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A review by elthechameleon
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This just wasn't the book for me. I loved the narrator, Lauren Fortgang, and I highly enjoyed the added interview at the end. I just felt that I never really connected with any of the characters, despite me thinking that I would because I know the vibe of Yale really well. Darlington's commentary and his gentleman antics were rather entertaining, and I even think he draws out a connection between able-bodied fitness and prestige that appears so often in old boy schools. I just didn't really grab onto the secret societies. They weren't fleshed out for me in a way that felt intriguing.
I have heard people say that Legendborn did this dark academia niche better and after finishing, I agree. Spoiler for both Legendborn and Ninth House: I think there was something really fitting about the UNC Chapel Hill secret society having history and roots in slavery and misogyny and rape. The revelation that a woman on the inside of the university betrayed other women from all different classes and races felt...unspecific. .
There was always something about this book that felt off in representation. I can't put a finger on it exactly. Maybe it was because Alex's life felt so violent without any positive joy? Or that her background was so non-specific - especially in comparison to the overly descriptive trauma Alex went through? I will say that I was glad that Alex's background with food insecurity was explored, but there were just other problems, too. (Also - there is still food scarcity for some students at prestigious universities. Food isn't automatically solved after admission). It felt like Bardugo was unwilling to commit to Alex having a distinct ethnicity out of nervousness of having poor representation. And then her indecision made that happen anyway.
There were upsides. Dawes is an incredible character, and the ending is intriguing.
This just was such a step down after the King of Scars duology. I had high hopes, and it just didn't deliver.
Maybe it is someone else's perfect book, though!
I have heard people say that Legendborn did this dark academia niche better and after finishing, I agree. Spoiler for both Legendborn and Ninth House:
There was always something about this book that felt off in representation. I can't put a finger on it exactly. Maybe it was because Alex's life felt so violent without any positive joy? Or that her background was so non-specific - especially in comparison to the overly descriptive trauma Alex went through? I will say that I was glad that Alex's background with food insecurity was explored, but there were just other problems, too. (Also - there is still food scarcity for some students at prestigious universities. Food isn't automatically solved after admission). It felt like Bardugo was unwilling to commit to Alex having a distinct ethnicity out of nervousness of having poor representation. And then her indecision made that happen anyway.
There were upsides. Dawes is an incredible character, and the ending is intriguing.
This just was such a step down after the King of Scars duology. I had high hopes, and it just didn't deliver.
Maybe it is someone else's perfect book, though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Classism, Death, Grief, Rape, and Trafficking