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A review by renegades
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Hell Bent is a great follow up to a book that had so much packed into it, it nearly made my head spin. As a sequel, it has a strong plot and a strong sense of self and really benefits from all of the worldbuilding that had already been done in Ninth House. I didn’t remember a single detail of NH and as a result quickly realized I would have to read some in-depth summaries before proceeding here. It definitely helped, but NH has so much in it that is then referenced and recalled in HB that I was still left with gaps in knowledge. I would definitely recommend rereading NH before venturing into this sequel.
That being said, I overall enjoyed HB so much more. I thought the pacing was mostly great, the actual substance and details vs breathing room was balanced this time, and it really felt like coming back to a familiar world and familiar characters and learning to like them even more.
My biggest problem with this book (and this series I think) is just that while it’s so compelling and has all of the right ingredients, I can’t seem to form much of an emotional connection with the characters. I’m not sure why. I think Alex is mostly to blame. She’s a character who does a lot and has a lot of internal thinking, but I think her feelings/emotions are told more than they’re shown. The end should have felt more like a climactic gut punch but it really just felt like one thing happening after another. You know the characters are feeling some kind of way, but it’s never entirely clear what.
I also think that some of this book (mostly regarding the more adult themes such as drug use and sexual assault and sex) feels a bit contrived. It never feels like it’s a natural integration into the story, but someone who usually writes YA playing pretend with it to spice up the book. Leigh is a fantastic writer so I can’t say why these parts in particular feel so contrived, but they just do.
I do love Darlington and I love everything that happens with him especially near the end of this book. I’m invested in him and I want to see what happens with him and Alex. I would love for the last book to actually show the emotional resonance and attachment they have to one another because even though I’m told they are attracted to each other and they now have certain things binding them, the feelings don’t really appear to be one of them.
I don’t know! I just want there to be more feelings infused into this story. Romantic and platonic. There’s a found family happening here but I don’t feel the warmth I usually feel with literary found families. And I know Leigh is good at feelings bc she has written characters with plenty of heart in the past! So I’m slightly confused why it feels blocked in this series in particular.
Overall though, really cool components and I’m just so into [redacted] Darlington.
That being said, I overall enjoyed HB so much more. I thought the pacing was mostly great, the actual substance and details vs breathing room was balanced this time, and it really felt like coming back to a familiar world and familiar characters and learning to like them even more.
My biggest problem with this book (and this series I think) is just that while it’s so compelling and has all of the right ingredients, I can’t seem to form much of an emotional connection with the characters. I’m not sure why. I think Alex is mostly to blame. She’s a character who does a lot and has a lot of internal thinking, but I think her feelings/emotions are told more than they’re shown. The end should have felt more like a climactic gut punch but it really just felt like one thing happening after another. You know the characters are feeling some kind of way, but it’s never entirely clear what.
I also think that some of this book (mostly regarding the more adult themes such as drug use and sexual assault and sex) feels a bit contrived. It never feels like it’s a natural integration into the story, but someone who usually writes YA playing pretend with it to spice up the book. Leigh is a fantastic writer so I can’t say why these parts in particular feel so contrived, but they just do.
I do love Darlington and I love everything that happens with him especially near the end of this book. I’m invested in him and I want to see what happens with him and Alex. I would love for the last book to actually show the emotional resonance and attachment they have to one another because even though I’m told they are attracted to each other and they now have certain things binding them, the feelings don’t really appear to be one of them.
I don’t know! I just want there to be more feelings infused into this story. Romantic and platonic. There’s a found family happening here but I don’t feel the warmth I usually feel with literary found families. And I know Leigh is good at feelings bc she has written characters with plenty of heart in the past! So I’m slightly confused why it feels blocked in this series in particular.
Overall though, really cool components and I’m just so into [redacted] Darlington.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Animal death, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse