"Ninth House" by Leigh Bardugo - Book Review
When Your Imposter Syndrome Comes With Actual Ghosts
A client shuffles into my consultation room, clutching an acceptance letter to a prestigious graduate program. "Everyone else had private schools and perfect transcripts. I got here through... unconventional means. They're going to realize I don't belong."
Adjusts lab equipment while my ghost-detection pendant starts spinning violently
After consulting both my ancestral grimoire and my suspiciously animated gargoyle, the my supernatural guide to solving my client's self-esteem problem is clear. It calls for Leigh Bardugo's "Ninth House" - a tale that proves belonging isn't about where you came from, but what you do when the dead start talking.
Galaxy "Alex" Stern arrives at Yale carrying more than just emotional baggage - she's haunted by losses that make her trust issues look well-earned. She's paired with Daniel Arlington ("Darlington"), the epitome of old money charm and magical expertise - think Mr. Darcy but with ritual daggers and a concerning knowledge of ancient Greek. Their dynamic is... combustible, to put it mildly.
Then there's Dawes, the brilliant but socially awkward researcher who becomes Alex's unlikely ally. If Alex is a switchblade, Dawes is a well-organized filing cabinet - yet somehow they work. It's enough to make my tea leaves wonder if maybe healing comes in unexpected packages, usually wearing sensible shoes and carrying color-coded notebooks.
Between investigating a murder, learning actual magic (the kind that leaves stains), and trying to pass her classes while wrestling with ghosts both metaphorical and terrifyingly literal, Alex discovers that being an outsider might be her greatest asset. Her street smarts and skepticism serve her better than any legacy admission could, even if her methods give her mentor chronic indigestion.
Your Bibliomantic Prescription to beat that pesky Imposter Syndrome:
- Channel your inner Alex: Your shady past isn't baggage, it's a toolkit for surviving elite institutions (though maybe leave out the actual breaking and entering)
- Find your Dawes / Darlington: Even the most privileged insiders can surprise you. Some might even be worth keeping around (assuming they survive book one)
- When in doubt, do what Alex does: Act like you own the place and keep salt in your pockets. The first part works in any institution, magical or otherwise. The salt... well, better safe than sorry.
Side Effects May Include:
- Enhanced ability to spot supernatural privilege
- A new definition of "ghost-ghosting" in dating
- Complicated feelings about campus architecture
- Sudden appreciation for Ancient Greek courses (yes, I did 5 years in high school!)
brushes off some suspicious dust that's arranging itself into warnings
My final divination: Like Alex, this client will find that being different isn't a liability - it's ammunition. Though perhaps with fewer actual weapons involved.
(The Literary Manifestations & Book Boyfriend Research Lab accepts no responsibility for any sudden ability to see ghosts or urges to investigate suspicious societies. Our insurance specifically excludes necromancy-related incidents and desperate Darlington-return manifestations.)
Personal Blurb (Author’s Voice)
Ninth House gripped me instantly the tension of Yale’s haunted tombs, Alex’s survival-wary voice, and Bardugo’s unflinching darkness all fused into a thrill ride I couldn’t look away from. It’s beautifully brutal, intellectually haunting, and left me itching for Hell Bent.