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A review by bkwrm1317
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
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
Expertly written (lines I considered jotting down or snapping a picture of, but which would lose their meaning outside their context of course). My second read by Harrow.
Loved the motley crew of characters (a creaky old house that loves attention, Arthur and his broody little self-sacrificing self, Opal and her hard knock upbringing that has her thinking of her brother Jasper before herself after the death of their mother; Bev who runs the motel where they live - the sweet grumpy old lesbian that she is; Charlotte, the librarian who loves her for it and loves Opal’s reading; Jasper, who is exasperated by Opal’s need to care for him, and ultimately is most concerned when she isn’t even reading (gods forbid!) because of her dark mood.
A town haunted by the betrayal of one of its own early daughters (hey Eleanor!), and the destruction her vengeance wreaks for more than a century afterwards.
Love Opal and Arthur together 💜 because duh.
Loved the motley crew of characters (a creaky old house that loves attention, Arthur and his broody little self-sacrificing self, Opal and her hard knock upbringing that has her thinking of her brother Jasper before herself after the death of their mother; Bev who runs the motel where they live - the sweet grumpy old lesbian that she is; Charlotte, the librarian who loves her for it and loves Opal’s reading; Jasper, who is exasperated by Opal’s need to care for him, and ultimately is most concerned when she isn’t even reading (gods forbid!) because of her dark mood.
A town haunted by the betrayal of one of its own early daughters (hey Eleanor!), and the destruction her vengeance wreaks for more than a century afterwards.
Love Opal and Arthur together 💜 because duh.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Car accident, Racism, Death of parent, Death, and Classism
Minor: Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, and Violence