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A review by aforestofbooks
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
I requested this book because <i>spooky vibes</i>. The premise kind of reminded me of Mexican Gothic (minus the mushrooms), and it's been a while since I've read a spooky book, so I thought I would give this a chance.
I pretty much went in with zero expectations and only a vague idea of what this book was about. And boy did it take me by surprise.
So to start off...
1. Spooky House duh
2. Grumpy warden of said Spooky House who is mysterious and lonely and no he doesn't need anyone and the mc is annoying and she needs to leave him alone but also 👀
3. And a cat who likes to bite and scratch and hates everyone except a certain grumpy man
So pretty much, a recipe for a great book.
I was not expecting to feel so many feelings. Opal, our mc, is the kind of character you can't help root for. She's very abrasive, speaks her mind, and is always willing to put up a fight for the things she wants to protect. You feel so much for her and her story, both the past and present. Her motivations are very relatable and understandable, and she's overall a very captivating character.
I laughed out loud so many times in this book thanks to Opal, but also thanks to Arthur. There's something about a lonely, tortured, self-sacrificing man that just gets to me. <s>Definitely don't see myself in that at all.</s> He's constantly fighting himself and denying his feelings, and while usually this trope annoys me, this was done really well, and Opal was a good counterbalance to his moodiness, so I fell in love with the two of them instead. Their back and forth is just so good, and the yearning is so <i>yearning</i> I ended up having to scream about it on my Instagram stories.
I think what carries this book is the narrative style and Opal. She has such a unique voice, that without it, I don't think I would have enjoyed this book as much. I think it would listen quite well as an audiobook. The vibes are spooky and creepy, but if you scare easy like me, Opal and Arthur make it more digestible and funny.
This book reads fast and is kind of an "edge of your seat" read, which fulfills all my expectations when it comes to spooky books. There is more depth and history to the storyline than I was expecting, and I really appreciated the mystery behind it and watching Opal try to figure out the truth among all the different stories surrounding Starling House.
The ending wrapped things up nicely, though it wasn't as action-heavy as I was hoping for.
Overall, I highly recommend if you're trying to figure out a tbr for October and want a book that is a bit creepy, but won't give you nightmares!
I pretty much went in with zero expectations and only a vague idea of what this book was about. And boy did it take me by surprise.
So to start off...
1. Spooky House duh
2. Grumpy warden of said Spooky House who is mysterious and lonely and no he doesn't need anyone and the mc is annoying and she needs to leave him alone but also 👀
3. And a cat who likes to bite and scratch and hates everyone except a certain grumpy man
So pretty much, a recipe for a great book.
I was not expecting to feel so many feelings. Opal, our mc, is the kind of character you can't help root for. She's very abrasive, speaks her mind, and is always willing to put up a fight for the things she wants to protect. You feel so much for her and her story, both the past and present. Her motivations are very relatable and understandable, and she's overall a very captivating character.
I laughed out loud so many times in this book thanks to Opal, but also thanks to Arthur. There's something about a lonely, tortured, self-sacrificing man that just gets to me. <s>Definitely don't see myself in that at all.</s> He's constantly fighting himself and denying his feelings, and while usually this trope annoys me, this was done really well, and Opal was a good counterbalance to his moodiness, so I fell in love with the two of them instead. Their back and forth is just so good, and the yearning is so <i>yearning</i> I ended up having to scream about it on my Instagram stories.
I think what carries this book is the narrative style and Opal. She has such a unique voice, that without it, I don't think I would have enjoyed this book as much. I think it would listen quite well as an audiobook. The vibes are spooky and creepy, but if you scare easy like me, Opal and Arthur make it more digestible and funny.
This book reads fast and is kind of an "edge of your seat" read, which fulfills all my expectations when it comes to spooky books. There is more depth and history to the storyline than I was expecting, and I really appreciated the mystery behind it and watching Opal try to figure out the truth among all the different stories surrounding Starling House.
The ending wrapped things up nicely, though it wasn't as action-heavy as I was hoping for.
Overall, I highly recommend if you're trying to figure out a tbr for October and want a book that is a bit creepy, but won't give you nightmares!