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A review by crispycritter
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
5.0
This book has incredibly mixed reviews, so I am delighted to finally be one of the people who loved it - as opposed to being one of the lone grumps who just didn’t get the hype, as is my usual state.
Are there a lot of valid criticisms of this book? Yeah. Totally. I think I just vibed with Harrow’s writing style so much that it allowed me to turn my brain off and not be as nitpicky as I can get when I’m not fully immersed and enjoying myself. I don’t mind slower-paced books. It’s only 300 pages! I love a short, stand-alone fantasy. I didn’t mind the POV changes from first (Opal) to third (Arthur). I love footnotes and fake bibliographies, even if they weren’t strictly necessary and the footnotes dropped off after a while. It’s just a fun book about a spooky house with some solid writing (IMO) and a satisfyingly predictable plot.
TL;DR This book isn’t for everyone, but I thought it was a really fun, short commercial fantasy - heavy on atmosphere and vibes.
Are there a lot of valid criticisms of this book? Yeah. Totally. I think I just vibed with Harrow’s writing style so much that it allowed me to turn my brain off and not be as nitpicky as I can get when I’m not fully immersed and enjoying myself. I don’t mind slower-paced books. It’s only 300 pages! I love a short, stand-alone fantasy. I didn’t mind the POV changes from first (Opal) to third (Arthur). I love footnotes and fake bibliographies, even if they weren’t strictly necessary and the footnotes dropped off after a while. It’s just a fun book about a spooky house with some solid writing (IMO) and a satisfyingly predictable plot.
TL;DR This book isn’t for everyone, but I thought it was a really fun, short commercial fantasy - heavy on atmosphere and vibes.