Scan barcode
miblette's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I liked parts of the book, but this one dragged on and on a bit then I felt like there was a significant rush at the end. I went in expecting more fantasy and magic, but we spent most of the time in the "real world" which is fine... I just thought we'd end up someplace different.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Slavery and Injury/Injury detail
rshearon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
SO GOOD. The spooky tension had me hooked from the first chapter. I typically roll my eyes at this rough-around-the-edges FMC character type, but she only got on my nerves a little, when she was being extra frustrating. The storyline and the lore was so intriguing and kept my attention the entire time; I could barely put it down to go to bed. I also adored the romance, though it was a lot more subtle than I usually go for and it took me a minute to get over the fact that the author repeatedly describes them both as “ugly as fuck” lol. But they were emo and so was their love 🖤
I can’t wait to binge read everything Alix E Harrow has written because the writing and characters and magic was so entrancing !! and i’m sad it’s over!!
I can’t wait to binge read everything Alix E Harrow has written because the writing and characters and magic was so entrancing !! and i’m sad it’s over!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Death, and Blood
Minor: Slavery, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Racism
afaerytale's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I won’t lie, I should’ve finished this at 30% but my goal this year is not to DNF a book and I was so tempted to by this one.
First off the bat, Opal is one of the most insufferable characters I’ve read in a while - angsty, woe is me through the book. I cannot stand her brash, rude attitude towards those trying to help her and a seemingly reckless abandon towards her little brother. A brother who just seems to be trying to escape the miserable af world his sister has created for him. Yes, she has sacrificed some aspects of her life for her brother but do we really need to complain about it forever?
Secondly, Arthur’s character is horrifically awkward to the point reading his POVs or Opal’s descriptions of him make me uncomfortably physically cringe. Yes, he’s got a huge secret to keep from Opal and the rest of the world but his whole character could’ve been replaced by an antique vase and it would’ve had more personality. I felt like Harrow was trying to portray a mysterious handsome character but all I could picture was some grim basement dweller with mommy issues.
Arthur and Opal’s romance - I’m sorry, was the spark in the room with us or did this wet wipe of a “relationship” extinguish it? There was zero chemistry and even less “love” shown through the progression of their relationship, one minute Opal detests the sight of him and the next minute their necking on? The whiplash I got from that I swear! The whole romance added nothing to the story and was boring beyond belief.
The shining graces from this tale were Jasper, a character with a decent attempt at bettering himself despite his sisters choices and the world building which was pretty good, although at times rambling, especially when discussing Underland. However, the footnotes which disappeared just before half way through and gave next to no input to the story? What was that all about? I picked this up as it was marketed to me as a gothic horror, neither of which I got the vibe of throughout this.
This book was just a whole lot of maybes, almost and nothings. It maybe could’ve been good with better characters, we almost got a plot resolution but nothing really made me want to pick up this book day after day except the urge to get it out of the way for a better read. I don’t know how one book feels like you’ve wasted a year of your life but this was it.
First off the bat, Opal is one of the most insufferable characters I’ve read in a while - angsty, woe is me through the book. I cannot stand her brash, rude attitude towards those trying to help her and a seemingly reckless abandon towards her little brother. A brother who just seems to be trying to escape the miserable af world his sister has created for him. Yes, she has sacrificed some aspects of her life for her brother but do we really need to complain about it forever?
Secondly, Arthur’s character is horrifically awkward to the point reading his POVs or Opal’s descriptions of him make me uncomfortably physically cringe. Yes, he’s got a huge secret to keep from Opal and the rest of the world but his whole character could’ve been replaced by an antique vase and it would’ve had more personality. I felt like Harrow was trying to portray a mysterious handsome character but all I could picture was some grim basement dweller with mommy issues.
Arthur and Opal’s romance - I’m sorry, was the spark in the room with us or did this wet wipe of a “relationship” extinguish it? There was zero chemistry and even less “love” shown through the progression of their relationship, one minute Opal detests the sight of him and the next minute their necking on? The whiplash I got from that I swear! The whole romance added nothing to the story and was boring beyond belief.
The shining graces from this tale were Jasper, a character with a decent attempt at bettering himself despite his sisters choices and the world building which was pretty good, although at times rambling, especially when discussing Underland. However, the footnotes which disappeared just before half way through and gave next to no input to the story? What was that all about? I picked this up as it was marketed to me as a gothic horror, neither of which I got the vibe of throughout this.
This book was just a whole lot of maybes, almost and nothings. It maybe could’ve been good with better characters, we almost got a plot resolution but nothing really made me want to pick up this book day after day except the urge to get it out of the way for a better read. I don’t know how one book feels like you’ve wasted a year of your life but this was it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death of parent, Death, and Car accident
booksandstardust's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Incest, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Suicide, and Murder
tattedtrashreader's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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? No
4.25
Enjoyed the mystery aspect and the whole novel. Storytelling was great but I found myself confused sometimes as to whether or not our MC was having a dream or she was experiencing reality. Also confusing sometimes when the narrator switched the perspectives of Opal and Arthur but that may have been just the audiobook component. Enjoyed this novel overall though and it was quite the switch up from my normal lineup and I’m happy I picked this one up!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Classism, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content
bookcaptivated's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, Blood, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Violence, Cursing, and Racism
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Murder, Sexual content, and Slavery
tea_at_mole_end's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
1.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Car accident
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Sexual content
raptorq's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Car accident, Blood, and Classism
Moderate: Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Vomit
Minor: Homophobia, Physical abuse, Incest, and Slavery
roseleebooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I liked this book overall, and enjoyed the writing. The narration took me out of the story a couple of times so might have preferred reading more than listening to audiobook.
The story was atmospheric and had an interesting take on how stories change and evolve depending on the teller. I especially enjoyed the way the ending was handled.
I did find that the story dragged a little in the middle and the romance felt rushed. However, the house as a character and the side characters made up for this in a lot of ways. Their influence and contribution helps to keep the slower middle portion interesting, as well as providing some counter to Opal's viewpoint and narrative.
The main character, Opal, is flawed but in a way that allows us to sympathize. She makes many mistakes and while she doesn't face any truly dire consequences, she does have to reconcile the outcome of her actions.
I keep thinking about her and her actions and the way she approaches life. I can't fully decide if I like her as a character or not. I suppose that's a comment on Harrow's effectiveness as a writer. I will definitely be rereading this at some point.
The story was atmospheric and had an interesting take on how stories change and evolve depending on the teller. I especially enjoyed the way the ending was handled.
I did find that the story dragged a little in the middle and the romance felt rushed. However, the house as a character and the side characters made up for this in a lot of ways. Their influence and contribution helps to keep the slower middle portion interesting, as well as providing some counter to Opal's viewpoint and narrative.
The main character, Opal, is flawed but in a way that allows us to sympathize. She makes many mistakes and while she doesn't face any truly dire consequences, she does have to reconcile the outcome of her actions.
I keep thinking about her and her actions and the way she approaches life. I can't fully decide if I like her as a character or not. I suppose that's a comment on Harrow's effectiveness as a writer. I will definitely be rereading this at some point.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Car accident, Slavery, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse
dearhaleynicole's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book had fantastic characters and a complex, ever-evolving setting that had me invested at every twist & turn in the journey Opal (the FMC) goes on in an effort to uncover the mystery that is Starling House. Her drive and inquisitiveness pushed the story along in such an enjoyable way.
Being from the south, I could really clearly picture the town of Eden, KY while reading. I feel like Alix did a great job setting the scene and the attitudes of the people there. She didn't shy away from some of the harder topics surrounding such a setting and I really appreciated that.
I will say some of the magic felt a little unexplained at times, but that may have very well been a creative choice the author made in her writing (wanting to leave some things up to the imagination of how their inner-workings operate). I could see that at least being a reason for that decision! This sort of bleeds into my only other negative critique of the book, which is that they ending felt maybe a little rushed. It was such a slow-paced read up until the last 15% or so and then it was very quick and Opal was explaining why things were happening in such a quick way that I did have to read things a few times.
The more sub-plot romance was actually a surprise personal favorite of mine! I love a brooding love interest so Arthur fit that bill very well. And I really appreciated the way Alix wrote the way their relationship bloomed. It felt genuine and comfortable. Would have loved to have had more fo them!
Overall, this was a very unique read unlike anything I've read before! Definitely a fan of books with eerie, sentient houses and this one definitely set itself apart from others maybe somewhat like it in premise. The vibes were 1,000% there and I would especially recommend reading during spooky season 👻 (but you could read whenever! It's literally the week of Valentine's Day as I write this review 😂)
P.S. Had to mention. I loved the queer representation in this book, as well! Bev & Charlotte were very cute 🥰 and we love a bi king Arthur!
Being from the south, I could really clearly picture the town of Eden, KY while reading. I feel like Alix did a great job setting the scene and the attitudes of the people there. She didn't shy away from some of the harder topics surrounding such a setting and I really appreciated that.
I will say some of the magic felt a little unexplained at times, but that may have very well been a creative choice the author made in her writing (wanting to leave some things up to the imagination of how their inner-workings operate). I could see that at least being a reason for that decision! This sort of bleeds into my only other negative critique of the book, which is that they ending felt maybe a little rushed. It was such a slow-paced read up until the last 15% or so and then it was very quick and Opal was explaining why things were happening in such a quick way that I did have to read things a few times.
The more sub-plot romance
Overall, this was a very unique read unlike anything I've read before! Definitely a fan of books with eerie, sentient houses and this one definitely set itself apart from others maybe somewhat like it in premise. The vibes were 1,000% there and I would especially recommend reading during spooky season 👻 (but you could read whenever! It's literally the week of Valentine's Day as I write this review 😂)
P.S. Had to mention. I loved the queer representation in this book, as well!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Grief, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, Gore, Incest, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Classism, and Death of parent