Kevin's Watch

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/432 ... inth-house

It's Harry Potter for adults.

OK, OK, here you go

It's your basic kid-discovers-magic-is-real-and-goes-to-school, except the protagonist is in college. Yale, in fact.

The premise is that the secret societies at Yale (Skull and Bones, for instance) are always playing around with occult magic, and have had some unfortunate accidents. To keep things from getting out of hand, a specific house was founded to watch over the others, and stop them from misbehaving ("No more dead hobos" is their unofficial motto).

When school authorities discover a girl with the unusual ability to see ghosts without any magical assistance, they decide to give her a full-ride scholarship just to bring her into this society, thinking she'd be useful to have around.

But trying to survive regular courses at Yale is difficult enough without having extra courses in the occult, watching over midnight rituals, and, oh yeah, being a high school drop-out and drug addict.

I quite enjoyed the book; the author is a known YA novel, and this is her first series for adults. While not as emotionally complex as, say, James Baldwin, it's refreshing to see themes such as consent and victimhood being treated in the context of occult magic.

Oh, hey!
I read this shortly after you posted it, and enjoyed your synopsis, Rigel!
Maybe it will get me into a book I wouldn't likely have stumbled upon otherwise. (or maybe not... don't know.)

I think that reading about undergrad culture at Yale would be enjoyable, or at least satisfy me being pointlessly curious.
I suspect that even if the house WERE NOT established to "watch over the other students," (do the students in the other houses know?) a change like establishing another house would cause resentment. (though perhaps mostly at the administration, and only partly at the 9th house's denizens)
The unofficial motto amuses.

Sounds like something I would read, will keep an eye out.

--A

HEY! My awareness that the book "Ninth House" existed was perfectly good social capital the other day.

I basically gave my synopsis of your synopsis, Rigel, so thank you.
(One or more of the people I was talking to said they were thinking of reading it too. And it led to more interesting conversation.)

Rigel wrote:OK, OK, here you go

It's your basic kid-discovers-magic-is-real-and-goes-to-school, except the protagonist is in college. Yale, in fact....

Woohoo! Have you read it yet?

Well, I am now!
and it is very fun.
and disturbing.

It is totally not Harry Potter for adults, though.
(I state that in my v. expert opinion, having read maybe 30 pages. if I'm generous with my estimate.)

Anyways, my hubbie is also reading it, and seems to be enjoying it.