Reviews tagging 'Lesbophobia'

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

9 reviews

kaitplusbooks's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Gore, Grief, Misogyny, Racism, Classism, and Violence

Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Grief, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Cursing, Death of parent, Abandonment, Car accident, and Sexism

Minor: Alcohol, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Incest, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Slavery, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia

bi_n_large's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Slavery, Racism, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Grief, Incest, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Child abuse

Minor: Sexual violence, Police brutality, Homophobia, Biphobia, and Lesbophobia

sariereads's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Death of parent, Blood, and Grief

Moderate: Vomit, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Colonisation, and Murder

Minor: Homophobia and Lesbophobia

kris386's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Death, and Racism

Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, Car accident, Drug use, and Animal death

Minor: Homophobia, Incest, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Stalking, Animal cruelty, and Deportation

soniajoy98's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Child death, Death, Deportation, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Murder, Misogyny, Child abuse, and Sexual violence

Minor: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body horror, Bullying, Drug use, Incest, Lesbophobia, Self harm, and Physical abuse

briely's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Suicide attempt, Slavery, Lesbophobia, and Incest

wildflower_magic's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

I loved the House- it's my favorite character. The Alice in Wonderland elements were amazing. I've heard others say the ending was rushed and while it was fast I think it was thorough. This is a book where everything gets wrapped up in a perfect bow at the end so it won't leave you with much mystery. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Car accident, Classism, Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Deportation, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Slavery, Sexism, Vomit, and Suicide

Minor: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Pedophilia

yomireads's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

A nearly perfect book with tinging of dark academia vibes. It has an intriguing mixture of a spooky house that may or may not be haunted, and that self same house being... homey. I don't want to give away too much on that angle, but it's a fun dichotomy of how something dark can also be a source of light.

Opal makes for an interesting FMC with her rugged past of petty theft and other (low stakes) crime after she and her brother find themselves orphaned. I really appreciated the depiction of her struggling to find a healthy boundary between sister and guardian while raising her brother, and the internal fight to be a better person than she believes herself to be. That said, maybe do less crime if you're so determined to do better for him.

The MMC, Arthur is wonderfully intriguing to me, because I literally could not tell you the last time I read a book with characters that weren't described as "handsome," "chisled," "gods gift to masculinity," and to have him be actively described by the side characters as flat out ugly was such a subversion of the stereotypes I loved him almost immediately. He's emotionally complex with a fun little cliche of the tortured lonely soul in the ancient old mansion. Ate it up.

The self awareness of our main characters was delicious. The sense of atmosphere well established and immersive. And the story progression felt quick and succinct, while somehow not tripping over itself to throw information at you. It was the footnotes and side bars in the story that tipped this into the dark academia genre for me as it explored the town history. No it doesn't take place at a school, but there are research and intellectual plotlines that added thay particular flavor for me. (Though others might disagree, which I'm fine with)

This is my first Alix E. Harrow book, but I'm certain it won't be my last. 

Thanks Netgalley for opening my world to something I may have otherwise put off or passed by for another book on a shelf. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident and Death of parent

Moderate: Slavery and Vomit

Minor: Lesbophobia and Incest

fivecatsinacoat's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced review copy of this book.

I cannot adequately put into words how much I loved this book. It's filled with complicated and detailed characters whose actions sometimes really make it hard to root for them, but you can't help loving (many) of them anyway. 

It would be so easy to lean too far into the cheesy aspects of a House that's somehow alive and monsters made of mist, but Harrow's talent instead creates an intricate world that's the perfect amount of gothic with a sprinkling of light horror and fantasy. I find myself thinking about it in the days since I finished. I want to get lost in the House and fall asleep on the lawn listening to the starlings sing.

I also listened to the audio version and Natalie Naudus really does an amazing job. Her pacing and acting is so perfect that you really feel as if you're in Eden. I wouls listen to anything she narrates!

Fyi: the cat does not die. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Grief, Blood, Car accident, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racism, Stalking, and Violence

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Vomit, and Incest

Minor: Slavery and Toxic relationship