Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Gothikana

Corvina Clem’s father died when she was a baby, leaving her schizophrenic mother to raise her on her own. At the age of 21, Corvina is offered a scholarship to Verenmore, a college based in a castle on top of the mountain--a castle with a dark history. Unperturbed by the stories, Corvina enrolls in the academy, curious to experience a life outside of the homeschooling and isolation her mother kept her. She’s almost instantly enthralled by Vad Deverall, a teacher working on his thesis. Though she’s warned by multiple people that student/teacher relations are against the rules, Corvina and Vad are drawn to each other, his inescapable tormenter, and her madness. But life isn’t all secret trysts in woods, in the classroom, or in the car. Every five years, someone goes missing, and there’s a dark secret lurking in the woods. If Corvina and Vad don’t discover the truth before the Ink Moon, someone could get hurt.

Verenmore gave me “Nevermore Academy” vibes from Netflix’s Wednesday--which makes sense, since it’s an anagram of the name. It amused me how genre-savvy of a character Corvina was, how she was so attuned to romance novels that she was able to translate what was happening to her to them. It was always clear that she was into the dominant vibe Vad was giving, so it was hence clear that everything was consensual. Considering the student/teacher trope (21F/28M), it surprised me how long it took for them to do it in the classroom--and then it bugged me a little that the author decided to skip over THAT particular scene after being graphic in all the other places. The writing style was basic, but the characters filled their roles and the story did its job. I thought the ambiguous solution for Corvina’s mental state was fun, and I enjoyed the final confrontation on the tower. I did NOT guess the murderer, which was a fun surprise. Overall, I enjoyed it.

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aprilyang1's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.0

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imarvelous's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

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

1.5

This is definitely giving “try hard emo” vibes. Leaves much to be desired in the form of plot & character.

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labxtch's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book had me SPIRALING. I honestly did not know where this was going to go or how this was going to end, and didn’t until I got to the very end.

The way Corvina feels throughout the book is so incredibly relatable, and the style in which the author transcribes perfectly just how Corvina feels.. The words are utterly breathtaking at times. I have so many quotes saved that just hit close to home and were so dark & beautifully said.

‘Gothikana’ reminded me why “books-that-make-you-think” are my absolute freaking favorite.

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thecuratedlibrarian's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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josiewik's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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lulzpanda's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

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

4.0

I liked the book. It isn't a literary marvel, and is not life changing or particularly deep. It's an easy read and while it certainly has darker aspects and themes, it was a nice break from some of the denser books out there. It's a harlequin romance meets Addams Family. It's cute, kind of creepy and explores some interesting questions into mental illness. Don't over think it and just enjoy it for what it is.

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