Starling House by Alix E. Harrow is a book of hauntings, hidden histories, and the irresistible pull of a house that chooses you long before you choose it.
I got this book such a long time ago from the lovely Giselle Conzalez at Tor Books… Then I ended up preordering a copy from Gibson’s Bookstore… and I am KICKING myself for taking so dang long to get to it!
Let’s dive in!
My Thoughts on Starling House by Alix E. Harrow –
In this gothic, atmospheric tale, the town of Eden is overshadowed by Starling House, a place that seems to draw people in like a magnet. Opal has already survived more than most. After losing her parents, she’s fought tooth and nail to keep her and her brother together. So when an unexpected job at Starling House offers a chance to get him out of Eden, she grabs it. But the house has ideas of its own.
The current keeper, Arthur, does everything he can to push her away… but there’s a force between them neither can ignore. Together, they’re faced with a brutal choice: dig up the buried secrets that have poisoned Eden for generations, or let the town be swallowed whole by its nightmares.
The tension here is unreal! There are so many elements weaving together to create this eerie, slow-burning dread.
Opal’s fierce determination and Arthur’s reluctant vulnerability make for such a great dynamic between those two, and we see that play out in tandem with the tensions that build between Opal and her brother.
I had SO MUCH FUN listening to this on audio!! Natalie Naudus did a killer job and the blend of emotional stakes, supernatural danger, and small‑town rot kept me hooked from page one! I was so sad when I finished this tale, but so, so, so satisfied with the ending.
My Favorite Passages from Starling House –
There it is: a single high window glowing gold through the dusk, like a lighthouse that wandered too far from the coast.
Except lighthouses are supposed to warn you away, rather than draw you closer.
Walking away from Starling House feels like climbing back through the wardrobe or up the rabbit hole, waking up from some heady dream. It seems impossible it could exist in the same world as abandoned Burger Kings, cigarette butts, and the candy-red logo of Tractor Supply.
It’s easy to be brave when it won’t cost you anything.
My Final Thoughts on Starling House –
If you love gothic stories with houses that feel alive and characters who must confront both literal and figurative monsters, this book will sweep you away!
Thanks for reading!
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