Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

615 reviews

_madelinemarie's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

5.0

READ THE TW FOR THIS BOOK!


This book was so slow at the beginning, and there is so much world building that I felt like I never had any idea what was going on. However, in true Bardugo fashion, once things started moving they did not stop! She does a great job of laying down the groundwork which makes it feel super slow, and then running on those rails at lightning speed.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the “gotcha!” villain switcheroo at the end (and honestly, all of the  Darlington bits about looking into the deaths of these girls could and in my opinion should have been stretched into its own novel, but we might get more of that in the second book so I’m not too hasty in my judgments) and I do think that’s a little bit overdone but there is nothing quite as beautifully written as the way she writes, and her growth is remarkable.

Alex is to me if you were to have the cunning-ness and tenacity of Kaz, but the kindness and humor of Nina. Darlington it so perfectly counterweighted to Alex that the story never seems uninteresting!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Medical content, Body horror, Drug abuse, Gore, Sexual assault, and Drug use

Moderate: Rape

jemms's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

4.5 ⭐

Characters: 1
All the characters felt real and original, each with their own secrets and motivations.
Plot: 0.75
Excellent blend of world building and mystery. My only complaint is that the big reveal at the end couldn't have been figured out with the information the book gave.
Pacing: 0.75
Engaging throughout, action scenes balanced with enough time to process the plot. Some of the backstory scenes snagged in places.
Writing style: 1
Visceral descriptions perfectly combined with all too human thoughts and dialog.
Vibes: 1
Creeping sense of dread, desire, and desperation woven with the fantastical that mirrors the mundane. 10/10

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use

Minor: Vomit and Excrement

aisling214's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Sexual content, Violence, Death, Classism, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Gaslighting, Sexism, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Body horror, and Mental illness

strixy16's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

A little slow to start, especially trying to keep up with the time skips. But the ending makes it worth it I thought.
Definitely read trigger warnings for this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Alcohol, Gun violence, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual violence, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Drug use, Excrement, Gore, Grief, Murder, Violence, and Vomit

icepoppy's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Murder, Sexual assault, Rape, and Gore

Moderate: Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit, Addiction, Excrement, and Death

benmilo's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

It took me a while to get into this bc I had trouble remembering all the societies, it was a lot of information at once. But the story was interesting so I sticked with the book and I'm glad I did.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, and Gore

emilywemily6's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

I’ve never read a book like this before, and it’s so refreshingly different than Bardugo’s YA novels (which I also loved!). I loved the sinister magic/dark academia vibes and how the multiple storylines unfold throughout the book. Lots of great plot twists I didn’t see coming and made me gasp out loud. I wish I understood more about the history of the houses/general world-building, but I think the book is written intentionally vague with a trickle of information as you are thrust into this world within our world, which adds to the mysterious, sinister feel. It kept me hooked and I can’t wait to read the next book. Apparently, lots of this book (not the magic lol) is true too, and now I want to go to New Haven.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexism, Classism, Terminal illness, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Medical content, Gore, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Body horror, Grief, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Rape, Vomit, Racism, Addiction, Misogyny, Police brutality, Sexual violence, and Stalking

adrienreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Self harm, Gore, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Rape, Addiction, Death, Child abuse, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, and Toxic relationship

e11en's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Vomit, Gore, Drug use, Violence, Sexual violence, Rape, and Excrement

alisonlouise's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Should I read ghost stories? No
Did I enjoy it? Yes
Turned out to be a supernatural murder mystery (did not read the blurb beforehand because I thought I would enjoy another story by Leigh Bardugo 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Addiction, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Vomit