Starbird Murphy and the World Outside

by Karen Finneyfrock

In her sixteen years of life, Starbird has never touched a dollar bill. She’s never been in a car. She’s never used a cell phone.   That’s because Starbird has always lived on the Free Family Farm, a commune in the woods of Washington State.   But all that is about to change. When Starbird gets her "Calling" to be a waitress at the Free Family’s restaurant in Seattle, she decides to leave behind the only home she’s ever known.   

Nothing could have prepared Starbird for the World Outside, or for what it would teach her about the Family—and herself.  

From the author of The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door comes this hilarious and poignant story about finding your true calling in life.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Teen, Cults

384 pages, Hardcover

First published June 12, 2014

Reviews

[Kristina Horner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ended up enjoying this book more than I thought I would.

It started off good (I was really enjoying learning about Starbird's life in the commune) but I got worried when I got the sense this was going to quickly turn into Starbird working at a diner and going to a regular high school, because I just find that to be way less interesting. Especially when the clincher was that she decided to leave her commune and change her entire life because she was upset over a boy... I was giving some serious side-eye at that point.

However! She was still very much entwined in the Free Family once she moved into Seattle, and the events of the rest of the book were suspenseful, exciting and interesting. I liked watching Starbird learn some big lessons about herself and her Family the hard way, and I really appreciated her friendships with Ben and Rory (although I didn't love that after Starbird gets jealous that Rory might like Ben we never see Rory again - I really dug their friendship and I'm sad a boy had to get in between them at all, even if it's implied that they stayed friends). I also enjoyed the discourse around what makes a cult a cult and how you know if you're actually being brainwashed, without ever actually drawing a hard line in the sand. It was a joy to watch this all happening through Starbird's eyes.

Ultimately I thought this book was really unique, I enjoyed reading something set in my home state, and I'm pleased to have read this mostly awesome book by my old writing instructor! :)

[Brie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really loved the premise and the idea behind Starbird Murphy and the World Outside, even if it did take me a little while to adjust to the odd capitalization of things; Farm, Outsider, Believer, Non-Believer, and (the most obnoxious) EARTH.



But I got to the last page and I felt...unfulfilled. I wasn't left with that feeling of completeness I get to the end of a novel, regardless of whether I liked it or not.

Upon reflection, I realized that I felt cheated and disappointed by this fact: Starbird did NOT in fact truly experience the World Outside.



The version of the World Outside that she was exposed to was very minuscule and still filled with the same type of people she lived with from the Farm. Sure, she went to public school, but she barely engaged with any of the Outsiders. She didn't go out and explore Seattle and interact with it's various inhabitants; she didn't try.




So, the scope of this world is small; we have the Farm, Beacon House, the Cafe, and some school scenes. There are new characters introduced, but none of them feel real, they weren't fleshed out, so they weren't anything other than words on a page for me. Starbird doesn't really "grow" until the last 20 pages, and even still it's only limited to what the cocoon she was raised in would allow.



Throw in some unrequited pining for some guy whom all you know about is he's basically built like a brick shithouse and "hot," a developing crush on an Outsider which Starbird fights, some corruption and greed, and SHITTON of naivete and you have Starbird Murphy and the World Outside; a book that could have been amazing - but sadly fell very short.

[Jess Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starbird Murphy and the World Outside

By Karen Finneyfrock



So. Starbird Murphy.


Honestly, I have never, ever read a book quite like this. I suppose you could say that cults aren't my typical reading subject, so obviously, I entered this book with a little trepidation. I really had no idea how this book was going to turn out. Actually, I didn't even have a clear idea of where it was going until a good quarter of the way in, and I couldn't predict the ending, really, before the last possible second. Do you know how refreshing that is?? So many novels nowadays are just so predictable. The "not knowing" might bug some people, but I loved it. There was also a sense of...ambiguity to the ending--it was kind of open-ended. I'm not sure how I felt about that--parts of it I liked, others, not so much. I don't want to give anything away, but I do think that there was a lot of wasted potential in the end. There were several different paths that the author could have taken the book, and she chose one that, in my opinion, was a tad disappointing.


But other than that, the book did pretty much everything right: an engaging set of characters, great display of conflict, gorgeous prose, and the perfect dash of humor, all coming together to form something unconventionally complex and utterly unique. I was very surprised to find myself connecting with Starbird on several different levels, as my inner struggle with my personal beliefs are oddly similar to hers. For an author to create a relatable character out of a girl that grew up in a cult--practically in a different world--takes genuine skill.

I sit in awe, Finneyfrock. I sit in awe.

[Hannah B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sooooo... That happened. That was basically one of the strangest books I've ever read & tbh, it was not my favorite thing in the world. I don't even know, dude... That was just WEIRD. The basic idea of the story was good, I guess? But the deets were just... ugh. *funky twitching*
I guess I should just break down everything.

WHAT I LIKED

• Starbird & Ben's friendship story. Also, HIS DOODLES!!

• Rory's attitude & general vibe. She kinda reminds me of Skye from the show 13 Reasons Why. (Don't judge. I still haven't read the book.)

• There is some nice imagery in this book. Nice details about the Farm & such...


LE REASONS FOR DISLIKE...

• Starbird is sooooo wishy-washyyyy & whiny. Like, c'mon, woman! She goes back & forth in her ideas and wants and beliefs & it was totally exhausting. And then whines. Just stahp already!

• Ummm... That love-triangle though. Heh. Yeah, not a fan of that one.

• The whole freaky-brainwashed-commune-not-a-cult thing was... well, freaky. Gave me the creepies. (Yeah, folks, just blindly follow the cool fatherly figure-dude who doesn't even have logical reasons for any of the junk he tells you to do. *whisper screams* Btw, why do none of you question anything?? Nevermind. Carry on.)

• Family trees are soooo complicated omgggg!!


•••

So basically, that's it? There WERE things I liked about the book, but not enough for me to recommend it to my best friends. My overall impression of the book is just "meh"

[Paige! · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly I had to DNF this book. Maybe the author wanted to portray Starbird's naivety because she was a simple farm girl, but she was soooo ignorant and compliant that I couldn't stand her. Also, she led this one boy that she met on, while she still had feelings for a boy back on the farm, and then, when he told her he had a new girlfriend, she went crawling back to the other boy. I'm sorry if that seems a little problematic. And when EARTH comes back, he brainwashes her about her brother with almost no effort, even though he is homeless on the streets and she had seen him the day before. She was even planning to get him food, but then when she saw that EARTH was back and he wanted her to sit with him at dinner, she selfishly pushed the thought of her starving brother aside to eat with him. This was the point at which I put down the book because I couldn't stand Starbird's ignorance any longer. So yeah, 2/5.

[Monica Millard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book wasn't on my radar, but being the cover sucker that I am, I was immediately drawn to it in my local BN store. It isn't my usual read, but I am so, glad I picked it up and decided to buy it. The satin finish of the cover may have helped, but the premise really resonated when I read it that particular day.

I love getting a glimpse of alternative perspectives and this book gave me that. It was unique and heartwarming. It made me feel like I was right there, living in the Family with them all. And it wasn't such a bad place, despite some of the not so perfect aspects of it.

I am both glad and not that it's a one and done story. I wouldn't mind hanging out with the Family again.

[Erin Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This young adult novel is so masterfully told that I think its appeal reaches beyond the YA category. Starbird is a 16 year old girl born on the Free Family Farm, a commune in rural Washington State. She has never been Outside, never had contact with those outside her community (Non-Believers), and has never touched money nor owned anything. When an opportunity to work at the Family's Seattle cafe arises, Starbird grudgingly accepts her "Calling." Her whole world changes, and for the first time Starbird begins questioning everything she has known and her future.

Finneyfrock's Starbird is smart, thoughtful, and lovely--a heroine we can easily root for, whose story about listening to and trusting oneself is relatable to us all.

[dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Karen Finneyfrock has scored a winner with her latest book, Starbird Murphy and the World Outside. The book does a wonderful job of bringing you in so much that you care what's going to happen next, while not preaching or dictating what must happen next. You can feel Starbird growing as a person as the story grows on you. I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially to someone who is just coming into their own (at whatever age they may be). I'm already looking forward to the next one.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really middle of the road for me. I liked some of the characters and its a very interesting world. Some interesting conflicts with decent development, but at the end I just felt like it ended so quickly after all that had been building. I don't want to critique a book for limiting the scope of its breadth, but sometimes I wish authors did a bit more to balance the rise and fall. Too little rise = bad. Too little fall/resolution = bad. I know it's difficult to get right, but this book fell too far on the side of bad balance to be really enjoyable for me.

[Isla McKetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much I read it all in a day. Starbird's struggle in questioning the life she grew up in is universal and specific (not everyone has to worry whether they've been brainwashed). The characters are interesting and full and together they draw a fascinating picture of what happens when a counterculture rubs up against a culture (and what the collateral damage is). Great for teens and good for adults too.

[Katie Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book. I was worried it would start bashing one side or another of communal living and "cults" but it actually did a great job showing that the world is not just black and white. It illustrates that problems are complex and may not just have one solution. I thought the main character was interesting and complex. While the book deals with some intense adult topics, it does a good job addressing those issues in a way that is approachable and appropriate for YA readers.

[Taryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging and clever look at life in a commune. It takes a neutral stand on communes in general, not condemning or praising, and the plot is richly emotional and captivating. Even though you are reading about someone whose life is probably quite different from yours, you always feel that you are reading first and foremost about a person, who is not defined by their background but by their choices and kindness.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Could not put it down. Still think about the characters and wish there was a sequel. Thought the premise was unusual and fascinating, found the portrayal of the cult lifestyle unexpectedly nuanced and well-rounded, and loved the ending!

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starbird Murphy and the World Outside: A sweet book that could have been a lot more meaningful if its author had concentrated more on the affects of culture shock and less on the most cliche high school romance ever.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, both for the great characters and for the loosely veiled local historical fiction.

[Erica Larson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just as delightful as her prior YA novel and gave a look into a life I could not have fathomed as a teen or even now for that matter. Karen is a local writer gem for Seattle!

[Devera C · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
Didn't know if I was going to make it past the first chapter, but THANKFULLY it got much, much better. A truly enjoyable read! Great character development and plot development.

[Karen Eisenbrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This young-adult novel begins with a girl enjoying her first kiss with her lifelong crush. When her romantic hopes are disappointed, she starts a new life in a new place in order to heal her broken heart. Sounds like typical YA fare, but with a big difference: Starbird was born and raised on the Free Family Farm, a commune (they don’t say cult) in northwest Washington State. She has never lived in a city, never attended public school, never dressed for fashion’s sake, never handled money, never spoken with Outsiders. She’s a smart girl, but the learning curve is steep when she moves to Seattle to work as a waitress in the Family’s café. As she learns more about the Family’s history and its businesses and has good and bad ideas of her own, her world broadens and she becomes her own person: an actual young adult.

I really felt Starbird’s pain as she tried to navigate a big high school where she was behind in some subjects, ahead in others, and completely overwhelmed with her new life. I cheered for her when, against all advice, she made friends with a couple of other outcasts, including nerdy-cute Ben, a talented artist whose superpower is double-entry bookkeeping. I especially appreciated the nuanced way the story dealt with the Family and the Outside, presenting positive and negative aspects of both. As a Seattle resident, I enjoyed the local flavor, too. This is a quick, enjoyable read, recommended for fans of both YA romance and the history of utopian communities in the Pacific Northwest.

[Thia Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars...

I started the book and after about 2 or so chapters of the same thing being talked about over and over again, I decided to put it down and read something else. At that point I regretted buying the book. However, 2 books later, I was determined to give Starbird another chance cause I hate not finishing books. Well, I am so glad that I did. Once Starbird left the farm it got better and better and I didn't want to put it down. It was also nice that the romance did not overpower the book. However, I wasn't too big a fan of the ending because certain people should have been dealt with a bit more severely. Also, I didn't like that Ben's mother was portrayed as the "crazy" Christian. Why do all the Christians in ya have to be crazy? I have yet to see a character of another religion portrayed as crazy.

Anyway, like I said I did end up really enjoying it.

Content: A character is caught having sex with another, but not graphic.
Language: some, but not terrible.

[Kristin Runyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read and a quick read. Yes, it fulfills the YA lit formula by wrapping up everything in a neat and pretty bow, but that ending didn't annoy me at all.

If you liked Room, you should read this book; if you read this book and haven't read Room, that needs to be your next book. Starbird has never been in the outside world, let alone a large city like Seattle. Finneyfrock uses the first-person narrative well to show Starbird's confusion and makes the reader think about how alien so much of our everyday life would be to someone who has lived a sheltered life.

I enjoyed the characters and was rooting for Starbird the entire novel. I hope my students will like it as much as I did.

[Marlete · Rating 5 out of 5]

I initially didn't know what to expect when I picked this book up at my local library's book sale but I can say I was not let down. The story follows Starbird, a farm girl raised outside of the "normal" societal constructs. Growing up, she knew nothing but the Free Family, had never even seen money before let alone touch it, but when the Family's cafe is short-handed in another city she leaves the comforts of everything she has ever known and plunges herself into the "corrupted" society she has been shielded from her entire life. A definite page-turner, Starbird Murphy and the World Outside is a must-read for anyone who loves a good story about finding oneself.

[Brooke Stock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our meeting was by happenstance and I'm very glad of it. One of the things I was most taken by was the story's originality. Writing about a girl who grew up on a commune's journey through culture sock and questioning her beliefs isn't something you find in most YA novels. Finnnyfrock did a great job of keeping the reader guessing and avoiding cliche storylines, which I find is rampant in YA writing. There were some predictable spots but I had a hard time putting the book down because it's so well written.

[Abbie Fuss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. I loved how the author wrote like she was the character. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes this kind of stuff.
What I didn't like was when Starbird found out that her parents were Iron(John Murphy) and Fern(Elizabeth Stone). I think that she didn't really notice the part that Indus was her brother.

[JJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real rating: 3.5

I feel like this book had so much potential to be great and it just wasn't as interesting as it could have been. That's just my opinion, but it still had some cool little mystery type of stories snuggled into this one novel.

There were sweet family moments, and lots of character development, so overall, I felt that it was a really good coming of age novel.

[Emma-Kate Schaake · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as I wanted it to be. I loved her first novel and her poetry collection for girls is raw, empowering, and inspiring. I was tripped up by cheesy repetition (blotches or blooming cheeks when she was embarrassed), and surface and cheesy look at to the whole hippie cult thing. Different in premise, but just meh in execution.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only negative thing I can say about Starbird Murphy & the World Outside is that it ended too soon. I would have loved to have known what happened next. Still, I enjoyed the story very much. Four stars.

[Kobeest · Rating 4 out of 5]

starbird will grab you and not let go...
that she has this problem--of not being able to let go--is heartrending, but i suppose what kept me locked in, turning page after page. i want to know how stories go.

[Shaneira Watson · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.. I'm on chapter 5, and they're talking about the same thing! I just can't do it. I wanted to like this book, but I don't. Maybe I'll re read it one day, but today is not that day.

[Juni Hilliard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I legitimately loved this book and I really hadn’t expected to. It was sweet and well-written.

[Raynee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty interesting book, but I don't know if I'll reread it. It's got a pretty basic storyline, and Starbird's journey didn't really stand out to me.