Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

131 reviews

tea_at_mole_end's review

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

miguelito_juanito's review against another edition

dark hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Fire/Fire injury

amandawhyatt's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Violence and Classism

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!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

robin_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• 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

5.0

If you like ”Haunting of Hill House” the show, you will like this. 
A sentient and haunted house, mysterious creatures, reluctant working together, a lot of trauma and sadness. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Drug abuse, and Blood

Minor: Homophobia, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts

megnut's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I was wondering how a dark story with a living house, nightmares and a love story would weave together... but I love the way it did. And at the same time didn't? Because it's not really about any of that at all. It's about finding a home and the power of dreams. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexism, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Blood, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Minor: Incest, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Torture

gracescanlon's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Fire/Fire injury

purplatypus's review

adventurous mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cursing, Incest, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Vomit, and Alcohol

micheala's review

3.0

This is a haunted house story that toes the line of horror. Honestly, if not for the fact that it came in my Illumicrate box, it's far enough outside of my normal reading preferences that I would not have picked it up. 

There is a plot, however this does feel like the characters are the main focus. It's hard, because most of the characters are very unlikeable however that's clearly the point. It's also in first person, which always knocks down my enjoyment a little. 

At the beginning we had these fun footnotes that kinda just stop, as if the author forgot that was a thing she was doing. I wish they had continued, especially based on how the ending of the book was framed. 

There are a lot of topics that fall into content warnings that feel more in line when you view this as a horror novel rather than a fantasy novel. None of them are super graphic, but they are clearly on page. 

The prose was good, and I might give Harrow another go with a book that has a more appealing premise. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Incest, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

jessicarenz's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This would make a good movie. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Slavery, Blood, Grief, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Sexual content, and Classism