November 2023 Standalone BOTM - Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

[Alaina]

A grim and gothic new tale from author Alix E. Harrow about a small town haunted by secrets that can't stay buried and the sinister house that sits at the crossroads of it all.

Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and illustrator who wrote The Underland--and disappeared. Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees that it’s best to let the uncanny house―and its last lonely heir, Arthur Starling―go to rot.

Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home.

As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a dire choice to dig up the buried secrets of the past and confront their own fears, or let Eden be taken over by literal nightmares.

If Opal wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it.

**This BOTM thread will be open until December 5th @ Midnight (in your time zone)**

[Aneta]

Chapter 9
(view spoiler)[To be honest, I have mostly no idea what is happening and I have so many questions. Arthur mentioned something about house guardian. Is it supposed to be Opal? (hide spoiler)]

[Haley]

Aneta wrote: "Chapter 9
[spoilers removed]"

finally picking back up after almost of month of not reading it... (view spoiler)[ I'm not the biggest fan of this author's writing so far. I wish I could get more into it, but it's not grasping my attention. Chapter 9 seemed to be all about the background of the previous brothers (hide spoiler)]

[Kim]

I can't lie, I've been listening to this while working so haven't been paying as much attention as I usually prefer but i don't feel like i've missed anything of consequence.

Ch.1-10 (view spoiler)[ i like that this is starting less fanciful as i thought it would. i could use a few more chapters interspersed from Arthur's perspective. not that i dislike Opal persay, but i am looking forward to see how deep she gets into this. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Haley]

53% okay getting better!! (view spoiler)[ so why did I think that Arthur was an old man?? but they ended up kissing WHAT!!

poor Opal though, finding out the truth behind her mother's death wow. I'm hoping Jasper is able to help her when she needs it the most :(

I wonder what's under the door?? maybe it's filled with beasts like the book said or something better?? (hide spoiler)]

[Haley]

73% (view spoiler)[ awh I wasn't anticipating Bev and Charlotte to end up together!! how stinking cute..

I HOPE Elizabeth Baine gets what she deserves... maybe the beast will end up taking her

the only name worth having is the one you choose Charlotte was definitely trying to tell Opal something about the will before she was cut off.. what was it??

I'm happy Opal is staying with Arthur, I had a feeling that was going to happen.
(hide spoiler)]

[Haley]

finished & honestly the ending was the cherry on top for me (view spoiler)[ HAHAHA I'm so happy Elizabeth ended up getting what she deserved and it was nice having a complete true story of what happened with Eleanor. what horrible uncles... those men and the hunger for power was the only thing on their mind.

Honestly I could have done without the footnotes, I know they added more of a historical touch to the house's background but I found it bleh. Then again I'm not really a big fan of footnotes unless it's a Jay Kristoff book lol.

I'm happy Arthur and Opal ended up together. Even though I was hoping for a bit more to the ending, altogether it worked out. (hide spoiler)]

[Kim]

Ch.11-18 (view spoiler)[ wow this escalated quickly! i like how she discovered her mom slash history. i hope we get to learn more about that. i appreciate the humanity of the house without making it too outlandish. i'm not surprised of the romance piece but i semi hoped it wasn't going to go that route. it may still stay dark though :) (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Kim]

Ch.19-25 (view spoiler)[ it feels odd that there is this much conversation over Jasper's guardianship because isn't he graduating high school so he's going to be 18 soon? the arson feels unnecessary for the amount of information they have. like isn't there someone else who can get this info?! (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Kim]

Finished (view spoiler)[ i enjoyed that ending much more than i thought i was going to. i loved hearing eleanor's story. it was fantastical enough for the storyline but didn't feel juvenile. the last chapter was a nice little bow. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Aneta]

Chapter 21
(view spoiler)[It got better! Now we know about Opal's mom and more about the house and Starlings. But I want to know what's behind the door. (hide spoiler)]

[Aneta]

Chapter 30
(view spoiler)[Well, it went up in flames!

I'm glad Jasper had his own plan and he actually left as Opal told him. (hide spoiler)]

[Aneta]

Finished
(view spoiler)[I think this story was just okay but I liked the romance. I'm glad we got to hear Eleanor's story. Her being Gravely was unexpected. (hide spoiler)]

[Jessica]

Chapter Five
(view spoiler)[ Well what the hell happened to his parents? What attacked them? I'm very intrigued by this. (hide spoiler)]

[Jessica]

Chapter Fifteen
(view spoiler)[ Okay Whoa her mom was a Graverly, did not see that coming. That must be why the house wanted her. (hide spoiler)]

[Jessica]

Chapter Twenty-Four
(view spoiler)[ I figured Elizabeth Bain would get the Graverlys involved but fuck. I'm so nervous for Opal and Jasper. What was in that will? Also you idiot don't tell people you did that. Way to set yourself up. (hide spoiler)]

[Jessica]

Chapter Thirty
(view spoiler)[ Okay whoa. I was not expecting the beasts to be Eleanor's creations and that all of this was because of her. This is so fascinating. (hide spoiler)]

[Jessica]

Finished
Yeah, that was fascinating. Don't really have much else to say. I really enjoyed it.

[Kira]

I enjoyed this one.

Chapter 1-8: (view spoiler)[This is fascinating so far. I am curious to learn more about Starling House and what haunts it. Opal is exactly the kind of character to land herself in trouble in order to satisfy her never ending thirst for information. I am not much excited about the big corporation playing a role in the book. Also hoping it does not turn into a cursed romance or something tbh (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 9-14: (view spoiler)[I just wish that this doesn't boil down to the evil corporation spreading false stories about the house in order to keep people away and continue doing their dirty business but they won't need to blackmail Opal in order to gain information about the house if that was the case. I am getting frustrated because nothing much is being revealed in so many pages and it's making me impatient (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 15-20: (view spoiler)[It's finally picking up and I couldn't be more thrilled! The mystery behind how the wardens for Starling House are chosen gave me goosebumps and I hope Opal is able to find a way out of this before she finds herself stuck in a literal blood oath with the house. I feel so bad for Arthur, he doesn't deserve any of it. The truth about who Opal's mom was shocked me to the core (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 21-27: (view spoiler)[Didn't enjoy all that lovey dovey stuff amidst all the action but yeah the book bounced back stronger with Arthur leaving for the Underland. I am glad that Jasper had a plan in place and moved away to fulfil his dreams on his own terms. Did not peg Elizabeth to be so evil when she was first introduced tbh but the characters in this book have more depth than I had assumed. Eager to see how Opal and Arthur deal with the beasts once and for all (hide spoiler)]

Finished: (view spoiler)[Wow I very much enjoyed hearing Eleanor's story from her own mouth and it was so different from all the other ones making round in the town, goes to show how much spreading rumor affects the truth. I was not a fan of the romance between Arthur and Opal tbh but I liked the neat ending the author put forward. It was the perfect way to wrap up the story (hide spoiler)]

[Alaina]

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