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findmeinunderland's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Loved, loved, loved.
First of all the cover is just so aesthetically pleasing, even more so after actually falling in love with the characters…
I kind of equate it to being about Alex’s tattoos. Alex’s most prominent tattoos are the snakes that wrap around her collar bones, and I feel like they would be the epitome of her shame when it comes to her tattoos, it’s the most blatant in the macabre nature of the art on her body, spider webs are a more common choice, other things could be given an alternative explanation of importance, but not many people, especially those within the stereotypes of ivy league alumnus, have two huge black snakes curling around their shoulders. I love the symbolism of it being on the cover of the book because Alex used the stereotypes of her outward appearance to avoid attachment, when given the opportunity to flee her environment she covers them as a way of separating herself from the memories she had of being ostracized. Her tattoos later become a different kind of cover, an armor.
I saw some people Say they loved darlington but thought it was hypocritical that he judged Alex for killing someone, since at the end of the book we find out his fate is connected to the fact that he is a murderer.but Let’s be real here, his shock said more about him than it did about Alex. I think darlington unplugged or smothered his grandfather to finally give him piece, I think he colors himself as a monster because of that experience. Enter Alex, who makes him feel like someone with purpose. His whole life he turned towards magic to heal him from the trauma of his parents, I think his grandfathers death took something away from his obsession of magic and the hopefulness it represented to him, until he met Alex who reshaped his view of magic because of her abilities and what she had been through. To learn that the person who reignites your purpose in life is guilty of the same actions you hate yourself for has to be so overwhelming in that it probably completely disillusioned him.
I even saw some people say Bardugo tried to hard to be dark in her content by making Alex’s trauma explicit but failed to give the character any justice, but my response is that the entire present day timeline is Alex’s justice…. Alex was abused and violated by something the most privileged people she knew saw as a gift. It is a widely known horrible part of our reality that the world doesn’t believe or protect victims, it doesn’t protect women. The fact that so many people saw her trauma even if she didn’t want them to and completely wrote her off so they didn’t have to deal with what it meant, is the most realistic part of her character. She was poor, a woman of color, homeless at more than one point in her life…I can think of nothing more realistic that her not getting feasible, malleable justice. But to say she got none at all would be wrong, Alex’s justice was cosmic and metaphorically and more meaningful than some get in the real world, she gained a different sense of self worth imprinting herself onto Tara’s circumstances, fighting to find out what happened to tara meant acknowledging that she and Alex were one in the same— at least in The sense that the world values them the same, she became attached to Tara because she saw herself in a dead body that no one else seemed to care about and couldn’t help but imprint on that experience. Alex knew the world valued her and Tara the same, she saw the parallels between Tara and herself and yet she still came to the conclusion that Tara deserved better than what she got in death, and in life. Those thoughts are more kind than Alex was to herself on a normal basis, and maybe they wouldn’t have meant anything if Alex wasn’t the narrator but she was, she was the one aligning their value, and ultimately accepting that she deserved better than what she got out of life…Alex’s justice was aligning her value with every victim belbam took and saying that they all deserved better.
First of all the cover is just so aesthetically pleasing, even more so after actually falling in love with the characters…
I kind of equate it to being about Alex’s tattoos. Alex’s most prominent tattoos are the snakes that wrap around her collar bones, and I feel like they would be the epitome of her shame when it comes to her tattoos, it’s the most blatant in the macabre nature of the art on her body, spider webs are a more common choice, other things could be given an alternative explanation of importance, but not many people, especially those within the stereotypes of ivy league alumnus, have two huge black snakes curling around their shoulders. I love the symbolism of it being on the cover of the book because Alex used the stereotypes of her outward appearance to avoid attachment, when given the opportunity to flee her environment she covers them as a way of separating herself from the memories she had of being ostracized. Her tattoos later become a different kind of cover, an armor.
I even saw some people say Bardugo tried to hard to be dark in her content by making Alex’s trauma explicit but failed to give the character any justice, but my response is that the entire present day timeline is Alex’s justice…. Alex was abused and violated by something the most privileged people she knew saw as a gift. It is a widely known horrible part of our reality that the world doesn’t believe or protect victims, it doesn’t protect women. The fact that so many people saw her trauma even if she didn’t want them to and completely wrote her off so they didn’t have to deal with what it meant, is the most realistic part of her character. She was poor, a woman of color, homeless at more than one point in her life…I can think of nothing more realistic that her not getting feasible, malleable justice. But to say she got none at all would be wrong, Alex’s justice was cosmic and metaphorically and more meaningful than some get in the real world, she gained a different sense of self worth imprinting herself onto Tara’s circumstances, fighting to find out what happened to tara meant acknowledging that she and Alex were one in the same— at least in The sense that the world values them the same, she became attached to Tara because she saw herself in a dead body that no one else seemed to care about and couldn’t help but imprint on that experience. Alex knew the world valued her and Tara the same, she saw the parallels between Tara and herself and yet she still came to the conclusion that Tara deserved better than what she got in death, and in life. Those thoughts are more kind than Alex was to herself on a normal basis, and maybe they wouldn’t have meant anything if Alex wasn’t the narrator but she was, she was the one aligning their value, and ultimately accepting that she deserved better than what she got out of life…Alex’s justice was aligning her value with every victim belbam took and saying that they all deserved better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
makahlo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction
erinlouise7's review against another edition
challenging
dark
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, and Alcohol
lollyr's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.25
ok, let's start with the good-
Galaxy "Alex" Stern is a great MC. she's smart and interesting even if she's a bit of a cliche. At some points in the story, the book was an absolute hold over me and I couldn't put it down. The action and most of the dialog were well made in engaging.
So. the not so good-
it was slow and so unnecessary descriptive. It felt like Bardugo was trying so very hard to convince the reader that she's a "serious" writer. I don't care about the history of every brick on Yale's grounds. it was all supposed to gather to this big metaphor but I don't think it worked well.
on that note, lest take a moment to talk about the sheer amount of sexual violence in the book. I was aware of the trigger warnings before reading and I think some of to was important for the plot. but, I think this book was folded with too much sexual violence just for shock value. at some points, Bardugo was so close to making a big social commentary but every time it fell flat. non of the victims of abuse or SA were handled with care. All of Alex's trauma was washed off for the sake of the plot.
Galaxy "Alex" Stern is a great MC. she's smart and interesting even if she's a bit of a cliche. At some points in the story, the book was an absolute hold over me and I couldn't put it down. The action and most of the dialog were well made in engaging.
So. the not so good-
it was slow and so unnecessary descriptive. It felt like Bardugo was trying so very hard to convince the reader that she's a "serious" writer. I don't care about the history of every brick on Yale's grounds. it was all supposed to gather to this big metaphor but I don't think it worked well.
on that note, lest take a moment to talk about the sheer amount of sexual violence in the book. I was aware of the trigger warnings before reading and I think some of to was important for the plot. but, I think this book was folded with too much sexual violence just for shock value. at some points, Bardugo was so close to making a big social commentary but every time it fell flat. non of the victims of abuse or SA were handled with care. All of Alex's trauma was washed off for the sake of the plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
egurgens's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
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
5.0
I am now in desperate need of book two. I listened to the audiobook, so when I saw 30 min left, I assumed there was more story. Nope. There was an author interview, so I was left on an unexpected cliffhanger. However, this story is so interesting, that I had no issues paying attention and keeping up with what was happening. There are two points of view, there are 3 different time frames, and is just so good! I can imagine that the time skips would be confusing to some, but the book is complicated and interesting enough to keep the reader engaged. When I began the book, I didn't realize it was part of a series, so its safe to say my heart broke when the book ended, but the story continued.
I definitely recommend reading this book, but be warned there are several difficult topics. Drug use, sexual assault, graphic death, bullying, and more. However, the cast of characters is pretty diverse; not perfect, but definitely better than other books I have read. The magic is pretty realistic, as its use is modern, and takes place in the modern world. No hidden world, just a secret society of magic users, that can use it for good or bad.
So many plot twists, you end up hanging onto every word. Friends are enemies, enemies are your greatest allies. No one is who you think they are. Bardugo does POV and time changes well, as each is labelled at the beginning of the chapter. Highly recommend reading this book. Realistic fantasy, secret societies, magic, ghosts, monsters, just so many good things.
I definitely recommend reading this book, but be warned there are several difficult topics. Drug use, sexual assault, graphic death, bullying, and more. However, the cast of characters is pretty diverse; not perfect, but definitely better than other books I have read. The magic is pretty realistic, as its use is modern, and takes place in the modern world. No hidden world, just a secret society of magic users, that can use it for good or bad.
So many plot twists, you end up hanging onto every word. Friends are enemies, enemies are your greatest allies. No one is who you think they are. Bardugo does POV and time changes well, as each is labelled at the beginning of the chapter. Highly recommend reading this book. Realistic fantasy, secret societies, magic, ghosts, monsters, just so many good things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol
thewrongalice's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I was very bored with the first third of the book, liked the second third, and loved the last third! Looking forward to the next book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Rape
Moderate: Body horror, Misogyny, and Racism
booksonadventures's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Excrement, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction
nyctxnthus's review against another edition
dark
funny
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Violence, and Blood
ellereadsbookslike's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
~Short Synopsis~
Galaxy 'Alex' Stern is not someone you'd expect to be a student at Yale considering she's an ex drug addict and a high school drop out. Lying in a hospital bed after a horrific unsolved homicide, Alex is offered a second chance. She can attend one of the world's most elite universities on a full scholarship and all she has to do is monitor the activities of Yale's secret societies. But when a girl ends up dead, Alex realises that things are more sinister than they first appeared.
~Review~
I am already a huge fan of Bardugo's writing having completely devoured her YA series earlier this year but I wasn't sure what to expect from her adult debut. This book was everything I wanted and more.
If you have read Bardugo's other work, especially the Six of Crows duology, you'll already be aware that she can write a dark atmosphere very well. Writing in an adult genre, Bardugo does not hold back and the result is an intense, twisted and detailed fantasy murder mystery. Ninth House is most definitely a genre bending book and is unlike any fantasy book I've ever read. The world building is intricate and the important information is breadcrumbed throughout the story and left me wanting more.
To me, Alex is the perfect protagonist. For one she's morally grey (my favourite) but she's also so easy to warm to. I wanted to know more about her from the off and the more I learned about her, the more I loved her character. I'm looking forward to seeing how her character develops in the later books (I don't know how many books are going to be in the series).
This book is a great read for this time of year and I'm glad that I waited to read it. The perfect gruesome, creepy and atmospheric read for spooky season.
Galaxy 'Alex' Stern is not someone you'd expect to be a student at Yale considering she's an ex drug addict and a high school drop out. Lying in a hospital bed after a horrific unsolved homicide, Alex is offered a second chance. She can attend one of the world's most elite universities on a full scholarship and all she has to do is monitor the activities of Yale's secret societies. But when a girl ends up dead, Alex realises that things are more sinister than they first appeared.
~Review~
I am already a huge fan of Bardugo's writing having completely devoured her YA series earlier this year but I wasn't sure what to expect from her adult debut. This book was everything I wanted and more.
If you have read Bardugo's other work, especially the Six of Crows duology, you'll already be aware that she can write a dark atmosphere very well. Writing in an adult genre, Bardugo does not hold back and the result is an intense, twisted and detailed fantasy murder mystery. Ninth House is most definitely a genre bending book and is unlike any fantasy book I've ever read. The world building is intricate and the important information is breadcrumbed throughout the story and left me wanting more.
To me, Alex is the perfect protagonist. For one she's morally grey (my favourite) but she's also so easy to warm to. I wanted to know more about her from the off and the more I learned about her, the more I loved her character. I'm looking forward to seeing how her character develops in the later books (I don't know how many books are going to be in the series).
This book is a great read for this time of year and I'm glad that I waited to read it. The perfect gruesome, creepy and atmospheric read for spooky season.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Misogyny, and Vomit
linesiunderline's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Where to begin with this polarizing read…
Perhaps I’ll start by saying that it’s the book I almost gave away multiple times since I bought it a couple of years back. “Why did I buy this? This is not my kind of book?” But… I would turn to the first page and read the opening lines and think, “Hmm… I like her writing,” and skip it back on the shelf. And so it went, for over a year.
What finally pulled me in? A great review from a reader I trust, and the audiobook. The narration is amazing.
What you might like about this one:
• atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere
• world building that creates an alternative Yale universe that is pretty accessible to someone who doesn’t typically read this genre
• vivid characterization - smart memorable cast of characters
• spookiness that can turn to for real scariness on a dime
• sharp writing, and even some humour
What might put you off:
• ALL the trigger warnings, like pretty much every trigger warning you can think of - it’s one dark book
• there were some moments where I got a little lost, but that could’ve been the shifting timelines on audio
• Alex is super damaged (understandably so) and as a result she makes decisions at times that make her difficult to like - so if you need to like a MC, this might be a hard read for you
All this to say, I was entirely wrapped up in this book and it was a perfect October read for me. It transported me and creeped me out and has strong writing and stellar atmosphere. And if there was a second one in the series I’d already be reading it.
Perhaps I’ll start by saying that it’s the book I almost gave away multiple times since I bought it a couple of years back. “Why did I buy this? This is not my kind of book?” But… I would turn to the first page and read the opening lines and think, “Hmm… I like her writing,” and skip it back on the shelf. And so it went, for over a year.
What finally pulled me in? A great review from a reader I trust, and the audiobook. The narration is amazing.
What you might like about this one:
• atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere
• world building that creates an alternative Yale universe that is pretty accessible to someone who doesn’t typically read this genre
• vivid characterization - smart memorable cast of characters
• spookiness that can turn to for real scariness on a dime
• sharp writing, and even some humour
What might put you off:
• ALL the trigger warnings, like pretty much every trigger warning you can think of - it’s one dark book
• there were some moments where I got a little lost, but that could’ve been the shifting timelines on audio
• Alex is super damaged (understandably so) and as a result she makes decisions at times that make her difficult to like - so if you need to like a MC, this might be a hard read for you
All this to say, I was entirely wrapped up in this book and it was a perfect October read for me. It transported me and creeped me out and has strong writing and stellar atmosphere. And if there was a second one in the series I’d already be reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail