A review by decklededgess
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

adventurous funny hopeful mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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

trigger warnings: missing person, murder attempt, torture, death, stalking

I didn't particularly like Nigh Circus but my experience reading this has given me a better understanding of what I missed in my reading of NC. Erin Morgenstern's books require that you put in effort to carve out the plot for yourself from the layers and layers of stories that she frontloads. And after you put in the effort to map out your understanding of the book she rewards you with incredibly gratifying reveals that knit the book together into one seamless plot. As someone who has like 2% understanding of symbolism, I was rather proud of myself for understanding this book but I'm sure rereads will reveal dozens more layers.

This is a book for your whimsical dark academia aesthetic book lovers. It's a book about books for the bookish folk who long to disappear into the story itself. 

Incredibly immersive and easy to get lost in.
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