Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

6 reviews

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

tianne's review

mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Slavery and Xenophobia

Minor: Incest

micheala's review against another edition

3.0

This is a haunted house story that toes the line of horror. Honestly, if not for the fact that it came in my Illumicrate box, it's far enough outside of my normal reading preferences that I would not have picked it up. 

There is a plot, however this does feel like the characters are the main focus. It's hard, because most of the characters are very unlikeable however that's clearly the point. It's also in first person, which always knocks down my enjoyment a little. 

At the beginning we had these fun footnotes that kinda just stop, as if the author forgot that was a thing she was doing. I wish they had continued, especially based on how the ending of the book was framed. 

There are a lot of topics that fall into content warnings that feel more in line when you view this as a horror novel rather than a fantasy novel. None of them are super graphic, but they are clearly on page. 

The prose was good, and I might give Harrow another go with a book that has a more appealing premise. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Blood, Classism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Alcohol, Incest, Xenophobia, Body horror, Gore, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, Grief, Car accident, Child abuse, and Child death

judassilver's review

dark emotional funny 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Blood, Death of parent, Slavery, Violence, Car accident, Racism, and Grief

Moderate: Xenophobia, Death, Vomit, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Incest and Child death

heytherekaity's review

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

adarose's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Car accident, Gore, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Grief, Death, and Classism

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Slavery