The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
When Zachery stumbles upon a book detailing his own life, right down to the very moment he is reading that very book, little does he know that it is his first step into a world of hidden histories, secret clubs and an ancient library hidden beneath the Earth that must be protected at all costs.
To review this book fairly and do the initial idea justice, I will have to separate it into two parts: the first three quarters and then the final quarter.
The first three quarters: What a book. Utterly captivated from the very first page, this book wrapped me up in its mystical arms and carried me away to a world of book stacks, endless stories, myth and legend. The world Morgenstern crafted is both brilliantly magical and yet familiarly real. With each page I was more and more engrossed. The short stories peppered throughout were wonderful – a personal favourite is the story of the Moon and the Inn Keeper – exquisitely beautify. The protagonist Zachery is very likeable. His clumsy, affable character has an irresistible charm that makes him a character easy to root for. If you're a book lover looking for something that captures the magic of books, this part of the book is for you! Go work out if you're a Keeper, Acolyte, or Guardian.
The final quarter: No. Just no. I felt so let down and was irritated by the ups and downs, the miraculous narrow escaping, of which there are many. Ultimately, SPOILER it was Zachery's death that sealed it for me because lo and behold he comes back from the dead!! *eyeroll* Don't even get me started on the huge bees (anyone else immediately think 'So this is how Beyonce gets sh*t done'?). The sea is honey?! The bees are the kitchen? Who knows what the other symbols mean. Is Mirabel Fate? Is the Keeper Time? Is it even real? Is Zachery mentally ill? Am I unhinged for not understanding the ending of this book? Who knows... do you?
How can such a fantastical book leave you so frustrated? Clearly, far too many questions left unanswered, which is such a shame because I was ready for book two, book three, any book that would transport me through its pages and into this world. But, after that ending, I’ll stick to the Beyhive and leave those honeybees underground.
