Ninth House (Ninth House Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

NINTH HOUSE is the first book I have read by author Leigh Bardugo, and I have already purchased several other novels by her, based on the writing style alone. She captured my attention from the first page, and managed to give enough "new" information for me to process all throughout this story. The result was a novel that I hated to put down at any place."Rich or poor, all are equal in death . . . "Alex (Galaxy) Stern is a young woman that spent her life trying to hide away from the fact that she was very . . . different. She was able to see ghosts ("Grays") from the day she was born. A curse that kept her from blending in and living a "normal" life, until the day she got an offer from Yale.Alex would get a free ride, contingent upon her joining their secretive Lethe House, where she would help monitor supernatural events and experiments in private societies on campus."The greatest gift Lethe had given Alex . . . was the knowledge, the certainty that the things she saw were real and always had been . . . "Bardugo has constructed a complex and thrilling novel involving dynamic characters, supernatural phenomena, mysterious histories, secret societies, and danger threaded all throughout. The societies and their "origins" were so well detailed that each and every event felt entirely plausible in the setting.". . . This town is a peculiar one. The Veil is thinner here . . . "There wasn't just one main character that stood out here. I found that many of them were so individual in their behaviors and beliefs that they were equally as important to me as Alex was.". . . He didn't know how precious a normal life could be, how easy it was to drift away from average . . . "As the events began, I felt as if I were learning along with Alex--a student, myself--permitted entrance into possibly THE most exclusive and wondrous of societies. The stark change from the world she left behind, to the one she now sought to integrate into, was astronomical. Her character's sarcastic wit and ability to make quick decisions helped blend this transition into something the reader could go along with."Maybe good things were the same as the bad things. Sometimes you just had to let them happen."I really enjoyed how Bardugo painted the demeanor of the privileged college students, verses those that lived in the towns just outside of Yale's domain. The differences were illustrated in casual comments, the clothing worn, professors who had students working as hired help--all to create the sense of inequality better than words alone ever could.". . . there was a big difference between things being fair and things being set right."Then, there was the magical "world" that was Lethe--where they were tasked with overseeing the elaborate rituals involving the supernatural, mixed with the needs and desires of the rich and powerful--all done in secrecy from the main body of the common population. THIS is the area that had me hooked on every sentence penned.". . . That was what magic did. It revealed the heart of who you'd been before life took away your belief in the possible . . . "Overall, I was incredibly impressed with my first novel from Leigh Bardugo. Her writing style kept my attention from first to last page, giving just enough information at a time to keep you begging for more. The world she created was complex, and yet believable--with the elite of Yale in contrast to the world surrounding the University, you could believe that some of these people were able to pierce the "barrier" for their own gain.". . . needed to believe that there was something more to the world than living and dying . . . "Add in some dynamic, three dimensional characters, and you have a book that covers all the major bases. I plan on reading some of the author's earlier novels, and will eagerly be awaiting her next.Highly recommended!

It is no secret that I gravitate toward dark aesthetic. While it may not be what my brand exudes, it is a personal favorite of mine. Dark and moody aesthetics influence everything from my makeup choices, to my wardrobe, and even my Lightroom presets. Needless to say, I was immensely excited about Ninth House the minute I heard Leigh talk about it. Overall, this book did not let me down. It is widely different from the Shadow and Bone trilogy as well as the Six of Crows duology. It is adult, gritty, and somewhat depressing, but most of all it is real. While there are obviously paranormal and magical elements – it is set in the real world, our world. It deals with real issues that are affecting people today including drug addiction, abusive relationships, mental illness, and rape and is not for the faint of heart.The Plot We meet Alex (or Galaxy) Stern as she struggles her way through her first year at Yale. She is not educationally qualified to be attending an Ivy League school, but has gotten wrapped in the seedy underground of the secret societies that take place at Yale. See, Alex has something that makes her unlike anyone else, she can see and interact with ghosts (or Grays as they are known in this world). Because of her talent, she was recruited by Lethe House, which is the organization that monitors and regulates the paranormal activity of the other eight houses of Yale. The other houses each dabble in different types of magic to further their agenda. In fact, the book opens with Alex attending a ritual that involves members of one of the societies analyzing the insides of a kidnapped hospital patient so they can predict the future of the NY Stock Exchange and NASDAQ markets. This is only one instance of this ritual, which seems to happen routinely for the last several decades and can have different outcomes like improving the ranking of member’s book on the NY Times Best Sellers list or making a mediocre pop song rise on the chart. However, something during this particular ritual is… off. We learn that Grays routinely attend these rituals and are drawn to anything that makes them feel more alive like pain, emotions, sex, and the like. They are usually complacent mostly because no one can see them except Alex and as long as someone does not form a connection with them, they are harmless. However, something goes wrong and the Grays get upset and begin beating on their otherworldly barrier. They become completely agitated and Alex is concerned that they will become violent. Thankfully, after a minute, the chaos stops. Shaken, Alex leaves after the ritual is completed – but finds that sometime during the night (rituals always happen on Thursdays) that a New Haven resident was murdered. Something about the death does not sit well with Alex and while she cannot prove society involvement, she thinks there is more to meet the eye. As she investigates the death, we get flashbacks to her bleak previous life, before Lethe, and her induction into the society by her mentor Darlington (who disappeared before the start of the book). Could Darlington’s disappearance be tied to the murder of the New Haven resident? Alex intends to find out, all while trying to maintain her job as the resident mediator for the societies and Yale as well as get by as a student and maintain at least passing grades. The Review Ninth House was an incredibly engrossing read. While I find myself being fairly good at being able to predict what will happen by the end of the novel, this one I was not successful at. It reads as a mystery and one I was not successful at solving. I thought Alex was a very different character, since I usually stay away from reading contemporary fiction she came across as much more ‘real’ than I am used to reading and I enjoyed the change. However, because it was so real, it is a fairly depressing book. Dealing with so many terrible things that happened in her life leads her to be fairly downtrodden. I do not consider myself to be easily triggered, and I do not think I was ‘triggered’ from this book as much as I was just depressed during certain parts. This book explicitly describes rape, drug use, physical abuse, and death. It is not a book that should be for the faint of heart and you need to go into reading this with a clear mind and understanding of what this book entails. Some parts are graphic and hard to read, others are entrancing, but none of it is particularly up lifting. I have seen some reviews complaining that it was boring read – let me make this clear... This is part one of a long series. Leigh herself has said she hopes to write five or six novels in the Alex Stern series, and honestly this book reads like book one of a long series to me. It sets the groundwork, and the lore that I am sure will be important in the following books. Does that maybe bog some people down, yes, but if you look at it from the perspective of it being one of five or six books it makes sense. Maybe, if you are someone who does not appreciate so much backstory, wait until one or two more come out so you can power read through several at a time. I do think this book is absolutely worth the read. It is creepy and dark and the perfect October read. We end on a little bit of a cliffhanger and I want to know what happens to these characters as there are SO many questions left unanswered.

I love Alex, Galaxy, very much. I understand growing up in a tough world and having things fall apart on you. Alex is a fighter and a survivor, and while her regular classes at Yale may be a bit difficult, she handles her "extracurricular" lessons very well...until things fall apart again. What will Alex and Darlington do? This story is impossible to put down, and keeps you in suspense the entire ride through. I love that is is set in the real world, because this makes the entire story more real. Wonderful as a first Leigh Bardugo book, or to read after Bardugo's Grishaverse books.

I couldn't put this one down. I'm very familiar with New Haven CT., and Yale, so none of these dark groups surprised me. The suspense and drama hold the reader to the last page. While I doubt some of the darker magic exists, I don't doubt what certain people will try for more power. The writing is so well done, it leaves even me wondering what goes on behind the walls in those beautiful buildings and the city itself.

Adorei

I didn’t read the book itself yet but I received a ripped dust jacket.

**TW: sexual assault, rape, drug abuse, death, gore.**Alex Stern gets a mysterious scholarship at Yale. The catch? She has to monitor the activities of Yale's secret societies, which aren't what they seem, full of sinister activities of the occult. At first, I wasn't sure about reading this book, most of the reviews said it was a very boring book, and couldn't get through it. I understand where these opinions come from, but this book is perfect for you if you like dark academia and urban fantasy. I personally couldn't put this book down, it was such a rollercoaster of emotions. The last few chapters had so many plot twists you won't ever see coming. Leigh Bardugo did it again and wrote my favorite book of the year, I absolutely cannot wait for Alex Stern #2.

Very good book, it takes me right into the story

Glad I were finally able to give this book a chance and I enjoyed it a lot.