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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm mad about the ending, but I suppose you're supposed to be. This book turned out to be more unsettling than I expected, which is saying a lot. But I love dark academia that doesn't shy away from elitism and classism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Medical content, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Colonisation, Classism
Moderate: Trafficking
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Eerie, immersive, and totally addictive!
I had zero idea what to expect going in and OMG I was left speechless by the end. On the outside, The Center is a prestigious language school with guaranteed fluency in two weeks. On the inside, its success is owed to something so surreal and wildly imaginative it's difficult to process.
I loved the eerie clues and cult-like vibes, leading up to the dark twist in the end. The skull shaped plant pot featured on the book's cover art is mentioned in the lobby entrance to The Center—a nice detail adding to the creep factor. I found the characters unique and well fleshed out. I enjoyed following Anisa, the protagonist, as she explored London, Karachi, and Delhi. Every scene was immersive and kept me hooked, turning the pages late into the night. It's a story that explores self-identity, love, friendship, with layers of privilege, and appropriation. The chapters were very long—which I usually find off-putting—but it didn't affect the overall pace for me.
There are two scenes I still can't shake. The first is between Anisa and her friend's 60-year old father, while they're in his office having drinks there was a sexual encounter that I'm still unsure was consensual or not. The second is the gap in Anisa's memory which finally resurfaces, revealing the truth behind the forbidden doors in The Center while she was snooping around—truly horrific. It gave me serious Jordan Peele vibes and I loved it!
4.5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I had zero idea what to expect going in and OMG I was left speechless by the end. On the outside, The Center is a prestigious language school with guaranteed fluency in two weeks. On the inside, its success is owed to something so surreal and wildly imaginative it's difficult to process.
I loved the eerie clues and cult-like vibes, leading up to the dark twist in the end. The skull shaped plant pot featured on the book's cover art is mentioned in the lobby entrance to The Center—a nice detail adding to the creep factor. I found the characters unique and well fleshed out. I enjoyed following Anisa, the protagonist, as she explored London, Karachi, and Delhi. Every scene was immersive and kept me hooked, turning the pages late into the night. It's a story that explores self-identity, love, friendship, with layers of privilege, and appropriation. The chapters were very long—which I usually find off-putting—but it didn't affect the overall pace for me.
There are two scenes I still can't shake. The first is between Anisa and her friend's 60-year old father, while they're in his office having drinks there was a sexual encounter that I'm still unsure was consensual or not. The second is the gap in Anisa's memory which finally resurfaces, revealing the truth behind the forbidden doors in The Center while she was snooping around—truly horrific. It gave me serious Jordan Peele vibes and I loved it!
4.5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced