Review by Booklist Review
Fans of dark academia and horror will appreciate this latest from de Becerra, which is filled with shady characters and mysterious high-end educational institutions. Addie Velde is thrilled to be accepted to the Arches, the prestigious university her mother graduated from, but when she finally arrives at orientation, she finds that it's as shrouded in dark secrets as her own mother's enigmatic past. Addie quickly becomes a detective, digging into a mystery centered on a photo in her mother's notes, gradually uncovering secrets about a dark society and missing students. De Becerra creates an atmospheric setting, from the eerie dorms known as "the Crypt" to secret symbols engraved on buildings, and the dark vibes are in beautifully ironic contrast to the beachside location of the school. Readers will quickly be invested in the unsettling paranormal events surrounding the school, and as the story progresses, they'll be treated to a spine-tingling, bloody tale with captivating twists. Hand to fans of Victoria Lee's A Lesson in Vengeance (2021).
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 10 Up--Adria Velde, better known as Addie, desperately wants to understand her troubled but brilliant mother, who suffers episodes of blankness, fighting what Addie calls her "invisible monster." An invitation to early orientation at her mother's alma mater, the historic University of the Arches, is an irresistible opportunity for Addie, especially since she has a hunch that her family secret is somehow connected to the esoteric seaside California school. A creeping dread follows her arrival at school despite the sunny coastal climate, beginning with her assignment to a strange dorm known as The Crypt, with its view of a terrifying landmark known as the Devouring Well. As Addie begins to make friends and become more familiar with Arches and its history, her mother's involvement with a strange cultish group and a missing persons case are brought to light, though of course some forces would rather remain in the shadows. Unsettling vibes and moodiness abound as Addie's attempts to unravel her mother's history uncover subterranean secrets, abundant symbolism, and ritualistic practices meant to appease shadowy figures known as the Buried Ones. Flashbacks to home videos appear throughout, providing background context for Addie's thoughts about her mother. VERDICT A slightly convoluted and extremely moody dark academia.--Allie Stevens
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
An incoming college freshman discovers horrors lurking on campus. Adria "Addie" Velde is excited to join an orientation program at the University of the Arches, her mother's alma mater on the California coast. Haunted by childhood memories of lurking shadows and her mother's strange aloofness, Addie quickly discovers that going off to college might not provide the escape she was hoping for. The campus is littered with strange symbols, she meets creepy instructors, and a purportedly "fun activity" leads her to descriptions of strange rituals. From her dorm window, Addie can see the Devouring Well, which has a padlocked lid and is a source of ominous campus folklore. Addie becomes close to a group of other legacy students whose parents were linked through a strange class and an even stranger (and now mysteriously vanished) professor. The first half of the novel consists of slowly paced buildup, with clumsy interstitial chapters describing scenes from the Velde family's home videos. The most interesting information is revealed through dream sequences and infodumps. Repetitive references tovibes andvibrations stand in for more evocative descriptions of horror, while the stilted prose hampers the story's forward momentum. The romantic subplot (involving twin brothers) never quite takes off. Addie's grandparents came from Belarus and Italy; there's some diversity in race, nationality, and gender identity among supporting characters. Melodramatic dark academia. (author's note, content warnings)(Horror. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
