Reviews with content warning for Slavery - Starling House

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Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

54 reviews

readabookortwo's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

"Its easier to fall apart when no one is watching you"

I really enjoyed this book. I've never read any of the authors previous works but have always been interested in them and this one just called to me as soon as I got it in my illumicrate box. And I really liked it. I didn't know much going in apart from the fact it was some kind of fantasy and boy I was not ready for how scary parts of this book was. It was definitely a fantasy horror! But I really loved how atmospheric it was, I really felt like I was in that house with them. I loved all the metaphors and the messages of you can make anywhere a home if you try hard enough. This book overall was just super beautiful and I really enjoyed it.

I loved Opal! Yes she absolutely was super stubborn a lot of the time and you sometimes wanted to shout at her but throughout the whole book she was just trying to do what she thought was best for everyone. She was trying so hard to keep herself and Jasper happy and cared for. She was constantly carrying such a burden and my heart just absolutely broke for her but she was strong and she knew what she wanted and I really enjoyed her character a loved her character a lot.

My favourite character of course, turned out to be Arthur. My god, I loved him. He was so snide and a little bit of a dick so much of the time but I loved watching him warm up to Opal, I loved watching him with that cat and how much she warmed up to him. He again was carrying such a heavy burden and such a heavy weight constantly on his shoulders that I just wanted to give him a hug. He had such a great character development and I just loved him a lot.

The house I loved the house so much. It definitely was a character in itself, I loved how whimsical and of course a little scary too, it was. I loved how it changed and how it obviously loved the wardens it was such an interesting concept that I think was executed here so well.

I loved Bev so so much, the hard exterior but she cared and loved those kids so much that you knew she was never going to let anything bad happen to them. I really grew to love her more and more by the end.

I wish we had seen more of Charlotte but I loved what I did see of her !!

Jasper was a character I really liked. I did get frustrated with him at times just because Opal was trying to hard to help him and trying so hard for both of them but I loved that he wanted to be and was his own person and I really hope he gets all the happiness he deserves.

I really liked the worldbuilding, this creepy house that everyone hated, is this town cursed or not, all of the fairytales, folklore and creepiness is so interesting and is all kept consistent throughout. I thought it was built up really well and all of the imagery was so vivid that I felt like I was living it with all of the characters!

Overall, I really loved this book!! I didn't think I would and I did almost give up on it very early on but I'm so happy I stuck with it, it was one of the most interesting fantasies I've read in a long time and I hope it gets read by more people!!

Content Warnings

miraclesnow's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This holds a piece of my heart, and reminds me of my roots being my choice. I cannot thank it enough for being in my life.

Content Warnings

dianaschmidty's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This story has the feeling of a retelling, but it’s also one of the most unique stories I’ve ever read. It feels like modern day folklore and I loved it! I think one of my favorite things about this book is the vibes, specifically the idea that the evil will get their justice, even in a supernatural matter.

I really liked both Opal and Arthur. I liked that neither of them were supposed to be seen as likable, which honestly made them more likable. I like how Opal was unapologetically a thief, doing whatever she needed to survive. Her story was really sad, but moving in how she dealt with her lot in life. I’m also a sucker for a grump, so that’s why I was going to love both of them, but especially Arthur. I think his use of being a grump to hide himself from the world and his pain made his journey throughout the book a lot sweeter.

I also really liked how the book was written in both first and third person, for Opal and Arthur respectively. I also liked how Arthur’s POVs, especially at the beginning, felt like he was representing the house in the narrative. I thought it was a creative way of capturing the story.

I think the only thing I didn’t totally love about the book was how the first half was really confusing, but I also think that that was on purpose, because Opal was just as confused as we were, so it made us closer to her as a character.

I also really liked the narrator! Her voice is one of the most soothing narrators I’ve listened to and I’d love to listen to another book narrated by her.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Alix E. Harrow for providing me access to this book.

Content Warnings

craftysnailtail's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

This isn't a genre I'd usually be interested in because it's rather spooky and I scare easily. But this was more atmospheric and gothic rather than gory or scary. The main characters felt refreshing and flawed in believable ways. This was my first time reading anything by Harrow, but needless to say, I'm completely hooked on her style of writing. I wish I had this novel in time for Halloween, but I'm still glad I finally got my hands on it at the tail end of autumn! It was a fun, dark, and adventurous read with a splash of romance and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

After I finished this book, I came across some reviews by people who hated the novel because they thought it was nothing but a Beauty and the Beast trope. This really surprised me because even though I understand why the comparison was made (despite neither of them being attractive), it didn't feel like a focus of the story at all. And it doesn't end in a way that's very Beauty and the Beast either. The fact a trope exists does not automatically discredit the entire book, in my opinion. I'm glad I didn't see these reviews before I read it, because it might have scared me away from what ended up being a great read!

Content Warnings

d0505's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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bkwrm1317's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Expertly written (lines I considered jotting down or snapping a picture of, but which would lose their meaning outside their context of course). My second read by Harrow.

Loved the motley crew of characters (a creaky old house that loves attention, Arthur and his broody little self-sacrificing self, Opal and her hard knock upbringing that has her thinking of her brother Jasper before herself after the death of their mother; Bev who runs the motel where they live - the sweet grumpy old lesbian that she is; Charlotte, the librarian who loves her for it and loves Opal’s reading; Jasper, who is exasperated by Opal’s need to care for him, and ultimately is most concerned when she isn’t even reading (gods forbid!) because of her dark mood.

A town haunted by the betrayal of one of its own early daughters (hey Eleanor!), and the destruction her vengeance wreaks for more than a century afterwards.

Love Opal and Arthur together 💜 because duh.

Content Warnings

theladydetective's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Overall I enjoyed this gothic, Beauty and the Beast type book. I didn't find it scary, which for me is fantastic because I'm a wimp.

General Thoughts:

I loved Arthur and wanted to protect him at all costs. I understood Opal's choices but didn't quite like her. I didn't like how the author focused a lot on Arthur's apparent physical ugliness; it felt mean. The main characters are in their late 20s but read a bit younger.

Content Warnings

gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thank you to Black Crow PR for granting me a physical copy of this title and to join in on the book tour. All opinions remain 100% genuine.

This oozed rich, gothic atmosphere from the start. It felt like a dark and twisty fairytale, with fantastic similies that brought the writing ever more to life.

I was pleasantly surprised to see some illustrations were included, especially when learning about E. Starlings uncomfortable and eery art.

I like that when reading from Arthur's perspective, it switches from first person narrative to third person, which I found greatly emphasised this detached, recluse lifestyle he had.

This was reminiscent of Melissa Albert's The Hazel Wood, with the theme of a reclusive author, that wrote one book, mysteriously disappeared and has sinister fairytale that may be steeped in truth. There were moments between Opal and Arthur that reminded me also of The Secret Society for Irregular Witches.

It was quite nice to read this alongside Heroes by Stephen Fry, as Starling House has some beauty symmetry and mention to the Greek myths.

The character growth of Opal, Jasper and Arthur was beautifully depicted as were the details on their desires and nightmares and how trapped they felt in Eden. You really got a strong sense of how deep the rot of the town was; despite the citizens believing they were good in every way that counted, they were often complicit in so much corruption, cruelty and neglect of those vulnerable.

The mirroring and rewriting of stories, lonliness, homelessness and desperation for vengence were such strong themes in this. They were so harrowing and devastating, but it swept me away perfectly into another world whenever I picked Starling House back up.

This was such a moving tale, of lies woven into truth and truth woven into lies and begs you to ask yourself what your story will be. Where will you choose to burrow your roots down and make a home?

Content Warnings

turrean's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Content Warnings

kaitplusbooks's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

if you want a book about the difference between wants and needs, about what's right and what's wrong and all the things that fall somewhere in between (and all the things that definitely do NOT fall in between), about home and family and legacy; and you want it all framed in fairy tales, folklore, and mythology, crafted by a master storyteller- then I have some fantastic news.

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