Book: The Curse of Indy Moore by Sarah Barlowe
Reviewed by DB @ DB's Guide to the Galaxy
Rating: 3.5/5
I’ve said this many times before (or at least I hope I have) — I love when a book draws me in and I struggle to leave. That was the case with this book and I’m eagerly awaiting the news of the sequel. There’s the magical setting of the book—perfect if you’re a fan of sentient houses that have their own personality and various rooms full of adventure and wonder. I like sentient houses. I like when the house is nearly another character as it adds a layer of storytelling and world-building (always a tick in my book). If you’re a fan of Howl’s Moving Castle (going off from the movie here as I haven’t read the book), you’re in for a treat as not only is the house inspired by that house but our main male character is inspired by Howl. That was so fun for me and it was so well done! You can see the nods but Barlowe makes it wholly original. The plot moves between slow, fun days where we explore the house and its magic and trying to break Indy’s curse.
Indy Moore is that type of soft character who becomes hard (but not in a bad way) when circumstances change for her. She gets cursed, has to leave her family, and live with an annoying man; she’s going through a lot! She manages to take it all in stride and grows to be a character you’d love to root for. I liked her close relationship with her family (she lives with her aunt and cousins), it’s sweet and you can tell she’s close with them all. They’re also a big reason for her to break the curse, giving her that extra motivation when she thinks she doesn’t have the energy to go on they give her that energy even from far away.
Rooke Hawthorne is a great character. He’s funny and you have to peel back a few layers before you get to the real him. I liked peeling back those layers with Indy as it also set up their friendship and (eventual romantic relationship as it’s a slow-burn) romance. It’s just a fun time every time (seeing the closed off characters open up and become softer, letting themselves love and be loved) and I can’t wait to explore his arc next book. I’d love to know more about the house, and the backstory of how it all works and maybe even how it was before — even if I can barely understand the world-building