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A review by kaitie_reads
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
5.0
Just... yes.
This book was perfect. I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but it was such a fabulous read.
First of all, this book has footnotes. It has article excerpts. It has illustrations. It has a story within a story. It has a spooky house. These things are all amazing for me, and naturally, I was geeking out from the first page.
What I didn't anticipate was getting so emotionally attached to the characters, but there are so many layers and so much depth to most of the characters we meet. The characters are very real and raw. The small-town prejudices and unrelenting rumour mill are so well portrayed in this story. I love that our hero - Opal - is rough around the edges but with such a kind and courageous heart, despite how much she's been knocked down.
Then there's the fact that this is just such an amazing mash-up of genres. A little bit of fantasy, a little bit of horror, a historical element, romance - and all of it sprouting from gothic roots.
I teared up multiple times, and for me, that's always a marker of a phenomenal story. I'm honestly a little upset that this one had to come to an end. Alix E Harrow is such an amazing writer, and you can tell that she poured so much into this beautiful story.
This book was perfect. I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but it was such a fabulous read.
First of all, this book has footnotes. It has article excerpts. It has illustrations. It has a story within a story. It has a spooky house. These things are all amazing for me, and naturally, I was geeking out from the first page.
What I didn't anticipate was getting so emotionally attached to the characters, but there are so many layers and so much depth to most of the characters we meet. The characters are very real and raw. The small-town prejudices and unrelenting rumour mill are so well portrayed in this story. I love that our hero - Opal - is rough around the edges but with such a kind and courageous heart, despite how much she's been knocked down.
Then there's the fact that this is just such an amazing mash-up of genres. A little bit of fantasy, a little bit of horror, a historical element, romance - and all of it sprouting from gothic roots.
I teared up multiple times, and for me, that's always a marker of a phenomenal story. I'm honestly a little upset that this one had to come to an end. Alix E Harrow is such an amazing writer, and you can tell that she poured so much into this beautiful story.