Actually more of a 3,5 stars read for me because somehow I wasn't hooked until the last third. However, I did like the diverse representation and the way this story discussed classism and academia, including overworking and neglecting your needs. It was also nice to have a sapphic love story though I didn't really feel any spark and it was too much of an insta love. I also did like the found family idea but felt like this could have been more explored and gotten more depth, even though the interactions already have a very interesting and beautiful dynamic. Apart from that, the story has all the dark academia and fall vibes which made a perfect read for the season.

A beautiful, queer, gothic, horror dark academia story. I loved Tara, a low class student who desperately wants to prove herself, but at the same time is the only one resistent enough to tear everything down instead of letting it use her. I was intrigued when Taras health declined and she lost chunks of her memory. But when she started to put all the puzzle pieces together I was truly creeped out. An eerie tale about the greed for greatness, what we're willing to sacrifice to achieve it and why it can unhealthily consume us. I also enjoyed the romance. It wasn't the main focus of the book, but it added a softness to the story and it helped the found family theme.

Das Buch hat mich wirklich in seinen Bann gezogen – es war spannend und hervorragend strukturiert. Die herbstliche College-Atmosphäre mit ihrem Dark-Academia-Flair hat für mich perfekt zum aktuellen Sommerende gepasst und Vorfreude auf den Herbst geweckt. Tara, die Hauptfigur, steht als College-Freshman menschlichen und übernatürlichen Herausforderungen gegenüber. Sie macht im Laufe der Geschichte eine authentische Wandlung durch und geht gestärkt aus der Geschichte hervor. Es gibt viele Metaphern, die zum Nachdenken anregen und Raum für Interpretationen lassen. Besonders interessant fand ich die subtile Kritik an den hohen Erwartungen und dem intensiven Wettbewerb in beispielsweise Ivy-League-Colleges, wo Gesundheit und das restliche Leben oft auf der Strecke bleiben. Ein starkes Buch, das nachhallt.