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A review by isaiahh
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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
5.0
“They tried to kill me,” […] That means I get to try to kill them.
Alex Stern is a high school dropout, ex-drug user, and the only survivor of an unsolved crime. She's also a freshman at Yale. Having been recruited to monitor the university's secret society, she goes far beyond the tasks appointed to her when a girl dies on campus and Alex is the only one really trying to investigate. She discovers the societies are far darker than anyone thought: despite already raising the dead, they're not above preying on the living.
If anything is Leigh Bardugo's forte, it's creating characters you fall madly in love with, and Alex Stern is no exception. The main character of Ninth House is a badass girl with enough trauma to make you sob, who powers on and only answers to herself. But she's also kind and funny, and a very good friend (when she can). The rest of the cast is as entertaining and endearing as she is, but especially gentleman scholar Darlington (Alex's mentor) and introverted Dawes (my personal favorite character).
If you're used to short books, Ninth House, sitting at around 450 pages, might seem a bit lengthy, but its fast paced story with twists and turns you can't expect will keep you turning pages, and you'll probably finish it wishing for 200 more pages.
The plot is pulled in every direction, with the crime investigation at its center, and it is so entertaining. You get to dive in both Alex and Darlington's pasts, to see glimpses of students struggles (very relatable if you're one yourself), and to discover such an interesting magic system, one Bardugo has obviously woven with care. It keeps you on your toes, makes you wish magic was real, and pushes the boundaries of every expectations that come with 'raising the dead'.
Ninth House is a masterpiece of dark fantasy, and sets a high bar for its sequel, Hell Bent (coming April 2023). If you're looking for a book to gift your fantasy and/or dark academia obsessed friend, look no further, this is it!
Alex Stern is a high school dropout, ex-drug user, and the only survivor of an unsolved crime. She's also a freshman at Yale. Having been recruited to monitor the university's secret society, she goes far beyond the tasks appointed to her when a girl dies on campus and Alex is the only one really trying to investigate. She discovers the societies are far darker than anyone thought: despite already raising the dead, they're not above preying on the living.
If anything is Leigh Bardugo's forte, it's creating characters you fall madly in love with, and Alex Stern is no exception. The main character of Ninth House is a badass girl with enough trauma to make you sob, who powers on and only answers to herself. But she's also kind and funny, and a very good friend (when she can). The rest of the cast is as entertaining and endearing as she is, but especially gentleman scholar Darlington (Alex's mentor) and introverted Dawes (my personal favorite character).
If you're used to short books, Ninth House, sitting at around 450 pages, might seem a bit lengthy, but its fast paced story with twists and turns you can't expect will keep you turning pages, and you'll probably finish it wishing for 200 more pages.
The plot is pulled in every direction, with the crime investigation at its center, and it is so entertaining. You get to dive in both Alex and Darlington's pasts, to see glimpses of students struggles (very relatable if you're one yourself), and to discover such an interesting magic system, one Bardugo has obviously woven with care. It keeps you on your toes, makes you wish magic was real, and pushes the boundaries of every expectations that come with 'raising the dead'.
Ninth House is a masterpiece of dark fantasy, and sets a high bar for its sequel, Hell Bent (coming April 2023). If you're looking for a book to gift your fantasy and/or dark academia obsessed friend, look no further, this is it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Racism and Drug abuse