Starling House: A Reese's Book Club Pick

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.

This book was quite interesting. The history, the magic, and the world building. All of the footnotes really added to the story.

Great book but the paperback version literally fell apart in my hands. So disappointing to pay for a highly coveted book (Reese’s Book Club) and have half the book fall into your lap before you’re even 3/4 the way through.

I thought this book was brilliant. Not only is it a compulsive read, beautifully written, but it is an historical analogy of a particular place and period—of which my entire previous knowledge came from Emmylou Harris. The story never flagged, and I kept coming back to the book when I should have been doing something else. The characters are fully developed, relatable, and very likeable , and I found myself wanting to follow their story beyond the point at which the book ends! You could enjoy this book without noting the themes of victimisation versus self-determination and the power of dreams to change a person’s perception, but they gave the story a depth and dimension that enhanced my appreciation of the writing.

Let’s start if by saying I really enjoy Alix’s work. I ordered this book so that it would arrive on the day of publication, even though I knew nothing about it. I just enjoy her work that much. She has a fantastic ability to construct a beautiful metaphor. I often stop and reread sentences just to take in the beautiful turn of phrase and unique idea. She does a phenomenal job with character development (the protagonist goes thorough a realistic maturation process that takes the reader with her). She has mastery of building dramatic tension. That said, like her previous two books, she leaves me wanting more. Reading this book, like her previous, is like going out to dinner at a fine restaurant. You appreciate the individual courses, the artistry of presentation, the complex and unexpected palates. But you get to the end of the meal and you’re still hungry. You decide to go out and get a burger before heading home. Alix needs to embrace an epic scope in her writing. She builds up these phenomenal worlds — draws us in — but the stakes just fall a little short. The world won’t really change, if things don’t work out. In this book in particular, we really don’t care if the town off Eden gets wiped from the map — everyone seems pretty terrible. She dares to dream about a subterranean river that — she alludes — is the sister to the river Styx. But we never get the full scope of this implication. This should be harrowing! Exultant! Perception altering. Instead, we get a sleeping old lady in a shallow rivulet. It doesn’t lead the the reality-bending potential she alludes to. If there’s this river, then what of the others. What does this mean about the very fabric of reality itself? She never taps these questions and let them flow. I love her writing. She is a vast and immense talent. I just want to see her take the next step and truly embrace her greatness. She surely has it in her!

Wow...this was amazing! It started out a little slow but I can't give lower stars for this one. The meat and the bones of it were phenomenal, and that ending! Beautiful. Poetic. I'm so sad that it's over. Just a breath of fresh air. I personally prefer a bit more romance in my books and would've loved it if this one had more, but it was still wonderful. Unexpected.

This book was full of surprises and so many twists. From the creaking floorboards to the shadows that linger in the corners, the mansion is steeped in history and mystery, drawing readers into its eerie embrace. Starling House is a haunting tale that explores themes of family, grief, and the search for belonging. Harrow crafts a compelling protagonist whose journey is as much about self-discovery as it is about uncovering the secrets of a mysterious mansion. The character’s evolution is portrayed with authenticity, as she grapples with her past and confronts her fears. The author does a beautiful job in the development of all the characters throughout the book - especially Arthur 😍. I especially loved the exploration of familial bonds—both nurturing and toxic. These relationships added a poignant layer to the story, making it resonate with the readers on a personal level. Surprising read to start off 2025! Audible narrator was excellent!!

This is an amazing and unique tale. The characters, all of them, are originals, except maybe the evil ones; evil is pretty much monotone. Fantasy? Reality? Who can tell?

I read this book on the recommendation of a friend. I'll read all her recommendations from now on.

Alix E. Harrow has instantly become one of my favorite authors. I simply devoured Starling House, a captivating haunted mansion tale set in a small modern day mining town. Opal, a very poor and angry young woman will do next to anything to get her younger brother out of town, so he could have a better life. The old mansion everybody shuns has now become the very means by which she can achieve her goal, never mind the weird heir. Or her dreams, or the old childrens book, which tells about gruesome beasts and nightmares living in the house together with a small girl. A dense gothic atmosphere stealthily seeps up from the cracks beneath the old mansion, as Opal uncovers the layers of its dark secrets, while the sinister machinations of the mine's owners entangle her in a series of events which might well be her undoing. The book tells stories within stories, weaves dreams, imagination and reality into a suspenseful tapestry of urban fantasy. Alix draws her characters expertly. Flawed morals born of anger, grief and necessity hide compassion, strength and beauty and in case of the villians we find deep abysses of cruelty and callousness beneath a smooth venier of wealth and power. Starling House deserves all the awards and praise it was given and more

“"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 died Arthur’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.

Starling House etched its way into my list of all-time favourite books somewhere around “an appetite with two legs”, or perhaps much earlier. It has a certain unputdownable quality and, for all its beasts and darkness, is remarkably beautiful.

Original and perfect condition. Great to see the lovely concer intact