Starling House Review

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

I recently finished reading Starling House by Alix E. Harrow and I give it four out of four stars. The storyline follows Opal, a young woman who has been orphaned and is caring for her younger brother and Author who is the latest inhabitant of Starling House.

Opal is struggling to care for her asthmatic brother. Her only goal is to make enough money to get him out of Eden. She’s found a fancy art school that is perfect for her brother, but the tuition is expensive, and she needs more money than her current job pays.

So, she ends up reluctantly accepting an offer to be the housekeeper of Starling House. There are a lot of superstitious lore attached to Starling House and at first Opal isn’t sure if she should believe any of the town gossip or not.

She is approached by a woman who works for the local coal company to find out more about Starling House and even though Opal isn’t a woman with many morals, she really gets the sense that it is wrong to do so. But money wins and she gives in in the end.

Things go downhill from there and the legends behind Starling House come to light. Now she has to choose between what’s right for her and her brother and, well, what’s right.

Harrow’s creation of this absolutely magical Gothic house is outstanding. She really give’s Starling House it’s own personality and brings it to life. I was impressed with the backstory of the home and the Starling and Gravely family. I think Harrow could’ve authored an entire book just on the Gravely family or the creatures in Underworld.

The monsters in the book were interesting. I’ve never quite seen monsters like these. Harrow puts her own spin on what I believe to be familiar folktale monsters turning into something completely new. The thought of not being able to see what is attacking you is terrifying as it is but the fact that these creatures can come and go with the mist and even become the mist is quite unique.

Harrow does an amazing job immersing her readers into the balmy Kentucky setting. With her rivers and coal mines and the Starling property, it felt as if I were there with Opal and the imagery was Southern Gothic at it’s best.

For all of you romantics out there, the tension between Opal and Arthur had me squirming and I found myself rooting for him to kiss her already.

Starling House is now and will forever be on my recommended list.