A review by cari_mac
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

having a hard time rating this one. i enjoyed the overall plot but whew was it a whirlwind. 

i wish i had made some sort of plot chart to keep track of details while i was reading because it was so much to keep up with and i can’t decide if i hated that or not. it makes you feel the way Alex surely felt - overwhelmed, drowning in problems and possible connections, overall run ragged. as a girl certified in Trying To Do Too Much All the Time, i am nearly certain this is how Alex must’ve felt. 

should that be the experience for the reader? i’m not sure it’s everyone’s cup of tea. i also don’t think so much was necessary. a few connections and plot ideas were definitely underdeveloped and felt like Bardugo was purposefully adding to the churning ocean of plot developments.  i’ve heard the second installment is worse on this front which makes me nervous however i do NEED to know what happens next. 

one thing about Bardugo though is she’s gonna make you FEEL like you were there. she delivers on place every time. she is also excellent at developing multifaceted characters. i really felt Alex could’ve been a real girl, angry and kicking and screaming at the world but tired, so so so tired of having to do it. she is a past version of me, which really makes me hope for some additional development for her in future books.