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Synopses & Reviews
A gothic-infused
debut of literary suspense, set within a secluded, elite university and
following a dangerously curious, rebellious undergraduate who uncovers a
shocking secret about an exclusive circle of students... and the
dark truth beneath her school's promise of prestige.
Trust us, you belong here.
Catherine House is a school of higher learning like no other. Hidden
deep in the woods of rural Pennsylvania, this crucible of reformist
liberal arts study with its experimental curriculum, wildly selective
admissions policy, and formidable endowment, has produced some of the
world's best minds: prize-winning authors, artists, inventors, Supreme
Court justices, presidents. For those lucky few selected, tuition, room,
and board are free. But acceptance comes with a price. Students are
required to give the House three years — summers included — completely
removed from the outside world. Family, friends, television, music, even
their clothing must be left behind. In return, the school promises a
future of sublime power and prestige, and that its graduates can become
anything or anyone they desire.
Among this year's incoming class is Ines Murillo, who expects to
trade blurry nights of parties, cruel friends, and dangerous men for
rigorous intellectual discipline — only to discover an environment of
sanctioned revelry. Even the school's enigmatic director, Viktória,
encourages the students to explore, to expand their minds, to find
themselves within the formidable iron gates of Catherine. For Ines, it
is the closest thing to a home she's ever had. But the House's strange
protocols soon make this refuge, with its worn velvet and weathered
leather, feel increasingly like a gilded prison. And when tragedy
strikes, Ines begins to suspect that the school — in all its shabby
splendor, hallowed history, advanced theories, and controlled
decadence — might be hiding a dangerous agenda within the secretive,
tightly knit group of students selected to study its most promising and
mysterious curriculum.
Review
"For fans of Donna Tartt's The Secret History and Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go....At times terrifying, always gorgeously captivating, Thomas’ debut is one not to be missed, and perhaps to be revisited frequently." Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"With this astonishing debut, Elisabeth Thomas has conjured an immersive, intoxicating world that left me as reluctant as its characters were to leave it behind. I inhaled the novel in a single, glorious weekend, but Catherine House and its denizens will linger with me for a very long time." Robin Wasserman, New York Times bestselling author of Girls on Fire
Review
"Moody and evocative as a fever dream, Catherine House is the sort of book that wraps itself around your brain, drawing you closer with each hypnotic step." The Washington Post
About the Author
Elisabeth Thomas grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where she still lives and now writes. She graduated from Yale University and currently works as an archivist for a modern art museum. This is her first novel.