A dark YA fantasy debut perfect for fans of House of Hollow and Small Favors. In the wake of her father’s death, a teen girl discovers a side of her family she didn’t know existed, and is pulled into a dark–and ancient–bargain she is next in line to fulfill.
Kit’s father had always told her he had no family, but four months ago his sudden death revealed the truth. Now she has a grandmother she never knew she had–Agatha Starling–and an invitation to visit her father’s hometown, Rosemont.
And Rosemont . . . it’s picture perfect: the famed eternal roses bloom year-round, downtown is straight out of the 1950s . . . there’s even a cute guy to show Kit around.
The longer Kit’s there, though, the stranger it all feels. The Starling family is revered, but there’s something off about how the Starling women seem to be at the center of the all the town’s important history. And as welcoming as the locals are, Kit can’t shake the feeling that everyone seems to be hiding something from her.
Agatha is so happy to finally meet her only granddaughter, and the town is truly charming, but Kit can’t help wondering, if everything is so great in Rosemont, why did her father ever leave? And why does it seem like he never wanted her to find it?
“The game is this: he hurts me, and I cry.
“Why are you doing this?” I whisper.
He kisses my forehead tenderly. “Because I can.”
Then he is gone, his laughter on the air. My hands clutching emptiness.“
Amanda Linsmeier. Starlings (Kindle Locations 2466-2469). Kindle Edition.
Haunting in almost a whimsical way, Starlings whisks you away to a small town filled with secrets that are purposely trapped within its chilling confines.
With our MC, Kit, I really enjoyed her right away. She encapsulates a strong yet witty teen perfectly. and I think Amanda did an excellent job with her sexuality as well. On the other side with our side characters that we meet, I also found myself enjoying each of their roles too. You never quite know who to trust throughout the story and I liked that about it.
Discovering the twisted secrets of Rosemont with her was thrilling to say the least. Rosemont was very interestingly crafted. I felt like it was something out of the old south, yet cold and calculating. It’s funny how everyone in town knows its secrets, yet stays tight-lipped about the terrors of it. Starlings is also haunting in a way where you just keep spiraling on theories. It’s almost like a horror movie where strange things keep happening yet we’re still waiting for the why. When we finally hit “it”, I will say I still found myself asking some questions as to why things were symbols or why certain events happened… but maybe that was part of the mystery of the story crafted? I think I personally just wanted more details in some parts.
Overall though, a thrilling and gorgeously crafted YA thriller. One that you will absolutely want to pick up when it’s released!
Special thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for an ARC of this story.
Jotted by Jena 