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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
cottagecorecabbage's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Car accident, Drug use, Self harm, and Fire/Fire injury
katielouisef's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, and Child abuse
baconlettuce19's review
- 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
4.25
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Self harm, Car accident, and Alcoholism
cavallonee's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Blood, and Car accident
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Sexual content, and Vomit
gen_wolfhailstorm'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
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?
Graphic: Murder, Addiction, Blood, Torture, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Death, Abandonment, Bullying, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Racism, Slavery, and War
Minor: Child abuse, Mental illness, Child death, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Incest, Misogyny, and Death
jaynovara's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Blood
Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Racism, Death, Slavery, Murder, and Animal death
Minor: Sexual content and Incest
kris386's review
3.0
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