. None of my classmates spoke of their pasts, but I sensed them - all their misshapen histories - at dinner, as they chewed their carrot salads in silence, or when their voices laughed too loudly at a stupid joke, or later, in the many feverish hours they spent studying in the library. Everyone here was here desperately. All of us, for one reason or another, had nowhere else to go."

I don't really know how to review this book because there isn't really any plot... It's more of a slice of life novel with some dark academia, gothic and horror elements.

We follow Ines, who has been accepted to study at Catherine House. It’s kind of a very selective college with a lot of mystery surrounding it as every student needs to completely cut any contact with the outside world for the entire duration of their studies there.

"What was Catherine, exactly? Let’s say, a community of minds. A crucible of experimental, reformist liberal arts study. Research-and-development institute for the most radical new materials sciences. A postsecondary school more selective than any Ivy League, and so terrifically endowed that tuition was free to any student lucky enough to be accepted. A tiny, pioneering, fanatically private place that by some miracle of chemistry produced some of the world’s best minds: prizewinning authors, artists and inventors, diplomats, senators, Supreme Court justices, two presidents of the United States. A school, and an estate: a complex confection of architecture and design, a house - a magnificent house - miles off the highway, in black woods, behind a long iron gate."

Ines is one of the most flawed characters I’ve ever encountered. She just… doesn’t care. And to be honest, it’s refreshing, for once, not to follow the "detective" kind of character, just the average person that knows something is up but doesn’t have the willpower to investigate (or maybe I liked that because that’s what I would do in situations like these 😂😅).

"But what did you like if there is no plot and the characters are not likeable?", you may ask. The vibes. Honestly, the vibes are immaculate, I felt so immersed in the story. It felt like I was having a dream if that makes sense? You know, when you only see the things that are right before your eyes and the edges feel a bit blurry? That’s what reading this book feels like. Also because we jumped from one event to another without really any connection nor logic, it felt even more dreamlike.

I got both Never Let Me Go and Wilder Girls vibes from this book, so I guess if you enjoyed either of these, like dark academia, and aren’t bothered by not having a clear plot, give Catherine House a go!

tw: mention of death, substance abuse

Content Warnings

rhaase0509's review

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dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I think this book was well written, but just wasn't my preference. The narrator seems to struggle with mental illness, creating a sense of detachment from the world around her. I did not find the story particularly engaging and I predicted each of the twists.

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