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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
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
lianaet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
And weirdly in the nature of this book, that just makes sense.
The unsettling vibes of the writing were amazing and just sucked me right in all the way through. It felt slow to progress but never in a bad way. And Opal as a flawed woman protagonist was an amazing character.
Graphic: Death of parent and Violence
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Death, and Slavery
Minor: Vomit and Incest
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
aseel_reads's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
Moderate: Violence, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Police brutality
Minor: Homophobia, Incest, and Racism
kaylokay_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Racism, Violence, and Child abuse
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
asoldenburg'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
Minor: Sexual content and Violence
greatgreyowl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Grief and Violence
jowiththetbrshelves's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Blood, Violence, Classism, and Car accident
Minor: Vomit, Grief, Sexual content, Car accident, Alcohol, and Death of parent