Week 6 Review: The Library at Hellebore

From Goodreads:

A deeply dark academia novel from USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw, perfect for fans of A Deadly Education and The Atlas Six who are hungry for something a little more diabolical.

The Hellebore Technical Institute for the Gifted is the premier academy for the dangerously powerful: the Anti-Christs and Ragnaroks, the world-eaters and apocalypse-makers.

Hellebore promises redemption, acceptance, and a normal life after graduation. At least, that’s what Alessa Li is told when she's kidnapped and forcibly enrolled.

But there's more to Hellebore than meets the eye. On graduation day, the faculty go on a ravenous rampage, feasting on Alessa's class. Only Alessa and a group of her classmates escape the carnage. Trapped in the school's library, they must offer a human sacrifice every night, or else the faculty will break down the door and kill everyone.

Can they band together and survive, or will the faculty eat its fill?

My Review:
This book was visceral and gory, and such a fantastic read! The whole premise of a school for those that are basically magical forces of nature, sounded so good, and I really enjoyed seeing how the story played out! 

This is a book that plays around with the timeline, of the now when they're graduating and it all went wrong, and from when their school term started, with Alessa getting abducted. The way that it gave us all the information that we needed about what was going on, it was a great narration choice! 

One thing that I really wanted to know, was what the situation was with her roommate. Because of the way it starts, it's the aftermath of what happened, and I was so unbearably curious. So that was in the back of my mind as the story progressed, before and after that event, whatever happened and why. 

Of course there's the threat of the faculty trying to eat them all, but there's also the threats of all the students that made it into the library. I wanted to know how they were going to get out, and who, because there were a lot of high emotions and conflicting desires and motivations in their fight for survival.

Loved reading this book and I can't wait to read more by Cassandra Khaw! 

Author: Cassandra Khaw
Read: February 6th, 2025 
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love their writing and it sounded really good, and it's a SAC 2025 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Expected Publication: July 22nd 2025

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars