Starling House quickly immersed me in this chilling and addictive gothic fairytale set in a southern small town in Kentucky mixed with truth and fiction.

Alix E. Harrow brought some history to life in a fairytale way with Starling House in Eden, Kentucky. the house is alive, it's become a home for those with nowhere to call home or to belong. but it's not as easy as that. they are wardens of this house, brought here from all over to become a guardian to keep nightmarish beasts from escaping the Underland.

Opal and Arthur are both resilient in their quests. for Opal, that's taking care of her younger brother, and for Arthur, it's Starling House. i wasn't expecting a romance on the side, but the smallest of moments between them would send me into a blubbering and giddy little frenzy.

this would make a perfect cozy and spooky read during autumn when it's chilly, foggy, and gloomy outside.

The plotline sounds familiar but the author's voice is far from ordinary. I sometimes fall short in words when I'm still in awe of wanting to be part of the book. Opal looks hopelessly stuck in the dire situation with her younger brother, barely surviving. From the outside, she's feisty but the only reason she can continue her way of life is because she believes in the potential of her younger brother. She's determined to get her younger brother out of this town for good, far from their past. When she gets an unexpected job offer from the owner of town's infamous Starling House, which everyone believes is a bad omen, she starts to feel something she didn't expect, a hope and warmth of a home.

There are moments of heartwarming conversations when Opal realizes that her relentless will to survive became the currency for many around her who've been secretly helping her out. Opal makes me want to live my life to the fullest. Arthur makes me want to have integrity, and Jaspar, oh he made me realize the only way of returning a favor is to live fearlessly and be the best version of myself. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is hoping for more than just a mystery/horror book but who's looking to feel the rawness of up and down human interactions at its finest.

Opal has spent the last ten years of her life living in Room 12 of the Garden of Eden motel, taking care of her younger brother since the death of their mom. Her strange dreams and nightmares become real when she is drawn one night to Starling House and meets Arthur, the seeming caretaker of the dilapidated mansion. While the rest of the town tends to shy away from the property, Opal has always been fascinated by it and once she meets Arthur their lives will never be the same.

This is a book that I think you’re going to see everywhere when it releases in October and I’ll just say it now, yes this is the perfect book for your spooky Fall tbr. Get the plastic skeletons, pumpkins and haunted house movies out now because you’ll be dripping in black and orange after hearing my review for this.

I knew by the first few pages that this was going to be addicting. Sometimes you just know, "yup, this is a 5 star read" and it was. I can with certainty describe this book as very howls moving castle but instead of a castle it’s a creepy old house with a personality of it’s own and instead of fantasy, it’s modern day but it still has that whimsy feel.

Our main character Opal is your typical 26 year old trying to get by, she works at tractor supply, lives in a motel and is trying to help her brother get out of Eden Kentucky though his education has him stuck there but she’s kind of stuck there to. She’s always had these strange dreams about starling house, a creepy old manor that people of Eden Kentucky (the setting of the book) consider the curse of the town, the stain that can’t be removed and she relates to this feeling as the people of this town don’t like her either so she feels a connection because of this. So every night when walking home from work, she passes starling house and there’s always a single light on in one of the windows so she gets curious, and through a series of events, meets the last remaining heir to starling house (who I pictured as a very emo looking figure that I know many are going to swoon over. I’m calling it now. this is the next rhysand or azriel) and she gets a job as a caretaker there for some faster cash.

Cozy horror is a really good descriptor for this. Whether you like scary books or you don’t, I think you’re going to love this either way. It’s just spooky enough to quench my horror cravings cause there are definitly some scary scenes, some that are bloody but also not so spooky that someone is going to have nightmares and the whimsical, magical, mysterious feel to the story, helps dilute that. What adds depth to this story even more is we get the POV of Arthur starling, the caretaker himself, the last warden of Starling House and I thought this was a really clever add on to touch base with the reader that this wretched character that we’re supposed to fear has feelings and emotion and is fighting an invisible war all on his own. I loved this. It’s in my top 5 reads of the year. It’s the most perfect fall read that you can imagine. I will definitely be getting myself a physical copy. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was in some book boxes, run, don’t walk if those are announced.

If you tell me you have a gothic fairytale that is set in a small town on your hands, I will be the first to rip it away from you and sit down and DEVOUR it. Add to that the writing style and storytelling that Alix E. Harrow does and you have a match made in heaven.
Having an object (house) be a main character in a story is just so, I can't find the words but I love it. It makes me look at any inanimate object in my home and go, 'What story could you tell, and what have you seen?' It truly adds to the depth and creativity of Alix's storytelling.
I was hooked from the very beginning of this story, which doesn't surprise me because it is Alix's writing. But I was PULLED into this world, with Harrow's vivid imagery, I have to say, this may be Alix's best yet.
This is very much THE book you want to curl up with this fall, put this on your TBR ASAP!

*Thank you Tor Books and NetGalley for giving me this arc*

A classic haunted house trope with generational curses, a scrappy protagonist, and a complicated romance. This is a great spooky season read with just enough creep to keep you interested but not too much to keep you up all night.

Really interesting concept. I loved the idea of the house being a central character. The beginning was strong, but I found the middle lagged and the ending seemed rushed. I really enjoyed the prologue.

3.5 ⭐️

I’ve been a fan of Alix E. Harrow ever since The Ten Thousand Doors of January and would absolutely consider her an auto-read/buy author. The plot of this book sounded perfect for autumn and I read it a bit early, trying to chase off the summer scaries with a cozy gothic fantasy. And it absolutely delivered on the vibes! There’s something so beautiful about magical realism, and I loved the house as a character almost more than our FMC Opal. But as has been a pattern lately in a lot of my reads, I feel the middle of the book didn’t fully hold up the weight of a strong beginning and ending. That is what ultimately made me lower my rating. I don’t think I’ll reread this one as I will with January. But it was an enjoyable experience and I’d absolutely recommend it to anyone wanting those vibes!

Fair warning: October is STACKED with titles you are definitely going to want to get your hands on and this will be one you won’t want to miss! I highly suggest preordering this book because it will fly off the shelves!

I read this one with my TCK buddy read group last week and we all thoroughly enjoyed it! The audio is on point and Natalie Naudus is the perfect narrator for this magical, spooky, and suspenseful read.

An enchanted house, a broody heir, and a homeless spitfire - bonded together by fate - battle the ghosts of their past, present, and future, all for different reasons. The house, built by famous author E. Starling, has its own personality and dark secrets. The broody heir is bound by blood to take care of the house and keep the small town of Eden, Kentucky safe from what’s inside. The homeless spitfire is only looking to provide her brother with a means of escaping small-town life and is drawn to the house by vivid dreams. Once they come together, secrets of their past come to light and they all must fight to save themselves and the town they begrudgingly call home.

Entirely consuming and wildly entertaining, 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙃𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 is one I’ll think about for a while! This is my first book by Alix E Harrow and definitely won’t be my last! I’m already planning to read 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙊𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨 for spooky season this year!

If Starling House isn't already on your Fall 2023 TBR yet, then it absolutely should be. Brooding and tender, this novel surprised me with the depth of emotion I felt for these characters. Alix E. Harrow has a beautiful story on their hands, don't miss it.

Starling House is such a cozy gothic fairytale with monsters that bite. It's romantic and haunting and atmospheric and creepy. I've always loved Alix Harrow's writing and Natalie Naudus does a phenomenal job narrating.

Starling House is a gothic mansion that people in this small town know not to go near. Theres lore about the house that goes back to the towns founding and the most powerful family in the town getting what's coming to them for their crimes. There's a story that's about the underland and monsters that live there who will protect at any cost necessary but can also cause unknown harm as well.

I realize this review is a mess but it's what I've got for now. Put this on your spooky TBRs friends because it's a perfect Halloween read.

after finishing this book, i would gladly read alix e. harrows grocery lists. the writing in this is so hauntingly gorgeous i forgot i was reading a story about a terrifyingly haunted house with invisible beasts running around in a town that also has its own beasts (invisible or not). i know this book isn’t purely about the romance (there’s so much more + i could on about it for hours) but the relationship between opal and arthur is just so. perfect. they’re hesitant about getting close to the other person but somehow they stick together like a person takes care of a stray cat they can’t seem to shake (shoutout to hellcat) alix e. harrow put together such a unique story that i refused to put down, this book and its characters even weaseled their way into my dreams (very dramatic and on brand for this book) and i just know i’ll be thinking about it for a long time after finishing it.

AHHHH this book was incredible!! Starling House is a cozy modern gothic fantasy complete with complex characters, an expertly woven plot, and a romance that will leave you breathless. Somehow, Alix E. Harrow manages to write about the strange, ugly, sour things of the world and make them beautiful.

This book was also RIDICULOUSLY readable—I read it in two sittings and have not stopped thinking about it since I finished. While this is a great story to read at any time of the year, I highly recommend reading this in the fall/around Halloween. If you’re a soft little marshmallow like me and don’t like reading things that are *too* scary, this book is for you. It’s just unsettling enough to be creepy and just whimsical enough to be cozy.

Please read this book!! You will be so glad that you did. I’m obsessed with Opal and Arthur and know this will be a book I come back to year after year!

**Also, a special thanks the the publisher, the author, and Netgalley for the ARC!!**

If Casita from Encanto was deposited into the world of the novel, Ninth House, you would have something similar to Starling House.

There are monstrous creatures, and underworld type of place, those who are tasked with preventing the beasts from getting out, and a magical living house. There is also a little unexpected romance.

I really loved aspects of this one, but there was something missing I couldn’t quite identify. I don’t know why I wasn’t fully invested in the characters or why some of the elements that were meant to wow me fell somewhat flat.

Another fantastic fantasy book from Alix. I loved this one. The Starling House itself was such a delightful character. This author knows how to use words and language to weave a stunningly beautiful story.

I have really been in my horror era lately, so when I received an ARC of this, I bumped it to the top of my TBR—and I am so glad I did. Starling House is a haunting story about a girl, a boy, and the house that ties them together. The writing is gripping. The setting is perfectly terrifying.

I think what really stuck out to me most were the characters. They were all fleshed out and visceral, with their own secrets and motivations. You never truly know who you can trust. You might not even be able to trust the narrators. And speaking of the main characters, I absolutely adored Opal and Arthur. Opal is very disillusioned with the world—and yet, she has so much hope for her brother, and she works so hard to make the world easier for him. Arthur is… well, you’ll have to read the book to find out more about him.

The pacing was much slower than I'm used to, but I didn’t really mind. It was worth it in the end, I think. This is a story that is going to haunt me long after I finished it. I can't recommend it enough!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! All views reflected are my own.

This was so much fun. I haven't been having a ton of luck with fantasy lately, but I really enjoyed this. The characters are well drawn, likable, consistent and acted in ways that made sense given their various personalities and motivations. The house was sufficiently spooky/it's own character, the townsfolk felt reallllllllllly real (source: I grew up in the rural south), and the underlying mystery/story was pretty perfectly and slowly revealed. The town in the book, Eden, is at least partially based on the town of Paradise (more on that in a moment), It's also a standalone, so you don't have to read like 9837458 books to get the story, so that's a plus too.

Here's a tangent that no one cares about but I MUST TALK ABOUT IT, so. Fun fact about me: in college I was a camp counselor at an environmental education camp in western NC whose theme song was Paradise by John Prine (the camp was called the Green River Preserve, so now you get it, and, why yes, this is a camp for rich hippie children). So anyway, it was pretty obvious that that was the inspiration for Eden, which the author admits kind of right at the beginning by pointing out an altered line from the song (Mr Gravely's coal train hauled it away). So the actual line in the song is "Mr. Peabody's coal train", and the eldest Gravely in the book was named John Peabody and we just LOVE that attention to detail over here.

So yeah, I really enjoyed it. This was my second Alix Harrow book and I love her writing style so I think I'll be picking up whatever she writes next. I'll definitely be recommending The Starling House widely and I think it definitely has a ton of YA crossover appeal. 4 stars - I really liked it!

3.5* Alix E. Harrow is one of my favorite authors; i love her writing and methods of storytelling so much. Starling House was a great little cozy gothic fairytale is what i would call it. I loved how the house was basically a character, and our main character was a rough and tumble sort of gal doing whatever she needed to in order for her and her little brother to get by. The story line was interesting, and all the fairytale elements were much more prominent than the gothic elements in my opinion. Which isn't a bad thing...but i was wanting/expecting descriptions to be a bit richer or spookier with a book that has a label as "gothic" and "horror". It felt cuter/endearing than it did spooky to me. How the plot was written was very well done though! The call backs to earlier sections of the book, and plot twists involving different characters were great...but overall i just felt good about it. There were very few moments where i remember being really hooked on, and mostly those were when our two main characters Opal and Arthur and their lil bouts of sexual tension, and a few of the monster scenes; otherwise, i was finding myself easily distracted from the story. Harrow will always be an auto-buy author for me; i just think 'fairytale-esque' stories are hit or miss for me, and this one landed somewhere in the middle in terms of enjoyment.

absolutely devoured the audiobook for this one today. i love the way that alix e. harrow creates settings with her lyrical prose, and 'starling house' was no exception. this book is a love story to the haunted house genre, where the house & the warden become one in the same the more that opal, our protagonist, begin to know them. taking a job at the house to make money to give her younger brother a better life, this story unfolds on the page as the reader and opal together begin to realize what's really happening in the starling house.

i highly recommend going into this book blind the way i did, because it truly is a beautiful homage to the southern-gothic novel, and the story will come to surprise you the way it did for me.

This book was perfection! The author did an incredible job creating a southern gothic feel. The author also did a great job depicting loneliness, grief, and love. Opal was a character I would consider morally grey. She was a turd, but you couldn’t help but like her. I also love the magical elements in this book, especially the house and how it chooses people. Overall, this was an awesome book and I’m so excited for its release!