While the writing was not really strong in this book, the story itself was intriguing. It did suck me in and I wanted to continue reading to find out what happened.
The main character was not very likable and the mystery in her background was never totally resolved. There were hints given throughout the book that told what happened to her before she came to Catherine house, but there needed to be more info for me to really relate to her.
Ines' behavior at Catherine House was not very understandable as well, she seemed to straighten up at one point, but it was not quite clear why or what her motivation was.
The end was well done and I liked knowing that there had been some real relationship building during her time at CH.

Couldn't get into this one, I'm sorry. While well written, the plot doesn't seem to go anywhere, and it was a struggle to get through. I appreciate the read, but this one just wasn't for me.

One of the most unique stories I've ever read. It gave me Never Let Me Go vibes, Secret History vibes, and also Midsommar vibes? A haunting, genre-bending type of story.

This book started off super strong. It felt like an eerily dark but quiet mystery. Unfortunately, after after page 150, I completely lost the plot and motivation. Maybe I'm just not smart enough for this story, but I was confused a lot. At first, I feel like I was driving through fog, and I liked it a lot because I felt creeped out. But..... then the fog never cleared, so I was left unsatisfied and confused.

That being said, the writing was so unique and direct (at times), but also used so many drawn out metaphors? Honestly, the writing got a 4 stars from me and the plot got 2 stars. I definitely think if you like books where you'll learn random facts from art history to science to philosophy, then you'll like this book enough!

Wow! I loved everything about Catherine House. I am a sucker for anything vaguely The Secret History-esque and gothic, so I was already drawn in by the premise, and I have to say it did not disappoint. The atmosphere was fantastic! It was a little slow to start, but Elisabeth Thomas has an amazing writing style. I am looking forward to whatever Elisabeth Thomas has in store next. Thank you for the ARC! I will post a more in depth review on Goodreads and my blog later this week.

When accepted into Catherine House, it's students agree to give up the next three yars of their life in complete devotion. They are not allowed contact with the outside world, and have no access to the internet or television. Ines, running from her past, is a disinterested and lackluster student. As she begins to learn the secrets of the house, she is both fascinated and repelled by its experiments and hidden agenda.

This book was a bit bland. The characters lacked personality and the plot line moved extremely slowly. There wasn't enough of a mystery, or secret, to keep me engaged and I found myself just plodding along. Overall, a bust.

Unfortunately this one just wasn't for me. I couldn't quite connect with characters or plot and found myself unsure of what was going on and why. The right reader will enjoy this very much, but it just wasn't for me.

Ines has just arrived at Catherine House, an exclusive college that required applications and multiple interviews. It is her chance to leave her old life behind. Catherine House requires total participation, no phone calls to family or visits home. 3 straight years of study.. At first, Inez doesn’t take life here seriously, drinking and partying to excess and missing class work which seems to be the norm for First Years. However as her other friends and her roommate settle in, this becomes noticeable and she is sent to the Tower to reflect.. Catherine House is a dilapidated mansion to start with and now with the study of “plasm” and the weekly chanting, it becomes a modern gothic tale with Inez trying to solve its mystery. Both haunting and horrific, it becomes a page turner the further in you dare to go.

I would like to begin by thanking NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for the opportunity to read this book for an honest and fair review.
Catherine House is school set in Pennsylvania. The students there are all unique and chosen for certain characteristics by the director, Viktoria. From the beginning, I was a bit confused about the characters in the book, because they all lacked depth, so I could not place them. Even the protagonist, Ines was full of secrets that had radically altered her life during her high school years, but we never really find out what they were. The school is full of rules in the beginning, making it sound almost like a prison, but the students, all of adult age are allowed unrestrained food, alcohol and sex. They are allowed to skip classes constantly, yet the class work is brutal, making it very unrealistic. As I read about the concentrations that the students had to chose after the first year of three, I felt like it was futuristic with one concentration called plasm which was never fully defined and throughout the book it remained that way. The book did not keep me interested and I struggled through it the whole way although, it was very imaginative and original, just not my sort of book. The premise of the book would be very interesting to me if it was developed further and the characters given more personality and individuality.
#CatherineHouse, #NetGalley

I read the blurb when I requested this from HarperCollins, but I didn’t re-read it a month later when I started this. I also didn’t want to read the reviews before I read this because I wanted to go into reading this as blindly as possible.

Thomas set up a great mystery of what the heck is going on at Catherine House? There’s a wonderful, dark atmosphere, with an air of mystery and the seductive allure of the unknown. I needed to know what was so special about this school. As I watched person after person in Ines’ life at the house disappear, succumb to the house, I was faced with needing to know what was happening and so I found myself unable to put the book down. From the beginning with the plasm, when they’re being attached to Ines and the other students, I knew we were going on a wild ride.

But then, I was left a little dissatisfied with it. It got repetitive in the day to day in the middle, filler that didn’t move the story along and didn’t help with the unfolding of what was happening. Plasm isn’t all that explained, and what was happening to people, the reason they’re all there, it isn’t as grand a reveal as I hoped. But the thing is, I couldn’t put this down because Thomas has created this perfect storyline in which you needed to know what would happen to Ines, and in that, it’s oddly addicting. I think this will be a hit or miss for readers. Either they will be drawn in and will have that feeling for the entire book, or they will be drawn in and feel let down as I was. 3.5 stars.

Let me start off by saying that I really wanted to like this novel more than I did. I love to support minority authors whenever possible. Also, I consider myself to be a huge nerd that loves school (I'm still in it working towards my PhD!) and that's a major reason as to why I chose this one.

Catherine House itself is actually a school. It's like a fancy boarding school located in the middle of nowhere (i.e. the deep woods of Pennsylvania) for young people. At least, that's what it seemed like from my initial read of the plot synopsis. However, it turns out to be the opposite. We learn about Catherine House through the eyes of Ines Murillo. The reader figures out early that Murillo has a past, but exactly what that encompasses isn't very clear. But, one thing is clear: Murillo is at Catherine House to escape it. She applies and is surprised to find out about her acceptance into the legendary school. People who successfully finish the program at Catherine House usually go onto successful lives within their fields of choice. The only stipulation is that they leave everything behind (i.e. music, clothes, family and friends) to stay at the Catherine House for three years (summers included) in order to complete the entire program.

Murillo seems to have no problem with this. She's got a shady past and seems open to doing whatever is asked of her - well, aside from the actual "school part," that is. Catherine House has a demanding liberal arts curriculum for the students, but they also have lots of freedom to do whatever they want. They're given alcohol despite being underage and allowed to have sex with each other as much as they like. I did find this to be slightly disconcerting, but I guess these type of freedoms make sense if you want a young adult to actually stay put for a long period of time.

Without giving any spoilers, Murillo is a weird character. I couldn't quite figure her out and I found her actions to be frustrating at times. I think this book would have been a better read if the author wrote from the story from multiple points of view. Most of the characters she created were way more interesting to me than Murillo herself. I also didn't like the ending of this book at all. Overall, this was a disappointing read for me.

Ines, a beautiful and troubled young woman, is offered a slot as a student at Catherine House. It is not a typical college. Steeped in mystery, legend and secrecy, Catherine House has served as a springboard for distinguished leaders at many high-profile institutions including the Supreme Court and the White House. As Ines learns more about the school, its professors and her fellow students, her interest in unlocking the secrets of Catherine House intensifies. Be prepared to examine every clue that the author drops on this slow-burning, dark journey. It’s a grown-up treat for people who enjoyed Lois Duncan’s Down A Dark Hall as young readers.

Thank you to Custom House Publishing for an advance reader copy, book will be available on May 12.

This is a really good creepy debut novel about a selective and secretive school and the a group of students who attend. The atmosphere is dark, the characters nicely developed, and the story scary. The novel starts and ends very strongly, but dragged a bit in the middle. It's a book that'll stay with me.

Catherine House isn't exactly a college even though it is filled with college aged students. It's a "community of minds", "a post secondary school more selective than any Ivy League, and so terrifically endowed that tuition was free to any student lucky enough to be accepted."
When a student goes to Catherine House they leave everything behind; family, clothes, pets, any and all personal possessions. Ines has been accepted but she has no idea who and what she will encounter at Catherine House.

This is a really interesting, if odd, book. Things happened that I was not quite sure I understood and the subjects the student studied were somewhat amorphous and not thoroughly explained. Perhaps I'm not the appropriate reader for this book but I just continued to be confused by what motivated the students and by the events of the story.

I think the writing is great and in some cases very beautiful. The characters were interesting if not always likeable. There is not a lot of plot--it's three years at a board school--but we get to know the main characters fairly well by accompanying them through this tale. It's not for me but if you love a campus novel in an odd setting with characters going about their random business then this might be the book for you. In reading some reviews I see quite a lot of them are very laudatory.

Thank you to @harpercollinsus and @customhousebooks for this #advancereaderscopy

Mysteries set in boarding schools are like catnip to me. The first part of Catherine House didn’t disappoint, it was creepy and Gothic, with a compelling setting and complicated characters. I also loved the ending – a gut punch that left me breathless. The in-between, though, was just too weird for me. It reminded me of Vita Nostra, an excellent novel with similar elements. The curriculum at Catherine House is… off? The students are allowed to drink and make merry but somehow they end up learning metaphysical stuff. A four-course dinner comprised of just desserts made me want to apply. There are strange happenings, mostly related to a mysterious substance called plasm, which is the McGuffin here. My problem was that sometimes too weird is just… too weird. There is a point where not much happens and we are just reading about the thoughts in the main character’s head. The first and last parts would get more stars but unfortunately I’m going to have to give the whole novel just 3.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/HarperCollins Publishers!

I'm very conflicted on this book, I loved the idea of it and the descriptions of the school itself, but I really disliked Inez and it is all told from her POV. It just distanced me to the point that I struggled to get through the book. I really preferred all the other characters in the book and wish that any one of them had been the narrator.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Catherine House.

How best to describe this?

To paraphrase the words of my awesome comedic namesake, Elaine Benes from Seinfeld, Catherine House was "like a big budget movie that went nowhere.'

Don't get me wrong; the premise was promising, as was the writing. I was eager to read this.

I enjoyed Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, its creepy, unsettling 'something is wrong but you can't quite put your finger on it' uneasiness, but Catherine House never really gets there, mostly because the characters are so flat and the narrative wanders and lacks consistency.

Take Inez, for example. The main character, the heroine, if you will: she is lazy, unambitious and dull as dishwater.

How can I believe she was smart enough to do all the 'paperwork' required to get into this creepy, prestigious school?

That's the problem, I don't.

There's nothing delicious, or steamy or sexy, about this book; in fact, most of the blatant eroticism felt off and contrived, like all the bed hopping (I get it, we're talking about hormonal teenagers here), the constant nudity, the high intake of sweets (I love sweets, which may be why I noticed how Inez always describes the copious amounts of dessert at each meal), the drinking (yes, yes, I know, we're talking about teenagers).

There's very little exposition, and when there is, it reads as rambling, off-topic, almost stream of consciousness like, which threw me off the narrative.

I didn't get a sinister or unsettling vibe here; mostly, I kept thinking, "What's the point of all this?"

And when I got to it, I just thought, "Oh...okay. Now what?"

Where's the darkness? The foreboding? The horror of plasm and what they are capable of?

There are many supporting and minor characters, but no one truly stands out. I can't recall anyone's name besides Inez and Baby.

The premise had potential, and the author can write, but the truth about Catherine House was murky, the sinister edge never fully developed and the tone lacked suspense and tension.

This book is set at a school between high school and college, unlike any other.  When you come to Catherine House you are expected to literally forget your life before, get rid of any physical attachments, and live at Catherine House for three years completely cut off and isolated from the world.  Apparently, this environment creates the best scholars.  Ines struggles to forget her past, as she is running from some very ugly things.  In her struggle she begins to do horribly in her studies, warranting a visit from the headmaster and a stay in the Tower to be "fixed."  Soon, Ines comes back a perfect student with friends and a life outside of her classes.  She eventually dates one of her friends and realizes that she can be happy.  Not until the past starts creeping back in, after her roommate and original friend Barbara "Baby" dies.  Ines quickly begins to realize that something a bit more sinister is happening at Catherine House and seeks to figure it out before it too late for her or any of her friends.

This is one of those perfect autumn books:  there is a mystery, it a bit confusing and dreamlike, it is set at a secluded school tucked in the forest and cut off from the world, and some things just don't add up right.  I had a fun time reading this book and falling into Ines' world at Catherine House.  

First, the way the book is written in terms of character development and plot movement is brilliant.  Very quickly you get to know Ines and Baby, as well as other characters as the story progresses.  The characters are well developed, well written, and the dialogue feels realistic.  I could see this book being made into a really really fun movie.  There was never a point for me while reading where I felt that the characters were too stiff or the plot wasn't believable.  One thing I didn't like was the overarching mystery of why and what Ines was running for in the beginning.  This does grab you, but by the middle of the book it all but disappears.  I wish there had been a bit more development of that detail or just a solid conclusion. 

For me, this book reads full of teenage angst.  It made me think of Catcher in the Rye in that angsty teenagers are living together at school and learning to break free from what culture tells them while also learning laws of the world.  Don't get me wrong, these two books don't really connect in any other way; I was just reminded of Holden's worldview and indifference and my brain contrasted that with Ines.

What takes the cake for me is the lush setting of Catherine House, the almost dilapidated house and wings, and the overarching sinister, weird, and gloomy feeling of the setting.  You can almost feel the trees and forest choking the house and how cut off and protected it must feel.  Pair this with giving up three years of your life to be there and being cut off from culture, family, and outside friends and you have a very interesting plot and setting!  But really though, these elements combine to help create the setting for a great story.

Last but not least, the ending really got me.  I am not sure I like the ending as it is because it almost seems to take away from the rest of the story and the power of Catherine House.  At the same time, it helps reveal facts about Catherine House such as why the structure itself was in such disrepair and the overall status of the school.  Either way you look at it, either still seem to adjust the power of Catherine House to the reader and make you rethink what you thought about the school when you started reading the book.

Overall, this book was fantastic!  From the beginning I had a feeling that this would be a good one and I don't think I was wrong!  This book is due to be published May 12, 2020 and I am excited to see what other readers think about it!

I was very excited about this book going in. I loved the cover and the synopsis sounded awesome! I even really enjoyed the first bit of it. I am not usually a fan of what I think of as staccato writing but I really liked it in this instance and felt that it matched the mood of the book and the character a lot. After a strong beginning though I realized that unfortunately this book is just not for me.

Things got to be very repetitive and I just didn't care about any of the characters, except the snail that died early on, and found it obnoxious how the main character kept getting by no matter what. I just found it hard to care about a group of kids that just get to do what they want when they want. The main character bored me and annoyed me with her "my life is the worst" attitude. I kept hoping I would get more background on her so that I would start wanting to care about her but just nothing. There wasn't enough background given to make it so I cared or wanted to care at all for her.

The school didn't feel ominous at all or evil and so the weird experiments that were happening I didn't get. In fact I didn't really understand a lot of what was happening the whole time. Plasm didn't make any sense to me and since the main character didn't have anything to do with it except in the background I didn't feel like I was given the chance to understand it. If weirder things had been happening through out the story like more of her friends disappearing or "dying" then maybe I would have had a better sense of the underlying "evil" nature of what the school was up to but instead it was thrown in there all while the main character drank and had sex.

The open ending was especially difficult for me to swallow, not only as someone that needs things wrapped up at the end of a book or open enough to have a sequel in a series, but it just made no sense to me. She escaped but then we are left questioning if she really did. Yet she was obsessed with this school where nothing really happened? I just didn't get it and I didn't like it. The whole book, minus the very beginning, I was thinking "who cares?" Not a great thing for a book.

I fully expect that this will find an audience but I am just not that audience. I know that it is a labor of love for an author to produce a book, nothing I have ever been able to do, so I appreciate the author's efforts but this book just wasn't for me at all. A one star book for me, I did enjoy the beginning when there was potential and it has an excellent premise and cover and her writing is good so I will be curious to see if she changes things up in the future and writes other things!

I was immediately drawn into this story. I liked the writing style and plot as I made my way through Chapter One. But, the story was quite slow-moving and I had a hard time getting through this book. I found myself skimming over a lot of mundane information just to get to the end, hoping that something good would happen.

Such a page turner! Completely engaging from page one. Features a diverse array of characters. This novel keeps you guessing. The ending was a bit disappointing but otherwise fantastic.