To me, this book was perfect. I loved everything about it. I felt like I was being taken on a wonderful journey,

riding a train through the states, an elevator down into the depths of the earth, walking through the Harbour’s tunnels with a cat at my heels and sailing a boat across a sea of honey.

. In some ways, I feel like I am still on the journey; there are lots of things in this book that have stayed with me (and I’m writing this review a year after finishing this book for the first time). The quote ‘endings are never truly endings no matter how the stars might wish it so’ feels very true. 

I get irrationally angry whenever people criticise this book, but it won’t be for everyone. If you need a linear plotline to enjoy a story, the starless sea might not be for you. However, if you like beautiful writing and loveable characters (including the ‘villains’), and you want to read a book that is essentially a love letter to stories, this book is perfect.