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bookforthought's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Starling House starts from an intriguing premise and delivers an enjoyable and entertaining (if not overly creepy) read rich in gothic vibes. There is an abundance of themes, which maybe could have used a tad more space for fleshing out and nuance, some underdeveloped side plots, and characters that feel way too YA for an adult book, all of which prevented me from fully appreciating this. Also, there is a heavy reliance on non-communication as a plot device, which is a big no-no for me since it's one of my most disliked tropes.
Still, there is a mystery and Big Family Secrets, half-truths mixing with full-on lies and legend, which were very well-constructed and layered, leading to a mostly satisfying resolution and character arcs.
Overall, not a new favourite but a pleasant read nonetheless. I'll need to check out The Ten Thousand Doors of January next!
Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Violence, and Abandonment
Minor: Racism
larareads's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Moderate: Gaslighting, Car accident, and Police brutality
Minor: Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, and Classism
pineapplebunnies'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
4.5
Gorgeous writing. I literally wanted to live in the world, drink in the atmosphere of it all. I haven’t felt so attached to characters in a while but I loved Opal and Arthur and Jasper and Charlotte!! And Bev. Bev deserves a mention. The structure of the novel and interludes of footnotes and articles were so unique and really made the book feel like a work of art. And the character arcs were truly satisfying. Knocking a few points off because the ending (I feel like this is a common theme for me) felt a bit anticlimactic and tied up a bit too neatly.
Opal x Arthur forever!!! Love that the book also made sure to mention how ugly they both were lmao . Give us conventionally unattractive people some romantic hope
Moderate: Car accident and Grief
Minor: Incest, Violence, and Slavery
lauramcc7's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Car accident, Violence, Vomit, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Incest, Murder, and Sexual content
annamorgan27's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, Grief, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Cursing, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content
tspice24's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Gore, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, and Death
nclausel25's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Death
Minor: Sexual content
vaguelyredhead'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
4.5
Graphic: Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Racism, and Blood
Minor: Incest, Sexual content, and Slavery
szuum'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Car accident, Grief, Death, and Classism
Moderate: Misogyny, Incest, Sexual content, and Racism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Slavery
lue_moon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
It also is not a perfect book and I'm sure not for everyone. It does have a slow build, some characters that I viciously hated (rightfully so), some potential plot holes, and a couple things left unanswered or that I wish got to be expanded upon. And still something about it struck a chord with me.
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Classism and Racism
Minor: Incest and Slavery