Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo follows Alex, a girl from Los Angeles who survived a difficult upbringing, a world filled with drugs and shady boyfriends, and an unsolved multiple homicide. Following the incident, she finds herself in a hospital bed with an offer to enter Yale University for her special abilities. She must learn to adapt to her new environment—Leith House—the monitor of Yale’s magical secret societies. As Alex learns to navigate the challenges of New Haven she loses her mentor and must investigate the death of a local girl on her own. Bardugo’s ability to blend a murder mystery and an enchanting, mythical world kept me hooked. Although the novel tells a fantasy narrative, it also tackles real-world issues relating to class while still supporting an intriguing plot. My one critique would be the length of the book. Admittedly, it has a slow start, but if you stick to it you will be amazed.
Opening Line: “By the time Alex managed to get the blood out of her good wool coat, it was too warm to wear it”
Favorite Line: “All you children playing with fire, looking surprised when the house burns down”
Why I Like It: It was an engaging read filled with suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout all 450 pages. Bardugo creates a captivating world filled with magic and mystery.
Read If You Like: The Secret History, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and anything fantasy and dark academia.