Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

222 reviews

klsreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.75

Yum yum yum I love how polarizing this book is. For me, 4.75 stars rounded up. I had a lot of fun. 

Starting with cons: Due to the setting at Yale, this book runs the high risk of making its readers feel dumb sometimes. Leigh Bardugo went to Yale for undergrad, was in Wolf's Head, and also researched the h e l l out of Yale's history to make a cohesive, believable backstory. The depth of information fell flat to me as someone who doesn't care about the architecture and alumni of Ivy Leagues. It was a good plot device to show Darlington's intelligence, but occasionally read as, "Look at how much I thought this out and how smart I am!" She toes the line between knowing how grating academics can be and becoming an insufferable know-it-all herself (I understand this bc I am a huge nerd, currently in grad school, and can be academically insufferable). There are probably a ton of references I didn't understand (I'm sure some of it was written for English buffs and Yale students). This makes the book a bit too long, imo. Also, the chapters skip around in time and I don't think that was necessary, though it wasn't too hard to follow. 

To be fair, Bardugo's world building ability is unbelievable, and I thought all of her main characters were unique, real, and multifaceted. 

Pros: Pretty much everything else. Fun magic system, spooky dark academia, ghosts, sentient houses, whodunit, powerful misfits, revenge, a bi (?) female lead, extremely developed world, and a twisty-turny plot. 

Important to note - this book is DARK. Like, graphically dark, and sometimes very gross, and often sad. Check the TWs/CWs. 

Leigh Bardugo is an excellent writer and I highly recommend this if you like second chances, dark academia, and magical murder mysteries. It feels like this book was set up to knock the next one out of the park - I can't wait to start the sequel!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Xenophobia

blue_skye's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

tranvnguyen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny informative inspiring mysterious tense 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

4.5

I want to give this 5 stars but after doing the reread, it’s just so dense information wise that I’m not sure I could get through it again.  It also took until 55/65% of the way through to really get good.  But when when it gets good, buckle up buttercup!  Literally, it’s such a wild ride.

I love this cast of characters as well!  They are all so lovable and funny, and I would protect them with my life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Gore, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual violence, Blood, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

shesashesalady's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective tense 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

a slow read at first, but when you get into the main plotline, it's gonna be so tense and fast. things about to get real after chapter 10. i really adore leigh's writings, she keeps getting improved day by day

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual harassment

katjacatbeans's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

franknforter's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, and Sexual harassment

selkiedd's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

abee21's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

5.0

• Ms Bardugo's fantastic world building!
• Intricate plot and twists!!
• Many many layers of "whodunit" and "what's going on"!!!
• Loveable characters that I would spend an eternity reading about!!!!
• Leigh took me to hell with this book and I enjoyed it!!!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

lizzie24601's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

Leigh Bardugo's writing chops are as strong as ever - strong enough to keep me going even amid unbuilt characters and a few too many sexual assault cases that were never remarked upon again afterward. The intended audience might just be Yale alums like Bardugo herself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexual content, Blood, and Grief

Minor: Cancer

20sidedbi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is brilliant, but if you aren't prepared for an unflinching story of a hard life of a girl who has been plagued by SV her whole life, I'd recommended not reading it until you are.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism