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adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book surprised me in so many ways - as such, hard to get my thoughts wrapped around it. Interesting, thought provoking, and intense. Would recommend to anyone looking for a good gothic read with a gritty, real world feel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Classism
Moderate: Incest, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Alix E Harrow Fan here so this is a rave and well earned!
Yes girl! This was what i call a well executed book. Harrow not only accomplished what she set out to to but totally surpassed my expectations. If you are like me and have read other Harrow novels you know you are in for a MC who talks back, Kentucky, men with sexy tattoos on their forearms, worlds that bend to magic, generational curses (being broken), and a refresh from sexist tropes in fantasy. On top of all that which I already love, this book was a masterclass in pacing, I never got bored even during rising action or other slower parts of the story. I was thoroughly impressed. Her books always immerse me in the world which I attribute to how Harrow pulls us in by all 5 of our senses; totally enveloped. 5 stars is easy for me
Of course, I was so moved by the emotional message of this book, it brought me back to Ten Thousand Doors of January and The Once and Future Witches. It will keep you on your seat at the end with its twists and then have you chuckle “Oh Alix. I was most surprised by how much I loved the romance and that I was 100% rooting for them. it always impresses me when an author can so completely 180 flip my opinion so sincerely. I also really appreciated not one but both love interests are unattractive characters and have such a compelling love story.
-If you are tired of MCs who are somehow gloriously angelic-ly gorgeous, this is for you.
Other things to love
Yes girl! This was what i call a well executed book. Harrow not only accomplished what she set out to to but totally surpassed my expectations. If you are like me and have read other Harrow novels you know you are in for a MC who talks back, Kentucky, men with sexy tattoos on their forearms, worlds that bend to magic, generational curses (being broken), and a refresh from sexist tropes in fantasy. On top of all that which I already love, this book was a masterclass in pacing, I never got bored even during rising action or other slower parts of the story. I was thoroughly impressed. Her books always immerse me in the world which I attribute to how Harrow pulls us in by all 5 of our senses; totally enveloped. 5 stars is easy for me
Of course, I was so moved by the emotional message of this book, it brought me back to Ten Thousand Doors of January and The Once and Future Witches. It will keep you on your seat at the end with its twists and then have you chuckle “Oh Alix. I was most surprised by how much I loved the romance and that I was 100% rooting for them. it always impresses me when an author can so completely 180 flip my opinion so sincerely. I also really appreciated not one but both love interests are unattractive characters and have such a compelling love story.
-If you are tired of MCs who are somehow gloriously angelic-ly gorgeous, this is for you.
Other things to love
- A grumpy cat
- Homage to creepy children’s lit
- Smashing patriarchy classism
- Reclaiming white washed history
- A fun charming lighthearted and very fast read- not to be taken too seriously
Great if you love fantasy and want a standalone - as with most Alix E Harrow
Cons-
Cons-
- I love Opals arc but yeah she is so stuck in her ways that I barely let it slide. Lots of eye rolls and chuckles at her self sabotage and stubbornness.
- I hold it against opal that her entire motivation in the book, sending jasper to the private school was something completely in the dark from him. I disagree with Harrow to make this choice. The scene where her and jasper finally talk was disappointing on opals half especially. I loved the development for Jasper overall but in this scenes especially. I don’t get why Opal didn’t at least acknowledge and take accountability for sending that Token Brown Kid photo
- Often the commentary on race in this book falls short
Hope you keep writing for a long time Ms Harrow!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, Vomit, Grief, Abandonment, Classism
Minor: Incest, Slavery
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Complicated
I thought this was a romance, but it's not! It's a fantastic horror.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism, Self harm, Car accident, Death of parent, Classism
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book reminds me of Life is Strange 3: True Colors. If you enjoyed either, you will also enjoy the other.
I thoroughly enjoyed the logic used by the characters in the book. If they're acting irrational or making assumptions, they're aware of it and/or it's challenged later on. For a second I thought a cliché (key location hidden in plain sight) would be dragged out, but then a main character just plainly said "of course I already looked there, duh" a few pages later.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the house. It reminded me of Encanto's house but in a horror setting. You'll probably enjoy the characters if you like YA's. They have a lot of growth to do with big impacts of their lives. At certain moments, the main character's self-pity annoyed me andshe never seemed to get that it was selfish to push so much of her own identity and values onto her brother . Some of the antagonists are just almost pure evil without nuance, so you'll have to be okay with that.
The big lessons are a bit obvious in the book, but the main character actually points it out and sounds like she needs it, so I don't mind it as much.
A warning to people with trauma related to drowning or corruption (e.g. being blackmailed). Both are big themes in the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed the logic used by the characters in the book. If they're acting irrational or making assumptions, they're aware of it and/or it's challenged later on. For a second I thought a cliché (key location hidden in plain sight) would be dragged out, but then a main character just plainly said "of course I already looked there, duh" a few pages later.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the house. It reminded me of Encanto's house but in a horror setting. You'll probably enjoy the characters if you like YA's. They have a lot of growth to do with big impacts of their lives. At certain moments, the main character's self-pity annoyed me and
The big lessons are a bit obvious in the book, but the main character actually points it out and sounds like she needs it, so I don't mind it as much.
A warning to people with trauma related to drowning or corruption (e.g. being blackmailed). Both are big themes in the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Misogyny, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Incest, Slavery
Drowning, water
Mines, claustrophobia
Corruption: blackmailing, bribing, rich people fucking over local area/nature/people for the sake of earning more money
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
At around halfway, I thought this was an absolutely incredible book with amazing potential.
At around 3/4, I was dying of agony (in the best way).
At the end... idk. It wasn't quite what I'd hoped. There was a lot of exposition. But it was also the culmination of things hinted at and bread crumbs dropped throughout; I always admire an expertly crafted plot. Overall, I loved the conclusion of the story. I think I just wanted a little more to the climax than we were given. I was left feeling not quite satisfied while still loving the resolution. Blargh.
Fantastic characters. Beautiful writing. Amazing ability to capture the ambiance of the town without spending any excess time describing it. The secret thing(s) related to the mist were extremely creepy and I wish there was more time spent on the mist (even though there was plenty). On that note, I'd actually say it was a really good length and well paced overall. Only some of the bits closer to the end felt a little more rushed than ideal.
Could be 3 stars, could be 5 stars. I'll probably need to read it again later to decide.
Would recommend to people who like horror/creepy mysteries, especially fans of Locke & Key, Pan's Labyrinth, and/or Coraline.
At around 3/4, I was dying of agony (in the best way).
At the end... idk. It wasn't quite what I'd hoped. There was a lot of exposition. But it was also the culmination of things hinted at and bread crumbs dropped throughout; I always admire an expertly crafted plot. Overall, I loved the conclusion of the story. I think I just wanted a little more to the climax than we were given. I was left feeling not quite satisfied while still loving the resolution. Blargh.
Fantastic characters. Beautiful writing. Amazing ability to capture the ambiance of the town without spending any excess time describing it. The secret thing(s) related to the mist were extremely creepy and I wish there was more time spent on the mist (even though there was plenty). On that note, I'd actually say it was a really good length and well paced overall. Only some of the bits closer to the end felt a little more rushed than ideal.
Could be 3 stars, could be 5 stars. I'll probably need to read it again later to decide.
Would recommend to people who like horror/creepy mysteries, especially fans of Locke & Key, Pan's Labyrinth, and/or Coraline.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent
Minor: Death, Incest, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this read. It had an interesting storyline and I love the house so so much. The resolution felt a little rushed compared to the rest of it. It had some dark, emotional events but all of the commentary and relationship dynamics lightened the mood of it. Very much (like exactly) a chosen family novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Chronic illness, Cursing, Gore, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism, Slavery, Religious bigotry, Murder
Minor: Addiction, Vomit
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Racism, Slavery, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Incest, Sexual content, Classism
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Captivating and engaging, this book confirms the impression I'd had from reading The Once and Future Witches: Alix E. Harrow's writing is so atmospheric! I still need to catch up on her other books, but I have a feeling I could read anything she writes and enjoy the ride.
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child death, Violence, Abandonment
Minor: Racism
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Police brutality, Car accident, Gaslighting
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Suicide, Classism