I Read Four Of The Most Hyped Dark Academia Books To See If I Am A Dark Academia Girlie ☕️📚

Dark Academia, is it the aesthetic or the book that's good?
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[@kara.oz.]

Girlfriend. I’ve heard you so often say you’re not smart enough for… whatever. STOP IT! Have you not heard yourself review books?! You speak so eloquently and provide your followers with in-depth, insightful perspective in every video! Don’t sell yourself short. 😘

[@thelittlespellbinder5956]

This comment is just so amazing. Yes she shouldn't sell her self short. There isn't one way to be smart she may not academically smart but she's smart when she's talking about books.

[@ayescastic]

I have immense love in my heart for you! And des as well and the whole booklovers community!! 🥺❤

[@anniek1746]

YESSSS🙌🏻

[@kioumim]

Thank youu sooo much for your comment! It was meant for destiny, but i used to be like her. People always made me feel stupid for saying things they didn't agree on when they just could've corrected me instead of calling me "stupid' by "dumb" over it. I hope Destiny sees your comment cus girl really has so much to be proud of and being smart is one of them.

[@Showtunediva]

Amen to that! She absolutely needs to stop selling herself short. I love you so much Destiny.❤

[@skylerlorraine]

destiny is literally just such an adorable human being

[@welovebootsandcats]

FR

[@sxmmersnxw8829]

Yes

[@kimberlyschroeder7409]

“I know that if I was into Shakespeare like these people, I would be insufferable.” I snorted right out loud doing my dishes.

[@e4mi]

me as a Shakespearian historian when I heard that; "yeah that tracks"

[@rameneater5620]

a person into shakespeare will always let u know that they are

[@michaelstephaniemarrero1097]

I am insufferable.

[@Itzezyyyy]

Yea that was pretty funny

[@myaannalise3973]

7:34 In the UK we all study Shakespeare at some point in secondary school and honestly the only reason it seems so complex is because the words are so old. If you get an “Oxford school Shakespeare” edition of a play, all the translations are right in the margins and it’s DEAD EASY to read. Genuinely really good stories too! 😭

[@latoyabolt9459]

We have to read Shakespeare here in the Caribbean. It's required reading so some things are so far out of our understanding. I want to read If We Were Villains. I'll just look up the summaries of the plays. The plot in Shakespeare's plays are usually pretty interesting.

[@sulagordon]

i have never once studied it

[@the_kansan_reader]

When I was in school, every year was a required Shakespeare play. I know Romeo and Juliet was freshman year. Othello was sophomore year, I think Hamlet was junior year and finally Macbeth for senior year. I also read Midsummer Night Dream. I know about Twelfth Night and Much Ado About Nothing because of advanced English in school. But I've been out of high school for 10 years, and I know the curriculum has changed dramatically.

[@examenesinternacionalesaf3576]

Thanks so much, I wanted to read it but because I'm not English native speaker I was scared to read it🥰 Now I'm going to see if I can find those editions

[@NicoleWSimone]

We have to study it here too in the states

[@janinaxxx]

If you want to read the sequel to Ninth House, don't wait for too long because the second one goes straight back into the story and doesn't repeat a thing. It's definitely easier to understand if you still know what happened in the first book.

[@GoArgos2001]

Cool comment. :P

[@sallyroad7641]

do you think i could read just the sequel, or do i have to read the first one to understand?

[@janinaxxx]

@@sallyroad7641 you have to read Ninth House first 😊 the second one is basically a continuation of the first book with the same characters and the same story line

[@sallyroad7641]

@@janinaxxx ok thank youuu>> i was just wondering bc i accidentally bought the second book first haha

[@ginahoogendoorn]

Shit I’ve read ninth house last year and the second book is still on my tbr

[@samyaahmed_]

the secret history is one of my favourite books -donna tartt is INCREDIBLE

[@EssentiallyBooked]

As a 90s kid, I cringe that the 90s are considered classics now 😂 but I read The Secret History and thought I hated it, then thought about it for awhile and gave it 5 stars.

[@idk-oe5ig]

i was so confused when i heard everyone calling it a classic and then got it myself and found out it's from the 90's. I guess it's more considered a "modern classic" but it still feels so wrong that it's called a classic in any way lmao.

[@stephaniecox102]

Generally to be considered a classic, books need to be at least 100 years old, or be impactful for several generations. At least that’s what I learned. So I don’t believe we can consider literature from the 90s as classics 😂 I feel old, but I’m not THAT old lmao.

[@examenesinternacionalesaf3576]

We aren't classic, girls, don't worry, it's only a Tiktok Classic 😂

[@EssentiallyBooked]

Hahahahah.

[@kennbeans]

i loved the secret history and all of the depth to it, but it’s definitely not for everyone!! if it helps, it’s told from the perspective of Richard who is an unreliable narrator it’s him who is potentially planting these things in your head (for certain characters) as a means to justify why they did what they did. i highly encourage you when you’re ready to give it a revisit once some time has passed since reading If We Were Villains! love you so much bestie!! 🫶🏻

[@odinlee4579]

I've googled it but I swear I still don't get what unreliable narrator means or how he is one lol

[@darrowofyomama]

@@odinlee4579 basically a narrator you can't trust. richard is unreliable because he has a very bias view on everyone in the greek class to the point where his narrating is being affected and therefore the reader isn't receiving all the information or truthful information on what's going on.

[@RYLEECLARK2007]

If we were villains is so strange to me because I read it about a year ago and originally gave it a three stars. But over time it’s been bumped up to a five. I still think about it all the time.

[@leagrofurtner7847]

Same and I read it like 2 years ago

[@galaxygrl_]

you do not need to force yourself to read a book if you don’t like it. There’s always so much pressure to like a popular book and I hate it. I tried reading ninth house and only got halfway through before DNFing it because I was just not enjoying it. I do not regret my decision at all. Sometimes it’s okay to protect your peace.

[@michaelstephaniemarrero1097]

I know. I feel bad for book tubers because they feel like they need make themselves read overhyped books just for the clout.

[@KeyondraHarris]

whats dnf

[@galaxygrl_]

@@KeyondraHarris do not finish

[@michaelstephaniemarrero1097]

did not finish reading@@KeyondraHarris

[@ariane1263]

Oh nooo a deadly education is sooooo different from the 4 books you‘ve read!!! I would have LOVED to see you react to it 😅🤪🫶🏻

[@KristenAnne21]

YES I dearly hope she reads it I’m so curious for her review

[@kathlyntalks]

omg that last trigger warning for ninth house 😳 good to know! ninth house has been on my tbr for a while

[@car5522]

I also have Ninth House and did not know how intensely graphic it was. That list of trigger warnings dropped my jaw. Thank you for enlightening us!

[@ashleys8197]

Try “My Dark Vanessa” it’s a heavy topic but it’s so well written.

[@katierucki276]

I’ve been intrigued by that book but have no idea what the heavy topic is haha

[@agothbee]

@@katierucki276 it's about a student-teacher relationship following Vanessa the main character through the perspective of when she was 15-17 in the early 2000s to when she's older in 2017. there were a lot of critiques when it came out cause it was released right around the height of the MeToo movement and understanding SA victims was still a "newer" conversation and a lot of people critiqued this book for the main character not truly understanding the severity of what happened to her, but I personally felt it was extremely relatable. it's an intense book and I would honestly take your time with it if you do read it cause it can get graphic but I rated it 5/5 it was just amazing

[@katierucki276]

@@agothbee thank you so much! I will put it on my tbr officially now!

[@gothpsyduck]

that book is so good I think about it all the time

[@kara.oz.]

One of my favorites of all time!

[@Lissybear92]

This is so interesting!! I hated and DNFed If We Were Villains and I lovedddddd the secret history. It’s my favorite book of all time. 🤣 also I am loving your new hair color. So slay

[@ems5454]

Answering your question, i actually love when you updated on goodreads! I wish you would update more but i remember you saying it gives you too much pressure so i understand ❤

[@liz_1196]

A 55 MIN VIDEO FROM DES????? YES PLEASE.

[@oliviahall5766]

The secret history is slow in parts. But it’s purposeful. It’s not a classic it’s called a modern classic and that it will become one later. But you should definitely finish it. It took me a while to read as well but it’s 100% worth it. One of my favorite books

[@Lauren_A8626]

Destiny your editing cracks me UP 😂 I laughed out loud at the ‘I didn’t start this book’ freeze frame, currently at the ninth house intense music saga and I’m dying 😅😅 ❤️

[@hooflepoof630]

I’m so happy to know I’m not the only one who’s had the hardest time with Ninth House. I only got to 100 pages and I couldn’t continue. Might’ve been wrong timing for the book but it is SOOO hard for me to get into

[@ElinWinblad]

It was a lil confusing at first with switching points of view but after that it has become one of my favorite books

[@michellexbeauty9832]

It’s definitely confusing. But the second book is sooo good in my opinion, Leigh’s writing was much more clear and fluid in that one.

[@annagardiner8351]

I totally relate to your feelings about The Secret History & Ninth House-it’s that bizarre and unsettling atmosphere mixed with the unreliable narrator trope that makes you feel gaslit and confused the entire book lol. If vibes & writing isn’t the reason you love to read, then it makes sense why these books wouldn’t be your forte and that’s totally fine! I loved watching your thought process the whole video, probs to you for going out of your comfort zone and really pushing yourself in this video! ❤️

[@KeaLynn]

Des if you’re interested in reading Shakespeare without being confused I highly recommend buying the “no fear Shakespeare” copies! They have the original text on the left and an updated language version on the right. Before I got one in HS I was getting C’s on our Shakespeare assignments bc I was so confused and then when I bought the no fear Shakespeare I started getting A’s! Even tho it’s different language it makes it understandable lol

[@amandahasbell7831]

des you are so smart! don’t sell yourself short. you’re literally one of the brightest human beings i’ve came across on this app.

[@yanuh]

omg I adored the secret history 😭😭 I’m a little sad you had to dnf it but I also get it because it’s not for everyone! I read it last fall and I was rlly in the dark academia trenches so I ate it up and i still think about it to this day haha 😆 loved the vid💕 edit: the thumbnail is soooo cute btw!! 💙

[@JolieHutch]

I understand why you would dnf The secret history. Personally it’s in my top 2 favourite books but I think it really just comes down to the person reading it. I think going into the book it’s better to not compare it to any other books you’ve read and just read it from a place of trying to fully immerse yourself lol. I just found Donna tarts writing style to be beautiful which is honestly what got me through a lot of the slow parts. But DESTINY THE ENDING IS SHOCKING AND HONESTLY WORTH SO PLEASEEEE CONTINUE READING!!! Btw I love your vids 🤍

[@charlotteroselin3981]

des if u were inspired by if we were villains and wanna try and get into Shakespeare I would so recommend the no fear shakespeare brand!! they have one side of the page that’s in old English and one that’s in new English! that way it’s easier to understand and you still get the awesome stories!

[@maddiesmith21]

I’m an ELA teacher and I’m so proud of you for learning what a euphemism is 🥰 (but just a side note, it’s usually used in regards to s*x -> banging, one night stand, etc.) I love your videos and it makes me so happy when you post 😊

[@satannotsara]

Ninth House is definitely one of those books that doesn't pick up until more than halfway due to needing to explain so much. The upside is that all the foundation building Ninth House does helps Hellbent move SO much faster and easier.

[@panicfvx]

I really want to read it, but like i was having a ton of trouble understanding what was happening, any insight as to what I should do? I love leigh bardugo so I want to read this really bad

[@frankiebpe]

YAYY a 55 minute Des video! I love your longer videos!!

[@annabattistello9993]

So... about if we were villains. I LOVED that book even if I didn't understand all the Shakespeare quotes. Like I knew something about Machbeth because I studied it in school, but other than that, english is not my mother language, so I didn't really understand everything. For the ones who want to read it, I have a tip that worked for me. When they start quoting plays, just imagine them being so caught up that they become the characters and the emotions they are portraying. Like there is a veil between them and the characters, and that veil slowly slips away. Just please, don't feel stupid if you don't understand (I feel you) and don't give up on a book that is 100% and more worth your time. I hope it was useful❤

[@melxnielong]

Destiny - the editing while reading ninth house is SO funny you rlly killed that 🤣 also listening to animal crossing music in your headphones but yet playing that intense ass music for us is also 😭😭😭😭😭

[@banao6156]

the new hair color is slaying. so pretty and natural looking

[@a.neko.77]

I also read it we were villains this month and I LOVED it lol. So I think that knowing about Shakespeare definitely adds to the book, though you definitely don’t need to know it but, I’ve read Macbeth (and Romeo and Juliet but I hated it so I don’t remember anything) but I haven’t read anything else but LISTENNNN the Macbeth part was so good lol “I was hoping you’d be my banquo tonight” ARE YOU KIDDING DNSSNNSBJJAM Also I can’t talk about if we were villains without james lol I will never not be broken

[@sophiewalti3147]

YESSSSS I was in a production of Macbeth in high school and just generally enjoy Shakespeare, and I would pay SOOOO much money to see their Macbeth Halloween production!!!

[@rebeccadowell7573]

You summed up my thoughts on If we were villians perfectly. I enjoyed the book but felt like i was missing so much in the Shakespeare parts. I'm currently on the second Deadly Education book. I would live to see you review that series. Thanks for the amazing vids!!!

[@crisreadsbooks]

waiting for you to read ninth house since i read it last year has had me in the edge of my seat and im glad you liked it!! hopefully you read hell bent

[@luckeygirl023]

the killing November duology is a great dark academia series and so underrated

[@aniessabiba]

You absolutely need to do more reading vlogs, but with spoilers and your takes on everything!!!! That would be so so fun.

[@Lexijungle]

Personality is 10/10 😂 I’ve never laughed so much during a reading vlog - I absolutely totally agree with her in every aspect!

[@rileymartin9262]

i downloaded butcher and blackbird thanks to sara and i sped through it, you should definitely give it a go! it was a 5 stars for me

[@wiktoriawiktoria0912]

i feel like 'If we were villians' is like less compex and less complicated version of 'The Secret History'. You can definitely see that i was inspired by Donna Tartt's work but It's so much easier to read and understand and it's a good introduction to dark academia books. I love both of them and 'The Secret History' is one of the best books i've read ♥

[@isabellag6220]

Which one should I read first? I want to try them but I don’t know where to start.

[@wiktoriawiktoria0912]

@@isabellag6220 i’ve read The Secret History first and than i’ve read If We Were Villians like a year later and in my opinion It’s best to read it in this order because they are very similar but for me The Secret History is unmatched so i recommend to read it first even though It’s a little bit harder to read

[@odinlee4579]

Wow really? Idk I hated tsh more than any other book I've read before lol and also found iwwv so much better. But then again, I don't like comparing them because to me, they're really different and comparing them makes no sense imo 😅

[@wiktoriawiktoria0912]

@@odinlee4579 i think The Secret History is meant to be read slowly to really appriciate the writing, the atmosphere and the aesthetics so i get why some people don’t enjoy it and that’s why i would recommend them to read If We Were Villians. Both of them are amazing and they are worth reading for sure. I love them

[@odinlee4579]

@@wiktoriawiktoria0912 Yeah I liked the moodiness of tsh and I liked maybe one or two parts of it but something abiut it just made me bored and I kept wanting to put it down. I loved iwwv though and I'm so glad I read it!

[@ChloeSollenberger-ks7lc]

Des’s general vibe is just the cutest thing

[@piacadd]

I love you so much and appreciate how hard it must be to do videos. I love you and your videos are exactly what I need right. I’ve spent the last two days just lying in bed and only re watching you and Sara’s videos.

[@miahhargrove]

I LOVE YOUR NEW HAIR DES

[@erinlowe5533]

Your hair looks so good!!!!

[@kella08]

I hardly ever comment but I just felt the need to tell you how much I love your videos. You're such a fun person to listen to; I love the way you talk about books! And your hair looks beautiful! I love the new look. 🤩

[@j8n305]

The cool shade of blonde suits you so well! And I agree - I'd never put a book down to go read Shakespeare. I tell all my students that I hate Shakespeare all the time- the relief on their faces is so funny.

[@noellematzinger7884]

55 min video heck yes!! I haven't read dark academia but I'm hoping to read Babel soon which as far as I know is a Fantasy dark academia (that's more leaning towards literary fiction rather than fantasy). Also Destiny it's reached not "reched" when you reach a goal. ;-; It's not a big deal I just have OCD lol.Just a girl trying to help another girly out.

[@noellematzinger7884]

Also I love the Care Bears shirt 😍😍

[@hannahhelm3770]

Ninth House is one of my absolute favorite books but it is written in a pretty hard to understand way when you first start out so I definitely understand why people struggle getting into it. Alex Stern is a badass though😝 Also I really appreciated you giving trigger warnings bc there is some heavy shit in there and I’m glad you made me think about how it needs a trigger warning cause I recommend it to people all the time and I should really be giving a warning on that!

[@ameliamagallanes1233]

The thumbnail is so aesthetic I love you so much!!❤❤

[@TheBrownSatchel]

I thought dark academia was just an atmospheric genre! Now I know "dark" actually means DARK. It honestly feels so wrong to read some of these things, I just don't think it's for me.

[@dannielliebear5269]

Me too! I still don’t really understand what defines something as dark academia except the clothing aesthetic. I know it’s normally set in a school of some kind but that’s literally it.

[@astronomygirl3492]

Firstly, there's a difference between the dark academia aesthetic and the dark academia genre. The dark academia aesthetic is really old buildings/schools/colleges, romantisicing studying, old books, dark academia clothing, brown colour tones, mostly about languages and classical studies, like greek, latin, literature, philosophy stuff like that. The dark academia genre is often combined with the aesthetic and it has to have an academic aspect/setting, but what's most important is that the media piece criticises the academic world in some way. (E.g. The secret history criticises when people do everything for the aesthetic, romantisicing and being pretentious and Babel criticizes racism in the academic world) But also the definition might change from person to person, that's just the definition I like and hear about the most and I feel like that it's the most accurate. For some people it might be enough if a book has the dark academia aesthetic to consider it dark academia.

[@odinlee4579]

@@astronomygirl3492 This actually made sense, thanks for explaining!

[@maddyweyman]

I love seeing your updates on Goodreads!

[@macybradford2616]

Literally been in a book slump because I haven’t been up to date with des videos

[@justinn9342]

the books, the vibes, the music: perfect!

[@cherrqblossom5151]

I never read dark academia before but this is so entertaining still I love you des

[@taylorsversion1433]

i loved the dramatic music🤭🤭😭😭 esp the ninth hous part

[@Lillyjoy]

Thank you for helping me figure out which ones to read 😂 I love your new hair color!

[@linklarklover]

always a good day when des posts !!

[@shelfimprovementyt]

Des you should read A Discovery of Witches it starts off with a dark academia vibe but there’s witches and vampires and a pretty epic romance so I feel like you would enjoy

[@megankelly515]

Almost an hour 😍 I’ve never read dark academia either and I’m excited to see if it’s good!!

[@Showtunediva]

Snuggling with Charlie is such a vibe. I love you Destiny.❤

[@ariane1263]

Your new hair looks so good!!!

[@kbbibliomania]

I have If We Were Villains on my TBR and this video made me want to pick it up ASAP!

[@nerdgirlsylvia4986]

Ninth House and If We Were Villains are two of my favs!!!!!

[@keefeisjustbetter]

an hour long video from des is a blessing fr

[@mihikajoshi3215]

omg living for the longer videos

[@StackRabbit]

Wait dark academia doesn’t just mean harry potter library vibe?? Glad I saw this lol

[@sherriewhite5348]

A 50+ minute video…on a Monday…from Queen Des??? Pinch me, cause I must be dreaming!!! 🤩🤩🤩

[@Shelby_Dean]

AHHH I have been highly anticipating this cause I was reading if we were villains at the same time as you!! Excited to see your thoughts (I didn’t like it :) ) 🫶

[@lowrimeganx]

Been waiting for this !! 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

[@squidwardtentacles7144]

I'm literally sick at home and was watching your previous videos. This couldn't have come at a much better time! Thank you!🥰

[@Xoxo_gaming5000]

I know you’re downplaying that so many people didn’t include trigger warning or not telling people check them, but that is really not okay. There’s so many things in that list that would send people in fragile places over the edge. I see so many people recommending Ninth House and I’ve never seen anyone say to even check the trigger warnings. Thanks for including them, I’m immediately taking that book off my tbr and giving it away. Not for me.

[@elinviktoria]

I took the ‘the secret history’ dnf personally😭 especially since you liked if we were villains

[@DaughterOfTheKingdom16]

22:24 girl I just read that book last month and I definitely fill you because when I was reading it, I really enjoyed it and then it got very boring for me in the middle and then I went to the end and I think I gave it like a 3.5 star because it just wasn’t my favorite but it wasn’t bad

[@alischreiner08]

also the new hair is so good!

[@denisha_meows]

aw the secret history is one of my favourite books of all time

[@izzyt1626]

Completely off topic but I love your spiderman cup. I love the dark academia soundtrack too lol. Your videos make great background noise for writing. I'm currently working on my own book. Also Harry Potter is dark academia.

[@kelsss]

Truly cinematic. Slay

[@celinenalanijones]

I literally love seeing your updates on GoodReads!!!

[@serensmith3495]

i LOVE your goodreads updates girlie keep going

[@MichaylaJohnston]

such a perfect vid for the fall 🖤

[@anyalaa]

MORBIDLY YOURS IS SO GOOD!!! i got an arc copy for that one and it's just incredible.

[@justinn9342]

yess i was waiting for this video !!

[@melxnielong]

Not destiny wearing an eagles crewneck!!!! 🦅 I’m from Philly 💚

[@hooflepoof630]

We love Des so freakin much!!! ❤❤❤❤❤

[@CarliRas]

I love your videos!! And I’ve seen some comments about how your reviews sound very intellectual and I agree 100%! I love how you explain your ratings and all your thoughts on it! ❤

[@miahhargrove]

AHHHH DES POSTED!!!! ur vids always make my day, we love you sm des

[@beccaelainex]

ugh just what i needed a new des video yay 🫂🫂💖💖

[@zahldineh]

I gave ”If We Were Villains” 3.5 stars. 😬 I read it over two days because I just wanted to finish it to get rid of it, but I didn't want to DNF it either because of the hype. I figured everything out at page 84 and then I just went with it, haha! I was really put off by the Shakespeare quotes hence the lower rating. 3.5 stars was me being nice…

[@Emsytz]

I clicked on this video literally saying out loud “please be 40 minutes” and it’s 55? ARGHHHH

[@lindsey1412]

I wonder if you would like Bunny by Mona Awad? It is dark academia I think but it's different vibes from the secret history. Also it's only 300 pages and it's easier to read. The secret history took me weeks to finish (still loved it) and Bunny only took me a couple days

[@mai6903]

I think she read it last year and if i'm correct didn’t like it because it put her in a weird mood .

[@lindsey1412]

@@mai6903 oh lol oops

[@margot_polo]

you’re not alone! Secret History was a slog for me! Overwritten in my opinion…

[@maddycampbell4536]

This is my favorite hair she’s had. It looks soooooo good 👍 ❤

[@jennywiltshire9279]

I DNF'd The Secret History too with 100 pages left (Aka 2000 when you consider the chapter lengths. I hated all the characters so much they put me in a reading slump. Nope. Cannot. Did not finish that bloody book (uk, Essex speak!)

[@urmammie]

love when u update goodreads girlllllll. also just finished a court of wings and ruin and cant wait for your acotar video :)

[@mistyespinosa1231]

The way you describe Ninth House is how I felt about Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. I hated it and I know everyone loves it and I don’t understand what I was missing about it. 😰

[@kpark2024]

Destiny, your nails are so cute!💅🏾

[@ashleygunn1036]

I love that u explore new genre's!!! :)

[@DaughterOfTheKingdom16]

I am the same it’s so hard for me to picture things in books unless its super detailed

[@laureldreams]

destiny you are smart, dont put yourself down 💖

[@molly_dudgeon]

Your videos always make my day!!❤