Starling House

“Starling House” is the best gothic noveI I have read in a long time. Which feels funny to say because the main action of the book is set in current times and my brain assumes gothic novels should be set in the distant past, full of rotting castles and maidens fair.

The book is packed with rich, loamy writing that was a pleasure to dive into like a pile of autumn leaves. The characters are well-drawn; more than that, their voices breathe through the page.

Despite the dark and horrific events of the novel, there's quite a bit of humor woven throughout. Many of the characters made me laugh out loud, which was totally unexpected.

Some reviewers have complained about the ending, but I liked the idea of deciding to recognize and conquer fear as the solution. That some ghosts are our own creation.

Now onto tropes.

Sometimes, you think certain tropes in literature are just annoying and not for you. Right before reading “ Starling House,” I read Abby Jimenez's “Just for the Summer.” Although the books come from different genres, they do have similarities. Alternating points of view between two main characters who develop a love interest. A seemingly independent and strong female main character who doesn't like help, but needs it. A male main character who goes out of his way to support and help the female main character. Orphans who think they have little to no extended family. Found family.

“Just for the Summer” was intensely stupid and hit the reader over the head with psychobabble and performative trauma unpacking. The characters in “Sterling House“ are introduced to the reader as carrying a heavy load, but they're don't whine about it; they fight. The found family in JFTS is family because the author says so. Whereas the relationships in SH feel real and solid and never come off as overly perfect.

So, maybe what I'm saying is that tropes work just fine in a skillful author's hands. An earlier book of Alix Harrow's has been on my to-read list for awhile, so I'll be moving that up in priority.