This was fantastic! Scholars at a prestigious university want to be admitted into an even more prestigious society called Magni Viri. Tara is rejected until one of their members dies in the library, and she is asked to take her spot. The society is like a family, they study late together, have parties on Sunday and are incredibly smart, they are all desperate to be the best. Once Tara moves into Magni Viri she starts writing like she never has before but the story is unfamiliar and dark, she doesn't recognize it. This was a fantastic horror story with a great setting and a unique concept. I love Erica Waters!

Magni animi numquam moriuntur. Great minds never die. A girl who is an outsider finds herself joining an exclusive society but begins seeing the ghost and feels herself losing time while being possessed by someone, the question is who. Tara goes to Corbin College, and dreams about being accepted into the elite academic society, Magni Viri and get a chance to experience free tuition, inspirational professors and the dream job when she graduates. When she finds the dead body of a girl who was part of the Magni Viri society, a girl that she envied and wish she could be, the last thing she expects is to be invited into the society to replace said girl. Yet once she is there her writing is suddenly better and she feels as if she's losing herself, literally, as she begins losing time and her writing is no longer her own and that someone is possessing her while she feels like she is being haunted by the dead girl she replaced. Can she figure out what is happening in this secret society before it's too late? This book was driving me crazy because I recognized the plot and couldn't place it and then realized it was literally Down A Dark Hall by Lois Duncan (and there was a film version too). Unfortunately this one missed the mark for me, it had a nice dark academia/gothic mystery with a sapphic romance in it too however it just felt kind of lacking and since I already knew where the plot was going I wasn't exactly surprised. The story felt kind of slow and I was hoping for something more but that's just me. I feel like if I didn't already know Down a Dark Hall, I would have enjoyed this more. If you enjoy dark academia/gothic mysteries with a bit of a haunting and a tiny bit of romance give this a go!

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperTeen for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A great new addition to the dark academia space, All That Consumes Us is as atmospheric as it is suspenseful. Tara dreams of escaping her ordinary life and becoming ‘great’. What she uncovers as she enters the academic society Magni Viri will have you absorbed in her world at Corbin College.

Erica Waters did a fabulous job at building the spooky environment at Denfeld Hall, and Tara’s paranoia is palpable as she loses herself to what she thinks is the ghost of a dead girl, Meredith. What’s truly at play is much worse.

I absolutely loved this novel and I owe a huge thanks to NetGalley and HarperTeen for the review copy.

This book is a dark academia that follows Tara as she is accepted into the elite club of Magni Vri after one of its members is found dead. Magni Vri is everything she has ever wanted, and when she is accepted it seems too good to be true, but she can't pass up the offer. Tara looks forward to becoming part of a group and making some friends but there are downsides to Magni Vri while no one has told her what they are Tara is getting glimpses of some weird things going on.. especially all the time they spend in the graveyard, and that initiation ceremony?!? While it made Tara feel like she had been accepted there was all that chanting and the blood. not something that you would expect from an academic club.

I enjoyed the story, and seeing Tara slowly mentally and physically slide downward along with the rest of the members of Magni Vri and desperately trying to figure out what the heck was happening. I loved the twists and turns along with the reveal of what was rotten in Magni Vri. All That Consumes Us kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat, and I think this is a great book for the spooky season. I can't wait to see what Erica Waters is going to come out with next.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing both an eARC and an advance audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I really just need to stop reading dark academia.

All that Consumes Us by Erica Waters is a YA queer paranormal novel about Tara, who aspires to be a student at Corbin College. he students in Corbin College’s elite academic society, Magni Viri, have it all—free tuition, inspirational professors, and dream jobs once they graduate. When first-gen college student Tara is offered a chance to enroll, she doesn’t hesitate. Except once she’s settled into the gorgeous Victorian dormitory, something strange starts to happen. She’s finally writing, but her stories are dark and twisted. Her dreams feel as if they could bury her alive. An unseen presence seems to stalk her through the halls. And a chilling secret awaits Tara at the heart of Magni Viri—one that just might turn her nightmares into reality; one that might destroy her before she has a chance to escape.

I didn't mind most of this book, as it was a nice spooky read. But at the same time, I couldn't quite get behind Tara and the many decisions she made. Nor was the world building all that, which was dissapointing as it took away from the big plot twist. Overall, this was a good book but not one I would call a favorite.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I first found Erica Waters in a YA horror anthology last year, and wanted to read more from her. All That Consumes Us seemed to offer everything I wanted. A Gothic fantasy with dark academia vibes, it invited me in from the first pages, with its dark, gritty atmosphere. I loved the setting of Corbin College and its secret magic society, keeping me questioning everything going on.
Tara was such an interesting character to follow, because she doesn’t have the most ideal life at the beginning, working as a janitor on campus while attending school. I love how it comments on one of the issues with academia, in real life and fiction, in that those with money have easier access to education, and the working-class have to work harder with a lot more obstacles in their way. With that in mind, it’s totally understandable that she would take up the opportunity to join the Magni Viri without much hesitation. Even amid the escalating mystery and danger, I enjoyed seeing how Tara took advantage of these opportunities, especially the way she waxed lyrical about writing and literature. The comparisons she makes between her own story and several Gothic classics, with varying stages of awareness of her environment and its impact on her own work (literal and metaphorical) were particularly fun for me.
The uneasiness built slowly, but steadily, to the point where it was rather trippy in places, especially as even Tara herself feels herself struggling to discern what’s real anymore. I did feel that the way this was written did sometimes make the text feel a little disjointed in the second half, but it could also be a personal issue with how it was executed, and it might work a little better for others.
This was an engaging read, and I’m eager to read more from Erica Waters in the future. If you’re looking for an immersive Gothic fantasy with the dark academia aesthetic, I’d recommend checking this out!

All That Consumes Us is a wonderful addition of novel to the ever growing popular genre of dark academia. The dark, gothic atmosphere makes this a perfect read for spooky season. There is romance, dead bodies, ghosts and the supernatural. The storyline was excellent and the characters were well thought out. The romantic relationship and how that played out wasnt amazing for me but other than that a great story.

I was first introduced to Erica Waters in The Gathering Dark, and loved their short story that was included. Then I saw this cover and knew I needed to read this. I'm not normally a dark academia fan either, but this was more gothic fantasy and I loved it either way. Anything queer and paranormal is going to get me. This story rides the line of cozy and horrifying and was immersed through every second of it. It was perfect for October, so you should definitely preorder to ensure you read it during spooky season.

All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters paints a hauntingly gothic dark academia about possession and the lengths people will go to hone their craft.

The descriptive writing for settings? Fantastic! Waters once again proves that she is a wizard at creating eerie, dread-inducing atmosphere and there are passages in this book that are so achingly beautiful.

It’s the character writing that fell flat and felt incredibly inconsistent to me. The main character, Tara's, feelings ping pong back and forth multiple times across the span of a single conversation. In one specific instance, she also brushes of the difficulty of her English thesis despite her writer’s block being one or her central conflicts, and her overall indecisiveness became very frustrating to me.

In short, the story wasn't as compelling as Waters' debut novel, Ghost Wood Song, and I just wish the characters had felt as vivid and solid as the world they inhabited.

All that Consumes Us follows Tara a first-generation college student who enrolls in Corbin College hoping to join their elite academic society only to get rejected. When the student who was chosen in her place mysteriously dies, Tara is offered the open spot.

This book was excellent and I highly recommend that you check it out if you are a fan of dark academia. This story really looks at what people will do for power and success and I enjoyed the commentary on higher education as a whole.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Do the end's justify the means?
Should brilliance be allowed to live forever at the expense of life?
All That Consumes Us asks these questions as we explore the mysterious Magni Viri through Tara Boone's eyes. She's come to the prestigious Corbin College searching for a way to escape a very humble past and after one fateful night the mysterious death of a student launches her into a new life. A life that could lead her to her one wish; become a writer. She gains friends, a girlfriend, and her writer's block slowly crumbles within Denfeld Hall, the home of the infamous and venerated Magni Viri. This group has pumped out some of the most brightest minds and Tara can't believe her luck that she now calls this place home. However she starts to see the rot beneath the shine. She begins to write with a fervor that she soon finds out is not her own.

This book was so good. Plain and simple. The tension is beautifully built through the book as we're brought through each twist and turn. The cast of the book was extremely diverse and I found myself loving all of them because they were written with flaws and dreams and many of them actually surprised me. As someone that would love to be a writer I connected immediately with Tara and found myself wondering if I could have whatever I wanted, would I do whatever it takes? No matter the consequence? Maybe not to the extent that the book presents, but the what if is still something to ponder.

All That Consumes Us is a haunting look at the lengths ambition will go to finish works of genius. Deeply gothic, engrossed in the nightmarish mysteries at the heart of a secretive academic society.

This story was wonderfully written, a perfect spooky fall read that I'm excited to recommend this season (and for each hallowseason after). Highly recommend for fans of dark academia, gothic, and queer horror!

queer cast | ghosts | dark academia | found family | centuries-long love | achievement and revenge

All That Consumes Us started out very strong but sadly dropped off near the end. The first half of this book was spinetingling creepy, it legitimately had me freaked out. You really have no idea what is going on and the thought of Tara being haunted by a fellow student’s ghost was pretty frightening.

However, the second half of the book gets a little repetitive and considering the somewhat quick ending, it goes on a bit too long. The secret of Magni Viri was revealed way too soon and the horror/mystery side of the story suffered because of it. I really struggled to get into the last 20% despite this being such an interesting story.

The concept of this book was very unique in my opinion - I’ve never read anything like this. I’m not going to give away the main themes as they aren’t mentioned in the synopsis, but it’s an interesting one, trust me.

I wish more time was spent at the Magni Viri house. I’m a sucker for old Victorian houses, especially as the settings for horror media, but you don’t get to see much of it. This is an element that the book was lacking ever so slightly. There wasn’t a lot of description, especially with the settings. A decent amount of this story takes place in a graveyard and I feel like an in-depth description of it would have made the second half of the book much scarier.

I wasn’t very keen on Tara as the main character but I did like the cast of characters as a whole. They all had a part to play and their little eccentricities were very endearing.

All That Consumes Us is a very decent mystery thriller and I’d highly recommend it if you are into books about secret societies.

Gothic. Dark academia. Occult.
My god the vibes on this!! Perrrfect for October.

Tara Boone wants more than anything to get out of her small town far away from her abusive mother to become a famous author. She works her ass off to get into Corbin College with hopes of getting into Magni Viri-an academic society that covers tuition, gets incredible mentorship and guaranteed success after graduation. But at what cost?

I thought this was so haunting and lovely. The build up and tension to learn exactly what is going on in Magni Viri was palpable. We love a diverse cast and accepting peers. I did think some of the characters could have be fleshed out a little more. And the ending seemed rushed but I had such a great time with this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an eARC.

This dark academic tale has stupored my brain.

A book about a girl who wants to be a writer lured into the elite society of college 'Magni Viri'. And while everything lustres here like gold, the students look all insane. All that consumes us has literally consumed me while I consumed it. This devious cycle goes on throughout the book.

Loaded with ghostly spirits, Latin spells, and madness to excel at their courses, the story is a maddening tale of students in pursuit of passion. It captures the reader's attention like nothing else. It's scary and captivating, and the world buildup is so real and freaking great. You can't separate reality, imagination, hallucination, or possession 👻

A perfect companion for your Halloween week!

I loved The Restless Dark - and I enjoyed The River Has Teeth well enough - but I think so much of what made those stories compelling was a balance between complementary characters. In All That Consumes us, we just have Tara - who is the limpest of limp lettuce, like the most boring typical English major from a poor background; there's no spark there to draw the reader in (and she knows it and brings it up, like, every other paragraph, which is even worse) and even Waters' gorgeous prose cannot save this book from Tara's meritocracy. And every other character was pretentious as hell in an overly dramatic "the only books I've ever read are the classics + The Secret History because I'm an English Major" kind of way. Again, I think that's mostly Tara trying to affect pretentiousness (which, why) but STILL no one has a personality they're just "dark academia character #6"

The prologue is pretty much the only interesting thing that happens in the first half of the book, and that's just... Disappointing.

I did love the casual queerness and disability rep, and how the character who uses a mobility aid pointedly does not use it all the time, which is just a great nod at how disability isn't a monolith even within one person.

The concept was very unique! It’s definitely different from other dark academia stories. Readers get to witness the spiral of Tara, the protagonist, as she navigates her life at Magni Viri. The cast of characters was mainly likeable, and there was something I haven’t read enough of that I enjoyed: disability representation!! The general rep was pretty good, but seeing a main side character with a chronic illness was refreshing

The narrator is unreliable, and this was a turnoff for me at times. The plot also felt lagging at times, and by the last third, I wanted it to wrap up. At least the ending vindicated the slow plot.

This is the perfect read for October. A mysterious dark academia read that completely held my attention the whole way through.

Tara, the main character, is ready to give up hope at Corbin University, where she attends hoping to one day be an author. Suddenly, she is inducted to a secret society, Magni Viri, which is known for the brilliance of its students. She is elated. That is, until she realizes what is actually happening here.

I loved this! It is a gothic ghost story that I definitely recommend for a good autumn read!

Out October 17, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

The beginning and end of this book were the best parts of this story.

The beginning and end were so gripping—that prologue, when Meredith read her story, when the ghosts were banging on the mausoleum?!! I was entranced! But, I feel like the pace dropped off after Tara was accepted into Magni Viri. Her descent into her possession was so slow and yet it felt like she jumped to the conclusion. It was also a bit interesting how she would commit to fight only to end up feeling resigned to her fate.

I feel like this would be an excellent movie, and maybe that means that the author did more telling than showing? Overall, I had just an okay time.

<b>3.5</b>🌟 Dear World, dark academia books can be valid and successful without references to The Secret History. Thank you. 👩🏻‍🏫

This was fairly average in a neutral, mostly not negative way - tense, eerie ghost story in hallowed halls and all that. Vibes were there for a start to spooky season read, though I really need to stop picking up these quick YA books solely based on the perceived atmosphere. 😅 Nothing against the book, really, I’m just not the target audience and need to stop convincing myself I might be because of mood reader FOMO. 🙃 Great representation all over and something you can read in a day or two; leave your expectations in the bin where they belong and you’ll have a good time.

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an eARC of this book.</i>