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A review by ellereadsbookslike
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
~Short Synopsis~
Galaxy 'Alex' Stern is not someone you'd expect to be a student at Yale considering she's an ex drug addict and a high school drop out. Lying in a hospital bed after a horrific unsolved homicide, Alex is offered a second chance. She can attend one of the world's most elite universities on a full scholarship and all she has to do is monitor the activities of Yale's secret societies. But when a girl ends up dead, Alex realises that things are more sinister than they first appeared.
~Review~
I am already a huge fan of Bardugo's writing having completely devoured her YA series earlier this year but I wasn't sure what to expect from her adult debut. This book was everything I wanted and more.
If you have read Bardugo's other work, especially the Six of Crows duology, you'll already be aware that she can write a dark atmosphere very well. Writing in an adult genre, Bardugo does not hold back and the result is an intense, twisted and detailed fantasy murder mystery. Ninth House is most definitely a genre bending book and is unlike any fantasy book I've ever read. The world building is intricate and the important information is breadcrumbed throughout the story and left me wanting more.
To me, Alex is the perfect protagonist. For one she's morally grey (my favourite) but she's also so easy to warm to. I wanted to know more about her from the off and the more I learned about her, the more I loved her character. I'm looking forward to seeing how her character develops in the later books (I don't know how many books are going to be in the series).
This book is a great read for this time of year and I'm glad that I waited to read it. The perfect gruesome, creepy and atmospheric read for spooky season.
Galaxy 'Alex' Stern is not someone you'd expect to be a student at Yale considering she's an ex drug addict and a high school drop out. Lying in a hospital bed after a horrific unsolved homicide, Alex is offered a second chance. She can attend one of the world's most elite universities on a full scholarship and all she has to do is monitor the activities of Yale's secret societies. But when a girl ends up dead, Alex realises that things are more sinister than they first appeared.
~Review~
I am already a huge fan of Bardugo's writing having completely devoured her YA series earlier this year but I wasn't sure what to expect from her adult debut. This book was everything I wanted and more.
If you have read Bardugo's other work, especially the Six of Crows duology, you'll already be aware that she can write a dark atmosphere very well. Writing in an adult genre, Bardugo does not hold back and the result is an intense, twisted and detailed fantasy murder mystery. Ninth House is most definitely a genre bending book and is unlike any fantasy book I've ever read. The world building is intricate and the important information is breadcrumbed throughout the story and left me wanting more.
To me, Alex is the perfect protagonist. For one she's morally grey (my favourite) but she's also so easy to warm to. I wanted to know more about her from the off and the more I learned about her, the more I loved her character. I'm looking forward to seeing how her character develops in the later books (I don't know how many books are going to be in the series).
This book is a great read for this time of year and I'm glad that I waited to read it. The perfect gruesome, creepy and atmospheric read for spooky season.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Misogyny, and Vomit