Starling House is a Southern Gothic fantasy novel by Hugo Award-winning author Alix E. Harrow, published in October 2023. It was a high-profile Reese’s Book Club pick and an instant&nb
...
Starling House is a Southern Gothic fantasy novel by Hugo Award-winning author Alix E. Harrow, published in October 2023. It was a high-profile Reese’s Book Club pick and an instant New York Times bestseller.
Core Premise & Plot
Set in the fictional, run-down coal town of Eden, Kentucky, the story follows Opal, a cynical high-school dropout working a dead-end job to provide for her younger brother, Jasper.
- The House: A mysterious, shifting mansion built by E. Starling, a reclusive 19th-century author who vanished after writing a disturbing children's book called The Underland.
- The Conflict: Opal takes a high-paying cleaning job at the house, which is currently occupied by the brooding, "ugly" heir Arthur. She soon discovers that the house is a sentinel guarding against nightmares and "beasts" from a dark dimension known as the Underland.
- The Themes: The novel explores generational trauma, corporate exploitation (via the villainous Gravely Power company), and the power of storytelling to both hide and reveal the truth.
Key Details
- Genre: A "modern Gothic fairytale" reimagining Beauty and the Beast and Alice in Wonderland.
- Notable Awards: Nominated for the 2023 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fantasy and the 2024 Audie Award for Fantasy.
- Narrative Style: Features intercut documents like newspaper articles, librarian footnotes, and excerpts from the fictional Underland book to build its lore.
- Audiobook: Narrated by Natalie Naudus, highly praised for her portrayal of the lead characters.
Character Dynamics
- Opal: Fiercely protective and willing to cross ethical lines to get her brother out of town.
- Arthur: The "Warden" of the house who lives in self-imposed isolation to protect the town from the beasts he fights nightly.
- Found Family: The story features a strong supporting cast, including a local motel owner named Bev and a truth-seeking librarian named Charlotte.
[Show More]
Preview 10 out of 344 pages