Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

214 reviews

patienceholmes's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

4.75

Want to make it very explicit that the SA referenced in the content warnings in one instance refers to a minor/p*dophilia. The scene is very graphic. Be safe. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cancer, Cursing, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Torture, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

etdancer's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Dark, mysterious, detailed in the worst way and so frustratingly vague at the same time, I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what happened next and miraculously? I wasn’t disappointed. With a healthy pool of suspects and so many motives, it was hard to guess exactly where the book was going, and I loved it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Some of these warnings are for graphic and detailed content, especially sexual violence/assault, body horror and gore.

laedyred's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I can't decide how I feel about this book. Some elements I really like, some I thought were too typical. The ending was unsatisfying as it all seemed to unravel itself for no reason. But I did like the writing style and am interested in the world. I was disappointed that there was the potential for a huge feminist message that wasn't taken. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use

claireisagrisha's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

Review: OMG I loved this book so much!! The beginning introduced the story and once the action started, it never stopped. I loved seeing passages from the books Alex was studying from interwoven with the story. Alex is a badass for all that she has been through and still wants to keep going. Props to her! Dawes's character development was wonderfully written. I loved the whole plot line with North. I love Leigh Bardugo’s writing style and this was amazing. Would recommend to those who want a dark academia x paranormal fantasy with strong friendships!!!  

First off, Darlington is a demon?! Wow, I did not see that coming!! Alex’s ability to speak to ghosts and use their power is crazy!!! Omg!!! Dean Sandow was evil and therefore Alex was right about him. North’s plotline was so engaging and he finally got justice for Daisy’s murder.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment

horizonous's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.25

Intriguing enough that I want to continue with the series, I think? Honestly I'm not sure if I just finished this because I listened to the audiobook at almost 2x speed while reading along. I'm going to try the second book in the hopes there's more actual Darlington in it and then we'll see..

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Gore, Rape, and Excrement

Moderate: Death, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cancer and Vomit

◦ Drug abuse = incl. being drugged

faduma's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

naturally's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.75

for the longest time, i've held the opinion that leigh bardugo's work is adult fiction with YA packaging. in ninth house, i feel as though her creative voice was/is given the space to run free. and, honestly, i enjoyed most of the journey that ninth house took me on, as a reader.

BE WARNED: ninth house is NOT a light or easy read. the topics touched upon are very distressing, and the writing is overflowing with information. at times, it feel like i was reading a historical text book about yale, secret societies and new haven. the pay-off was definitely worth it, though. the real meat and potatoes of the plot is served up after the first hundred pages? the meal was plentiful! the mystery and suspense surrounding tara's murder and darlington's disappearance sucked me in, and i didn't want to put the book down...

as a supporter of both women's rights and wrongs, i really appreciated alex. she was a fascinating anti-heroine. her slow-burning friendship/alliance with dawes and turner were highlights. plus, there was a tension between alex and darlington that...ngl i was a fan of. very intrigued to see how that will develop because the origins of their sexual attraction to one another (whether they will ever admit to it) was pretty f*cked up??

i'm suspecting that darlington will be just as morally "tainted" as alex when he returns from hell in book 2. the revelation that he has committed an act of murder and was thus turned into a demon was...definitely a jaw dropper. my prediction is that he murdered his grandfather (with permission) so that he could hang into black elm idk

however, where ninth house fell short for me, is that alex's sense of moral justice toward the end never felt 100% believable to me. the young woman we are introduced to is understandably crooked and willing do whatever she has to do to survive/never return to her old life. i had a hard time believing that she would be so dedicated to upholding the function and strict rules of lethe. following on from this, the knowledge that hellie and alex were besties does a lot of the heavy lifting. on the actual pages, there is little to no development given to their actual friendship. alex's past was very f*cked up and drug addiction was a huge part of that...yet alex has virtually no inner conflict about being surrounded by drugs and alcohol? i get that her relapsing would have interrupted the flow of the story too much, but i was shocked that alex was able to get/stay clean so quickly, and that there was no temptation considering the drug culture at yale...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation

Minor: Antisemitism

chronicacademia's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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

I am a wreck. I am devastated. I am almost 100% sure this is my new favorite book ever. I am currently lying on my floor in a puddle of my own tears trying to feel normal again. How am I supposed to move on when this book exists???? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cancer

erin_robbins19's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Addiction, Pedophilia, and Self harm

aamina's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Vomit