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livlamentloathe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I also wanted more of the book to touch on the racism Jasper faced in Eden. I wanted Jasper to better scold Opal for the way she ignored about that part of him. She made a comment later on that alluded to her getting it in part. But she also definitely was very forgetful of his race. The book itself barely even acknowledged his race. It took until the middle of the book for me to determine his ethnicity - maybe that's my bad and I missed an early tell. But I think overall, this book wanted to hide details and it didn't always handle that well. It would be evasive and add extra page time instead of being a bit more upfront about things. Maybe that was purposeful too with Opal's personality. But it felt like it was just trying too hard.
The premise felt like a cross between The Hazel Wood and Book of Night. I thought it was meant to be horror, but it wasn't horror so much as gothic. More of a magical realism/low fantasy romance. This book could've been great but I think it needed further editing and less evasive plot points. I get it. Most details were meant for "reveals" later but it became excessive when I got lost wondering what the point of the book was. Or what was going on period.
P.S. I'd have loved more of a violent ending for the Gravely family and Elizabeth Bane.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Blood, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Car accident, Stalking, Slavery, Racism, Sexism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Violence, Grief, and Police brutality
Minor: Homophobia, Hate crime, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Incest, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Animal death
erinreadsbooks's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Once the plot picks up around the 50% mark, it gets interesting and I began to get invested in the mystery of the house and the people surrounding it. I was entertained as Opal unraveled it but I must admit it was pretty frustrating that she withheld so much information from her brother with no real explanation. If it came from some sort of desire to have something for herself, it might have been nice for the author to have alluded to that, but without explanation it was almost infuriating that she wasnβt sharing this information she was finding out.
I liked all the secondary characters and I wish we got to spend more time with them, perhaps seeing more interaction with them in the first half to invest the reader a bit more.
Ultimately, the end was more or less rewarding as everything was revealed, but I wasnβt rooting for Opal as much as I was rooting for everyone else around her.
Read if you donβt mind slowly paced dark mysteries with light mythological elements.
Graphic: Violence and Gore
Minor: Suicide, Racism, Car accident, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Child abuse, Bullying, Incest, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
dearhaleynicole's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Being from the south, I could really clearly picture the town of Eden, KY while reading. I feel like Alix did a great job setting the scene and the attitudes of the people there. She didn't shy away from some of the harder topics surrounding such a setting and I really appreciated that.
I will say some of the magic felt a little unexplained at times, but that may have very well been a creative choice the author made in her writing (wanting to leave some things up to the imagination of how their inner-workings operate). I could see that at least being a reason for that decision! This sort of bleeds into my only other negative critique of the book, which is that they ending felt maybe a little rushed. It was such a slow-paced read up until the last 15% or so and then it was very quick and Opal was explaining why things were happening in such a quick way that I did have to read things a few times.
The more sub-plot romance
Overall, this was a very unique read unlike anything I've read before! Definitely a fan of books with eerie, sentient houses and this one definitely set itself apart from others maybe somewhat like it in premise. The vibes were 1,000% there and I would especially recommend reading during spooky season π» (but you could read whenever! It's literally the week of Valentine's Day as I write this review π)
P.S. Had to mention. I loved the queer representation in this book, as well!
Moderate: Sexual assault, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Grief, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, Gore, Incest, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Classism, and Death of parent
andra_mihaela_s's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This is a standalone adult fantasy with a healthy dose of gothic and paranormal mixed in with some mystery aspects! π In this book we follow Opal as she gets an unexpected job as a house keeper at the dreaded Starling House ππ«£, with the sole purpose of getting her brother out of Eden, Kentucky - just another dying, bad-luck town known only for the legend of E Starling, author of Underland - a creepy children's book.
CW: bigotry, exploitation of people of color, mentions of slavery, white supremacy, homophobia, colorism, sexual abuse, etc..π
I want to begin by mentioning that I always had a great time while reading this! Both our MCs, Opal and Arthur, were interesting people, flawed and even unlikable in some aspects...something that I enjoy.
The problem for me was the whole thriller? Mystery?π€π€·ββοΈ with Miss Elizabeth Baine...frankly...her role wasn't defined enough for me to accept it... Otherwise, this gothic house story of found family and societal issues disguised as fantasy was amazing! πΊ
Sooo..I guess the main problem you could have here is with the conflict, as what I deem as writing craft and context - Eden and the careful stitching of the narrative with its history - was without reproach! π€π
Let's say some more about #story and characters : I found myself rooting for our MCs relationship! I sympathized with Arthur as well as with Opal..although she is definitely more difficult to like as a person. Saying that, her care and dedication for Jasper is to be admired and despite coming from a flawed POV, she cares deeply and tries her best to protect and support him. Jasper is also compelling and clever! He knows how to push with his sister and when to take things into his own hands...I really liked that he chose for himself and helped Opal do the same!
As for Bev and Charlotte, wasn't vibing with them in the beginning, to end up admiring them! π
Now...E. Sterling....ππ« ...I don't know what to think of her...I felt her pain but punishing Starlings like that...yeah... I'm glad things got resolved as they did.
Overall, I recommend this.
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Slavery, Religious bigotry, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Homophobia, Racism, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Grief, Classism, and Self harm
Minor: Pedophilia
gracescanlon's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Classism, Self harm, Death of parent, Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, Alcohol, Car accident, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Incest, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Animal death, Slavery, Drug use, Domestic abuse, and Sexual content
seaton44's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Car accident, Death, Gore, Death of parent, Blood, Domestic abuse, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Classism, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Homophobia, Racism, Slavery, and Suicide
Minor: Vomit and Sexual assault
flohbeutel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Vomit, Alcoholism, Car accident, Cursing, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Racism, Bullying, Classism, and Blood
Minor: Drug use
torturedreadersdept's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Violence, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Classism, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, and Sexual content
kimveach's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death of parent, Sexism, Violence, Classism, Grief, Incest, Kidnapping, Stalking, Abandonment, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Toxic friendship
eviemayhem's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Car accident, Blood, Death, and Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, and Pedophilia