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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
This book took me for a ride. I wanted to like it SO MUCH. I’m sure some people would love this book, however I was not one of them. I had seen so many great things about this book that I caved and went and bought it too.
Starting The Starless Sea was intriguing and so well described I was quickly interested, however 200 pages in I was still like ???????? I didn’t know what was going on half the time and by the time the story came full circle, I was annoyed at having to force myself to read so far through the book to get to the point. I was still forcing myself by the last 10 pages which has NEVER happened. I wish I just DNF this read. Honestly the 2 stars are for Erin’s amazing way of depicting and describing things and maybe a little at the brilliance of the story that is also way too complicated for the sake of being complicated. UGH.
Starting The Starless Sea was intriguing and so well described I was quickly interested, however 200 pages in I was still like ???????? I didn’t know what was going on half the time and by the time the story came full circle, I was annoyed at having to force myself to read so far through the book to get to the point. I was still forcing myself by the last 10 pages which has NEVER happened. I wish I just DNF this read. Honestly the 2 stars are for Erin’s amazing way of depicting and describing things and maybe a little at the brilliance of the story that is also way too complicated for the sake of being complicated. UGH.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The story reads like the love child of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and The City We Became by N K Jemsin - lyrical, lovely, and nightmarish all at once.
The pacing is much like the honey and the bees that the story revolves around - slow and steady and lively and constantly moving in a swirl amber and gold. To be frank? It drove me nuts. But I also know that with this author, you're in for a *Journey* - a twisting, spinning, branching and splitting, rejoining, raging, rushing and retreating kind of journey that leaves you displaced and adrift right along with the rest of the river detritus trapped in its current. Destination is merely the byproduct of the ride.
The pacing is much like the honey and the bees that the story revolves around - slow and steady and lively and constantly moving in a swirl amber and gold. To be frank? It drove me nuts. But I also know that with this author, you're in for a *Journey* - a twisting, spinning, branching and splitting, rejoining, raging, rushing and retreating kind of journey that leaves you displaced and adrift right along with the rest of the river detritus trapped in its current. Destination is merely the byproduct of the ride.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Complicated
I’ve read lots of books that I’ve really liked, or enjoyed, or had fun with, but this is the first book in a long time that I’ve fallen in love with. The Starless Sea feels like a love letter in so many ways. To stories and writers and artists and dreamers and kids who wanted life to be just like a fairy tale. Reading this book felt healing in a way, and I can’t wait to pick it up and read it again.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
This one is hard because I love the lyricism of the writing and I can see what the author was trying to do but it didn’t quite land for me. It was just missing something to bring everything together, didn’t quite gel
I sadly cannot force myself to finish this book. I tried as hard as I could but nothing in this story was keeping me init. Did not feel connections to any of the characters and there seemed to be no plot other then the main character bumbling around. Very dissappointed as I enjoyed The Night Circus.
The great thing about being in a book club is that it encourages you to read books you would never normally pick up. This was one of those books. Loved the fairy tale and magic in the book. It was easy to read and a great form of escapism. Was a bit long though, could have been made a little shorter!
This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. The imagery is stunning, involving all your senses, and the stories within the stories are intricately woven and tied with a golden bow at the end.
Not the same feel as The Night Circus, much less creepy and dark. One of my new favourite books.
EDIT: This is my third re-read and this book always feels like coming home. The small intricacies of the story that only become apparent once you re-read it, the baffling amount of foreshadowing and story building! I can't wait for Morgenstern's next book. I plan on re-reading this yearly for the foreseeable future.
EDIT 2: Fourth re-read and still noticing new breadcrumbs left along the way.
EDIT 3: I always think I love this book as much as it is possible to love a book, and then I read it again, and it surprises me.
Not the same feel as The Night Circus, much less creepy and dark. One of my new favourite books.
EDIT: This is my third re-read and this book always feels like coming home. The small intricacies of the story that only become apparent once you re-read it, the baffling amount of foreshadowing and story building! I can't wait for Morgenstern's next book. I plan on re-reading this yearly for the foreseeable future.
EDIT 2: Fourth re-read and still noticing new breadcrumbs left along the way.
EDIT 3: I always think I love this book as much as it is possible to love a book, and then I read it again, and it surprises me.