Why had she gone into those caves? How had she survived what others more magically gifted than her had not?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.75
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for providing an arc in exchange for a review!

Five students ventured to the depths of caves. Only Emory returns. The rest drowned in the murky deeps and presumed dead. Only Emory believes her best friend is still alive and calling for her in a place no one has ventured except for in myths and legends.

A school where those with magic in their veins learns to control and excel. A secret society dealing in odd magics and rituals. Caves that have a dark mystery and an even darker past of drowned students and monstrous nightmares.

”Because this book is magic. It's like a portal, you see. It lets you step into other worlds and exist there for a time."

I loved the relatable feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness the cast of characters felt. There was academic competition, but more poignant was the social pressure. The need to fit in, the desire to be seen, the wish for identity, belonging, and community.

It was all she'd ever wanted, to be seen. To have someone see her for everything that she was and wasn't and deem it enough.

The push and pull of being your own person where you’re constantly compared, or think you are. Where you measure yourself up to others, putting them on a pedestal so you’re always looking up from afar, unable to see your own worth and sense of self.

This leads nicely into another important theme: manipulation. How we lean on others and rely on them to build us up… or tear us down.

“But don't confuse his interest in you with his obsession with power."

I would recommend this if you enjoyed The Atlas Six, Ninth House, and Legendborn!