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madamelacy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
What I didn’t like: it felt very predictable and contrived rather than a story that unfurled organically. The romance between Liddy and the Keymaker just wasn’t credible as they’d barely interacted and it felt so twee. The story took ages to get going, so I nearly abandoned it a third of the way through. The answer to all questions was ‘the sorrowing stars’. The descriptions were a bit lacking at times, so I just couldn’t picture what was being described. The relationship between Vivienne and the shopkeeper was under-developed. Finally Rosa… who? She was obviously mentioned early on but was very unmemorable.
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, and Animal death
Minor: Blood
attenaeus's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
The premise of the book is uniquely interesting, as a fan of The Night Circus seeing the connection to it in blurbs made me incredibly hopeful. It is very low fantasy in that fantastical elements are seen as natural and are incorporated into an otherwise normal world very seamlessly. The characters and settings are delightful, each with vivid description and a clear picture of mystery accompanying them. The fantasy is located solely on the island the house is located on, keeping the fascination contained in a great use of setting. The setting is perhaps one of the books strongest qualities, alongside the house's residents.
This book was character focused. The plot itself revolved around each character's past and the way they handled grief in the present. Overall, I enjoyed this book! I had a good time reading it, however I had a few grievances that arose at around the 70% mark.
Mild spoilers beyond.
Raphael and Liddy I struggled greatly with. Raphael as a whole had a well rounded story that tied a lot together, but his and Liddy's romance was infatuation and not much more. This book wasn't marketed as a romance, so the fact that it ended up somewhat centering around romance was a surprise. It wasn't unwelcome, a romance alongside the main plot is something I enjoy, but I didn't feel this was handled very well.
Liddy first meets Raphael in the dark, when she is absolutely not meant to meet him. He doesn't see her, but she is infatuated with him immediately. She herself is shocked by it, which I felt was a good sign as perhaps it would mean they would form a proper bond and slowly fall into romance. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Perhaps limited by the scope of what the book was trying to achieve, Liddy and Raphael rarely spoke together. Pacing wise, this worked in the books favour. Character wise, it did not work.
The infatuation continued on Liddy's end without much interaction with Raphael. They spoke twice and she was convinced he hated her and that she loved him, which was an intriguing dynamic. Not long after, however, Raphael nearly kicks a guy out because he was aggressive towards Liddy. Again, this would be fine, if it weren't for Raphael's clear motivations being affection towards Liddy. Cartwright is very clearly establishing mutual infatuation without delving into a personal connection between the two, which was disconcerting considering we were now more than halfway through the book. The personal connection didn't have time to be established, and it very much was not.
The two ended up getting together rather quickly. After being established that Liddy's purpose was to help Raphael, the relationship was rushed into being. I firmly believe that without a romantic relationship, Liddy could have still served her purpose incredibly well. There was no actual relationship between the two, just a physical infatuation, which made it hard for me to actually mesh with a lot of the last 30% of the book. While the conclusion itself was heartfelt and well handled, a lot of it felt slightly rushed and not fully established. I would have rathered a lot of the final events be sprinkled throughout the book, with the ending being focused in what was the final chapter. That could easily have been expanded and made more poignant, rather I got left wanting more at the end. It didn't feel fully explored and like there were a lot of emotions left on the table.
I also overall struggled with Liddy. Compared to every other character in the book, her lack of purpose was striking. It would have been better received on my end perhaps if she knew of her purpose early on, and was able to fully rise to the challenge. This would have also potentially solved my issues with the insta love, as the two could have bonded properly this way. Again, the book tried to accomplish a little more than what it was able to given the size of it. It would have benefited from a little more breathing room and time given to certain aspects. Instead, I was left wanting to perhaps experience the story from Ben's perspective, or even from someone who was a guest due to their grief. I recognise that this also would add to the plot in a way that the book maybe wouldn't be able to handle, but this is more just what I was left wanting for rather than an actual suggestion.
I'd like to reiterate that I did enjoy this book. It had a great premise and the actual ending was bittersweet and beautiful. It was incredibly well handled overall, and I really enjoyed the explorations of how different people might process grief in a variety of unsavory ways. The fantasy elements added to this story, the magic providing an outlet for grief, and the way it worked was done incredibly softly. It wasn't meant to be fully understood, it was meant to just be and that was executed very well.
This book would have received a 3.5-4 star review if it weren't for the lack of connection I felt to the MC, the insta love, and the slightly rushed last section of the book. As a whole it was well executed and beautifully written, if a little heavy-handed at times. I was left wanting slightly more in certain aspects, and wanting less in others. I am incredibly keen to see what comes of this writer in the future!
Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, Death, Death of parent, and Child death
Moderate: Alcohol, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcoholism
One of the side characters experiences a terminal illness in the background and passes at the end of the book as a result. A character is described as wanting to cause harm to another child after the death of her own, resulting in said character's death. This is in the past and is only ever described through one character to another, but does happen.drannieg's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Moderate: Terminal illness, Child death, Blood, and Pregnancy
Minor: Abandonment
lja207's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
Some of the writing in this book is beautiful, but the characters lacked enough depth for me to truly care.
I hoped the women in this book would make a difference.
Moderate: Miscarriage, Child death, and Grief
rwal's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Child death and Grief
hitheremynameislisa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Child death
Minor: Blood, War, Animal death, and Physical abuse
ellereadsbookslike's review against another edition
4.0
~Short Synopsis~
"How do you heal a broken house? First you unlock its secrets".
Sorrowing stars - flowers that shine as dusk begins to fall. On an island surrounded by these magical flowers, sits an old, faded house. Rooms cannot be rented here and visits are only for those haunted by the memory of loss.
Liddy receives a mysterious invitation to the House of Sorrowing Stars. At first she thinks there must have been some sort of mistake as she has never experienced loss. But when she arrives, she realises that there must be another reason for her invitation...now she must work out her true purpose in this story.
~Review~
A historical fiction with magical realism running through its core, The House of Sorrowing Stars is an utterly immersive and transportive fairytale about loss and letting go.
This kind of writing style is so up my street! The detailed descriptions produce such beautiful imagery. Cartwright does a wonderful job at creating an alluring yet downright creepy ambience. The pace is slow and steady which gives you time to really soak up the atmosphere. The lyrical writing style painted the images so clearly in my head that I could see every last detail. Oh how I wish sorrowing stars where real so that I could see a lake full of them in real life!
I think my favourite part of the book was the Library of Lost Souls. "The interior took her breath away. It felt more like a cathedral than a library, with its vast space and domed roof." I think every book lover dreams of owning a library like the one in Beauty and the Beast, well I want one like the Library of Lost Souls. The library also contained my favourite character, Eloura.
With magical libraries and stories within stories, there are definitely elements that remind me of The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern which is a book I love very much.
The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the romance. For me it all happened too quickly and I struggled to connect with it. I personally really like to see the connection grow between the two characters, that way I can really root for them. I feel like I missed out on that. But with the book being a fairytale-style story, I am willing to forgive the love at first sight.
An enchanting, haunting and intricate fable of love and loss, sure to make any fairytale lover lose themselves in the pages for a few hours.
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Child death and Death