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Title: A Lesson In Vengeance
Author: Victoria Lee
Publisher: Titan (UK), Random House (US)
Pages: 400
Release Date: 22 February 2022 (UK), 3 August 2021 (US)
Hello fellow book lovers, today I’m sharing my review for the expertly crafted and atmospherically creepy, YA Thriller A Lesson In Vengeance.
This Plot-twisty Dark Academia has been on my radar for a while as it was originally released in the US last year and I was soo excited to get the opportunity to read it before it’s UK release.
Also just wanted to say a huge thank you to Titan Books and Netgalley for the e-arc.
Summary
Felicity Morrow is back at Dalloway School.
Perched in the Catskill mountains, the centuries-old, ivy-covered campus was home until the tragic death of her girlfriend. Now, after a year away, she’s returned to graduate. She even has her old room in Godwin House, the exclusive dormitory rumored to be haunted by the spirits of five Dalloway students—girls some say were witches. The Dalloway Five all died mysteriously, one after another, right on Godwin grounds.
Witchcraft is woven into Dalloway’s history. The school doesn’t talk about it, but the students do. In secret rooms and shadowy corners, girls convene. And before her girlfriend died, Felicity was drawn to the dark. She’s determined to leave that behind her now; all Felicity wants is to focus on her senior thesis and graduate. But it’s hard when Dalloway’s occult history is everywhere. And when the new girl won’t let her forget.
It’s Ellis Haley’s first year at Dalloway, and she’s already amassed a loyal following. A prodigy novelist at seventeen, Ellis is a so-called “method writer.” She’s eccentric and brilliant, and Felicity can’t shake the pull she feels to her. So when Ellis asks Felicity for help researching the Dalloway Five for her second book, Felicity can’t say no. Given her history with the arcane, Felicity is the perfect resource.
And when history begins to repeat itself, Felicity will have to face the darkness in Dalloway–and in herself.
Review
I really enjoyed this and absolutely loved the richly detailed descriptions, haunting prose and dark suspenseful (and occult-like) imagery that pervades throughout the novel, the ominously foreboding tone in the opening chapter as Felicity wanders the empty halls of Godwin house had me anxious with anticipation—despite it being one of the calmest parts of entire the book.
The early establishment of an unreliable narrator was also expertly done, and had me constantly questioning and second guessing every little detail, motives and actions of several characters (especially Ellis and Felicity.)
I really enjoyed the dynamics between Ellis and Felicity’s relationship and was completely fascinated by the level of obsession they seemed to have both for one another and for the story surrounding the Dalloway Five. I have to say there were some very interesting (and tense) moments that definitely had me on the edge of my seat, particularly in regards to Ellis who’s backstory is shared and yet, still manages to keep ahold of her mystery-laden persona.
The pacing of the plot is rather slow to begin with but does gradually speed up the further along we get into the novel (the more emotionally distressed Felicity becomes) and I personally have to commend Victoria Lee for crafting such phenomenal, contemporary gothic thriller that even Donna Tartt would approve of —with murder, superstition, the allure of the forbidden and of course the plot twists that even I (who loves guessing the endings of books) had a hard time guessing what would happen next.
Overall, this dark and beautifully written LGBTQ+ centric, contemporary paranormal thriller is the perfect read for gothic/horror newbies or anyone who loves their books slow-burn, dark and sumptuously moody.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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