Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
A gothic haunted house story with strong Beauty and the Beast vibes.
We're following Opal, a young woman living in a motel with her teenage brother in the dead-end town aptly named, Eden. She is struggling to make ends meet, support her brother's schooling and is still haunted by the trauma of her mother's untimely death. Through all this, Opal starts to have dreams of the, supposedly, haunted house down the road. From there the story unfolds to include a sentient house, a grouchy protector of the house, a journey to the underworld, and a giant library!
Main characters, Opal and our overburdened house warden, Arthur, are flawed, complicated and carry the trauma of their pasts with them. We are rooting for them, even as they push away the people who care for them most.
Alix E. Harrow thrives when it comes to magical realism tied in with classic fairytale beats, which we see on full display here. I discovered Alix's work with the duology of fairytale novellas, A Spindle Splintered and A Mirror Mended, and fell in love with her short story, The Six Deaths of the Saint. This book fits beautifully into her growing library of fairytales for adults.
Audiobook praise! Sometimes when I listen to an audiobook I have to ask myself, was the story good or was the narrator just that amazing? In this case we're lucky enough for the answer to be both. Natalie Naudus brings the story to life with emotion and pacing. You're following her like a ghost (or a monster) just a step behind. You'll recognize Natalie from, The Bone Shard Daughter (series), One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, and I just found out she's doing the audio for The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey (adding to the list!),
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listener copy.
This book is best listened to while drafting an outline of your newest horror book, "I was only trying to help". If it feels like someone is looking over your shoulder, you're probably right, so keep your sword close.
