A Quick Note On This Review: This article includes affiliate links to Bookshop.org as a way of supporting both local bookshops and my own ability to write.
Galaxy “Alex” Stern is going nowhere fast. A high school dropout with more than her fair share of experience in the seedy side of society, she’s hardly an ideal candidate for a full ride scholarship to Yale. But the university is home to nine secret societies that rely on powerful magics to influence the world around them, and Alex’s own unique abilities make her a perfect candidate for Lethe, the Ninth House that polices the other Ancient Eight when their ambition exceeds the mutually agreed upon bounds. But when someone turns up brutally murdered, Alex has to use everything at her disposal to try to find out what lies beneath a university that seems too good to be true.
The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo is a novel that digs deep into the dark side of privilege, and does so with such skill that it’s easy to see why the book gets such a high rating on most book review sites. While the marketing primarily focuses on the supernatural parts of the story, The Ninth House is more akin to a detective novel, as Alex Stern’s search for answers to a student’s death is the main driver of the plot, not the arcane secrets that the university is hiding from the public. What’s striking about Bardugo’s particular approach the mystery novel genre is the use of juxtaposition to build out the world that Stern inhabits.
The most prominent juxtaposition lies in the flashback structure of the novel, with chapters switching between the present day and Stern’s upbringing. This format creates an interesting tension in the pace of the book, which adds value to the reader’s experience as they race alongside Stern to try to solve the mystery behind the murder.
However, the other piece of juxtaposition that Bardugo uses is in the clash between Stern’s background and the opulent backdrop of the university. Stern has unique gifts, but she’s also someone who the Ivy League would never consider if it weren’t for special intervention on her behalf. While this creates and interesting story in its messaging that even the most downtrodden can be considered “special,” it also helps lay out in stark relief the differences in the way that the wealthy are permitted to act compared to those who, like Stern, are born without the means of covering up their indiscretions.
For casual readers, The Ninth House is likely to appeal to readers who are interested in mystery novels that include elements of the supernatural or fantastic. Bardugo’s use of several kinds of brutal magics to populate her world are intriguing in that they align with the gritty aspects of human beliefs that she’s exploring in this novel. A particular focus on shades of necromancy in the novel may also make it an appealing read for someone who’s interested in the dark academia genre, or is looking for a more modern Halloween read.
For writers, Bardugo’s novel relies heavily on juxtaposition to illustrate some of the main social commentaries she’s driving at in her book, which makes The Ninth House an ideal read for writers looking to use the technique in their own works. It’s also a great resource for understanding how juxtaposition specifically can be useful in illustrating an editorial point, which means that any writer who is trying to add to their illustrative arsenal should take a look at Bardugo’s work for guidance.
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What’s Next?
I am an avid reader and have quite a few thoughts on how some books could benefit both people that want to be entertained and those looking to sharpen their literary skills.
If you’re interested in finding out more about what I’ve been reading – and how it could benefit you – I will be publishing those thoughts on a weekly basis. Check back next week for a discussion of Deborah Harkness’s A Discovery of Witches!
The Writerly Review 