I wanted to like this book so much but unfortunately it just fell flat for me. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what exactly what going on. I never quite figured out what plasma, the secret experiment at Catherine House, really did to people. An attempt was made to explain it; I just didn't get it. The framework for something dark and creepy was laid out, but I never really felt passionate about the main character, Ines, to care about what happened to her.

CATHERINE HOUSE (set for publication May 12,2020) is an odd read for lack of a better way to describe it.. Within the novel,our main character, Ines, investigates the unusual college that she is at in an effort to discover its dark history and present. And really, the premise is a great one: it's the fodder for a perfect gothic story with a creepy atmosphere that motivates readers to keep going to discover the "secret," but the story itself falls short of delivering what it promises. While readers do eventually get in on the secret, it's a plot point that felt underdeveloped to me. I can't say much more than that without giving away spoilers, but I think you'll know what I mean by the time you close this book, which isn't exactly a good feeling. Even Ines acknowledges the vagueness surrounding what she has learned, and her own decisions at the conclusion of the novel feel equally shrouded.

I was also bothered by the fact that I wasn't sure what the bigger message of the book was, if there is one at all. I'm fine with a story just being a story, but CATHERINE HOUSE felt as if it was trying to comment on something about our world in addition to the story's world. There's plenty of metaphysical/transcendental talk between characters, and maybe that's what gives it this feel. For the life of me, though, I'm not sure what the social commentary is, and the best I can figure is it's (maybe?) offering a criticism of higher education's mission. But, really, it might just be a story for the sake of a story. I'm just not sure.

Finally, be prepared for a YA feel throughout the entire novel. That's not inherently bad in and of itself, but it's not marketed as such, so it caught me off guard. There's also a heavy coming-of-age theme to the novel, so that contributes to the YA vibe.

Overall, two stars for a book with a lot of potential but one that, in the end, just didn't work for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review and opinions.

*Thank you to the publisher for providing an Advanced Reader Copy of this book*

I was drawn to "Catherine House" on the premise alone. I also thought that it might be a bit like "Good Girls Lie" (which I liked but didn't love).

Set in an elite and isolated school, students at Catherine House spend three full years fully engrossed in the school. Each student at Catherine House is there for a reason...many are running from their pasts or feel that Catherine is their only route to a future. The main character "Ines" is doing the former.

The school made a name for itself studying the highly controversial new sciences of "plasm," and while in school, each student gets to choose a concentration (similar to a major). Throughout their years at the school--it does seem like the students are being hypnotized and having experiments done on them. Ines' boyfriend is studying plasm. She wants to know more--and can't help but snoop. What she finds is chilling.

The book is definitely readable. I do wish that we would have learned a bit more about Ines' background (honestly, it was pretty similar to a storyline in "Gossip Girl"). If we knew more about her story Ines might be a more compelling character.

Overall, the book leaves you feeling unsettled.

locked in the safety of its gates for three years. She wants to forget her past, others want to make connections, and then there are the new materials concentrators. These students are working with what the school is famous for: plasm. Plasm is a way of healing, and the students are the ones being “healed.”

This novel meanders through Ines’ time at Catherine House, from communal hypnosis to finding her core group of trusted friends. I was expecting this story to align more with The Secret History, but the plasm studies and isolated nature of Catherine House pushed it into a realm that I don’t typically find myself reading. While I enjoyed it, the novel wasn’t fast-paced and the ending left me hanging.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one. I rarely, if ever, don’t finish a book but this one I just couldn’t get through. It really sucks because I was so excited to read this one because the synopsis gave me Ninth House vibes.
This story just didn’t go anywhere. It was so repetitively boring. I made it through 50% and I honestly couldn’t tell you what happened. Nothing did. The writing was very choppy, vague, and unexciting. I hate to say this but this one is worth passing on. I really didn’t get anything from it and after forcing myself to read to the 50% mark, I was completely disappointed. Not worth it.

1 star

I am not really sure what this book is supposed to be about. An ultra private college called Catherine House, houses a batch of incoming first year students including Ones, Theo, and Baby. Throw in the controversial study of Plasm and the school becomes one of secrets and suspense. There is some tension built into the story but Plasm and the concentration in the study of it is never explained well enough. The characters fall flat because the premise is not clear. The art concentration was full of description that brought it to life but the rest of the narrative was stagnant. Components did not come together as expected.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

Reading Catherine House was like wandering drunk or sleepwalking through a gothic mystery. As seen through the eyes of Ines, Catherine House is both confounding yet intoxicating as she struggles through her classes and her interactions with classmates, professors and Viktoria, the woman in charge of them all. I’d like to thank William Morrow, Custom House and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This is going to be an interesting choice for some of my patrons and especially our book clubs.

I am just not sure how I am feeling about Catherine House. On one hand it was twisty and unique, but on the other I felt that it lacked plot movement. The cast of characters was interesting. I am just not sure what really happened in the story. I still have so many questions that went unanswered.

The ideas behind this book are decent, but the execution left a lot to be desired. The character and relationship development was pretty non-existent and the world building in terms of what plasm is and how Catherine House worked was weak and under-explained, all of which meant that the climax of the book wasn't as shocking or horrifying as it should have been. I didn't really care about the characters and I didn't really understand the science/magic that was going on, so the reveal and final act just fell flat.

Catherine House was a very enjoyable read that kept me pulled in from the get go! It begins by dropping you right in the aftermath of the middle of the action and relationships in a school term that has already begun, leaving you with immediate questions, and maybe a little of the feeling that "outsiders" not a part of Catherine House may feel! Always wanting to know more about something that becomes more mysterious as you do. Being along for the ride with Ines at first felt along these lines too--she also felt unsure of how she ended up here, and maybe even a little unworthy, and also wanted to know more, while not letting herself get too attached or too used to the idea "in case." It was interesting to watch how the allure of Catherine House shifted Ines, both from the inside of Ines' experience and simultaneously an outside reader of the story. While the story at times felt overwhelming and too fast, and maybe like I had missed something, there were also times that it dragged a little for me, and made me question what the hook was going to be. Despite this, it was a very entertaining read, and Elisabeth Thomas did a great job connecting you to the character emotionally. Excited for her next book!

This novel is a suspenseful mystery set in an isolated, exclusive university catering to a specific group of students. The question is why these students and what exactly are they studying? The school has an amazing track record of elite graduates but just what did they have to give up to attend Catherine House? The story centers on Ines who is a somewhat reluctant and skeptical enrollee who begins to question the university's methods. She starts to work at infiltrating the chosen inner circle who are working on unraveling the mysteries of plasma, a material that is said to be at the center of everything in the world. What she discovers is quite shocking experimentation and wonders just how far will the school go to get what it wants?

This story is a SLOW burn. The descriptions of the school are utterly stunning, I could easily picture myself standing within the dark gothic grounds with the students. If this school really existed, it's exactly the type of place I would have vied to be accepted to and I bet I would have followed Ines' exact path. Partying and fun, just generally taking advantage of soaking up knowledge from those smarter than me. I'm not sure I would have had the gumption Ines did to dive head first into what might have been a very dangerous investigation. Although there weren't a ton of twists or action along the way, I enjoyed the slow peeling of the onion to figure out just what was going on. There is a payoff in the end which I spent much of the book worried that I wouldn't see, however it was a bit more of an open-ended finish than I'd like... unless there is going to be a sequel in which case the ending was just the right tease.

The story is very well written and creative. It reminded me in a lot of ways of a combo of The Ninth House with more subtle fantasy elements, Vampire Academy with the gothic setting and Pretty Little Liars with the cult-like mystery and intrigue. And come on, how great is that cover?!

A wildly impressive debut. Emphasis on the wild part. But quietly wild, if you’ll permit such a typically incongruous combination of words.

The book is “quietly wild” in the way that the best gothic build books are. This is indeed a slow burn (even the climax is more of a sinister simmer than an explosive denouement), but like all solid gothic, it boasts an off-the-charts sense of atmosphere and setting.

The plot is more suspense/coming-of-age than true gothic horror (Think Donna Tartt mixed with Anna Pitoniak), but Thomas has shown in her first effort that she is a master of macabre. The eponymous Catherine House is a creepy, crumbly setting that delights and unsettles, playing heavily on anachronism and a haunting sense of place.

There are no true “haunts” here and the villains of the story are 100% human, though their experiments are not exactly real world stuff.

Speaking of said experiments, I’m still wondering exactly what plasm is, though I don’t think this vagary particularly detracts from the narrative in the end. There are other plot points also left open-ended, though none left me feeling at all unsatisfied.

Catherine House is a strange tale that doesn’t fit the mold exactly for fans of the gothic or thriller or suspense genres, but it employs many well-rendered elements of all three. Elisabeth Thomas can now count me as an enthusiastic fan of her work.

Thank you NetGalley and and HarperCollins for my ARC. I have to admit this is a rare time for me.... DNF 40. I always try to finish every book and give it a chance. But I just couldn't with this one. I could not get into the story or the protagonist - Ines. I will not give it less than 3 stars, because as with other reviews I read before deciding how to word mine - make sure I was not being unfair.... I do believe the author has a lot of potential, just not this book for me.

Authors create stories and wonderlands and I will not give them a low rating as they have more talent than I do, but this story just did not vibe with me.

Again I'm so sorry. I really wanted to get into it and finish it. I love a good thriller.

I typically love the classic ivy school secret society story mixed up with some gothic thrill, but this fell flat.

Full disclosure: I received an unproofed copy of this from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for possibly writing a review.

I thought Catherine House would be like Hogwarts or the Xavier Institute. It isn't. The students don't have powers. They are just regular kids with something unique about them that only the Catherine House admissions process can seem to identify. The school sounds amazing until you start to scratch the surface. Maybe it isn't as fabulous as it seems. Maybe there is a price to pay for this one-of-a-kind education. Is there something sinister afoot or is that just my imagination?

Gothic is a good description of the writing. The story haunts you. It has a dreamy feel. And while it wasn't what I expected and sometimes I wondered where the story was going, I got it in the end and was satisfied.

I have to admit I couldn't get into this. I read the first few chapters, and then just skimmed the rest of the book. The premise of intrigue and gothic suspense drew me in, but couldn't keep my attention

While well written I kept waiting for this book to draw me in with the promise of gothic intrigue and mystery, instead I kept looking at where I was in the percentage and wondering if I'd read the correct description.

A well written gothic suspense novel but all of the unlikeable characters kept me from truly investing in this novel. Just an okay (and strange) read.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47808103

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for providing me with an ARC of Catherine House!
What a strange nightmare of a book! This was not what I expected at all, but I did really enjoy it. On its surface, Catherine House is a campus novel, though this college campus is unlike any other. The students spend three years on their education, never leaving, only allowed outside items from a commissary. If that sounds like prison...it's not far off. The narrator, Ines is introduced to this strange world, running from some event in her past, happy to be safe inside the walls at Catherine House, though she struggles with her studies.

It reminded me a little bit of Ninth House, in that the main character feels like an outsider to the primary culture of the school, and she's running from her past. However, it's much slower than Ninth House, and the central "mystery" is much more philosophical in nature. It also kind of reminded me of The Secret History, in the way that the school turns into a sort of cult. I really liked that even though what's going on at Catherine House is very different than your traditional campus, this book does a fantastic job describing the feeling of college culture. How you feel distant from the outside world, and how the unique facets of the place feel so special and known to only the people who live there. Small college campuses can be strange, inwardly focused places, and this book really understands that and describes it well.

I honestly did not think I was going to like this after reading the first few pages, and I thought about giving up at first, but once I was about 20% of the way through the book, I was really engaged in what was happening at the school, how the narrator was progressing through it, and what the ultimate "point" was (although I'm still trying to figure that out).

If you want to read a weird, dark, twisty tale of academia that's a little on the slower side (ignore the "suspenseful page-turner" part of the description. That's not really how I would describe this at all) that feels like you're being sucked into a nightmare, then I recommend this book.

Title: Catherine House
Author: Elisabeth Thomas
Genre: Gothic fiction / Suspense
My Rating: 3.5 ++

………………………..

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. Catherine House ended up being something that started out delightfully engaging, then withered as time moved on. I commend the author for her vivid imagination. The plot wasn’t bad, the characters were great; merely lacking with some developmental issues. I loved how descriptive Thomas' writing was; very detailed. And there was even a part in the book I got excited. Unfortunately, nothing happened after that and I was a bit disappointed. Still this book is a decent read and why my rating it at 3 and ½ stars.

*I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*