Scan barcode
seymone's review
4.0
Very interesting characters study - set on a higher learning campus, where there is a nefarious experiment taking place and the students are the experimental group. I really enjoy dark academia.
kdahlo's review
4.0
This book was very moody, dark. I think I especially enjoyed it because the isolated liberal arts college vibes hit home for me. I would particularly recommend this to other people who have those college experiences, but I think lots of people would enjoy it. Really original, subtle, delightful.
daisy17's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
1.75
chelsl's review
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jaysaysnope's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
This book is a master class in the dark academia aesthetic. It beautifully encapsulates a time of life that you think you’ll always remember when you’re in it, but that you will inevitably forget as you grow older. And it is elegantly written. Unfortunately, these disparate parts, a good book do not make.
just_alyx's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
ansimps2's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
veganheathen's review
3.0
I'm not entirely sure what to think of this book. I liked it. I liked the premise and the slow reveal of the weirdness of Catherine House. I found the book to be a bit slow, though. It was hard to feel hooked and the characters fell a bit flat for me.
dembury's review
3.0
A very slow, sensual kind of novel that is part dark-academia and part mystery, although I use the word "mystery" very loosely. The synopsis of "Catherine House" seems to offer a real thrill-ride of a book, but in reality there is a quite of bit of repetition and drowsiness in the writing and story that makes everything kind of drag. It's not all bad; in fact, at times it's a pretty novel, and I think Thomas has a gift for writing some really sparse yet lush scenes, and I'm interested in what she writes next. But the plot just doesn't deliver. It's an endless loop of the main character, Ines, reflecting on her past, almost failing classes, sleeping, and wandering the grounds of her new school. Paired with an anticlimactic final act, "Catherine House" ultimately is just missing that "pizazz" element that makes the story stand out.
(edit: I think the word I was looking for is low-stakes. There were just no consequences or anything at risk for Ines for most of the novel. Her lack of enthusiasm and desire for a future left me less invested in her story arc.)
(edit: I think the word I was looking for is low-stakes. There were just no consequences or anything at risk for Ines for most of the novel. Her lack of enthusiasm and desire for a future left me less invested in her story arc.)
willdriveforsnacks's review
4.0
This book very much reminded me of the original gossip girl series. Intoxicating drama filled with bad decisions and an allure of grandeur. While I did not thing the text was poorly written, I did hope for more closure to the largest portion of the plot.