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solouncapitulomas's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- 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
“Not all stories speak to all listeners, but all listeners can find a story that does, somewhere, sometime. In one form or another.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Stalking
Moderate: Blood, Alcohol, and Violence
norwegianforestreader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Death, Alcohol, Body horror, Confinement, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
obfuscatress's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Simply stunning. The construction of the narrative is unbelievably intricate. I've never seen anyone build a story from multiple "books" & narrative viewpoints in the way this author has. The closest comparison I could make would be to Cloud Atlas, but its Russian Doll effect falls flat in comparison to Morgenstern's seamless, multidimensional weaving of a story that expands into every direction and loops in on itself time and time again. She's outdone herself with this one, taking her approach to asynchronous chronology seen in her debut novel to a whole new level. This time, her characters and the plot are virtually indistinguishable from one another, forming a rich tapestry that is somehow -- amid the magic and adventure and sensory wonder of it all -- also a meta-analysis of storytelling itself.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
lisa_m's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Okay so I finished The Starless Sea.
I am in a loss for words. This does not happen often but I truly don't know what to say. I loved this book so much. But it was more than just me enjoying a fictional story. It resonated with me and it feels like it is now a part of me. I will have to take some time to think about this book before I can say anything more but this:
The Starless Sea is pure poetry. It takes you on a journey that feels like your own and so realistic even though it is very much a fantasy story. It confused me, made me happy and sad. I absolutely love the stories inside the story and the ending... I don't know what to think about it. It was good but also kind of unsatisfactory? I generally don't like open ended stories and even though this one isn't it still left many questions unanswered. Kind of in a good way though? It makes you think about your own life and you as a person.
This book did something to me. It changed me and now I will need to get to know the new me which is strange to say about a book.
Lastly: please read this. Saying the writing style is beautiful is a vast understatement. It is pure poetry.
I am in a loss for words. This does not happen often but I truly don't know what to say. I loved this book so much. But it was more than just me enjoying a fictional story. It resonated with me and it feels like it is now a part of me. I will have to take some time to think about this book before I can say anything more but this:
The Starless Sea is pure poetry. It takes you on a journey that feels like your own and so realistic even though it is very much a fantasy story. It confused me, made me happy and sad. I absolutely love the stories inside the story and the ending... I don't know what to think about it. It was good but also kind of unsatisfactory? I generally don't like open ended stories and even though this one isn't it still left many questions unanswered. Kind of in a good way though? It makes you think about your own life and you as a person.
This book did something to me. It changed me and now I will need to get to know the new me which is strange to say about a book.
Lastly: please read this. Saying the writing style is beautiful is a vast understatement. It is pure poetry.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
librarymouse's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The Starless Sea is entrancing. It's easy to fall into and fall in love with the characters. The shifting settings and perspectives makes the story feel fluid and dreamlike and I look forward to reading the book again and finding the pop culture and mythology references that I missed the first read through. I like a book with a good ambiguous ending, and I really enjoyed how Morgenstern brought Zachary and Dorian safely together, brought the woman who is not and never will be Eleanor and Simon within sight of each other, brought Mirabel and the keeper together outside of the harbor, and gave Kat a family while allowing the opening of the door to be open ended. It's an end and a new beginning all in one, and I think that fits really well with the cyclical nature of the story.
The book is a coming of age story for a generation that grew up with their heads full of magic and had the traditional coming of age narrative delayed
The book is a coming of age story for a generation that grew up with their heads full of magic and had the traditional coming of age narrative delayed
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Death
Minor: Violence
ashleyreads88's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
The Starless Sea is a beautiful book. At times, I found it confusing due to the multiple storylines. The storylines did all come together nicely. Another thing that was confusing at times was all the different characters and their stories. I did enjoy this book, and how much of a dark, mysterious adventure it was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Stalking, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping and Alcohol
my_plant_library's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Stalking
Moderate: Self harm
saoreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
From start to finish the goosebumps never left me! This book is so dreamy and has a lot of plot twists which can really suprise you in every nook and corners of it. Bees, keys, swords, crown, hearts, and feathers - these themes got me hooked. I love how the story building went throughout the reading process. The mini-tales are definitely my favorite! It captured the essence of love for books and connections (cats also) which is such a precious gift for readers and dreamers alike. Never thought Kat would play a big role for a new beginning. All loose ends weren't cut off, it had its own end tied to perfection.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Stalking, and Violence
dannythestreet's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This whole book is a metaphor (but still a book). You are just trying to keep up with all these symbols until you give up and sink into it. That was a wonderful experience for me, the writing style is the best thing that can happen to anyone and the atmosphere of the book makes you never want to get back to the real life. The character dynamic was also just magical and I'm glad I went on this journey with them
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Stalking
Moderate: Abandonment, Death, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
cg1256's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Stalking, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Violence