Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

121 reviews

moniquewrites's review

dark 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? It's complicated

4.5

This booked sucked me in and I stayed for the vibes. I was really intrigued by the mystery of the house and the writing was really beautiful (although at times it broke the fourth wall). It had an unconventional structure, and I liked the interspersing of stories about the house and Eleanor Starling throughout, that got you closer and closer to the “truth.” The characters are not overly likeable but they all kept telling you that until you saw their soft spots and stopped believing them. The mythology was interesting, and brought history into it in a way that I felt honoured a truth about how people from a place would tell their story, but then showed you the layers underneath the fresh paint. I also appreciated that the Gravely’s past

involving slave ownership and the reason for their success in the mines was named, and done in a way that came from the voice of a descendent (although fictionalized still felt like a thoughtful way to tell it).

I also loved how the book felt like a fairy tale I wasn’t expecting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Death of parent, Violence, Car accident, and Death

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Child abuse and Homophobia

ljp817's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism and Car accident

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Suicide

Minor: Lesbophobia, Vomit, Murder, Slavery, and Homophobia

ciwanski's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.25

A beautifully written book!!!! A masterclass in showing not telling, and one of the sweetest depictions of a developing relationship I’ve ever read. 

Loved the homage to beauty and the beast in the story, love the found family aspect, and love a man who is constantly kneeling for a woman 

Also the first book I’ve read where the two main characters are supposedly ugly??? Felt (surprisingly?) represented. 

I feel like this review makes this book sound like a romance and, like, it IS a love story, but it’s definitely not a romance and I love it for that

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Slavery, Vomit, Abandonment, Car accident, Death, Blood, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, and Alcohol

blacksphinx's review against another edition

dark 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Car accident, Grief, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Mental illness

Moderate: Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Racism, Slavery, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Minor: Religious bigotry, Vomit, Homophobia, Deportation, Bullying, and Child abuse

Once again, why doesn't Storygraph have a "drowning" warning???

noblelandmermaid's review against another edition

dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Slavery, Incest, and Blood

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury

biome_'s review against another edition

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Blood, and Slavery

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

briannagriffin567's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident and Death of parent

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Slavery, Classism, and Racism

Minor: Sexual content, Homophobia, and Incest

cyndi1966's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Incest, Mental illness, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Abandonment, and Car accident

Moderate: Violence

allyareads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

4.5

If you put the song Abbey by Mitski, Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House, the masterpiece film Monster House (iykyk), Howl's Moving Castle, Gallant by V.E. Schwab, a bit of American Gothic Ethel Cain vibes and a pinch of Erin Brockovich all together you would get the beginnings of this book. 
Personally I ate this up. A sentient house will get me <i>every. single. time!</i>
My other favourite arcetype in media: <b>The Angry, Hunger, Resourceful Woman™</b>
e.g. Alex Stern from Ninth House, Lila Bard for Darker shade of Magic, El from Deadly Education etc
The author's note at the beginning surmises it perfectly. This is a <s>love</s> letter about loving a place that doesn't always love you back and that it is. 
4.5 ★ only cause I wanted a little more from the ending and it was a little over written in parts.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Classism, Car accident, Death of parent, Medical content, Sexism, Abandonment, Death, Blood, Grief, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Slavery

fairytales's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• 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

4.25

I enjoyed this, especially the setting. I liked that it was a bit darker and thought the depiction of a small town was both realistic and gave a strong sense of place, as did the environmental aspects of the story, with the mining environmental issues. Opal did seem a bit stuck in a teenage space, perhaps because of her mother’s death. I honestly forgot how old she was, which was an oversight on my part given that she’s been looking after her brother and wasn’t in foster care. I feel like she could have used a bit more of a growth arch. I really enjoyed the supporting characters, Jasper, Charlotte, and Bev. I liked the idea of Starling House and its aliveness/magic/personality and the whole Starlinn theme.

Elizabeth Bain and the Gravelys were very effective villains and the blackmail was an interesting plot point. I appreciated that the characters weren’t described as being incredibly good looking and were just normal people, though the relationship development between Opal and Arthur could have used some more build up. That being said, it does fit Opal’s character to ignore what’s in front of her. Opal’s understanding that her found family is her home is a valuable one, and I thought the E. Starling mystery and gradual revealing of her story was really good, as was Underland.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Death of parent

Moderate: Racism, Car accident, and Blood

Minor: Slavery