A review by wardenred
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I feel as if the next year has just opened up in front of me, a great and yawning void that consumes all light. What will emerge from that darkness? What ghosts will reach from the shadows to close their fingers around my neck?

A few years ago I tried to read a different book by Victoria Lee and was underwhelmed to the point of DNFing. So no matter how intriguing A Lesson in Vengeance looked, I didn't have particularly high expectations for it. I certainly didn't expect to blast through the entire book in one go because I simply couldn't put it down!

Looking at the book critically, I certainly see it's got flaws. There's a certain clunkiness to how some parts of the plot fit together. Ellis doesn't make for a convincing Pulitzer-winning literary prodigy, what with every quote pulled from her manuscripts reading like regular middle-of-the-shelf witchy YA. Some of the representation feels heavy-handed and imperfect. For a dark academia novel, there's too little academia here behind all the pretentious talk.

But, listen, the vibes! The vibes are so thick here and so deliciously creepy. It's been a while, I think, since I read something so absolutely atmospheric. I started reading the book in broad daylight, and I almost immediately felt like I was instead sitting in a darkened room with shadows lurking in every corner. The prose here is so vivid and engrossing, and I loved being in Felicity's head, trying to guess at what was real and what wasn't about everything that went on. All the tension, murder, and creepy witchiness made for a perfect cocktail to bring some Halloween mood into a gloomy December.

I do wish there was more actual academia, though. And to get to know some of the side characters better, although I kind of do understand why practically no one was fully realized. Throughout the narrative, Felicity pretty much only has eyes for Ellis, herself, and the long-buried Alex; it's no wonder all the other girls drift in and out of her periphery, providing nothing more than vivid snapshots of their presence.

All in all: a flawed yet delightful read with great prose and one of my favorite unreliable narrators.
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