#Starlings #NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-Arc copy of this novel. Great book for the teens in your life.

OMG, this book!

This is the perfect blending of a small town with things that go bump in the night. This gave me Stars Hallow but spooky and dark and I was HERE FOR IT.
The mystery grabbed me right away and wouldn't let go until the very end.
The creep/dark factor is just perfect and I will be purchasing this book to have on my shelf (thank you NetGalley for the arc) trophies.
Basically, if you love a dark creepy mystery that will have you guessing until the end, and even with guessing you are still SHOCKED? This is the book for you!

This book exuded such creepy and mysterious vibes.. Consumed by grief over the recent loss of her father, Kit is hoping to discover answers when she arrives in Rosemont to visit her grandmother who she has never met. Instead she finds that she has even more questions, Like why does the town of Rosemont hold the Starling name in such high regard and what is the "family legacy" that her grandmother is referring to? Not only is her family full of secrets, the town of Rosemont has some dark secrets of its own.

Overall, this was a book that I enjoyed reading. I found the ending to be a bit rushed though, I liked the character of Kit and her loyalty to the ones that she loves. There were different things in the book that I wish the author would have elaborated on more, such as the "creatures" that are briefly mentioned in Rosemont. I would give this book 3.5 stars and I would recommend it to readers who liked "House of Hollow."

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

I didn't really enjoy this one. The pacing was off for me and it felt like the end kind of rushed things. Also not a fan of how instaloveish the relationships the main character had. (They were there a week!!!)

I really enjoyed this book! It was fast paced and full of mystery. I thought Kit was a well written, strong willed main character. I love the authors writing in the way that the book flowed. This book is definitely creepy and would be a great book to read in the fall! I look forward to reading more from this author!

Starlings tells the story of Kit Starling, a girl with a family legacy that delves into horror. When she and her mom visit her grandma’s small town, something isn’t quite right. It’s paranormal and eerie, feeling like a modern-day girl-snatched-by-the-goblin-king myth. It’s perfect for fans of Small Favors by Erin Craig.

"The Starlings" was a fascinating read with a couple of unforeseen plot twists. Personally, I am not a horror reader, and this definitely had a creepy vibe to it. Despite my preference, I did have trouble putting the book down, especially since the love interest has a dark twist. I am sure those who like horror will enjoy this. I did get frustrated at times with the lack of explanation of how some of the dark magic developed in the story. Otherwise, I did find it a story difficult to not finish.

This book was good. I really liked the trippy aspects of it, and I liked the majority of the characters. I wasn’t a huge fan of the whole plot, as I felt it was a little rushed at times. However, the story itself reminded me of my favorite movie, so I did enjoy it!

Overall, I give this 3.5/5 stars.

Starlings by Amanda Linsmeier is an entertaining book about Kit Starling, who—after the sudden loss of her father—visits the grandmother she thought was dead and finds herself in a bit of a horror story. The book addresses themes of human selfishness: a town’s horrid history of murder and cannibalism finds its parallel in the residents’ traditional sacrifice of young women in order to maintain their own wealth and comfort. Over and over, they continue the cycle—‘others must die so that I can live. So that I can live as I would like.’ And all the while, they treat the Starlings with a disingenuous reverence. There is a lot to talk about thematically with this book. The twists were a bit predictable, but there is a compelling depth to the story, and Kit is a fairly well-written main character.

Additionally, the author handles the aftermath of suicide well. She explores Kit’s struggle with feeling abandoned by her father, a realistic feeling after the suicide of a loved one, and she does it without casting him as a villain.

The primary problem with this book was the pacing. The romance between Kit and Bear happens really fast, and then the relationship between Kit and Sabelle is even more jarring. I ended the book feeling like these two characters didn’t even know each other well enough to form a friendship, much less to start kissing in the woods. The ending is just as abrupt. The climax passes quickly. The denouement just drops you on the floor like a rag doll. It’s not falling action. It is plummeting action. Literally, Kit’s mother wakes up from being asleep, is told that a demon kidnapped her and tried to take her child as a bride, then learns that her daughter murdered the demon, and just kind of says, “By the way, I promise to stop parentifying you now. How about we get some therapy?” The story ended on a really strange note, and it felt like the resolution was an afterthought.

We also never got some answers to conflicts that seemed pretty important but then were just abandoned. How did Juliet die? Was Jack killing the Starling women when he was done with them? Did Daniel really never tell his wife about Rosemont? Why would the mom actually agree to take Kit there to see Agatha? It seems like an irresponsible choice, whether she knew or not. If she knew, WTF?!?! If she didn’t know, she still knew that her husband had claimed all his life that his family was dead and then been haunted by monsters from his past to the degree that he ended his own life. I would never have taken my child there. And so what if Agatha threatened to reach out on her own? Let her. I would still never take my child there. We never get an answer, and I waited for one until the very end.

This book is a must-read for 2023.
Linsmeier explores cycles of generational trauma and abuse with a gentle, intentional touch in this gothic YA fantasy about a girl seeking answers about her deceased father.
You will fall in love with angsty Kit Starling and obsess over the creepy residents of Rosemont, home of the eternal roses and rife with legends of monsters who go bump in the night. The story is filled with twists, betrayals, and toe-curling kisses that will leave you flipping pages into the wee hours of the morning.
Crossing my fingers for a prequel or two that follow some of the incredible Starling ladies.

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“I don’t look for frightening things anymore. Except somewhere, in the deepest recesses of my bones, I feel like they still look for me.”

First of all, this book is beautifully written. It flows beautifully, almost like a song. The story was written in a way that wasn’t obvious as to how it would end. (Then again, maybe it was obvious and I’m just dumb). This book fits into so many categories and blends each one seamlessly. Contemporary, mystery, thriller, paranormal, and fantasy, all rolled up into one twisty knot.

This book is written as a standalone and at first I was concerned as to how the hell it was going to get wrapped up in such a short book (300ish pages?) but it did. Nothing felt rushed and the story had a natural feel the whole time. I fully expect this book to become the next booktok obsession, so be ready for it.

Let’s quick talk about representation and any triggers.
LGBTQ?- yep. We have a bi main character, a gay florist, and a hottie monster.
POC?- some, but only one specifically named.
Disabled persons?- not that I saw
Neurodivergence?- possibly, depression is hinted but not explicitly stated.

And now for the triggers-
Abuse, domestic violence, forced relationships, narcissistic behavior, death of a parent, death of a relative, kidnapping, m*rder, and self unaliving.

This book is listed as 12+ but I would say 14+ is better simply because of some language and mature themes.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for providing me this copy and this opportunity

TL;DR- Kit decides to confront generational trauma by fighting a god

Starlings by Amanda Linsmeier

This book was so creepy! From the moment Kit and her mom drive into Rosemont something feels off. The place is too perfect. They take a trip to the pleasantly perfect town to visit the grandmother Kit never knew she had. All anyone in town can talk about are the eternal roses and Crowning Day. Everywhere Kit goes she gets strange looks and people whispering about her behind her back. She finds out that her family, the Starlings, are famous for saving the town when it was first founded.

During their visit a lot of strange events start to occur around town. Children are found dead in the surrounding woods. Kit and her mom start to experience headaches and bodily pain. Halfway through the visit, Kit's mom even goes missing and no one takes it seriously. Even stranger is that her grandmother doesn’t seem to be worried at all. She even seems happy that Kit will most likely be staying for Crowning Day after all. This leads Kit to not trust her grandmother at all as well as question what is so important about the town’s upcoming festival.

One of the few comforts Kit has while in town is meeting Bear. He is a charming guy who happens to like many of the same things Kit does. He is even willing to help her break into the town museum to find answers about the town, her family, and her mom's disappearance.

Just as Kit is beginning to trust a few other people around town she learns that not everyone in town is who they say they are… Some are not even what they appear to be…

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good horror mystery! Thank you NetGalley, Amanda Linsmeier, and Random House Children’s Books for allowing me to read this advanced copy of Starlings! Also, I absolutely loved the look of the cover!

Star Rating: —> 4.5 Stars

Wow. WowwowWOW! This was one hell of a thrill ride! More of a creepy fantasy haunted house ride with mild scares, but that didn’t change the impact of the mood of the mystery… I was dying to know what was at the very root of things the entire time! There was just this underlying air of sinister energy the whole book! Sure, a few things were easily guessable, but the rest? NOPE. I cannot wait to check out more from this author! I loved how well she wove fantastical elements with the horror elements! It was nothing short of masterful.

I was wholly & truly impressed! I also loved that the author made the MC Bi! Bisexuality never gets near enough representation in books!

All in all I cannot recommend this enough!

A huge thank you to NetGalley & Random House Children’s Publishing for the ARC! This in no way changed my opinion or review!

Starlings has all the makings of a good YA horror--parental secrets, strange happenings, weird/cute small town, flowers no one can explain, and historical tragedy. It starts out strong with Kit and her mother going to visit the grandmother she's never known, whom her father said was dead. But after her father's suicide, Kit is called to the family seat in Rosemont to get to know the grandmother she never knew.

Then her mother disappears, leaving behind an uncharacteristic note that sends all of Kit's alarm bells ringing. Unfortunately nearly no one else seems to care about this, including grandma. Determined to find her mother, Kit unwittingly unearths Rosemont's terrible history and the curse that keeps it from further doom--one that she is intricately connected to.

All together, I mostly liked this. It has a Midsommer vibe and the mystery of the Starling family kept me interested. I do feel like Kit spun her wheels too often--like nothing she ever attempted seemed to amount to much and the climax was so easily dealt with that it undercuts the story a bit. I also didn't think the plot could support a love triangle and felt that about 80% of the romance could have been cut out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy of this book. Unfortunately, I will not be reading this to completion. I don't really like the writing style of this book. It's one of those "It's not you, it's me" situations. However, I don't feel it right to mark down the book because I couldn't get into the writing style, so I'm giving it a 3 star.

Kit Starling has just recently lost her father and is headed to the town of Rosemont to see her her paternal grandmother, Agatha, for the first time with her mother. Once she arrives, she uncovers family secrets as she grieves that loss. But that's not the only loss Kit is facing.. now her mother has gone missing!

This book is a quick and captivating read that is super creepy - it's definitely a Young Adult novel that focuses on Kit's "coming of age" as she navigates through Rosemont and tries to find answers. She realizes that she can't trust the people that she thought she could, not everything is as it seems.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! I look forward to reading more from Amanda Linsmeier, I enjoy her writing!

Monsters come in many forms, and the most chilling kind aren’t the kind that go bump in the night.

Fans of the Claire LeGrand’s Sawkill Girls will enjoy this dark contemporary fantasy about a quaint, small town with a terrifying secret and a fierce main character who is brave enough to break a brutal and seemingly impossible generational curse that holds her family and the entire town captive.

Things I loved:

- The subtle supernatural elements and original lore

The dark fantasy elements in the story were developed enough to set up a fascinating and original world where monsters and magic exist, but subtle enough to let your own imagination terrify you.

- A strong-willed FMC who can save herself

Kit finds herself in some terrifying scenarios and has little to no help from anyone. Even when she is able to form some bonds and friendships, there is not much others can do to get her out of the trouble she faces.

I loved how Kit was resilient and creative to create her own solutions when presented with ultimatums and impossible odds. Was she perfect? Did she always make smart decisions? Not at all.

There were plenty of times I found myself yelling at the pages, but her character was consistent, believable, and relatable.

I really enjoyed this story and nearly devoured it in one setting. The eerie suspense and the dark fantastical elements were well blended in this YA gem. I’m a fan and can’t wait to see what else Linsmeier has coming.

Things to note:
This story may include triggering content which includes but isn’t limited to:
Mention of and description of abuse/ torture, death/parent loss, abandonment, mention and depiction of murder, death, anxiety, and depression

Thank you to Netgalley, Random Children’s & Delacorte Press for a complimentary copy of this e-book. I am leaving a voluntary review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own.

This is a super quick & captivating read with all of the spooky small town vibes. I loved the dark atmosphere and it actually dealt with some darker themes than I was expecting. It kept me wanting to read more to find out what the big secret of the town was and how it involved Kit’s family. Some twists were predictable but others were pretty good. This book is mainly about family, but has a hint of romance as well. The only thing is that I thought the romance got a little strange toward the end. Overall a solid 4 star read.

Thank you to Random House Children’s for the ARC!

This book was so creepy and cool. Kit and her mom felt very "Lorelai and Rory" to me, and the town definitely had stars-hollow-esque vibes...until everything fell apart and the horrifying secrets of what makes this town so perfect began to unwind. Creepy and modern and beautiful and so easy to get sucked into. I read it in like 2 days.

I like when horror novels have a botanical twist to them, and that appealed to me in STARLINGS. I loved Sabelle. Loved the florist guy. I want Belinda to bake for me. I want to shake every single person in this town to their senses. If you didn't know this was a horror going in the first few chapters would not clue you in until suddenly WHAM THERE IT IS, BE SCARED NOW. Not to mention the way Amanda Linsmeier so delicately and masterfully navigated really heavy feelings of grief and depression folded into our main girl's journey of chasing the mystery of her missing mother and running away from her monsters, but literal and imagined.

Such a beautiful and cool debut.

I love the cover and the premise sounds exactly up my alley, but the writing style didn't quite work for me. The main character/narrative voice was a bit formal for my taste, so I couldn't fully immerse myself in the work. I can understand WHY the voice is semi-formal, given the characters and setting, though, so I know this will work for plenty of folks.