A review by sanktjosten
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

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

5.0

this book was absolutely phenomenal. this is definitely one of my favourite leigh bardugo books, the raw realism of it made it bone chilling and an intensely loveable read. im not often a dark academia reader but this might just have to change that. i thought the premise was super fascinating, and the rites that each of the houses perform are super realistic to what would happen if that kind of magic was accessible. following alex, who is very much an outsider to the yale prestige crowd, is an incredible narrative choice to point out the way elitism operates in high level academic institutions. the book makes such a perfect criticism of the lack of moral integrity and dehumanization of the middle class that takes place in wealthy schools. being part of lethe, the ninth house meant to protect the safety of students and outsiders from the occult activities of yale should be a righteous position, but it shows exactly how elitism operates and how wealthy institutions will prioritize profit and their own benefit over the causes they're meant to achieve. i also love the characters! alex, darlington and dawes are all so loveable and i am so excited to see where they go.
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