Reviews

Vita Nostra by Marina Dyachenko, Sergey Dyachenko

youngthespian42's review against another edition

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4.0

This book is so weird and dark and interesting. I really love the Russian setting and take on the "Hogwarts" type story. The magic system in this book is buck wild but as someone who loves semiotics, I am all about it. While this is set in a teenage/ college school setting there is nothing YA or tropey "coming of age" about this story. If you do not like complicated magic systems or complicated messing with time I would not recommend this book for you. I am here for all of it.

kivt's review against another edition

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5.0

an absolutely fantastic and deeply distressing book. i loved it. it’s everything i wanted from The Magicians but didn’t know how to ask for. everyone should read it. you will like it if you like a mystery but you don’t obsess over having to solve it, and also if you like being tense and confused. it’s not going to be a good book for people who derive pleasure from “world building” and trying to define + police logistical consistencies in “world building.”

abberwock's review against another edition

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

3.5

triangulartoaster's review against another edition

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

4.25

katconig's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

One of the most wonderfully strange novels I've ever read. 

stardustnia's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious 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? No

4.0

annika_fabbi's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

_viscosity_'s review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

adnaram's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.5

What a strange book. I’ve never read something quite like it. There’s so much to it, I am confident I will revisit it in the future!

amyglbarker's review against another edition

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I got a little halfway through this and my frustrations with it wore me out. I would love to return to this in the future but I think it would require a significant improvement in my own understanding of whatever was going on half the time. This truly felt like a case of me being too stupid to fully enjoy it!