Book Club Review: Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
- Megs
- Apr 24
- 2 min read
Eden, KY is just another bad-luck town. The only thing interesting is the Starling House and it’s lonely heir. Opal is drawn to this house―a home she’s never had. After getting a job cleaning the house, Opal and Arthur decide if they should dig up its secrets and fight for a home they deserve.
Starling House
Alix E. Harrow
Publisher: Tor Books
Published Date: October 3, 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Fiction
276 Pages / 12 Hours 26 Minutes
Date Read: April 19-24, 2026
Format: 📱
Source: my eBook TBR
As always, if you prefer a spoiler free review please read my quick review instead of the in depth review below.
Quick Review (Spoiler Free)
The story of this book was really good. It definitely hit the spooky / suspense marks. I really liked Opal’s character. I thought all the different pieces to this story fit together nicely. It wasn’t overly complex but still had enough going on that I didn’t see some of the things coming. What I was a little bummed about is that it felt like the end pacing was not matched to the rest. The end felt like it just flew straight through. Overall I thought it was a pretty good book though.
Now, let's get into the details!!
(Note: Some text may appear to be blocked out, just highlight that text to read it.)
I wasn't a huge fan of the descriptions of Arthur and Opal. They are described with unattractive features and made to seem like they are oddities. I am all for breaking the streak of "beautiful" people throughout books but it just felt a little odd to me.
Also, the ending of the book felt very quick. Not necessarily rushed like there wasn't enough information. It just felt like it didn't match the remainder of the story. I did like that the epilogue still tied in the rest of the characters throughout the story (Jasper, Charlotte, and Bev).
The House's almost sentient nature was pretty cool. And how that tied into the nightmares. I did like a lot of the little detailing in the story that gave it the gothic/horror feel. The storyline itself was a really cool concept. I loved the different ways that it was told from different perspectives throughout time.
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