We discussed Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House on February 8, 2024. Set on the prestigious Yale campus, this 2019 fantasy novel introduces us to an unlikely Yale freshman: Galaxy “Alex” Stern was raised by a hippie mother, dropped out of school, worked shady odd jobs, and solely survived an unsolved multiple homicide. The offer to attend university must come with a catch, right? And as it turns out—yes, things are certainly not as they seem.
PADERBORN2READ Rating for Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
3.5 out of 5
Members’ Opinions
“I had a rollercoaster reading experience with this one. It was off to a jolting start, smoothed out, gained speed (and my interest), and then just tossed the reader around until the unresolved ending. I tried to like it but ended up thinking it was quite the narrative tour-de-force but not a satisfying read. 😕”
“I immensely enjoyed reading the book, though it was sometimes quite lengthy. While I loved how the relationship between Alex and side characters such as Mercy or Dawes developed, I still wasn’t the biggest fan of Alex herself. Often, her actions seemed to be quite insensate. It was mostly Darlington’s POV that carried me through the book, as well as the descriptions of Yale. Those were phenomenal because you could really imagine yourself standing on that campus.”
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