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4.4 AVERAGE
4.4 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Why are Cairo and Tyler patients at the asylum? The FMC was brash and never listened to anyone. It was annoying.
Starved by AJ Merlin is raw, haunting, and deeply human in the best way. From the very first page, I was pulled into the story and couldn’t put it down. Merlin’s writing is both lyrical and gut-wrenching, striking that perfect balance between vulnerability and strength.
The characters feel so real—messy, flawed, and achingly relatable. I loved how the book doesn’t shy away from difficult themes, yet it handles them with such compassion and honesty. It’s the kind of story that lingers with you long after you’ve finished, making you reflect on your own heart and the ways people carry both pain and hope.
As an ARC reader, I feel so lucky to have experienced this book early. Starved is bold, unforgettable, and absolutely worth every ounce of praise it’s going to receive. I would love to see more like this from her in the future.
The characters feel so real—messy, flawed, and achingly relatable. I loved how the book doesn’t shy away from difficult themes, yet it handles them with such compassion and honesty. It’s the kind of story that lingers with you long after you’ve finished, making you reflect on your own heart and the ways people carry both pain and hope.
As an ARC reader, I feel so lucky to have experienced this book early. Starved is bold, unforgettable, and absolutely worth every ounce of praise it’s going to receive. I would love to see more like this from her in the future.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
“ᴛʜᴇʏ’ʀᴇ ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ’ʀᴇ ᴀʟʀᴇᴀᴅʏ ʜᴇʀᴇ.”
once again, i am 𝙊𝘽𝙎𝙀𝙎𝙎𝙀𝘿 with another book written by AJ Merlin. AJ has a way of writing that draws me in and keeps me wondering what is exactly is going on and happening.
for anyone who lives in the PNW, esp near the mountains or forest, this book feels like those foggy fall days in the mountains where everything is tinged a little grey and wet with a stillness that leaves you a little unsettled.
you aren’t exactly sure if you can trust Fern as a narrator at first but as more things are revealed, more questions arise. and with this written in single first person POV of just Fern, it adds to the mystery and fear of who and what Cairo is. but instead of that fear making you want to run away from Cairo, it only draws you into him even more.
i really hope AJ Merlin continues to write books with this folklore/monster twist.
you’ll love this book if you’re a fan of monster romance, folklore, spooky season, and not knowing exactly what is going on at first.
thank you AJ Merlin for an e-ARC of 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒗𝒆
“𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙄’𝙢 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣… 𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙛 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚, 𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”
once again, i am 𝙊𝘽𝙎𝙀𝙎𝙎𝙀𝘿 with another book written by AJ Merlin. AJ has a way of writing that draws me in and keeps me wondering what is exactly is going on and happening.
for anyone who lives in the PNW, esp near the mountains or forest, this book feels like those foggy fall days in the mountains where everything is tinged a little grey and wet with a stillness that leaves you a little unsettled.
you aren’t exactly sure if you can trust Fern as a narrator at first but as more things are revealed, more questions arise. and with this written in single first person POV of just Fern, it adds to the mystery and fear of who and what Cairo is. but instead of that fear making you want to run away from Cairo, it only draws you into him even more.
i really hope AJ Merlin continues to write books with this folklore/monster twist.
you’ll love this book if you’re a fan of monster romance, folklore, spooky season, and not knowing exactly what is going on at first.
thank you AJ Merlin for an e-ARC of 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒗𝒆
“𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙄’𝙢 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣… 𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙛 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚, 𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”
Starved for More After This Read
Wow Besties, this book was a wild ride! "Starve" by AJ Merlin is suspenseful, gory, and completely addictive—I could not put my Kindle down. Fern, our FMC, is battling disassociated anxiety, and when her mom thinks she tried to hurt herself, she’s sent to an asylum in the mountains. Oh, and did I mention it’s supposedly haunted? Yeah… that’s where things take a wicked turn.
Enter Cairo. Dangerous, mysterious, and the kind of MMC you know you shouldn’t want but can’t resist. The chemistry between him and Fern? Monstrously obsessive and downright scorching. Their connection had me hooked from the moment they met.
The story is intense, haunting, and seductive—AJ Merlin took things in a different direction from their other books, but I devoured every word (pun intended, because I was a “starving monster” for this one
Wow Besties, this book was a wild ride! "Starve" by AJ Merlin is suspenseful, gory, and completely addictive—I could not put my Kindle down. Fern, our FMC, is battling disassociated anxiety, and when her mom thinks she tried to hurt herself, she’s sent to an asylum in the mountains. Oh, and did I mention it’s supposedly haunted? Yeah… that’s where things take a wicked turn.
Enter Cairo. Dangerous, mysterious, and the kind of MMC you know you shouldn’t want but can’t resist. The chemistry between him and Fern? Monstrously obsessive and downright scorching. Their connection had me hooked from the moment they met.
The story is intense, haunting, and seductive—AJ Merlin took things in a different direction from their other books, but I devoured every word (pun intended, because I was a “starving monster” for this one
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
"Starve" is a wildcard, a cannibalistic horror paradise that somehow makes the reader feel for every monster.
From previous books I've read, I already knew I loved A.J. Merlin's writing, but she really outdid herself! Especially since this is a first time for her (genre-wise), I was blown away by how she handled it.
The characters will wrap themselves around your heart and never let go. Even the side characters have well-constructed backgrounds that leave you wanting to know more. I truly enjoyed the way A.J. tackled mental health issues and the fragile nuances of humanity.
The romantic aspect is woven perfectly into the plot. It's high spice, and, in my opinion, the "slow burn" isn't that slow at all.
Ultimately, I look forward to future books!