Alex has been plagued by her ability to see “greys” (ghosts) for her entire life. She is always the outsider, always the crazy girl, not even sure of her own sanity. Until she hits rock bottom and wakes up to find a dean of Yale University sitting by her hospital bed, offering her the deal of a lifetime.

I didn't fall in love with this book right away, but my interest really built as the story developed, and I liked it more with every chapter. There's a good balance between horror, mystery, and magic (which is to say, there’s a lot of all three). The horror elements of the book do get pretty dark, so I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who isn't comfortable with some gore. There are also several plotlines related to sexual assault, which I think is helpful to be aware of before jumping into the book.

I really enjoyed the flashback heavy structure. It almost feels like reading two parallel stories, one of Alex’s arrival at Yale and introduction to the societies, and one detailing the events after Darlington's disappearance (which serves as the major event anchoring the two stories).

This book is dark academia done right. Arcane magic is masterfully intertwined with the complicated history tied to ethics within academia. Bardugo is able to make some important observations about privilege without coming off as heavy-handed or inauthentic. I thought that the murder mystery was well developed, and the foreshadowing and clues along the way did just enough to guide the reader's suspicions without giving away too much.

I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel!