Book Review: ‘These Mortal Bodies’ by Elspeth Wilson

All in all, I really enjoyed These Mortal Bodies. It’s one of those books that quietly draws you in from the very first page, part campus novel and part coming-of-age story, with a whisper of the secret and the uncanny running underneath. I think it’s a perfect fit for readers who love the atmosphere of dark academia without necessarily needing the aesthetic to be heavy-handed.

Here’s the summary:

“She wasn't born into their world. But she'll do anything to belong. 

Leaving behind her childhood in coastal Scotland, Ivy Graveson arrives at an all-girls college at a prestigious university and throws herself into the deep end of life on campus.

Though her fellow students all seem to come from money and to have known each other their whole lives, outsider Ivy is determined to belong. She embraces the world of secret societies, and as she discovers the legacy of her college, the parallels between its past and her present become striking. Because however hard she tries to ignore it, Ivy has always felt drawn to – and terrified of – the bodies of water that surround her.

In just one life-changing year in these hallowed halls, Ivy will have to decide how much sisterhood means to her and how far she’ll go to become the person she was destined to be.”

As we discuss on the latest episode of the podcast, it leans more toward the campus novel side of the spectrum, exploring student life, identity, and belonging through a lens that feels grounded rather than Gothic, but it still carries that same simmering sense of curiosity and unease that makes the genre so compelling. It definitely flirts with the edges of being a Thriller/Mystery.

Wilson’s prose is incredibly readable. There’s a softness to the writing that makes it easy to sink into, and yet it’s sharp when it needs to be. The pacing is measured, and the plot trips along nicely, with just enough intrigue to keep you guessing without ever feeling overwrought. It’s a story that feels comfortable in its own skin, content to unfold at its own pace rather than demand your attention through shock or spectacle (although that ending? hello?!)

If I had any quibbles, they mostly come from wanting more. I wanted more pages, more depth, more time with the characters. It’s quite an economic book by the genre’s standards, and because of that, I felt like some of the emotional and thematic threads could have been stretched out and explored further. I especially wanted to see more character growth; there are moments of insight and conflict that hint at transformation, but they pass a little too quickly. This is a world and a cast that could have comfortably held another hundred pages.

I also wanted more of the witchy history and legacy that bubbles beneath the surface. The book introduces those ideas, the sense of something ancient and feminine, passed down and half-forgotten, and I found myself craving a deeper dive. I wanted Ivy to really tumble down that rabbit hole, to let the weirdness and wildness take over a bit more, to be held in the clutches of obsession. Something a little more in the vein of Bunny by Mona Awad.

And I have to say, I really liked George’s character, perhaps more than I was supposed to. Weirdly, for me, he ended up being something of a voice of reason, even as Ivy berates him for it. He’s not without his flaws (oh boy, there are flaws), but there was something satisfying about seeing someone actually try to warn her, even if his attempts came across as misguided or poorly communicated. In a story where so much is left unsaid, his persistence was refreshing as much as it was oppressive.

There’s a lot happening thematically in These Mortal Bodies: ambition, friendship, identity, the pull between power and belonging, sisterhood, classism, legacy, and it manages to explore all of that within a relatively tight space. For a debut, it feels confident and self-assured.

Ultimately, I think These Mortal Bodies is a great addition to the shelf for anyone who enjoys literary campus fiction with a twist of the occult. It may not be the darkest or most elaborate take on dark academia, but it’s introspective, emotionally intelligent, and deeply readable. I had such a good time with it, and an even better time discussing it with Sophie on the podcast. (Which you can listen to now!)