ARC Audiobook Review: A Gothic Fantasy

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Narrated by: Natalie Naudus

Audiobook Publication Date: October 31, 2023

Book Publication: October 3, 2023

Summary from NetGalley:

I dream sometimes about a house I’ve never seen….

Opal is a lot of things–orphan, high school dropout, full-time cynic and part-time cashier–but above all, she’s determined to find a better life for her younger brother Jasper. One that gets them out of Eden, Kentucky, a town remarkable for only two things: bad luck and E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth century author of The Underland, who disappeared over a hundred years ago.

All she left behind were dark rumors–and her home. Everyone agrees that it’s best to ignore the uncanny mansion and its misanthropic heir, Arthur . Almost everyone, anyway.

I should be scared, but in the dream I don’t hesitate.

Opal has been obsessed with The Underland since she was a child. When she gets the chance to step inside Starling House–and make some extra cash for her brother’s escape fund–she can’t resist.

But sinister forces are digging deeper into the buried secrets of Starling House, and Arthur’s own nightmares have become far too real. As Eden itself seems to be drowning in its own ghosts, Opal realizes that she might finally have found a reason to stick around.

In my dream, I’m home.

And now she’ll have to fight.

Welcome to Starling House: enter, if you dare.

Audiobook provided by MacMillan Audio via NetGalley for an honest review.

Confession:

This is my first book by Alix Harrow, but I don’t think it will be my last. This is also I think my first time listening to Natalie Naudus, but I will certainly be keeping my eye out for her as well. This was a great audiobook and one I highly recommend, especially if you are into gothic stories with a house that is almost sentient, and certainly holds a lot of secrets.

Opal may not exactly be a likable character, but she is certainly a sympathetic one. She is a 26 year old who has been taking care of her brother, Jasper, since she was 15, which is when their mother died. She had several strikes against her even before her mother’s death, but she is determined that her brother will have a better life and will get out of their small town for good. The relationship between her and her brother was sweet and loving even when they didn’t agree. I loved Opal’s acerbic wit and how she stands up to people, but she at times does not make the best choices in life. But she is also driven to find out the truth about Starling House which is what gets her into trouble.

Arthur was also not exactly likable, but he was an interesting character. He is also an orphan from a fairly young age and had a great responsibility thrust upon him as the caretaker of the house. He tries really hard not to care about Opal, but also finds himself wanting to help her and care for her. I really liked his narrative and his perspective of Opal and the house.

There are lots of secondary characters, some who want to help Opal and Jasper, and others who want to use her. There are of course some bad people who just want to use her to get access to Starling House, and they were not likable at all. But I really enjoyed the two women who always looked out for Opal and tried to help her when they could. Bev owned the hotel where Opal and Jasper lived, and she was cranky and onerous, but she really did care for the kids. There is also the librarian who helps Opal find historical accounts about the house, but also genuinely cared about Opal.

The plot was well done and nicely paced with things being revealed slowly over the course of the book. There is a lot of backstory on the house and different versions of the events so it was hard to tell which were true and who to believe. This is more of a supernatural story than a ghost story, although the house does feel haunted, it is only filled with memories. The romance between Opal and Arthur is slow and sweet and I love how they each think they are protecting the other with their actions.

The writing was fabulous. It was a nice mix of creepy house shenanigans, found family, and romance. The descriptions of the house were wonderful, I could really see and feel what it would be like to be inside. It was very atmospheric and fit into the southern gothic vibes. Even the town was a bit creepy with the mist rising at odd hours. The narrator, Natalie Naudus, does a great job with making everything sound so creepy and does an excellent job with voices for the different characters.

This is a solid southern gothic tale that incorporates the themes of found family, small town secrets, money and greed and environmental damage by a local company. I loved the writing and the audiobook was well narrated. This will be a perfect book to pick up in October for a spooky, dark night read.