Scan barcode
A review by bkc
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
dark
informative
mysterious
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
2.0
Rating: 2/5
I wanted to read something with a gothic vibe and on paper, this book was everything I wanted - a mystery, depiction of grief, normal people. Unfortunately, I was bored out of my mind. I should have quit it but I kept hoping it would improve. It delivered on the vibe front, since there were a lot of descriptions written in a flowery way, but they went on for too long. The pacing was completely off and I couldn't cope with the constant information dumps.
The writing style reminded me of VE Schwab in a way. My issue, however, was mainly that I didn't care about the characters and the plot unravelled at a snail's pace. Nothing happened until 50% of the way through! It felt like the plot could have been summarised in two chapters, since it was just description after description about (what I felt were) irrelevant events, such asJasper's creative video. Fortunately, everything ended happily ever after.
In terms of characters, Opal didn't leave much of an impression on me. Firstly, I was not particularly happy that she was a liar. I can't pretend to understand what poverty is like, so I chalked it down to survival (Opal was definitely a survivor - her PTSD was rough). Secondly, if she wrote stories and this book was a translation, was the whole book a story by Opal? I liked that she was doing everything she could to provide for her brother but there were some major communication issues. Also, the way Opal would get angry around Arthur only was very random but fulfilled that classic trope.
Like Opal's story, Arthur's story was pretty sad and I initially didn't care about him. However, he grew on me. He was a kind individual, burdened with purpose, but still forgettable. I felt awful that he was described as ugly by everybody. On the other hand, it was nice to have a book with unattractive characters, rather than the usual "everyone is attractive" situation.
Jasper was irrelevant in a way, there to provide an incentive for Opal. I didn't even care that Starling House was sentient! I usually love that kind of thing! I was interested and saddened by Eleanor's story though.
Overall, I hated the writing style and it affected my ability to care about anyone or anything in this book. I recognised that it was well-written and even though I should have loved the book, I didn't.
I wanted to read something with a gothic vibe and on paper, this book was everything I wanted - a mystery, depiction of grief, normal people. Unfortunately, I was bored out of my mind. I should have quit it but I kept hoping it would improve. It delivered on the vibe front, since there were a lot of descriptions written in a flowery way, but they went on for too long. The pacing was completely off and I couldn't cope with the constant information dumps.
The writing style reminded me of VE Schwab in a way. My issue, however, was mainly that I didn't care about the characters and the plot unravelled at a snail's pace. Nothing happened until 50% of the way through! It felt like the plot could have been summarised in two chapters, since it was just description after description about (what I felt were) irrelevant events, such as
In terms of characters, Opal didn't leave much of an impression on me. Firstly, I was not particularly happy that she was a liar. I can't pretend to understand what poverty is like, so I chalked it down to survival (Opal was definitely a survivor - her PTSD was rough). Secondly, if she wrote stories and this book was a translation, was the whole book a story by Opal? I liked that she was doing everything she could to provide for her brother but there were some major communication issues. Also, the way Opal would get angry around Arthur only was very random but fulfilled that classic trope.
Like Opal's story, Arthur's story was pretty sad and I initially didn't care about him. However, he grew on me. He was a kind individual, burdened with purpose, but still forgettable. I felt awful that he was described as ugly by everybody. On the other hand, it was nice to have a book with unattractive characters, rather than the usual "everyone is attractive" situation.
Jasper was irrelevant in a way, there to provide an incentive for Opal. I didn't even care that Starling House was sentient! I usually love that kind of thing! I was interested and saddened by Eleanor's story though.
Overall, I hated the writing style and it affected my ability to care about anyone or anything in this book. I recognised that it was well-written and even though I should have loved the book, I didn't.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent