Reviews

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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

5.0

ashplk's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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

4.0

emily_katelyn's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

mama_bookworm_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

dark 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? Yes

2.5

Book 76 of 2024 finished 21/6/24 ⭐️⭐️💫

Eden, Kentucky is a bad luck town with plenty of mysterious stories about the famous Starling House and its reclusive inhabitant. There have been ghost tales about Starling House for as long as the house has been standing and everyone seems to have a different secret or story to whisper. 

Everyone gives the house and the heir, Arthur Starling, a wide birth but Opal has been dreaming about the house for as long as she can remember and she can’t resist taking on a cleaning job which could help her get her brother out of the good for nothing town. 

As Opal works she uncovers sinister secrets but she also feels like she finally belongs somewhere. But when the safety of her family and friends is threatened she realises she won’t have a home without a fight. 

My thoughts: A grim, YA tale with gothic fantasy vibes. 

I can’t put my finger on what I didn’t enjoy about this book. The storyline is good, the characters are likeable enough, and the message about race and class is strong I just don’t think it was executed very well. I feel sort of indifferent about it all. 

The book is too slow paced and long for what action actually happens, it’s a lot of the characters picking up breadcrumbs of secrets and plenty of researching but actually not much going on. 

The gothic vibes are really well done, and the town and misty weather creates a great atmosphere for the story. Opal and Jasper’s sibling relationship is beautiful however I had to keep reminding myself that Opal is almost 30 years old as she acts like a teenager throughout. 

Overall I would say it’s a good entry level gothic YA fantasy novel but if you’re someone who favours this genre then I’m not sure you’ll fall in love with this one. 

bookforthought's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark funny mysterious fast-paced
  • 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

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!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

ilona83's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious reflective 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

4.0

shannon_magee's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced
  • 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

debbham's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Not my type of book. It was made to be read around halloween and gives off eerie/spooky vibes. Like mix Wednesday,Monster house and spiderwick but more intense I guess.

mnhunter's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

I loved the progression of the book! The author was so descriptive that I really could imagine being at Starling House and experiencing what Opal was feeling.

katie_browske's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0