A review by ponora31
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

3.75

I knew this book wouldn’t give away the answers to everything by the end, so I leaned into its surrealism. Reading this book ended up feeling more like an experience, a dream that I could sink into each time I opened its pages. The atmosphere and world-building were beautiful.

There’s a scene that blew me away when I first read it, where Zachary and Dorian stumble into a glittering gold ballroom and share a dance. My mind just keeps going back to the magic of that sequence, and I remember like I was almost there.

I wish I could stay in the Starless Sea for a little longer even though, as this book ultimately reasons, all stories must have an end. There were some issues I did have with the writing style, mostly wordiness (record-breaking number of times the word “book” is used) and an outdated “millennial” way of saying some things. While the overall experience beats these problems I had, they still took me out of the story at times. I also felt that the pacing could be a bit better—there was a bit of a lull in the middle that picked up towards the end.

In addition, I didn’t fully buy into Zachary and Dorian’s relationship. I felt that it could’ve been developed much more so that it could have led to a more fulfilling ending.

While I did have my qualms, I’m glad I could get lost in this book for a while. I feel that it will embed itself into my memory like a dream I can’t forget.