Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

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.

---

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

luckykosmos's review against another edition

emotional funny tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

5.0

I keep saying, this one was a ok for me, both in the aesthetic uses of the House, the lore of the Starlings, the tension of capitalism and people deciding who family really is. The parallels of Arthur and Opal pushing away the people they love because they believe they alone can fix their problems. E Starling's children's book as a character in its own right. I would read four more of these in a heartbeat.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent

Moderate: Racism and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Medical content and Slavery

gracescanlon's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

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

heytherekaity's review against another edition

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.

---

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

dani_reis's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Classism, Sexual content, Medical content, Confinement, Grief, Medical trauma, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, Vomit, Police brutality, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Incest

Minor: Abandonment, Homophobia, and Slavery

jadehusdanhicks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

I am beyond obsessed with this book and will be screaming from the rooftops about it.  Eerie and haunting this book follows the story of starling house, from local town knowledge to the deepest darkest secrets behind its actual truth.  

Opal has always been gravitated towards the house and after winding up working there we see so much change and develop for better and for much worse. I can’t say much without spoiling this but this is one of those must read books which I can just tell is going to pop off!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Stalking, Vomit, Violence, Alcohol, Animal death, Medical content, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Car accident, Classism, Death, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Blood, Death of parent, and Grief