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ineffablebob's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I found Ninth House to be well written with plenty of excitement and well-developed characters, but it definitely isn't for everyone. I'm fortunate enough not to have suffered anywhere near the way Alex did in her youth, but even so I found some of the descriptions of her past disturbing - abuse of power, sexual violence, substance abuse, emotional trauma, violent death. And it doesn't get a whole lot better in her present life, lots more of the same, although with much more opportunity for Alex to fight back. Anyone who does have such things in their past could very well find the story traumatizing. In addition to that, the way the plot wraps up has a whole host of twists that come so fast as to give the reader mental whiplash. It felt impossible that Alex had no idea of the underlying truth despite everything she went through in the bulk of the book.
So there are some caveats, but I still would recommend this one to fans of the genre. It reminded me quite a bit of Lev Grossman's Magicians series, without the Narnia-in-drag bits. Just bear in mind that there's quite a bit of dark content that may not be for everyone.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual violence
_lazyreader_3565's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Blood, Cursing, Violence, Vomit, Abandonment, Self harm, Grief, Gore, and Toxic relationship
abundance_of_fiction's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
This book was sooooo slow to start. It caused me to go into a book slump, and not read a page for 2 months. I opened the book on March 11 and could not FORCE myself through the introduction. The lore building was elaborate and just seemed to drag me along with no purpose; so, I just couldn’t get the hype. Everyone told me to finish it, so I finally got the audiobook and OH MY GOD!!!
A 9 month journey finished in 2 days! The audio book was great and got me through the introduction and into the thick of the story. I quickly got the physical version back out and blew through the last 100 pages. The lore and lagging have SO MUCH payoff. Not entirely unpredictable, but just enough that you’re engaged, the twists in the stories keep the pages turning.
I am SO GLAD I didn’t give this one up, because I am now fully invested in the chaos that is Galaxy Stern! I am jumping straight into book 2. I NEED our Darling boy to be okay and can’t wait to see what is next.
So, YES READ THE BOOK. But also, don’t feel bad if it takes you almost a year. It IS worth it.
Graphic: Drug use, Addiction, Death, Violence, and Rape
Moderate: Medical content, Murder, Alcohol, Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Blood, Classism, Excrement, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Body horror
gwynnfox's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Blood, Trafficking, Violence, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts
mylargirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Sexual violence, Gore, Death, Violence, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Addiction, Classism, Physical abuse, Grief, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Adult/minor relationship
laraloops's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
You can tell the author really wanted to bring Yale to life in this book - the setting is very detailed and is a character in itself.
Pacing wise it was slow at the beginning but I found myself grateful for that as I had a hard time keeping track of the houses and code names. By the time you get a third of the way into the book the plot really starts picking up and it's a wild ride to the end. It was rough to get through at times, Alex (the main character) has had a depressingly sad life but I found the portrayals of the abuse she suffered felt realistic rather than gratuitous.
By the end I was immediately ready for the next book - a five star read that I would recommend to anyone who can stomach dark content and wants a well written urban fantasy.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Child abuse
Moderate: Drug abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Emotional abuse
tomasalbanez's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Child abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Gore, Blood, Sexism, Rape, Excrement, Violence, Murder, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Classism, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cancer, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Addiction, Drug use, and Suicidal thoughts
hnicole01's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Addiction, Grief, Sexism, Rape, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Violence, and Cursing
Moderate: Classism
prairieraven's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Alcoholism, Car accident, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Rape, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicide, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, and Violence
cloud_kitty_cat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Blood, Death, Grief, Rape, Sexual content, Vomit, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content