A review by jess_brooks
Starbird Murphy and the World Outside by Karen Finneyfrock

4.0

Starbird Murphy and the World Outside

By Karen Finneyfrock



So. Starbird Murphy.


Honestly, I have never, ever read a book quite like this. I suppose you could say that cults aren't my typical reading subject, so obviously, I entered this book with a little trepidation. I really had no idea how this book was going to turn out. Actually, I didn't even have a clear idea of where it was going until a good quarter of the way in, and I couldn't predict the ending, really, before the last possible second. Do you know how refreshing that is?? So many novels nowadays are just so predictable. The "not knowing" might bug some people, but I loved it. There was also a sense of...ambiguity to the ending--it was kind of open-ended. I'm not sure how I felt about that--parts of it I liked, others, not so much. I don't want to give anything away, but I do think that there was a lot of wasted potential in the end. There were several different paths that the author could have taken the book, and she chose one that, in my opinion, was a tad disappointing.


But other than that, the book did pretty much everything right: an engaging set of characters, great display of conflict, gorgeous prose, and the perfect dash of humor, all coming together to form something unconventionally complex and utterly unique. I was very surprised to find myself connecting with Starbird on several different levels, as my inner struggle with my personal beliefs are oddly similar to hers. For an author to create a relatable character out of a girl that grew up in a cult--practically in a different world--takes genuine skill.

I sit in awe, Finneyfrock. I sit in awe.