Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

1004 reviews

kimreads14's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a re-read for me. I needed to read it again because I first read it back in March 2021 and needed a refresher ahead of reading Hell Bent. 🤗

On my first read I had given this book 5⭐️, but upon reading this again I’m lowering it down to 4⭐️

🚨You NEED to check the TWs for this one. I appreciate that Bardugo went all in when it comes to the adult content in this. 

Even if I was reading this for the second time I still was surprised at times with how things went. Bardugo really crafted an interesting world of magic and some interesting characters. 

Yet, I think that what Ninth House lacked was that little something that originally made me fall in love with Six of Crows. While Alex had that “gritty” vibe, it just fell flat at times. Alex, who could have been so much more. While Bardugo kept poking at Alex’s potential, it just never materialised. 😕

I’m hoping that Hell Bent keeps Darlington POVs as I found them refreshing. I’m also really hoping to see way more of Dawes in the next book. 

Overall a great book ☺️, and it did help make me excited about Bardugo’s work again after the big F that The Familiar was for me. 

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abee_3_c's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

  • Ms Bardugo's fantastic world building!
  • Intricate plot and twists!!
  • Many many layers of "whodunit" and "what's going on"!!!
  • Loveable characters that I would spend an eternity reading about!!!!
  • Leigh took me to hell with this book and I enjoyed it!!!!!

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gremlin_98's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.75

Galaxy ‘Alex’ Stern is a woman cloaked in darkness and tragedy. 
It would seem almost as if her life was doomed to end in heartbreak & lonely. 

Learning about the Houses, the magic and Alex made this a fascinating tell. I will not lie though. I do suggest looking up trigger warnings because if you're not in the right headspace I can imagine that some of the topics discussed and scenes that play out could really mess with someone. 
I’ll also point out that the timeline in how the story played out could be confusing, but I was able to just go with it and I didn’t feel too lost as it all came to a close. 

Thank you past me for picking up Hell Bent the same day so I am able to live in this world a little longer. I just hope the story continues in the way I’m hoping & it doesn’t focus on things I rather skip


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isabelboswinkel's review

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

4.5


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_laurenslittlelibrary_'s review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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neslinde's review

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

5.0

Alex Stern is an amazing character, the plot of this book is crazy 
there’s no mistake for me on that book
morally grey character, found family trope, big character development all of this in a perfect dark academia universe 

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tony_hart's review against another edition

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

4.5


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linkwoodpub's review

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

3.5


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loudonuts's review

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

2.0

opening with several tedious chapters of Yale circlejerking was already a huge turn off. i expected to eventually like the main character- the author desperately wants you to- but i never came around on her. the institutionalisation of the magic was the most interesting part, but there was not enough substance to it. i can see that the author wanted to tell a story about the consequences of privilege and power in NINTH HOUSE, but for me, nothing truly satisfying was done with that premise. it is mostly a basic whodunnit with a main character that is handed answers rather than the reader being able to piece it together. a generous 2 stars from me, but only because of the hints of an interesting magic system.

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lizzie24601's review

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Leigh Bardugo's writing chops are as strong as ever - strong enough to keep me going even amid unbuilt characters and a few too many sexual assault cases that were never remarked upon again afterward. The intended audience might just be Yale alums like Bardugo herself.

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