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A review by kenzieburns
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.0
A perfect book for October! Just the right amount of creepy, magic, and whimsical. I loved the way that Harrow was able to integrate magic and real life in this novel; it was just the right amount of "otherworldly" (or Underwordly, if you know you know;) to scratch the fantasy/magical realism itch, but not so much as to think it was entirely unbelievable. I think it's hard to toe that line between set in the current day and set in fantasy land, and this author was able to balance elements of both really well.
My one gripe with this book was that it didn't need to be as long as it was. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the length and all the twists and turns the story took, and I was happy to spend as much time as possible immersed in Eden with Opal and Authur, but it got to a point where it felt like the length was detracting from the story. There was just so much to keep track of, and so many plot points happening to the same people (Opal and Authur). I think the author could have very easily dealt with this sense of overwhelm by splitting the book into parts, which I was surprised didn't happen anyways. Breaking down the parts I think there should be next, so spoiler warning! I think the parts could be very easily deliniated with Opal's development throughout the novel. So, the first part could be Opal doing things for the money, cleaning Starling House and giving Bane information as she slowly grows closer to/more fond of Authur. This part would end with Bane playing her cards/showing up to Jasper's school and Opal and Jasper having the big fallout. The second part would be Opal's unraveling as a thief/liar and her new dedication to Aurthur/the house. This part would end with Opal's betrayal of Authur/being there taking pictures for Bane in the basement and finding out about the sword and the Beasts and everything. Then the third part would be focused on Bane's moves against Opal and Authur, with the "couple" making a somewhat united front against her before Authur turns everything over to save Opal at the police station. The last part would be the Underland part and stopping Eden's "bad luck". In the frame of the "this is a history of Starling House" theme, you could even have the parts labeled as like "Background", "Early life in Eden", "Conflict in the House", things like that, or maybe something more cryptic as to not give away the history thing until the end.
To end on a positive note, another thing I feel the author did really well was write complicated relationships. The dynamic between Opal and Jasper was beautiful and messy and heartwrenching, and Harrow did a great job of capturing the complexities of sibling bonds in the absence of a parent figure. Also, the relationships between Opal and Bev and Charlotte were equally well-written. As a reader, I could tell Bev cared about Opal, but Harrow wrote their dynamic in a way that made it entirely believable that Opal thought otherwise, or at least refused to believe that Bev cared about her because she's so independent, etc. And, of course I was here for the gay subplot!! Finally, the building of the relationship between Opal and Authur was wonderfully written, and just drawn out enought to frustrate the hell out of me, which I think was the idea given how frustrated they were with each other all the time.
Overall, this was a really good book that was just a bit too long and disjointed to get a full 5 stars from me. I definitely enjoyed it loads, and would highly recommend everyone read, especially during spooky season!
My one gripe with this book was that it didn't need to be as long as it was. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the length and all the twists and turns the story took, and I was happy to spend as much time as possible immersed in Eden with Opal and Authur, but it got to a point where it felt like the length was detracting from the story. There was just so much to keep track of, and so many plot points happening to the same people (Opal and Authur). I think the author could have very easily dealt with this sense of overwhelm by splitting the book into parts, which I was surprised didn't happen anyways. Breaking down the parts I think there should be next, so spoiler warning! I think the parts could be very easily deliniated with Opal's development throughout the novel.
To end on a positive note, another thing I feel the author did really well was write complicated relationships. The dynamic between Opal and Jasper was beautiful and messy and heartwrenching, and Harrow did a great job of capturing the complexities of sibling bonds in the absence of a parent figure. Also, the relationships between Opal and Bev and Charlotte were equally well-written. As a reader, I could tell Bev cared about Opal, but Harrow wrote their dynamic in a way that made it entirely believable that Opal thought otherwise, or at least refused to believe that Bev cared about her because she's so independent, etc. And, of course I was here for the
Overall, this was a really good book that was just a bit too long and disjointed to get a full 5 stars from me. I definitely enjoyed it loads, and would highly recommend everyone read, especially during spooky season!