Reviews tagging 'Classism'

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

153 reviews

sanktjosten's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

this book was absolutely phenomenal. this is definitely one of my favourite leigh bardugo books, the raw realism of it made it bone chilling and an intensely loveable read. im not often a dark academia reader but this might just have to change that. i thought the premise was super fascinating, and the rites that each of the houses perform are super realistic to what would happen if that kind of magic was accessible. following alex, who is very much an outsider to the yale prestige crowd, is an incredible narrative choice to point out the way elitism operates in high level academic institutions. the book makes such a perfect criticism of the lack of moral integrity and dehumanization of the middle class that takes place in wealthy schools. being part of lethe, the ninth house meant to protect the safety of students and outsiders from the occult activities of yale should be a righteous position, but it shows exactly how elitism operates and how wealthy institutions will prioritize profit and their own benefit over the causes they're meant to achieve. i also love the characters! alex, darlington and dawes are all so loveable and i am so excited to see where they go.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Classism, Drug abuse, Murder, and Rape

szuum's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Addiction, Body horror, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Murder, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Death, and Classism

Moderate: Drug use and Trafficking

dielilla's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Rape, Death, Murder, Drug abuse, and Classism

Moderate: Vomit and Injury/Injury detail

merbears's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death, Gore, Blood, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Drug use and Sexual assault

Minor: Excrement, Rape, Vomit, Addiction, and Racism

jeggert10's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Gore, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexual violence, Classism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Vomit, Sexual content, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Misogyny

chamaeleontis's review against another edition

dark 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

3.75

Pretty slow start, but when it gets going, it gets GOING.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Child death, Cursing, Sexism, Violence, Rape, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Racism, Addiction, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Blood, Death, Excrement, Alcoholism, Cancer, Drug use, Murder, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

chasinggrace'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? No

4.75

If you grabbed a golden cauldron and mixed Babel, Supernatural, Breaking Bad, and the Illuminati together, you’d get Ninth House. Dark academia turned demonic murder mystery, this book was a great surprise. While slow at points, the main character truly drives this story. Her banter, inner thoughts, and quick wit had me snorting. There’s a whole cast of characters that were difficult to follow at points, but this was a very enjoyable read that left me excited for the sequel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Classism, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Gore, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Violence

elenlinde's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? No

4.75

Loved this book! The beginning is a little slow paced/confusing but it gets into pretty quick! Loved the characters and the plot and definitely did not expect the ending. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, Drug use, and Classism

hippievamp's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Addiction, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Gun violence, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Misogyny, Racism, and Violence

Minor: Alcohol, Antisemitism, and Addiction

there is an intense and extremely vivid description of attempted rape on a twelve year old.

folkofthebook's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative 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? It's complicated

5.0

Mors irrumat omnia. Death fucks us all.

i INHALED this book, omg. this was a VAST change of pace from shadow & bone and i much preferred it. it was very reminiscent to vicious but more complicated with it's worldbuilding and lore and a stronger theme of sexism and corruption in academia and society.

“I let you die. To save myself, I let you die.
That is the danger in keeping company with survivors.”

i LOVE alex, she's a fighter, a survivor. she is grit and teeth and isn't afraid to bite. it was really cool to see sephardic jewish rep and seeing ladino used in magic. darlington is naively pretentious but unavoidably loveable. this is yet another case of i don't know who i want to be or be with more lol. let the bi panic ensue.

“All you children playing with fire, looking surprised when the house burns down”

i would say the first maybe 10-20% or so was slow for me. not bad but i didn't feel driven until a certain point was hit - and then it took off from there. bardugo's creativity in constructing the houses of lethe and crafting how certain magics fit in with them, intermingled with an undercurrent of demonology and other deathlore, and the weaving of race/class/gender politics within a town and society that is very much built for a specific demographic to come out on top was masterful. i also, despite the sometimes grim scenarios, found myself still huffing in a laugh at the dry humor that tended to come from alex.

“I want to survive this world that keeps trying to destroy me.”

i'm excited to jump into book 2 asap! 

Time to go to hell

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Addiction, Classism, Drug use, and Grief

Minor: Cancer, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit