Starling House: A Reese's Book Club Pick

“"Hi," I say, very awkwardly, because I don't know what you're supposed to say to a girl who is also a grown woman, a fictional character who is also a person, a villain who might also be a victim.”There are very few books where the ending was so perfect that I want to raise the star rating. This was one. I was going to rate it 4.5 stars but I just loved everything about the last part so I’m giving it 4.75 stars.“But Starling House was no longer just a house. What had begun as stone and mortar had become something more, with ribs for rafters and stone for skin. It has no heart, but it feels; it has no brain, but it dreams.”This book was atmospheric and spooky and so amazing. There are terrifying monsters that come up from the ground. I read this at night. I am a chicken. Opal’s struggle with poverty was so real and heartbreaking. I will never stop shouting about how much I love when I author makes us *feel* instead of just *telling* us how to feel.“It’s just that I’m tired.”Opal’s inner thoughts about everything, but especially about Arthur, were the perfect comedic relief for the sad and depressing parts.“Arthur retreats upstairs to do whatever he does during the day, which I assume involves a coffin filled with grave dirt.”And when she gives Arthur Hellcat 😂😂 I diedArthur’s pain and struggle were so sad, and the town was so awful to the Starlings. He had no one and it made my heart hurt.I loved that we got the history multiple times, and each time it was different. That was such a great way to tell the story! I also absolutely love when houses, or the main settling area, are sentient, or aware, and this one was no different!When we finally get the actual history, what really happened to Eleanor Starling and the three brothers, it was horrifying. But it was the perfect conclusion. Also, this book had art in it and I love that.

It’s perfect for Halloween season!

MAgic Mysterie

This was a really good book; it wasn't what I expected from a haunted house story.10/10

I love Alix E. Harrow’s books. From the gorgeous prose found in The Ten Thousand Doors of January to anger that seethes and roils in The Once and Future Witches, her writing is full of emotion that will suck you in and command your attention. Starling House is sometimes vicious and dripping with tension, other times heartbreakingly sad. Once you open the book and read the first page, there is no going back. You’ll be drawn into a world and story unlike any other.The book follows Opal, a youngish woman who lives in a hotel with her younger brother in the sort of town that everyone wants to leave but no one can get away from. Her brother, who is solely her responsibility, is massively smart and Opal has been squirreling away every penny she can to get him into a fancy school and out of town.When a weird encounter at the gates of Starling House- the sort of house that has ghost stories and rumors spread about it, with people who usually know better half-believing what they hear- leads to a job offer that pays extravagantly, Opal can’t refuse. Not that she really wants to. She’s been dreaming of that house and its secrets. Little does she expect, the house’s secrets mirror her own.The story was so much deeper and more complex than I expected going in. Starling House was one of my most-anticipated books of the year with good reason. The mystery of the house and its connection to the town was not what I thought it would be. It was darker and much more unsettling. If anything was going to build a haunted house or invite monsters, a secret like that would do the trick. The house was a character in its own right, and I was enthralled watching it go from monster, to guardian, to friend based on Opal’s viewpoint throughout the book.Opal was a fascinating character, although she veered into angst territory on occasion, which is something I don’t love. She was prickly and sometimes a bit of a butt. However, she was also hurting and lonely. It made perfect sense and led to interesting character growth.Arthur was just as interesting, although he really did enjoy brooding. At times, his “tragic hero” complex made me giggle a little. I do wish that Opal’s brother was in the story a little more. He was equally affected by Starling House and I would have loved to have seen that develop a little more.The climax was surprising and so much more intense than I expected. The ending was perfect, leaving just enough mystery to keep a small town talking and just enough surety to keep a reader satisfied. Alix E. Harrow remains an author that I’ll stand in line for. Each of her books is massively different from the one before, but the one constant is outstanding writing.If you have yet to discover this author, you need to remedy that right now.