A review by thecriticalreader
Stardust by Neil Gaiman

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Review:
Stardust is the second Neil Gaiman book I have read; I read Smoke and Mirrors a while ago, and I thought it was all right. I picked up Stardust after hearing it compared to The Phantom Tollbooth, which I love. After reading it, I feel the same way about Stardust as I do Smoke and Mirrors—it’s decent. Where many fantasy writers would turn the straightforward quest/fairytale narrative of Stardust and turn it into an epic high fantasy series with several books, complex character development, overly long side quests, and audacious worldbuilding, Gaiman sticks to the important facts and events. Stardust is only 250 pages long, which is a double-edged sword. Its short length combined with Gaiman’s limpid, witty, and occasionally profound prose makes it very readable and entertaining. There are several imaginative and fun moments. It reads somewhat like a children’s fairytale, and probably could be a middle-grade book if it didn’t contain some gratuitous (albeit not graphic) sex scenes and some descriptive violence. However, the characters lack depth, and the plot events occur because Gaiman wants them to, not because they make sense. In general, Stardust feels like it’s missing something important. Additionally, a lot of the narrative is pretty problematic if you stop to think about it, which you might not because the story demands very little thought. 
 
The Run-Down:
You will probably like Stardust if . . .
·      You want a quick, entertaining read to get you out of a slump
·      You like traditional fairy tales
 
You might not like Stardust if . . . 
·      You want to read a story with any sort of depth
·      You are sensitive to casual misogyny and racism in storytelling
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