Starlings

Kit's dad always said that her grandmother was dead. But when Kit's father dies suddenly, Agatha Starling, his mysterious (and very much alive) mother, invites Kit and her mom to leave North Dakota and spend the winter holidays at her home. Agatha lives in a small apartment even though she still owns massive Starling House, the old family home that's since been turned into a museum. When Kit and her mother arrive in Rosemont, a Stepford-like small town in Wisconsin, for Christmas, what awaits her isn't a quaint holiday with her long-lost grandmother but a horror-filled trip complete with creepy townsfolk, magical roses, disembodied voices, and even a mysterious death. When Kit's mother suddenly disappears under strange circumstances and her grandmother seems more preoccupied with an upcoming New Year's town festival, Kit knows something is not right. She is forced to rely on herself and her few new Rosemont friends to figure out what is really going on and what exactly is keeping Rosemont seeming so outwardly perfect. This is an original and fast-paced horror novel with elements of fantasy. While the prose is at times overly embellished and the supporting characters lack significant depth, the deliciously chilling plot advances swiftly toward a conclusion that will leave readers delightfully creeped out and thoroughly content. Main characters are White; Kit is bisexual, and there is some diversity in race and sexual orientation among supporting characters. A foreboding, flower-filled, feminist horror story. (Horror. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Kit Starling, 17, has always believed her father's parents were dead, but when her father dies, her paternal grandmother, Agatha, invites Kit and her mother to visit her in Rosemont, her father's hometown, which seems perfect; even the roses bloom year round. When they arrive, everyone treats them—particularly Kit—with deference. But Kit becomes increasingly nervous about an upcoming town festival—even though she's not planning to be there—because the townspeople seem to think she will. When her mother disappears, no one will help Kit look for her. As the festival looms, a trusted friend betrays her, and Kit learns the truth about why she's being treated so oddly by everyone in the town. Linsmeier uses a delicate emotional palette to depict her plot, beginning with the subdued gloom and grief surrounding Kit and her mother. The suspense gradually grows to the nail-biting climax, and character development is so nuanced that the reader, like Kit, can't trust anyone. Fans of folk horror will be entranced by this suspenseful novel. Grades 9-12. Copyright 2023 Booklist Reviews.