I finally read Hell Bent. Look at me finally reading a sequel. Let’s get to my review.
Synopsis
Galaxy “Alex” Stern is determined to break Darlington out of hell—even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale. But Alex is playing with forces far beyond her control, and when faculty members begin to die off, she knows these aren’t just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if Alex is going to survive, she’ll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university’s very walls.
My Thoughts on Hell Bent
I have mixed feelings on Hell Bent. It was one of my most anticipated books of the year because I loved Ninth House. But once I started reading it, I realized I didn’t remember anything about the world, which ultimately left me feeling disconnected. I don’t normally have that problem with reading sequels, but it definitely was a factor in my enjoyment of this one. I even read several summary recaps to see if I could bring back those memories, but I couldn’t.
And in Ninth House I remember that I liked Darlington but in Hell Bent I couldn’t find a connection to his character. Since the book was predominately about bringing him back from Hell I just couldn’t get interested.
One thing I did love about Hell Bent though was the occult aspects and the dark academic vibes. This book feels perfect for fall. But I think the long gap in between reading Ninth House (I read it in October 2019 when it first released.) and Hell Bent just made me lose interest. My reading taste has change quite dramatically since then plus I’ve since read several more dark academia books that I liked better.
My Rating: 3/5
Bummer that you struggled to remember the first book. That makes me think I should make sure to pick this up before I start forgetting Ninth House.
Yes. I would totally recommend that or giving it a reread. I wish I had.