Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - The Starless Sea

I will admit, I did space out during parts of this audiobook and I don't remember all of it, but I enjoyed the ride. There are so many reoccurring symbols and motifs, and trying to follow along and put the pieces together and catch the callbacks is fun. I loved the tone of the present-day chapters from Zachary's perspective, I got a chuckle out of those a few times.

I loved the kitchen, and I loved the later chapters from Zachary's friend's perspective as she was trying to find him.

I loved how many random cats there were. I do wish I had been able to pay more attention, but sometimes the more poetic/metaphorical parts would lose me and I'd drift for a while until I realized I was missing stuff. I basically blacked out for most of the ending, but I think I got the general idea? 😅 I probably would have enjoyed the story better if the book had been a bit more concise, but I think that might also be a detriment for other people who love it the way it is, and maybe wouldn't have fit with the tone the book was trying to convey.

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katievallin's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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peperopoi's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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kcarney86's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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

3.75

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amylynnknitsreads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

I feel like this was written for me. I loved the themes and the mechanics. I even liked the story structural aspects, and I normally hate jumping perspectives and settings.

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the_reading_wren's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

Writing a story about the power of stories is a brave thing for an author to take on, and Erin Morgenstern shows she’s a master storyteller in The Starless Sea.

I should have been prepared by reading The Night Circus, but I forgot how the author creates a world for the reader to fall in love with before breaking it apart… and resolving the story in the most beautiful and satisfying way. I enjoyed spending so much time at the beginning of the book getting to know the main character and the beginnings of the many threads that later weave into the narrative. Then the second half became an un-put-down-able roller-coater ride!

Morgenstern’s talent for world-building I think comes from the sensory descriptions - the texture of a jumper, the taste of a drink, the richness of a voice, the sense of a space and the smell of a perfume are all given importance. But things are rarely over-described, making it feel like the storytelling is working with the reader’s own imagination.

Overall I think the diversity of the cast of characters was well done, bar a few missed opportunities for trans/nonbinary and better disability representation. Something I particularly noticed was that the main character’s mother is given a significant voice in the narrative, which is unusual in stories like this, and I appreciated it.

I’m really glad I listened to the audiobook; the cast is brilliant, and having different voices read different sections helps follow the flicks between times, people, places and books within books.

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yrlaevelyn's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

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donatio's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

So I know people have mixed opinions on this book. On the one hand I did like her writing style and the sheer amount of stories mixed together so that it actually makes sense. On the other hand I didn't feel many emotions, I felt that the plot was more background while the prose was in the focus. And I like prose in books, but a moment when everything comes together or when I couldn't put the book down because it was so exciting never came. Some things were introduced and never talked about again although it could have been interesting

Like the fact that Dorian speaks so many languages.

I wasn't really investigated in the characters' stories as I was with other books.

e. g. When Zachary died I didn't cry, I was just wondering what was going to happen next, especially since it was already said that he and Dorian would visit his mother one day.

I'd recommend this to anyone who likes long books, with many many details, and doesn't need to feel all the feels to like a book. Anyone who doesn't like lingering pieces or is interested in action should probably try something different.

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