Reviews

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

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bea_m's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

maria928's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

leahthebooklover's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense

3.0

Entertaining but highly forgettable story. I made the mistake of waiting a week after finishing the book before writing this review, and already the story is fading from my memory. It's a book that tries to be too many things, and consequently doesn't quite succeed at any of them. There's a seriously creepy house with a mysterious history, its reclusive lone inhabitant, a hardscrabble young girl raising her exceptionally intelligent younger brother, a predictable but inexplicable romance, a haunting story within a story, a greedy, exploitive corporation, a superficial exploration of class inequalities and generational trauma, and a shoehorned attempt at LGBTQ representation. I didn't really connect with any of the characters. The eponymous Starling House was probably the most intriguing aspect of the book - it almost seems sentient at times. Discovering the twisted, tragic history of the house is the heart of the story. There is a slow buildup of general malaise and dread that leads to an explosive, unexpected climax. It kept my attention as I listened, and initially rated it 3.75 stars, but the realization that I had already started to forget it in just a few short days convinced me to revise the rating down to 3 stars. If the story is that forgettable, I can't go any higher. (Note: I did a quick re-listen at 3x speed, sampling chapters to jog my memory in order to write this review).

hbanana52's review

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.25

mariamsbookishlife's review against another edition

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5.0

This book accomplished SO MUCH. The small town versus gothic atmosphere, the pacing, the character progression, and just the writing in general. It was a very interesting blend of contemporary fiction and magical realism with a dash of fantasy and a pinch of romance. I was captivated from beginning to end and found myself really caring about the characters. It was dark yet whimsical and I highly recommend this moody read.