Starlings by Amanda Linsmeier
Published by Delacorte on June 27, 2023
ISBN: 0593572335
Genres: Fantasy, Horror
Format: Fiction
Goodreads

After Kit loses her father, she discovers that the grandmother she thought was dead is very much alive and wants to meet her. She and her mother visit Agatha Starling in the idyllic town of Rosemont where Kit instantly feels like a celebrity. As she pieces together the dark history behind the reason she and her family are so revered, she becomes increasingly uncomfortable with the upcoming rose festival everyone is so excited about. When her mother goes missing, Kit knows she must find her and escape the town or be cursed to live there forever.

This is an entertaining dark fantasy that shades into folk horror. Picture Harvest Home or The Wicker Man but much less traumatizing. Kit is very likable and the claustrophobia of being in Rosemont makes for a tense read. Fans of horror, fantasy, and folklore and will enjoy this one!

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library