It’s time for another #spellbooksaturday! As I’ve mentioned, I have been on such an audiobook kick this summer, and recently finished…
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
I dream sometimes about a house I’ve never seen….
(source: bookshop.org)
Opal is a lot of things–orphan, high school dropout, full-time cynic and part-time cashier–but above all, she’s determined to find a better life for her younger brother Jasper. One that gets them out of Eden, Kentucky, a town remarkable for only two things: bad luck and E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth century author of The Underland, who disappeared over a hundred years ago. All she left behind were dark rumors–and her home. Everyone agrees that it’s best to ignore the uncanny mansion and its misanthropic heir, Arthur. Almost everyone, anyway.
I should be scared, but in the dream I don’t hesitate.
Opal has been obsessed with The Underland since she was a child. When she gets the chance to step inside Starling House–and make some extra cash for her brother’s escape fund–she can’t resist. But sinister forces are digging deeper into the buried secrets of Starling House, and Arthur’s own nightmares have become far too real. As Eden itself seems to be drowning in its own ghosts, Opal realizes that she might finally have found a reason to stick around.
In my dream, I’m home.
And now she’ll have to fight.
Welcome to Starling House: enter, if you dare.
Having enjoyed Harrow’s The Once and Future Witches (review available here), I had high hopes for Starling House… which never quite materialized. It felt as though Harrow was reaching for something just out of her grasp— commentary on race and class fell short, supporting characters felt two-dimensional, and the climax was muddled. Overall it was enjoyable enough, but I’d certainly recommend TOaFW before Starling House to those unfamiliar with Harrow’s work.
Have you read Starling House? What was your impression? Share in the comments!
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