3/5 stars

I wanted to love this book due to it being a dark academia written by a BIPOC author. The thing is I hate open ended stories. Unless it is on page I don't want to question anything. Also, this book was super weird and I guess I just missed everything. It was giving me bunny vibes before I even read bunny (didnt like that book either). I'm giving it 3 stars because the writing was good. The atmosphere was perfection, outside of that it was a no for me.

This book was such a disappointing read for me in that in wasn't exactly what I hoped for or expected. I think it might have been my too-high expectations or the marketing of the book, but, alas, it was a sad DNF for me.

- this review is several years late past the book's release (due to the many issues of 2020). But thanks a million to the publishers and netgalley for an early copy of this book.

I think I had too many expectations going into this one. I wanted so badly for it to be so much more vibrant and intense than it was; in reality, Ines was flat, uninspired, and the compulsive readability of this one came down to me wanting to find out the big twist. When it came, it was rather underwhelming. That being said, it was enjoyable and accessible and fun, just lacked depth in a way that ultimately made it rather forgettable.

A slow-burning book about a strange girl with secrets and an elite boarding school with secrets of its own. She is running from something, but what, exactly? And whis the school keeping? All is not as it seems in this book and the tension mounts as it keeps you guessing. What exactly is going on here?

This book, sadly, was not enjoyable for me. The plot moved so slowly that I found it frustrating and eventually gave up and skimmed the last half of the book. However, those readers with more patience than I have and who enjoy a slow-burn may be pleased.

I was slow to get this one. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

This novel reads like a dream. As in, the entire time I was reading, I felt as if I were dreaming it. Not a lot happens, but what does happen is very…ethereal. And the gothic dreaminess of it all gets interwoven with a sci-fi subplot that I both wanted to know more about and less at the same time. But overall, reading this novel left me feeling drunk and dreamy and sleepy and feverish. I loved it.

I couldn't get into the story so I DNF'd this book. There was nothing wrong with the writing, but I think I wasn't in the right mood when I read this book.

This book was the definition of atmospheric. It was so perfectly gloomy and gave me all the right in-the-woods vibes. However, I found it very difficult to get through. The plot was interesting only in sporadic blips and the characters, while interesting, either did not seem to be progressing quickly enough or even at all. Because the plot and character development was so slow, and the atmosphere was so moody, I had to frequently put the book down in order to lift myself out of the gloom. With such a great atmosphere, I find that I really need gripping, moving plot lines in order to help me along. Otherwise, it just all feels so heavy while I'm reading and I need to take so many breaks like I had to do here.

I do love a gothic novel. Thomas weaves together a tale that is both intriguing and pulls you into until the very end.

I’m not sure exactly what to say about this book. I don’t like to give poor reviews because just because I don’t like a book doesn’t mean that others won’t enjoy it a lot. But this was a real struggle for me. I wanted to quit reading so many times but I kept going. It’s about a private school for higher education that’s located in the woods in Pennsylvania. The students do not have to pay for tuition, room or board. They simply have to stay for 3 years without ever leaving. It had a very gothic feel to the story which usually I find appealing. This storyline just seemed to drag on and on and never really went anywhere. There wasn’t as much studying going on as there was drinking, sex and goofing around. The secret behind Catherine House I felt was both unrealistic and unbelievable. This wasn’t a book I enjoyed and I wouldn’t recommend it to others. It’s really sad because I was originally excited about reading it. I’d like to thank the Book Club Girl Early Read program, NetGalley and Amelia Wood, Senior Marketing Associate, William Morrow Paperbacks @ HarperCollins Publishers for the arc to read and review. I’m sorry but this book wasn’t what I expected and can only give it 2 stars.

I loved the atmosphere and setting of this book. It doesn't have a whole lot of action, but rather slowly builds to the conclusion. It has a similar feel to Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I

Deep, Dark, Boarding School Vibe + Elite Ivy League College + Emotionally-Stunted and Driven Studentbody = Catherine House, and it's fantastic. This is a lushly written book, but one that will keep you reading. No one has the whole picture of Catherine House until they've graduated from their passion program of study and been allowed to leave the campus. Until that time, it's anyone's guess who or what is actually behind the school's leadership. The students are hard partying, lost, and brilliant, but that doesn't mean they can figure out why students disappear. It's an excellent dark academia themed book for the spooky season..

Despite the genre being totally in my wheelhouse, I could not bring myself to finish this. This is a DNF for me because it's breaking two of my cardinal Dark Academia sins:

1. Despite getting into this ultra-elite school, our protag Ines couldn't care less about her classes and whether she fails out, yet she has absolutely nothing else going for her, so....
2. The uniforms are horrible. T-shirts and jeans, really?

This could have been so much better.

2.75- How disappointing. It’s one of those books that creates the perfect atmosphere and intrigue and it keeps you reading in hopes that something is about to happen…then falls flat. Some compelling ideas with the school but the main character was annoyingly nonchalant about it all and that made what could have been an amazing shocking discovery feel rather bland.

Good book. Really enjoyed it. While reading this at times my heart was racing. Elisabeth Thomas is a really good writer. She had the ability to pull you into the story.

I didn't enjoy this read honestly. It didn't keep me interested or even entertained in the slightest. I just think it was flat out... boring.

I really had no idea what was going on the whole time. Most of the time I was incredibly bored. There's not really a lot of plot.

Houses can be welcoming or forbidding. They can also be the home of their owners or inhabitants. Like Ines, most of her classmates, she is on the run from her demons. She barely passed high school due to her drug use and party lifestyle. She is desperate to get into Catherine House. The rules are strict. Students are required to agree not to have ties to their past lives. There are also no visits or trips home. The faculty knows how to reach out to vulnerable students.

Ines is more sociable, often sleeping in and out of class. Baby is a model student, who constantly works on her classwork and is afraid to be exposed as an imposter. The story begins with a sense of decay and fear at Catherine House. Ines is frightened by her past, and the school represents a new kind of family. Viktoria is stern and motherly, but also offers a complicated kind of nurturing. Catherine House is a novel that draws you in with its many layers of tension and mystery. At times, the story seems too thin, but it still manages to keep you on the edge of your seat. Ines is torn between her desire for home and her fear of being trapped in this nest. The question is whether she can escape or be smothered by it. Thank you, Custom House, for the gifted copy via net galley

I loved this title. I loved the cult-ish feeling it created. The characters were likable and unlikable, all at the same time. I want to visit, but I don't want to live there... For lovers of dark academia, this is the read for you!

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Something was missing from this book. I cant put my finger on what was wrong, but something was off. I could not connect with this book at all.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

Wonderfully eerie and dripping with tension, Catherine House is perfect for fans of gothic boarding school tales and novels focused on experiences of privilege and class. A bit slow at time, though I think the big twist is well worth your patience.