strange and random happenstance

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: October 8th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Alex Stern has been given an opportunity she never thought she'd get. At the age of twenty she is going to be a freshman at Yale with a full ride despite never having graduated from high school. How did she even get to New Haven? She had thrown her life away, living among the dregs and the drug dealers in California. Then she miraculously survived a gruesome multiple homicide that claimed the lives of her best friend and her boyfriend. That horrible night at Ground Zero she lay down next to Hellie hoping to never wake. But she did. In the hospital. While cuffed to her bed she was approached by Dean Sandow from Yale. He wanted her to tell him about the Grays. It turns out Alex has been able to see ghosts her entire life. Her "job" will be to join the Ninth House, Lethe, it is a regulatory body for the Ancient Eight, the eight secret societies at Yale, Skull and Bones being the only one that the general populace believes to exist. She accepts Dean Sandow's offer and is eastward bound. To a girl christened Galaxy by her hippie mother just the prospect of Yale's cafeteria is a dream come true, but being thrust into the world of the elite could take some getting used to. Take Daniel Arlington, Darlington, for example. He is there to mentor her, the Virgil to her Dante, and shepherd her in her duties to the other houses because once he graduates she will take over his duties. Darlington is the epitome of a Yale student. Like the members of the other houses, he is a golden boy, but underneath that golden exterior he's different, he's a true believer with an encyclopedic knowledge of New Haven. While the two of them are exact opposites when Darlington disappears Alex realizes that she might be in way over her head, not to mention her course load piling up on top of the demands of Lethe. Now Alex has a problem, find out where Darlington went and bring him back. But as the new moon ritual draws near she is drawn into a murder on campus. At first it looks just like a tragic death of a townie, something Yale really doesn't care about. But Alex sees herself in Tara and while her investigation brings up no untoward evidence when a gluma attacks her she knows her instincts were right. Tara was murdered. A Gray saves her and she realizes that something far deeper is at play at Yale. She will get to the bottom of it and find Darlington, though it might just kill her.

There are some books that need to be read at a certain time to work. There are some books that need to be reread in a certain frame of mind to work. The first time I read Ninth House I detested it. And detest might even be too forgiving a word for how I felt. The way this book deals with rape and rape culture is highly problematic. Trauma can not be erased by something bad happening to those who hurt you. It might be cathartic, but in the end it's nothing more than a temporary balm. It's dismissive to think that it is. But so much of this book is just trauma heaped on trauma all these characters are going to need a lifetime's worth of therapy just to start handling all that they have been through. The first time I read this book I just couldn't get past this. And yet so many people I know loved this book while acknowledging it's flaws. It wasn't these friends who led me to pick up Ninth House again but Leigh Bardugo herself. She is a fabulous writer and, well, there was a sequel now. I adore the Grishaverse and there were some books in that series, in particular Crooked Kingdom, which needed to be reread to be appreciated. Once I had to come to terms with the death of Matthias I could appreciate that book. Therefore I had to embrace the flaws of Ninth House before I could learn to love it. I mean, it's still not perfect, but this time I was able to enjoy the journey without quibbling about all my issues. I was prepared to face the dark with my armor of salt. And, as I write this, some of my issues, especially with regard to trauma, are being dealt with in the sequel, Hell Bent. But rereading Ninth House I can say I think the one thing this book does really well is capture just how overwhelming the adjustment to college life is. It made me nostalgic but it also made me have some serious nightmares about missing final projects and exams. And I'm not just saying this as a way to justify how Leigh Bardugo writes about Yale and New Haven with such an insiders view. Because while it might come off as pompous and elite, there's a part of me that gets it. This is the world Alex has been thrown into and she herself is trying to become an insider while she is very much an outsider. An outsider who is rather one-dimensional. She's basically the Katniss Everdeen of Yale. Reacting not acting. But I forgive her. She's been through a lot. Here's hoping she gets the therapy she so rightfully needs. And here's to second chances. Alex needed one and well, so did I with this book.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alex Stern, College, Crooked Kingdom, Darlington, Grays, Grishaverse, Hell Bent, Katniss Everdeen, Leigh Bardugo, Lethe, Matthias, New Haven, Ninth House, Rape, Second Chances, Secret Societies, Skull and Bones, Top Ten, Yale

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: January 10th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 496 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Michelle Alameddine has a warning for Alex Stern. Whatever is out there, beyond the Veil, it isn't just Grays. And while this advice is prescient it won't sway Alex. The late, unlamented, Dean Sandow planned for the Hellbeast to devour her Virgil, Darlington, because he was too smart for his own good. But those smarts meant that he survived. As a demon. A gentleman demon. Trapped in hell. And Alex is going to rescue her gentleman demon. Because that night, almost a year ago, she did nothing to save Darlington and has been struggling with her responsibilities and her guilt ever since. The members of Lethe are going to stage a sulfurous jailbreak. The problem is, hell doesn't like thieves. But it does like its murderers. Which might actually come in handy. It's not exactly like Alex's hands are clean. The problem confronting them is that first, they actually have to find a way into hell, and second, they have to do it without the Lethe board finding out. And they only have one clue, that the portal to hell, the Gauntlet, is on hallowed grown. They have literally searched all of New Haven's copious churches to no avail. Approaching Scroll and Key would seem the next logical step as they deal in portals but Alex isn't exactly their favorite person. Especially after her and Dawes trick them and things go catastrophically wrong. As in Darlington, the demon, is now trapped in a protective circle in the ballroom at Black Elm. And while the board doesn't know about Darlington's "return" they do know about the damage to Scroll and Key and strongly suspect what they were up to. What they were specifically told never to attempt. And while Darlington is "back" his soul is still in hell, meaning, this heist is just beginning. With time running out and all eyes on them they need to get Darlington's soul as soon as they can. Dawes has pieced together a ritual and once they realize that the Gauntlet is in Sterling Library, a very different kind of hallowed ground, they just need to assemble four murderers willing to take the journey. Thankfully anyone who's worked with Lethe long enough has gotten their hands dirty, which means that Alex, Dawes, and Detective Turner fit the bill. They just need a fourth, and they find that fourth in the surprising form of Bonesman Tripp Helmuth. He's a ray of sunshine with a surprisingly dark past. They are ready to die and go to hell. Who knows if they will make it back. Who knows if they will succeed. Who knows if they will come back alone.

Originally viewed as an epic series Leigh Bardugo has honed Alex Stern's story down to a trilogy. Which means that Hell Bent is now that problematic middle child. And it's an odd problem here. Because while fixing that which I found originally annoying in Ninth House, specifically the insular and esoteric details that only one who attended Yale would care about, and focusing more on the characters, she has lost some of the originality in this series. Hell Bent feels like it could be any other urban fantasy series, and at times there were strong Buffy the Vampire Slayer overtones. Hell Bent lacked the polish and precision of the first volume which is painfully obvious in the copious timeline errors. If there's one murder on a Saturday night and another on that Sunday morning, they aren't days apart. They aren't even day apart. But what we lose in the tight plotting and editing we gain in character development. By narrowing down the focus to only six characters and their journey to hell and back we can understand them better. In Ninth House Alex seemed to not only be fighting the Grays but fighting her very existence. She didn't understand her place in the world or what she wanted so she was all reaction not action. Which, yes, you can build a story that way, it's just not as compelling. Here we see how special Yale has become to her. It's the first real home she's ever had. There's always a roof over her head and breakfast foods in her pockets. She has friends she can rely on to help, not hurt her. She's falling in love with literature and spends copious hours just reading old paperbacks for enjoyment. The academic life suits her. This also makes her more protective of others, she's not just looking out for herself but her friends and, in particular, her mother. She is learning what it is to be an adult and survive in this world and it makes you care about her and Dawes and all the rest of them, even golden retriever Tripp, all the more. Which is why Leigh Bardugo's interpretation of vampires is so interesting and terrifying. While I don't consider myself an expert on vampires I know enough and the fact that in this universe vampires are actually demons that drain a human into nothing more than a husk and then become them is genius and terrifying. I don't know if it's been done before, but it felt fresh and original and, as previously mentioned, terrifying. Add in the soul revelation, and, well, yes, hints of Angelus, but also, something so unique that I almost forgave the more pedestrian plot points. Almost.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alex Stern, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Character, Darlington, Dawes, Ghosts, Grays, Hell, Hell Bent, Leigh Bardugo, Lethe, New Haven, Ninth House, Portals, Secret Societies, Summer School, Trilogy, Tripp Helmuth, Vampires, Yale

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: October 8th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Alex Stern has been given an opportunity she never thought she'd get. At the age of twenty she is going to be a freshman at Yale with a full ride despite never having graduated from high school. How did she even get to New Haven? She had thrown her life away, living among the dregs and the drug dealers in California. Then she miraculously survived a gruesome multiple homicide that claimed the lives of her best friend and her boyfriend. That horrible night at Ground Zero she lay down next to Hellie hoping to never wake. But she did. In the hospital. While cuffed to her bed she was approached by Dean Sandow from Yale. He wanted her to tell him about the Grays. It turns out Alex has been able to see ghosts her entire life. Her "job" will be to join the Ninth House, Lethe, it is a regulatory body for the Ancient Eight, the eight secret societies at Yale, Skull and Bones being the only one that the general populace believes to exist. She accepts Dean Sandow's offer and is eastward bound. To a girl christened Galaxy by her hippie mother just the prospect of Yale's cafeteria is a dream come true, but being thrust into the world of the elite could take some getting used to. Take Daniel Arlington, Darlington, for example. He is there to mentor her, the Virgil to her Dante, and shepherd her in her duties to the other houses because once he graduates she will take over his duties. Darlington is the epitome of a Yale student. Like the members of the other houses, he is a golden boy, but underneath that golden exterior he's different, he's a true believer with an encyclopedic knowledge of New Haven. While the two of them are exact opposites when Darlington disappears Alex realizes that she might be in way over her head, not to mention her course load piling up on top of the demands of Lethe. Now Alex has a problem, find out where Darlington went and bring him back. But as the new moon ritual draws near she is drawn into a murder on campus. At first it looks just like a tragic death of a townie, something Yale really doesn't care about. But Alex sees herself in Tara and while her investigation brings up no untoward evidence when a gluma attacks her she knows her instincts were right. Tara was murdered. A Gray saves her and she realizes that something far deeper is at play at Yale. She will get to the bottom of it and find Darlington, though it might just kill her.

There are some books that need to be read at a certain time to work. There are some books that need to be reread in a certain frame of mind to work. The first time I read Ninth House I detested it. And detest might even be too forgiving a word for how I felt. The way this book deals with rape and rape culture is highly problematic. Trauma can not be erased by something bad happening to those who hurt you. It might be cathartic, but in the end it's nothing more than a temporary balm. It's dismissive to think that it is. But so much of this book is just trauma heaped on trauma all these characters are going to need a lifetime's worth of therapy just to start handling all that they have been through. The first time I read this book I just couldn't get past this. And yet so many people I know loved this book while acknowledging it's flaws. It wasn't these friends who led me to pick up Ninth House again but Leigh Bardugo herself. She is a fabulous writer and, well, there was a sequel now. I adore the Grishaverse and there were some books in that series, in particular Crooked Kingdom, which needed to be reread to be appreciated. Once I had to come to terms with the death of Matthias I could appreciate that book. Therefore I had to embrace the flaws of Ninth House before I could learn to love it. I mean, it's still not perfect, but this time I was able to enjoy the journey without quibbling about all my issues. I was prepared to face the dark with my armor of salt. And, as I write this, some of my issues, especially with regard to trauma, are being dealt with in the sequel, Hell Bent. But rereading Ninth House I can say I think the one thing this book does really well is capture just how overwhelming the adjustment to college life is. It made me nostalgic but it also made me have some serious nightmares about missing final projects and exams. And I'm not just saying this as a way to justify how Leigh Bardugo writes about Yale and New Haven with such an insiders view. Because while it might come off as pompous and elite, there's a part of me that gets it. This is the world Alex has been thrown into and she herself is trying to become an insider while she is very much an outsider. An outsider who is rather one-dimensional. She's basically the Katniss Everdeen of Yale. Reacting not acting. But I forgive her. She's been through a lot. Here's hoping she gets the therapy she so rightfully needs. And here's to second chances. Alex needed one and well, so did I with this book.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alex Stern, College, Crooked Kingdom, Darlington, Grays, Grishaverse, Hell Bent, Katniss Everdeen, Leigh Bardugo, Lethe, Matthias, New Haven, Ninth House, Rape, Second Chances, Secret Societies, Skull and Bones, Summer School, Yale

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: October 8th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
Rating: ★
To Buy

Alex Stern has been given an opportunity she never thought she'd get. At the age of twenty she is the going to be a freshman at Yale with a full ride. But how did she even get to New Haven? She had thrown her life away, living among the dregs and the drug dealers. Then she miraculously survived a gruesome multiple homicide that claimed the life of her best friend and her boyfriend of which she was a prime suspect. While recuperating in the hospital she was approached by Dean Sandow. He wants her to tell him about the Grays. It turns out Alex has been able to see ghosts her entire life. Her "job" will be to join the Ninth House, Lethe, it is a regulatory house for the other eight secret societies at Yale, Skull and Bones being the only one that the general populace believes exists. She accepts Dean Sandow's offer and is eastward bound. To a girl christened Galaxy by her hippie mother just the prospect of Yale's cafeteria is a dream come true, but being thrust into the world of the elite could take some getting used to. Take Darlington for example. He is there to mentor her and shepherd her in her duties to the other houses because once he graduates she will take over his duties. Darlington is the epitome of a Yale student. Like the members of the other houses, he is a golden boy raised by the right family with expectations. While the two of them are exact opposites, when Darlington disappears Alex realizes that she might be in way over her head. Now Alex has two major mysteries in her life, Darlington, and whatever happened that day when Hellie and Len died. And then she lands in the middle of a third when she starts investigating a murder that happened near the outskirts of campus. Her investigation brings up no untoward evidence until a Gray attacks her. Only once before has a ghost been able to touch her, and that was when she was almost raped by one on a school field trip. Oddly enough another Gray saves her and she realizes that something far deeper is at play at Yale. She will get to the bottom of it and find Darlington, though it might just kill her.

I find the worst thing in the world is when a book you've been waiting for with baited breath turns out not to even be worth the breath to discuss it. I mean, just thinking about writing this review is making me tired. I slogged my way to the bitter end of this dreck, I guess given how many people love this book I can rise to the occasion to explain why they are so so wrong. So, secret magical societies at Yale right? Should be magical yeah? Nope, it's just horrid. And what's interesting is that people who've liked it kind of agree with me once I start to innumerate my issues. So let's start! My problems, and they are nearly innumerable, can be summed up with the dismissive way rape culture is handled in this book. Leigh Bardugo seemed to want to include issues that are topical to colleges within her fantastical framework, IE rape culture, but instead she just pays it lip service. Magic is literally used to rape Alex's roommate Mercy and instead of handling this in a mature and helpful manner, Alex thinks up something so immature that I can barely even discuss it. I mean, ugh, seriously, this is a viable solution? Because her roommate's rape goes viral Alex decides to make the rapist Blake the star of his own viral shit eating video. She literally uses magic to make Blake eat shit and records it. And then her roommate is just fine because, well, no one remembers the girl who was raped when there's someone eating shit! Um no. This isn't how trauma and survival work. I am literally so mad thinking about this that I have to stop writing this for awhile. I'm back but still mad. I have literally been trying months to finish this review and every time I get angry so I try to pretend I'm just not bothered to exert any effort. But the truth is I'm just so bothered I just can't. How did the creator of the Grishaverse write this!?! Since I started this review and since now when I'm typing this I re-read the Grishaverse in it's entirety, and it handles abuse so thoughtfully and yet here!?! And don't get me started on the fact that the best character is just not there. Or that the ending is lame. Or that this series is taking away valuable time when Leigh could be writing another series! Ugh!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alex Stern, Darlington, Ghosts, Going Gothic, Going Viral, Grays, Grishaverse, Leigh Bardugo, Lethe, Murder, New Haven, Ninth House, Rape, Rape Culture, Secret Societies, Sexual Assault, Skull and Bone, Survivor, Yale