I kinda blame the marketing of this book for contributing to my utter disappointment. However, as a contemporary mystery novel with gothic elements...this was really underwhelming and predictable. The prologue gave things away at the start. Imma just say that the book is basically a murder mystery novel that fits the dark academia aesthetic in order to market the novel to a bigger audience. If you want dark academia vibes, then I guess you get it this book. But if you are looking for a good mystery novel, then you might be disappointed. The characters are not interesting or likeable. Those unlikeable characters are not even entertaining or intriguing enough to carry the story either.