Reviews

Ghosts of Harvard by Francesca Serritella

brancrisp's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

4.25

sandras's review against another edition

hopeful 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? No

4.75

lindzann's review against another edition

3.0

While I expected a more supernatural based story, there was more reality than otherworldly notes to this book. It was still a great read, but I liked it better with the idea of true ghosts of the past.

janagaton's review against another edition

5.0

the writing is impeccable. the audiobook was great. there was evidently so much research put into this story, especially in the schizophrenia rep. there are so many layers to this book. it was such an enjoyable reading experience that i will reread it physically and annotate it for sure in the near future. im sooo glad i randomly decided to give it a shot.

thephdivabooks's review against another edition

5.0

This book is FANTASTIC. It isn't a thriller, though it is atmospheric and suspenseful and has a mystery to it. It is so much more than I expected, and the ending was so deeply satisfying.

Full review to come!

readwkatie's review against another edition

3.0

This one fell flat for me, which is partially my fault because I always judge books by covers and titles. I thought this book was going to have more of a thriller feel, but instead it almost felt a bit more sci-fi/fantasy with the ghostly interactions. Ultimately, this one took me almost an entire month to finish (and normally I finish books in a week max) and that's usually a sign for me that the book just isn't holding my interest. I did like some of the interactions Cady had with the people she was trying to help but it also felt very odd at times, the relationships she was forming with people who weren't necessarily there. There were times when I found the story line a bit hard to follow. Overall, though there were parts that piqued my interest, it just didn't last enough throughout the entire story for me to thoroughly enjoy.

soavanpelt's review against another edition

adventurous reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

spicypenguin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

mbkarapcik's review against another edition

3.0

While the writing in this novel is beautiful and highly descriptive, sometimes there's just too much of it. It slows down the plot. However, you can tell how much the author enjoyed her time at Harvard by the lovingly rendered descriptions in the book.

The story does capture your interest and every so often takes hold of you with surprise, but the plot is very convoluted with too many pans on the fire. Some things just don't dovetail as much as they could. Some stories seem too quickly wrapped up and others disappear.

All that being said, much research went into this book, and the writing is strong and eloquent. This is her first long-form novel, despite her entertaining and soulful essays she shares in books with her mom, so I think she will go forward with more stronger books in the future. The plot is very original and refreshing from most fare out there--mental illness, history, paranormal situations, other subjects I cannot mention. Most books don't cover the diverse material you'll find in this novel.

chaosandbooks's review against another edition

2.0

I'm not really sure what I was hoping for with this book, but it just couldn't hold my interest the way other dark academia have in the past. It essentially examines the way grief and mental illness affect a family as the main character tries to understand the days before her brother's death. I mostly felt frustrated while reading this book and the ending left me sadder than anything else. I also wasn't a fan of the ghosts, although I recognize the author's attempts to create conversation. They felt forced more than anything else.