| Revision as of 18:19, 26 November 2024 editSignifica liberdade (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Administrators75,376 edits →Setting: {{cn}} quoteTag: Visual edit← Previous edit | Revision as of 18:25, 26 November 2024 edit undoSignifica liberdade (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Administrators75,376 edits →Reception: updated refsTags: nowiki added Visual editNext edit → | ||
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| == Setting == | == Setting == | ||
| The town's economy, history, and societal struggles are deeply tied to coal mining, which adds layers of ], ], and ] to the narrative. Gravely Power, a coal plant company located in the town, acts a stand-in for the ] in the real world and is a ] to impoverished community members like Opal opposing its exploitative practices.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Cary |first=Alice |date=2023-09-25 |title=Book review of Starling House by Alix E. Harrow |url=https://www.bookpage.com/reviews/starling-house-book-review/#:~:text=Harrow's%20latest%20novel,%20Starling%20House,scream%20drowning%20in%20my%20chest. |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=BookPage |
The town's economy, history, and societal struggles are deeply tied to coal mining, which adds layers of ], ], and ] to the narrative. Gravely Power, a coal plant company located in the town, acts a stand-in for the ] in the real world and is a ] to impoverished community members like Opal opposing its exploitative practices.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Cary |first=Alice |date=2023-09-25 |title=Book review of Starling House by Alix E. Harrow |url=https://www.bookpage.com/reviews/starling-house-book-review/#:~:text=Harrow's%20latest%20novel,%20Starling%20House,scream%20drowning%20in%20my%20chest. |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=BookPage |language=en-US}}</ref> The mine's oppression of the land and its workers serves as a backdrop to the story's diegesis. | ||
| Talking about finally making Kentucky, her home state, the locus of one of her books, Harrow said,<blockquote> | Talking about finally making Kentucky, her home state, the locus of one of her books, Harrow said,<blockquote> | ||
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| == Reception == | == Reception == | ||
| ''Starling House'' was well received by most critics, including a starred reviews ''BookPage'',<ref name=":0" /> ],<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2023-11-04 |title=Starling House |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/alix-e-harrow/starling-house/ |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=]}}</ref> ],<ref name=":2" /> and ].<ref name=":3" /> | |||
| ''Bookpage''<nowiki/>'s consensus was "Harrow's ''Starling House'' is a riveting Southern gothic fantasy with gorgeous prose and excellent social commentary."<ref name=":0" /> Discussing how truth is perverted by those in power, '']'' called it "a spooky story about how hidden truths always come back to haunt you."<ref name=":1" /> '']''<nowiki/>'s Kristi Chadwick referred to "Harrow's mash-up of twisted fairy tales and Southern gothic fiction" as "a haunting story of longing, lies, and generational curses."<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Chadwick |first=Kristi |date=2023-07-01 |title=Starling House |url=https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/starling-house-1798683 |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=]}}</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | ''Southern Review of Books'' discussed more about the experience of the novel than the primary takeaways, including its immersive elements, saying the "details of Starling House, the small town of Eden, ''The Underland'', the beasts, the landscape, and even the relationships of all the characters are brought to life so thoroughly and decisively that it’s hard not to be utterly engulfed in the story."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maattala |first=Jenny |date=2023-11-20 |title=“Starling House”: The Modern Gothic Fantasy You’ve Been Waiting For |url=https://southernreviewofbooks.com/2023/11/20/starling-house-alix-e-harrow-review/ |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=Southern Review of Books |language=en}}</ref> "''Starling House'' will no doubt take its place alongside fiction's most memorable haunted houses |
||
| ⚫ | ''Southern Review of Books'' discussed more about the experience of the novel than the primary takeaways, including its immersive elements, saying the "details of Starling House, the small town of Eden, ''The Underland'', the beasts, the landscape, and even the relationships of all the characters are brought to life so thoroughly and decisively that it’s hard not to be utterly engulfed in the story."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maattala |first=Jenny |date=2023-11-20 |title=“Starling House”: The Modern Gothic Fantasy You’ve Been Waiting For |url=https://southernreviewofbooks.com/2023/11/20/starling-house-alix-e-harrow-review/ |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=Southern Review of Books |language=en}}</ref> ''Publishers Weekly''<nowiki/>'s editorial team added, "''Starling House'' will no doubt take its place alongside fiction's most memorable haunted houses".<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2023-07-14 |title=Starling House by Alix E Harrow |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com:443/9781250799050 |access-date=2024-11-24 |website=]}}</ref> | ||
| '']'' also reviewed the novel.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-01 |title=Starling House |url=https://www.booklistonline.com/Starling-House/pid=9777750 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=]}}</ref> | |||
| == Awards == | == Awards == | ||
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| | ]|| Fantasy || {{sho}} || <ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-20 |title=2024 Reading List: Year’s best in genre fiction for adult Readers |url=https://rusaupdate.org/2024/01/2024-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/ |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=RUSA Update |language=en-US}}</ref> | | ]|| Fantasy || {{sho}} || <ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-20 |title=2024 Reading List: Year’s best in genre fiction for adult Readers |url=https://rusaupdate.org/2024/01/2024-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/ |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=RUSA Update |language=en-US}}</ref> | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | ] || Fiction || {{sho}} || <ref>{{Cite web |title=Southern Book Prize Finalists |url=https://sibaweb.com/blogpost/1157249/495115/2024-Southern-Book-Prize-Finalists |website=Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance}}</ref> | | ] || Fiction || {{sho}} || <ref>{{Cite web |title=Southern Book Prize Finalists |url=https://sibaweb.com/blogpost/1157249/495115/2024-Southern-Book-Prize-Finalists |website=Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-11-02 |title=Awards: World Fantasy Winners; SIBA Southern Book Finalists |url=https://shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=4599#m61854 |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=]}}</ref> | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | Virginia Literary Awards || People's Choice (Fiction) || {{sho}} || <ref>{{Cite web |title=Library of Virginia Annual Peoples Choice Awards |url=https://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/litawards/peoples-choice-award.php |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=Library of Virginia}}</ref> | | Virginia Literary Awards || People's Choice (Fiction) || {{sho}} || <ref>{{Cite web |title=Library of Virginia Annual Peoples Choice Awards |url=https://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/litawards/peoples-choice-award.php |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=Library of Virginia}}</ref> | ||
Revision as of 18:25, 26 November 2024
2023 fantasy novel by Alix E. Harrow| Author | Alix E. Harrow |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Natalie Naudus |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy Gothic fiction |
| Set in | Kentucky |
| Publisher | Tor Books (US) |
| Publication date | October 3, 2023 (US) |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 308 pp. |
| ISBN | 9781250799050 (hardcover 1st ed.) |
| OCLC | 1355028589 |
| Dewey Decimal | 813 |
| LC Class | PS3608.A783854 S73 2023 |
Starling House is a 2023 gothic fantasy novel by American author Alix E. Harrow published by Tor Books. It notably received nominations for the World Fantasy Award—Novel and the Locus Award for Best Horror Novel. Its audiobook version, narrated by Natalie Naudus, was shortlisted for the Audie Award for Fantasy.
Premise
Set in a fictional coal town called Eden, Kentucky, life unfolds amidst hardship for Opal, a young woman struggling to escape poverty. She becomes entangled with the mysterious Starling House, a crumbling Gothic mansion with a dark reputation tied to its history and its reclusive caretaker, Arthur Starling. As Opal takes a job at the house, she begins uncovering secrets about the house's connection to the town's violent past, the mysterious death of its original owner, and the hidden power it holds—all of which are tied to her own family history.
Characters
 | This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (November 2024) |
- Opal McCoy – a 26-year-old woman, born and raised in the town; she grew up in poverty with her mother and is attempting to establish a better life as she transitions into adulthood
- Jasper McCoy
- Arthur Starling – the reclusive caretaker of Starling House who has a mysterious connection to the house and its dark history
- Edgar Starling – Arthur's brother, whose tragic death is central to the house's mystery
Setting
The town's economy, history, and societal struggles are deeply tied to coal mining, which adds layers of industrial decay, environmental damage, and class disparity to the narrative. Gravely Power, a coal plant company located in the town, acts a stand-in for the corporate greed in the real world and is a foil to impoverished community members like Opal opposing its exploitative practices. The mine's oppression of the land and its workers serves as a backdrop to the story's diegesis.
Talking about finally making Kentucky, her home state, the locus of one of her books, Harrow said,
This is the first book that I set fully in, like committed to writing about Kentucky. One of the reasons that I had found that difficult to do before is because I find it to be a place of very mixed experiences that I love very, very, very much, and which has just an incredible violence and terror to it.
Themes
 | This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
This novel is about income inequality and poverty. The power dynamics between wealthy companies and destitute workers operates in the background of a gothic story that also features spirits and the supernatural, and in writing so, Harrow expressed "that poverty is a form of violence and horror in and of itself and that those experiences do emotional and physical harm."
Reception
Starling House was well received by most critics, including a starred reviews BookPage, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly.
Bookpage's consensus was "Harrow's Starling House is a riveting Southern gothic fantasy with gorgeous prose and excellent social commentary." Discussing how truth is perverted by those in power, Kirkus Reviews called it "a spooky story about how hidden truths always come back to haunt you." Library Journal's Kristi Chadwick referred to "Harrow's mash-up of twisted fairy tales and Southern gothic fiction" as "a haunting story of longing, lies, and generational curses."
Southern Review of Books discussed more about the experience of the novel than the primary takeaways, including its immersive elements, saying the "details of Starling House, the small town of Eden, The Underland, the beasts, the landscape, and even the relationships of all the characters are brought to life so thoroughly and decisively that it’s hard not to be utterly engulfed in the story." Publishers Weekly's editorial team added, "Starling House will no doubt take its place alongside fiction's most memorable haunted houses".
Booklist also reviewed the novel.
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Goodreads Choice Awards | Fantasy | Nominated—9th | |
| 2024 | Audie Awards | Fantasy | Shortlisted | |
| Locus Award | Horror Novel | Nominated—3rd | ||
| RUSA CODES Reading List | Fantasy | Shortlisted | ||
| Southern Book Prize | Fiction | Shortlisted | ||
| Virginia Literary Awards | People's Choice (Fiction) | Shortlisted | ||
| World Fantasy Award | Novel | Shortlisted |
References
- ^ Cary, Alice (September 25, 2023). "Book review of Starling House by Alix E. Harrow". BookPage. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
- ^ "Starling House". Kirkus Reviews. November 4, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ Chadwick, Kristi (July 1, 2023). "Starling House". Library Journal. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
- ^ "Starling House by Alix E Harrow". Publishers Weekly. July 14, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
- Maattala, Jenny (November 20, 2023). ""Starling House": The Modern Gothic Fantasy You've Been Waiting For". Southern Review of Books. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
- "Starling House". Booklist. September 1, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- "Announcing the Goodreads Choice Winner in Best Fantasy!". Goodreads. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
- "2024 Audie Awards Winners". Homepage. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- "2024 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online. June 23, 2024. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- "2024 Reading List: Year's best in genre fiction for adult Readers". RUSA Update. January 20, 2024. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- "Southern Book Prize Finalists". Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance.
- "Awards: World Fantasy Winners; SIBA Southern Book Finalists". Shelf Awareness . November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- "Library of Virginia Annual Peoples Choice Awards". Library of Virginia. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- Armstrong, Vanessa (October 24, 2024). "Here Are the 2024 World Fantasy Award Winners". Reactor. Retrieved October 26, 2024.