It’s four miles from Tractor Supply to the motel—three and a half if I cut behind the public library and cross the river on the old railroad bridge, which always puts me in a strange, sour mood. Having lost her mother in a terrible accident from which she herself barely escaped, Opal now lives in a run-down motel room with Jasper and longs for nothing so much as a real home, a place where she feels she belongs, somewhere she can finally call her own. It’s part of the reason she can’t let go of the idea of Starling House, which keeps calling to her even when she knows she shouldn’t listen. And ultimately, her slow realization that she wants a life built on more than mere survival is deeply satisfying to watch unfold. Its style is perhaps best described as a cozy horror—there’s nothing too scary about the book in terms of blood or gore, though several people are killed over the course of the story. The setting is perhaps its most disturbing aspect, mixing familiar everyday elements of dying former industrial towns across America with the unsettling sort of supernatural activity that hints at darker forces at work in the land than most of us would recognize. Mozart was not just a musical genius, but he also had an affinity for birds. In his youth, it is said that his pet starling would contribute variations to some of the composer’s works even though they never communicated in any way other than through song!

I picture Heathcliff hunched in one of the counselor’s undersized plastic chairs, an anger-management brochure crumpled in his hands, and feel a weird twist of sympathy. Mr. Cole is a nice man, but he doesn’t know what to do with people raised on the underside of the rules, where the world turns dark and lawless, where only the canny and cruel survive. I think what I wanted to say about class and poverty is that poverty is a form of violence and horror in and of itself," Harrow says, "and that those experiences do emotional and physical harm."

In yards and public places

Opal faces a choice between loyalty to her family and the house, which I loved how dark and whimsical this felt, almost like a Dark Fairy Tale, but while also containing an 'our world' modern feel. It was almost a story out of time. It made me think about that television show, Once Upon a Time. Not because of the content, but just the overall vibe. 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.

They’re considered eccentrics and misanthropes, a family of dubious origin that has refused for generations to participate in the most basic elements of Eden’s civil society (church, public school, bake sales for the volunteer fire department), choosing instead to stay holed up in that grand house that nobody except the coroner has ever seen in person. They have money—which generally excuses everything short of homicide—but it doesn’t come from either coal or tobacco, and nobody seems able to marry into it. The Starling family tree is a maddening sprawl of grafted limbs and new shoots, full of out-of-towners and strangers who turned up at the front gates and claimed the Starling name without ever setting foot in Eden itself. These birds aren’t just captivating to watch; they carry profound messages that resonate across cultures and time. Intrigued? Meet the latest heir of the house: young Arthur, leading a secluded life, perceived as callous, indifferent to the deaths of his own parents. Enter Opal, a 26-year-old orphan, working odd jobs and resorting to theft to pay her brother Jasper's art academy tuition. Drawn to the haunted house as if it were a living entity, Opal dreams of it calling her. Determined to break through Arthur's barriers, she applies for a job as a cleaner, unaware that this house holds the key to the secrets of her own life. As she unravels the sinister truths hidden within, she discovers Arthur is not just the heir but the guardian trapped in the house. Their connection may unleash something dangerous, not only endangering the lives of the townsfolk but transporting them to a place they never intended to face. The romance, while not unexpected, was underdeveloped. I couldn’t see the attraction at all, especially from Opal’s side as her feelings seem to go from 0 to 100 within no time and with no reason.

Competing with other songbirds

I despised the job fair when I was at school. There aren’t really any jobs around here except breathing particulates at the power plant, so it’s just an AmeriCorps booth and somebody from the Baptist mission group handing out flyers. The main excitement comes at the end, when Don Gravely, CEO of Gravely Power, takes the stage and gives an excruciating speech about hard work and the American spirit, as if he didn’t inherit every cent of his money from his big brother. We all had to shake his hand as we filed out of the gym, and when he got to me he flinched, as if he thought poverty might be contagious. His palm had felt like a fresh-peeled boiled egg. As Opal gets to know Arthur and learns more about the original Eleanor Starling, who built the residence that’s named for her and penned a popular children’s book called The Underland before essentially vanishing, she slowly begins to unearth more about truths herself, her strange connections to the house, and the family she never knew. Arthur, for his part, is lonely and miserable, determined that he will be the last Warden of Starling House—at least until he meets Opal and slowly begins to realize that he’s allowed to want more for his life than a family curse with a predetermined fate. Though the pair spend a significant portion of the book at odds, there’s always a sense there’s an undercurrent of something more between them, as these two lost souls find a way to be a little less lonely together. Represents community and the importance of relationships. This bird reminds us of the power of unity and cooperation. It encourages us to value our connections with others, fostering a sense of belonging and collective support. The European Starling Bird teaches us the significance of harmonious interactions and shared experiences. The story seems overly elaborate at times. Despite this, many plot points are left dangling. Who was narrating the footnotes? What was with Arthur’s tattoos? What’s with the townspeople keeping so many secrets from Opal? My thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “Starling House”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.