Something was missing from this book for me, and I still can't quite put my finger on what it was. The novel covers Ines' whole time at Catherine House, which is 3 years. And that's a lot of  time to fit into a single ~350 page book. Part of my trouble with this may have been the time period. I think focusing on about 1 year at CH would have allowed a deeper connection with the week-to-week experiences of the characters. But I also understand that Ines' journey of finding out what was goin' on at this place would make sense to take several years. I didn't love that we don't

ever get the full backstory of Ines' life before CH

. I guess feeling like Ines kind of didn't care about anyone or anything made me not deeply care about folks either. I think the creepy "What the hell is going on??" feeling is hard to achieve because an author has to give a little and withhold a little. And I think there was too much withholding. I'm still not sure I get the whole plasm deal. So, for me, the end

was really unsatisfying. I am fine with an ambiguous ending, but when the whole book has felt ambiguous, it just feels like more of the same.

I would try this author again, but this one wasn't quite what I was looking for. Like why was Ines there? How did she get away with so much?

I want to level set expectations up front: this book is 3/4 no-plot-just-vibes. If you like gothic atmospheres, dark academia motifs, and off putting characters, this will 100% be your jam. Fortunately for me. I happen to enjoy a lack of plot as long as the vibes (imagery, setting, etc.) are strong enough to make up for it.

Thomas really did do a beautiful job of building a school that had all the makings of elite: shiny and mysterious from the outside and dusty and chipped when you look too closely. We experience Catherine through a character who would rather observe than interact so we get to see it all. The excessive wine drinking, the overly rich food, the drafty library and gallery.  The imagery is consistently strong throughout the whole book.

The way she handles our leading woman, Ines, is a pretty unique experience. Even though we experience Catherine through Ines’s eyes, she’s either so detached or dissociated that rarely do we get a glimpse at what she thinks or feels. We know everything that happens to her but never really get to know how she feels about it. Her past is alluded to, but otherwise we get to know little about her even in the rare instance she does connect with another character. The only time we get to know something about her is when other characters plainly state things about her. Much like Catherine House, Ines is elusive and more of a concept than a noun.

The story over all is pretty slow until it isn’t. The first 2/3 of the book is an atmospheric fever dream, while the last 1/3 is cerebral thriller. So again— if mostly vibes and not a lot of plot isn’t your thing, Catherine House isn’t for you. Overall, I did really like this book. However, it could’ve been stronger if the bulk of the story punched as hard as the last ~120 pages did.