Tara Boone fought for a place at Corbin College hoping to get into the esteemed Magni Viri academic society which provides a full scholarship. However, Tara isn't accepted and is muddling through college with two jobs and a more practical academic track. When one of Magni Viri's star pupils, Meridith Brown dies unexpectedly, Tara is offered her spot. Tara readily accepts, with tuition and board fully covered, Tara no longer has to work and gets to move into Denfeld Hall with the rest of the Magni Viri students. Now, with an automatic friend group and a semi-creepy initiation ceremony, Tara finally feels accepted. She also has a lot more time to work on her writing. Tara begins writing in the middle of the night, in a haze, she barely remembers what she wrote; if it wasn't in her own handwriting, she wouldn't believe it. The writing also seems a lot more like Meredith's writing than her own. Tara begins to believe that she is being haunted by Meredith's ghost and is being forced to finish her story. As Tara learns more about Magni Viri and its members, she discovers something more disturbing about its membership and decides she must free herself from its grasp.


All That Consumes Us is an atmospheric, gothic story set within a college secret society. I was pulled in by the mystery of Magni Viri and their consistency in producing outstanding students. Tara's character is at a point where she is desperate while being resourceful and diligent, making her a perfect target for Magni Viri's deeds. The writing builds the tension slowly as a student dies and Tara finally finds her place and her goals begin to seem realistic, but things simply don't seem right with the students of Magni Viri, their accomplishments or the novella Tara is writing. As Tara continues in Magni Viri, obsession seems to overtake her and she is not herself. The feeling of wanting what you can't have along with slipping from reality permeates Tara as well as Denfield Hall. The quote "...some of the dead don't sleep. They don't rest. They rise up from their graves to steal hours from the living," summarizes the atmosphere. I was really interested in the story that Tara was writing and would have loved to have more history behind that as well as the beginning of Magni Viri. I would have also loved to see some of Tara's writing when she wasn't under the influence and how she infused the emotions she experienced into her craft. Overall, a queer, gothic, ghostly coming of age story with amazing characters.



This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
For a YA novel this was very good. I enjoyed the gothic atmosphere and the dark academia theme.
I enjoyed Tara as a character.
Great book.

I had to DNF this title (which is something that I do not like doing. This was just too clique. The first chapter barely caught my attention and it just read like a really bad Wattpad story. I believe this may be good for a younger group of people that are coming into reading YA but as someone who reads Young Adult to feel like I am twelve again, this just was not well written. I felt that the characters weren’t well rounded, and it felt like I was reading nothing. The relationships in this story didn’t feel like they gave anything to the plot. I thought I was going to enjoy this, but it just didn’t add up to me.

Loved this super creepy gothic horror. Dark academia? Check. Intriguing and diverse characters? Check. Plot twist? Check. Really excellent execution. We will be reviewing this book on an October episode of Your Rainbow Reads podcast.

“But I don’t feel like my life is changing. I feel like it’s finally beginning. Like all this time I’ve been waiting for Magni Viri to come calling.”

Set deep within the hills of rural Tennessee, All That Consumes Us blends dark academia, Southern Gothic, and a dash of queer romance as protagonist Tara Boone navigates her first year at Corbin College. When a classmate’s death opens up a spot in the secretive, highly selective Magni Viri academic society, Tara is surprised to receive an invitation to join, still unsure of her own talents and ability to fit in within the elite organization. Entering a world of free tuition, guaranteed success after graduation, and a strong focus on individual research, Tara’s worries begin to fade away, especially after bouts of late-night writing leave her with the start of a gothic novella her professors can’t help but praise. As time passes, however, Tara can’t help but feel like something is being kept from her by the society: something dark and ancient that first began to manifest through her writing.

All That Consumes Us features atmospheric writing, a diverse cast of characters, and relatively unique plot points for the dark academia genre, but I am hesitant to say that I fully endorse this novel. I found the pacing of the story to be a bit odd: Tara spends half of the text convinced that she is haunted by the classmate who passed away, however, the real truth is revealed suddenly with only little foreshadowing. The narrative rapidly changes direction, and I felt Tara accepted this new truth too quickly. I also felt as if the text had to scramble to explain the intricacies of the Magni Viri at this point, and I was still left with questions about its structuring and creation at the end that may have been answered had Tara uncovered the truth sooner. However, I enjoyed watching Tara’s relationships with the Magni Viri members develop prior to her discovery, and I understand how structuring the plot in this way allowed her to spend time enjoying the society before its darkest secrets were uncovered. Especially through her interactions with roommate Wren and love interest Penny, Tara emerges as a deeply caring protagonist that is only hesitant at times due to an upbringing full of hardships. While the ending was a bit predictable, I still found it to be a satisfying conclusion and liked its optimistic tone, which indicated that Tara is still committed to her dream of becoming a writer even after the events she had to endure.

Dark academia, ghosts, graveyards, obsession, possession, paranoia. This book has it all! Tara feels like she doesn’t fit in at Corbin College. When she is offered a chance to enroll in Magni Viri, an elite academic society with free tuition, she accepts with no hesitation. Tara, who takes the place of the most recent dead girl Meredith, thinks that she is possessing her and using her body to write her novella during the night. But actually, what is happening is much worse. This book is perfect for spooky season. 4.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to Erica Waters, Harper Teen, and NetGalley for the ARC.

All That Consumes Us is the perfect blend of gothic horror and YA thriller. I was consumed by the prose from the very first page. Is great genius and legacy worth sacrificing all that you are? This story has such an interesting and unique concept! It manages to set itself apart from all the other dark academia saturating the market. Highly recommend for lovers of ghost stories, secret societies, and those looking to belong.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Teen for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was pitched as gothic, ghostly, and queer, where a girl joins a secretive academic society after one of its members suddenly passes away. Liberated from a life of repaying student loans and two jobs, Tara finds herself free to pursue a career as an author with the full backing of Magni Viri. However, she quickly learns that her induction into this society may not be all she imagined.

At first, ALL THAT CONSUMES US was haunting and atmospheric, but, as the mystery unraveled, I found myself increasingly annoyed. The cause of Tara's horror only made sense on a surface level because the more I pondered it, the more glaringly obvious plot holes/character logic became. And not in a gothic, deteriorating-sanity type of way (though I'm sure that was partly the author's intent), but simply a lack of deeper thinking on the author's behalf about plot implications.

A lot of this novel focuses on building suspense and dread, which was fairly believable until the big reveal, a little over halfway through. After the big reveal occurs, I had a lot of questions about Magni Viri, but 90% of them went unanswered (perhaps after publication day I will post a full, no-spoilers-barred review that explains this).

Just about the only thing I liked about this book was the author's inclusion of a wide array of representations and diversity. There are characters who are disabled, characters who are nonbinary, and, to my utter delight, a featured relationship between two female characters that weren't fetishized. That being said, I felt as though this book was lacking insight into the finer details of these supporting characters, both in terms of personality and interactions with the main character. I could have had less of Tara and more of everyone else.

All in all, this book started off strong but quickly delved into frustrating. While I was fastidiously consuming the first half of this book, I struggled to get through the last quarter of the book. If this book sounds like it would suit you for Fall, I would caution you going in that the plot is disappointing.

➫ 2.5 Stars

I've enjoyed all the Waters books I've read, and this one was no exception, although I felt like it took a while to truly get going. It's being marketed as within the dark academia genre, but as with most YA books, it takes place at a mysterious school and that's about it as far as DA goes. It's much more of a ghost story. It's a perfect pick for a lightly spooky story this fall.

The main character felt *very* freshman in college, which is a compliment as much as it was occasionally frustrating. Always good to read a YA book with characters that are believably young. The story itself was slow, but intrigue really started to kick in around the 30% mark. While I was never terribly invested in this one (Waters' other work drew me in far more), it was enjoyable overall for a breather between darker, more-adult works.

I absolutely loved this book and the main characters. I think they all were fleshed out and they stood out from one another as different from one another. I liked the touch of magic/occult in this Gothic academia book. There were times I struggled with the FMC and her decisions but maybe that's how freshman in college would act now!

Holy cow, I loved this dark academia meets horror novel from Erica Waters so much. I had the hardest time putting it down at night and the growing horror/ tension building was top top notch.

Tara is a freshman at elite Corbin College and has spent the semester feeling inadequate, lonely, and exhausted. But when another student dies suddenly of an aneurysm, she’s offered a spot in the coveted group Magni Viri. The society covers tuition, plus room, board and a living stipend. The other students are like a family and the director offers one on one independent studies to bolster the creative genius of the group. Finally, Tara feels like she can belong - she has friends, a girlfriend, time to write, and creative spark. But soon, it starts to seem the secret society isn’t quiet what it projects. Tara is having nightmares, waking in a coffin, doesn’t remember writing her beautiful novella, and sleepwalking. She’s determined to figure out what - or who - is causing the darkness in Magni Viri, no matter the cost.

This book hits perfect Gothic dark academia vibes, with the characters and setting seemingly ripped from all the best southern gothic novels. Even when, occasionally, I figured out what was up before Tara, i still felt the growing horror she did, the perfect amount of chills. This is for you if you like:
💀gothic horror in the vines of Shirley Jackson
💀dark academia setting
💀a mystery
💀secret societies
💀queer love & representation
💀found family
💀badass heroine who figures out her worth
💀parties in cemeteries

Erica Waters has recently shot to the top of my preferred horror writers list, and All That Consumes Us comes out in mid-October, JUST in time to creep you out during spooky season!

I am fully convinced that Erica Waters can do no wrong when it comes to this new wave of Southern gothic literature. ALL THAT CONSUMES US was another novel of hers that I just couldn't put down. I especially liked the idea of "what would you do to escape your past/poverty/circumstances" and the way Waters explore that question while also handling topics like socioeconomic status, gender, sexuality, and substance abuse in a delicate yet upfront manner.

dnf @ 40%
This was very mediocre to me. I did think it would be a very intriguing book. Sapphic dark academia is so far up my alley, but the writing lacked and it felt very dull. I didn’t care enough to continue to figure out what happened, I was just bored.
I did like the setting, and if you like YA, you should try this. It just wasn’t for me and I couldn’t bring myself to finish it when I wasn’t enjoying it.

This book is the perfect blend of dark academia, loneliness, and the corruptible need to be remembered after death. It is everything that dark academia strives to be, and it excels in the moody, gothic atmosphere of the genre. Plus, it throws in some ghosts and a sapphic romance, which sealed the deal on me falling head over heels for it.

I fully admit that I was drawn to this book by its very eerie cover. I did not research much about it, but I was intrigued by the mention of a gothic story set at a college. I guess I was hoping for something supernatural along the lines of Harry Potter or The Magicians, with a mystery element, but that was unfortunately not what I got.

The story follows a freshman girl named Tara, who is struggling to find her place at school. After some curious events, she is invited into the prominent, extremely selective and secretive academic society on campus called Magni Viri. This opportunity is everything Tara could ever dream of, but she soon discovers a darker side to the organization, as her fellow students seem to be all consumed in their independent studies to a potentially deadly degree.

The premise of the story is captivating, but overall I found the writing to be lacking. There is a definitive atmospheric feel to the book, a general foreboding that puts you on edge throughout. I kept trying to figure out exactly what kind of book I was reading as I was reading it. Is it a mystery? A crime novel? A ghost story? I guess you can say that the constant questioning plays into the gothic style, but it was a distraction for me. I also did not really like the characters, particularly the main character Tara, which made it difficult for me to have a vested interest in her story. The book does have diverse representation, including LGBTQ+ characters and romance.

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙏𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬. 𝙄 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢-𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 (𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚). 𝙈𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠'𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.

I feel like this is the perfect dark academia book for teenagers! The characters do behave like their ages (even though it can be frustrating at times, but to be honest, that's how teenagers normally act) and their behaviors felt realistic.

At times, however, I felt like I couldn't wrap my head around the writing style. There were moments where it was atmospheric and mysterious, and then it fell into something that I think is more appropriate from the MG genre (specifically how the characters were introduced in a sort of tell instead of show way. it kinda broke the flow of the narrative for me).

Overall, I think this is a good entry into the dark academia genre for younger audiences. I feel like there may be some mixed responses from 21+ audiences, however.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperTeen for access to an eARC in exchange for an honest review!!

The moment I saw this book was a queer ghost story, I was already sold. But the fact that it's also got immaculate gothic horror vibes that only get stronger and spookier the further into the book you read, the found family trope, a dangerous and secretive academic society, and *screams* dark academia dragged me so far into it that I put everything else I was reading on hold for the most part to fly through this one. And I was *not* disappointed.

Tara Boone, having spent most of her life in a backwards town taking care of her mother rather than the other way around, seizes the opportunity to leave her directionless life behind when she's excepted to Corbin College, her eyes set on the full scholarship and promised family-like relations of Magni Viri, the extremely exclusive academic society on campus. But when she isn't accepted into Magni Viri and life at college turns out to be far more difficult than she'd anticipated with no friends or social life to speak of, she finds herself dragging her feet through each day just trying to get by while taking classes, working two campus jobs, and trying in her minimal free time to work on her writing.

But everything changes one night after what she labels a failed reading of one of her short stories, and in the coming days, she finds herself invited to join a suddenly vacant spot in Magni Viri and being ushered into the life she'd wished for so desperately. Suddenly, she has time to work on her writing, she's meeting a host of new friends, and she feels connected with the other Magni Viri students and the society itself, like she's a part of something bigger. Too bad even the good feelings from all of that can't keep her afloat once the nightmares and apparent sleepwalking start, making her feel as though she's getting little to no rest for days at a time. And when it seems like everyone around her understands what's happening to her but won't fill her in or help her, it's up to Tara to solve the mystery and save herself from whatever is slowly consuming her.

This book is without a doubt one of my favorite reads of the year so far. A study in modern gothic horror, the atmosphere was cold and dreary and just the right amount of spooky and haunting even in the lighter moments. Erica Waters has a way of weaving words together that dragged me right into the story alongside Tara and all of her friends, the story kept me guessing almost until the very end on exactly what was going to happen, and the characters were diverse and well rounded and flawed and felt *so real* that I wanted to be friends with them myself. I would also sell my soul for a chance to read the novel being written throughout the book, Cicada, just for the experience of reading those words as well.

But I think what ended up personally drawing me into All That Consumes Us most of all was how much I found myself relating to Tara. A young girl who dreams of being a novelist (with a love of Jane Eyre and other gothic literature) from a small town spending her life taking care of everyone but herself, wishing for something more for her future and distancing herself from her past to get to where she needs to be, struggling constantly with finding a community and with feeling like an imposter in her own skin...it was the first time in a long while that I've connected so deeply with the protagonist of a novel that I could so fully understand the decisions they made.

I love Waters' books and this lived up. Dark academia usually doesn't interest me, but this story had so much intrigue, friendship, and ghosts! It keep me riveted until the end.

I love a book where the main character wants to be a writer and such passion leads to wishes or dangerous decisions that can only take us down a dark path. A great book for the spooky season and a rainy day.

It's not unpredictable, but I prefer a novel that keeps us on the edge, turning the page to know when the characters finally will figure out what we already know than having silly or shocking plot twists.

This dark academia (setting in College) is a great homage to the gothic novels and classics that I'm a fan of and some are even mentioned throughout the book. It's a psychological thriller for most of it and has a good crescendo of action up to the end.
I don't mind that for most of the book, Tara is by herself trying to figure out the secret behind the group of geniuses that now she is a part of. It's told in the first person, so that keeps the other characters at a distance.
It's a mystery, but also a race to survive, relating to new friendships, love interests, LGBTQ+ characters, betrayal, courage, ghosts, past stories...

I like the ending. Again it was as charming as the classics we still love nowadays. The romantic interest didn't pull me away from the story. It was a good balance.

This is my first contact with this author's writing and work. I found it smooth, read it almost in one sitting, and made me curious about past and future projects.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for the e-ARC.

This is a dark and gothic book, that took me in deep. A very thought provoking book and pulled up many emotions.