Book written by Erin Morgenstern, published 2019.
There are doors everywhere. Hidden doors to the Starless Sea. Some people are lucky enough to find their door. For some, the journey to the Starless Sea leads to exactly what they were looking for, while for others, their stay is a short one. And only a select few choose to make their stay permanent, to become guardians and keepers of the greatest library the world has ever known. But some, like Zachary Ezra Rawlins, discover their door to the Starless Sea but choose not to open it. Only Zachary Ezra Rawlins, however, will get another chance, because unlike everyone else, Zachary Ezra Rawlins is destined to change the course of the Starless Sea, not the other way around.
With him is Mirabel, a firey young painter with shocking pink hair. She is one of the more permanent residents of the Starless Sea with a cryptic knowledge of the Sea’s ins and outs. Then there’s Dorian, if that is in fact his real name. Dorian is surrounded by an attractive aura of mystery, but some of that mystery may be due to the fact that Dorian feels a little lost. He knows he is meant for the Starless Sea, but is that all?
Woven into a dance between Time and Fate, Zachary, Mirabel, and Dorian must navigate the vastness of the Starless Sea for the rest of the story. Through ballads and fortunes and fables and sorrows, the answers may very well lie in the meaning of love itself.
I’ll be honest, I had forgotten what it was like to read an Erin Morgenstern novel for the first time. The best way I can describe it is that reading her work is a lot like watching a Christopher Nolan film for the first time. The stories she crafts are so intricately designed and so beautifully presented that it takes a few reads to fully understand the story, even though you appreciate the artistry of it all right from the beginning. So fair warning, it may be a little difficult to completely grasp the first time around, but it’s completely worth it.
Morgenstern’s world-building is unlike anything else I have ever read. She has a talent for crafting ethereal places full of magic and intrigue that also make it feel like coming home, especially the Starless Sea. Believe me bookworms, you will love this place: it is specifically designed as a place that avid readers and storytellers would die to find. Morgenstern also has a talent for writing really colorful, relatable characters that we’d all like to be friends with. Zachary, Mirabel, and Kat in particular all had voices that felt familiar to me—they had natural dialogue, sharp wit, and a second language of pop culture and literary references.
No joke, I loved this one. I went out hunting for a hardcover copy right away (it’s one of the gorgeous ones!). I definitely need to read it again to love it as fully as I am capable, but the story gives me such a warm, happy feeling. Can’t recommend this one enough. However, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone under 17 years old. Not that it’s terribly inappropriate, it’s just that challenging of a read.
This book contains mild language, some undressing and implied sex (but no explicit detail), and minor violence including self-scarring.
Unless you've discovered your own door, beware of reading on. Spoilers await.
"No, each one's different. They have similar elements though. All stories do, no matter what form they take. Something was, and then something changed. Change is what a story is after all."
The one thing I can absolutely say for sure about this one is that the ending left me wanting a little bit. From a literary standpoint, it’s satisfying. The plot is wrapped up nicely, and I like the idea that the Starless Sea is a constantly changing and evolving phenomenon. I also understand that sometimes a story is best when the characters aren’t given a detailed ending, even though we all want the exact dates and play-by-play for when Zachary and Dorian return to Zachary’s mother’s farmhouse and when Zachary and Kat reunite. Especially when a story deals with the flow of time like this one does, it’s good writing when the story feels like it’s come full circle and doesn’t really have an ending.
Still, I was left with questions regarding some of the other secondary characters, namely Simon and “Eleanor”. Did they ever find each other again? Did Simon join his Lenore on her exploration of the Starless Sea? Did he make it back to another Harbor to regain his history and identity? He could have drowned in the Starless Sea for all I know. And what about the Harbors themselves? Are they just places now, open to all, keepers of none? No more acolytes or guardians or keepers? These are the questions that keep me up at night.
Again, I do want to read it a second time to feel like I truly understand it, but I would love to hear your thoughts on the ending! What do you guys think happened to Simon? Would you be a guardian or a keeper in a Harbor? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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