Starling House was such a wonderful book! I love Harrow's ability to make the house itself come alive. Spooky but not too scary

What an absolute fever dream this was. The amount of times our protagonist complained of a headache was starting to give me one

This book was whimsical and enthralling. This was my botm pick too. Really enjoyed this and didn't want to put it down. Such a unique story and loved the house that became embued with a personality over time due to all the energy around it.
So many stories to keep track of and some where false gossipy stories passed around until we found out the true stories. Def recommend but its pretty dark and twisty.

Loved the narrator and the setting. I really enjoyed the beginning when she had her first experience with Starling House and the pacing of the story felt spot on from that point on. Very enjoyable book and a fast faced read!

I wanted to like this audiobook but I think the plot was a little too dark and twisty for me. I had a hard time staying engaged despite the awesome gothic haunting premise. Perhaps Harrow storytelling style is just not fo rme. The voice actors did a great job despite my difficulty with the content!

5 ⭐️ Book Review 📚

Welcome to Starling House. The home of nineteenth century author E. Starling and the only interesting thing in the small town of Eden, Kentucky. With its dark history and mysterious owners throughout the years, the population of Eden steer clear of the bad luck that coats the land that the house was built on.

Opal has been having dreams of the haunted house since she was a child and has finally gained the courage (or insanity) to knock on the door. The owner of the house, Arthur Starling, is hiding secrets that only occur in nightmares. Now that Opal is around, he has exactly what he needs in order to make the house a home again.

Review:

This book was unexpectedly a beautiful story of a rebellious foster kid who finds a place that feels like home. That was between the pages, though. What was actually written was a nightmare full of haunted houses, dark history, and monsters.

What pushed the story was the relationships between all of the characters. I was fully invested in the lives of these characters and the small town that they lived in. One of my favorite themes in the book was that no one ever seemed to know the true history of the house. When I finally found out the real history of everything that happened on that property, it was so much darker than I thought, and I applaud.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Starling House was a captivating, atmospheric book that I highly recommend for fans of gothic fiction. As someone who isn't a huge horror/thriller fan, this was a perfect amount of creepy/gothic for me to enjoy without being overwhelmed. That said, if you are a big fan of horror, this novel might be a little too tame for you.

Another thing I really appreciated about this novel was the way it addressed racism, prejudice and classism. Alix took a unique approach to these topics that really portrays the importance of recognizing and addressing the institutions we see within our own reality.

Read for:
- Haunted house vibes
- Gothic atmosphere
- Romance subplot
- Relateable MC

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of my favorite books that I have read this year. I could not put it down. You had me at creepy house. I had to know what was going on with the house and Arthur. I love Opal. She has had a hard life but has made the best of it for herself and her brother, Jasper. The house calls to Opal and she has no idea why. She dreams of it. When Arthur hires her to clean the house, she sees this as her chance to find out more about the house. She might be surprised by what she finds. Arthur is kind of a mystery. First he pushes Opal away but then he tries to help her at every turn. He sees her for what she is underneath her tough exterior. I just loved this story. I was on the edge of my seat for so much of it and had to know what was going on. I loved the twists. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

"AN ABSOLUTE GEM AND A FAVORITE OF THE YEAR!

This book took me by surprise and quickly became one of my all-time favorites. Initially uncertain, I decided to give it another chance, and I'm thrilled that I did. The atmospheric brilliance remains consistent throughout, casting a captivating light on the entire story. One of the standout features is the immersive quality—the reader always knows where they are in the book, and the characters' emotions are palpable, making you an integral part of the narrative.

The story follows Opal, a determined individual juggling various roles in life, driven by a desire for a better future for her brother. The backdrop of Eden, Kentucky, with its dual reputation for bad luck and the mysterious E. Starling, sets the stage for a captivating tale. Opal's obsession with Starling's work leads her to Starling House, a decision that unravels dark secrets and introduces her to Arthur, the heir to the mansion.

The dreamlike quality of the writing draws readers into a hauntingly beautiful world, and the sinister forces at play add layers of intrigue. As the mysteries of Starling House and Eden deepen, Opal finds herself entwined in a fight against ghosts, both literal and metaphorical.

This is mysterious and just the right amount of creepy to keep my attention. The tension between the two MC's is satisfying. Very entertaining.

I was provided an audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was a strange, dark fairy tale come to life. I feel like every small town has a creepy house with a creepy backstory. This town is no different, Starling House is strange and everyone steers clear of it. The house's namesake was a recluse and she wrote a strange children's book that only became popular after her disappearance. Her family and the house are surrounded by rumors and stories, but no one knows the truth. The current resident, Arthur is also strange and reclusive and no one knows much about him. Opal has had strange dreams about Starling House for as long she can remember. She and her younger brother have not had an easy go at things since their mother died. Opal will do anything to keep her brother safe and give him a better life. She approaches Arthur for a housekeeping job, and while everyone else in town fears the house it strangely feels like the one place she belongs.

The longer Opal spends at the house, the more she discovers about it, the Starlings, and Arthur. There are some truth to the rumors, but there is so much more happening on the Starling property and Opal and Arthur have to figure out how to protect the town from the monsters both real and imagined.

This is one of those books that you finish and you go "What did I just read?" I feel like I need to read it again. Harrow's prose is beautiful and the story is well written, but it isn't going to be for everyone. I was at about the 70% mark and I was unsure of how things were all going to come together, but they eventually did towards the end. I have to admit I was confused as to what was going on through most of the book. The author uses metaphor throughout, and it isn't until the very end that we find out what the main message is.

There is a mild romance between the two main characters, however I didn't feel the chemistry between them at all. The romance fell short for me. I also found the main characters to be unlikable and in a story where there is a good vs evil plot I want to root for someone. The character development also missed the mark for me. I really liked the concept of the house being sentient, but I wanted more of the house and less of Opal acting out and having tantrums. I did appreciate the atmosphere and the descriptive nature of the writing.

Overall, this book was OK for me. I feel like this book is either a you absolutely love it or you don't kind of book. It was lacking in the horror elements I wanted to see from a book with a gothic haunted house with terrible monsters. The pacing and characters didn't appeal to me personally but I think there are others out there who are going to love this book. The author tackles some important messages, but the way the story is told didn't appeal to me.

I had a difficult time staying engaged with the storytelling style in Starling House, but I think the voice acting was fantastic!

This story has the feeling of a retelling, but it’s also one of the most unique stories I’ve ever read. It feels like modern day folklore and I loved it! I think one of my favorite things about this book is the vibes, specifically the idea that the evil will get their justice, even in a supernatural matter.

I really liked both Opal and Arthur. I liked that neither of them were supposed to be seen as likable, which honestly made them more likable. I like how Opal was unapologetically a thief, doing whatever she needed to survive. Her story was really sad, but moving in how she dealt with her lot in life. I’m also a sucker for a grump, so that’s why I was going to love both of them, but especially Arthur. I think his use of being a grump to hide himself from the world and his pain made his journey throughout the book a lot sweeter.

I also really liked how the book was written in both first and third person, for Opal and Arthur respectively. I also liked how Arthur’s POVs, especially at the beginning, felt like he was representing the house in the narrative. I thought it was a creative way of capturing the story.

I think the only thing I didn’t totally love about the book was how the first half was really confusing, but I also think that that was on purpose, because Opal was just as confused as we were, so it made us closer to her as a character.

I also really liked the narrator! Her voice is one of the most soothing narrators I’ve listened to and I’d love to listen to another book narrated by her.

What a wild ride! This is an absolutely perfect book for when you’re in the mood for something with Stranger Things vibes. When you pick this up expect a mysterious house, intense dreamlike feelings, romance, and other worldly elements. It was definitely unlike any other book I’ve read!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the alc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The more Alix E. Harrow I read, the more of a fan I am becoming.

This is a slightly gritty tale of a young woman trying to scrape together enough money to keep her and her high school-aged brother afloat. She is ostracized in her small community both due to her family and her own otherness. She manages to get a cushy, well-paying job in a Starling House that I picture just like the one in the Aadams family, complete with creepy, gothic vibes, with a bit of sentience thrown in. She gets to know the resistant and standoffish owner, Arthur, and is drawn into his struggles with the house and his family's legacy. I loved this book and nominated it for everything the was to nominate it for.

Natalie Naudus is perfection as always.

I was really wanting to love this book as I did enjoy the author's last novel. I did like the house playing such a key role and how the author wrapped everything up, but this one was ultimately not for me. I can see why many love this book and the author is good at what she does, but I was the wrong reader.

STARLING HOUSE is a gothic story set in Eden, Kentucky. The titular building is the town's claim to fame. Author and illustrator E. Starling wrote in the 19th century, but disappeared without a trace. Starling House, which appeared before the author disappeared, is known to be haunted and Opal knows the house is best left alone. Still, when she sees Arthur, the Starlings' last heir, behind the gate, she is startled into getting close enough to be drawn into the Starling orbit. Fascinated by the haunting house, Opal can't help but accept the job Arthur offers.

I didn't know a lot about this book going into it, but I was immediately impressed by the dark, gothic vibes. It really sets the mysterious atmosphere around Starling House quickly and I was intrigued to learn more. Opal is living largely for her younger brother, a brother she's essentially raised after the loss of their mother and I really appreciated her willingness to do whatever it takes to care for those she loves. This is especially true when she has to take on things that scare her.

The format of the book is a bit mixed-media-ey? There are footnotes giving added details about the house and the history of the Starlings who have lived there, plus the occasional extra insertion like the reading of a wikipedia page about it. I thought those elements were a nice touch and worked well especially in the audio. I really liked the narrator as well and thought the audio set a great tone.

This took some fun, dark, and weird turns which I enjoyed and I had a good time with this one overall. I really enjoy Alix E. Harrow's writing and will absolutely look forward to more in the future!

From the very first page I was riveted to this new story by Alix E. Harrow. Any story featuring a sentient house will grab my attention. In STARLING HOUSE, Harrow weaves a slightly spooky, slightly gothic modern fairy tale which incorporates the idea that stories often have more than one telling with a hint of passed-down curses, such as those found in Beauty & the Beast. I enjoyed the dark undercurrent of death chasing down all the descendants of the town's richest family and the exploration on how history is written by those in power. This was a fast, pacey read and I'm looking forward to what Alix Harrow writes next.

Love the audio of this. The narrator is one of my faves, and she conveyed a lot of the right emotions and atmosphere present in the book! There was no exaggeration or overreading, so it was just the right balance. Very much enjoyed the audio.