"Her map had been changed. Her coastline altered. Mors irrumat omnia. Death fucks us all." - Ninth House.
*THERE WILL BE SPOILERS*
Book trigger warnings: Death, Drug Abuse, Sexual Assault, Murder
Jessica has requested that I read this book more times than I can count. I finally gave in. The reason for me not wanting to read this book, I cannot pinpoint it because it is truly AMAZING.
This week, I was traveling and had a short flight where I could sit and read uninterrupted. After we landed and I made my way back to my car, I sat there, not moving, trying to finish the book because I needed to know what was happening. IT WAS THAT GOOD. It was unlike any book I have personally read.
There was no moment in this book I felt needed to be faster. It was fast-paced, and something absolutely unbelievable was happening at all times.
Galaxy "Alex" Stern, the main character, has a life-altering ability. She can see ghosts. They refer to these characters as grays. Though this ability is rare, her power is different in the sense that she not only sees them in full color, but they can touch her. A tragedy occurs that leaves her in the hospital, where a society from Yale finds her. They offer her a full-ride scholarship in return for joining their society. That leads her to meet her mentor, Darlington. From what I understood of her job here, she essentially becomes the police of the magical societies. Oh, that is right, there is magic in this story. With her ability, she can make sure grays do not interfere with the magical rituals they do.
Throughout the story, you start to have an uneasy feeling about Linth and the societies. Between the rituals and Alex asking all the right questions, you start to wonder how and if this should even exist.
The one question she asked that stayed with me throughout the book was if they kept tabs on her while growing up, why did they not intervene? They could have saved her from horrific trauma many times. For the benefit of society, they could have raised a young girl to do exactly what they wanted. For a group of people so obsessed with control, it begs the question of why they did not step in, if not for her safety but the opportunity to control someone so powerful from day one.
I found myself looking forward to the chapters with Darlington. I loved the duo's chemistry and interactions. This dual timeline structure kept the reader on the edge of their seat. On the one side, we know that Darlington goes missing, but we do not know how. I adored how she played this out!
Alex finds herself without a mentor and little knowledge to keep her job going. With the help of Dawes and a Detective, she can solve a mysterious murder somehow linked to the societies. This plot line helps her find out just how mighty she is. Unlike other stories where you find out how much the main character can do, we do not see her potential or ability until the last few chapters. While closing out the murder plot line, it still leaves SO much open for the sequel Hell Bent to figure out.
I am looking forward to reading Hellbent and seeing HOW THE HECK THEY GO TO HELL TO GET DARLINGTON BACK!!!
4.9/5 stars
Comments