REVIEW: Ninth House by by Leigh Bardugo

Ninth house is first book in Alex Stern series by Leigh Bardugo published in 2019. 

Setting of the book is Yale University that is located in New Haven, Connecticut in United States. In the book we do get flashes from Los Angeles but main weight of book is Yale. Book is low modern fantasy, so there is IKEA, cellphones, food delivery and Uber like rideshare. At least I did think of rideshare because no normal taxi is that fast. But there is ghost, ritual and magical items and substances that we get to know somewhat in the book.

Book was pleasant, good read, with some better and worst parts in it. There were somber even dark themes and times but I was still expecting, hoping, more. Ninth House had themes that some people will find troubling like drug-trafficking and use, cyber-bullying, physical and/or sexual abuse and good ol' murder. If these are triggering themes you may want to skip this one.

To me personally it was little bland and dare to say little safe. Theme and setup of the book did give a base for even darker grittier story. And start of the book shows that but then it tones down and just had moments here and there. There one or two parts where I did go “yikes” but nothing really lasting. I’m not person who gets triggered from violence or abuse toward humans, so take all I say with grain of salt if you do.

Our heroine is Galaxy "Alex" Stern who is young adult, the female kind, in prestige U that she doesn’t really fit at all. I did have trouble with our heroine whose slogan could have been “Sticks and stones may break my bone but words will not hurt me”. She got physically hurt in book but little magic did trick with that. Her mental health and how it didn’t really hinder her at all were just explained with her being “strong” or “survivor”.  Yes, we see some trauma and how she handled them before but it all did feel hollow with knowledge that “she’ll be fine again with some way or another”. Bardugo has told that she did write Alex as straight up anti-hero that would just take bat and go to town. I felt like she did take care of all her problems with that bloody bat.

I could forgive her character if things around her where solid but even them seemed to just be there. Her roommates where made to look like they cared but many points I did go that “they did nothing? Answer was just “nah, can’t bother to inform dormitory supervisor that our roommate just disappears time after time.” I get that they are all adults but if someone just keeps telling that they have family emergency’s and some other weak explanations for weeks at time, they do nothing? But they get really upset when she doesn’t show up? Where they really so surprised by this?

End of the book there is this scene with one of her roommates Mercy and I was just “All this time you knew but you just didn’t bother check before? Not at middle of semester? Before the bloody finals?! When you know she was behind of her work?” And I still don’t understand Alex’s mother Mira just riding in, checking and ride back out in this scene. Did Mercy call her or how did she even got informed of Alex missing? And how Mercy got her contact information?

Relationship of Alex and Mira is still mystery to me overall. They did have nasty fallout when Alex was younger from obvious reasons but how they got back to talking was never explained. There are points when Alex sends pics to them “look this thing” like as a proof that she’s really in Yale but nothing more. Did Alex just send a text or gods forbit call her that she’s going to Yale and her mother being like “have not heard of you in 5 years but that’s fantastic dear. Not even going to ask how you got in or pay all this. To be honest thought that you are most likely dead but this is just fantastic.”.

If Mira really tough that Alex had jumped to deep end AGAIN would they really just ride in Yale ask “are you using? no, well that’s good”, going back home again. Yale and LA are in totally different sides of USA but she just hops on the plane but can’t stay but a day or two? And that was it.
This is hopefully plot building to next book(s) but as for now it’s just odd.

Biggest bone and baffle I have with House Lethe. The House that should monitor all other big Houses aka secret societies of Yale. I get that this is about how big dogs are big and other don’t matter, but really? They are not even trying to cover home base, just trusting that everything will just work.

I just don’t understand how they don’t have better cover stories or bloody fake job that they could just use year after year?! They have only one “Dante” and “Virgil” for 2 or 3 year a row so why not make cover to two people with some kind of job that would explain why they are missing at least two nights about every week.

I still wonder if Alex and Darlington got paid or where they get money? Alex did get full scholarship but did it include allowances? How do she get money to just order Uber around? Pay her mobile etc. bills? She was broke, not in contact with her family before Yale but her finances are never spoken of.
How is Darlington paying his own house taxes and all, petrol and other car stuff, Alex asking money and ordinary bill as well? His grandfather left him with house and belongings but not much else. Is he pawing or selling stuff? Tutoring with non-existing time? Keeping and renovating old house aint’ cheap.

I know most readers don’t care of this but I do care. We are told how Alex is offered full paid scholarship and money for old debt but she asked only enough to repay that. Later on, she even thinks that she should have asked more for more for her future nest found.

We are told many times that this is the evaluation year. This is the year when everything needs to go well so House Lethe gets financing for years to come. Where these finances do come you ask? From the other Houses who Lethe is looking after. With this and the fact that this took place in Ivy League school money should be little clearer.

I like when writers use different languages in their book but there really should be translations in text or as a footnote. There were sometimes translations but not always. It’s fine even fitting that Houses use Latin etc. but as a reader Kindle’s translator and dictionary where used little too much and it was not always enough. Top of this non-native English reader there was even uncommon terms that were not opened and you had to find out yourself. Or just go on trusting that it’s not too important.

Am I going to read the next installment when it comes out, I don't yet know. If it was available as borrow in English then more likely yes but full price buy don't think so.