Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - Raft of Stars

tender and beautiful.
i didn't really know what to expect when i picked this up. i stuck to the synopsis that vaguely promised adventure and american landscapes and decided that this would definitely be something new, something i wouldn't normally pick up.
but oh am i glad i did.

right off the bat, i loved all the protagonists - every single one. they all had their own aspirations, dreams and motives, and were undoubtedly unique, yet also easy to sympathise with.
the relationship dynamics were at times wholesome, at others tenuous but without fail always profoundly human.

the occasional switch between the different points of view kept the story interesting and made for a very diverse reading experience.

the landscape descriptions were often quite long, however, and got repetitive after a while. during many of these very detailed scenes, i found myself zoning out and getting a little bored.

i did love the ending though, how it didn't seem to confine the characters to a certain conclusion but rather set them free to explore the world after, like releasing a bird from its cage. it was refreshing.

a very good read indeed.

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owlyreadsalot's review

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hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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jacksonlauren's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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serendipitysbooks's review

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adventurous emotional reflective tense

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

Raft of Stars is a wilderness adventure story that still managed to be a very character driven novel.

Fish and Bread are ten year old boys and close friends. Bread suffers abuse at the hands of his father and Fish ends up shooting the man. The two boys flee into the Wisconsin woods. Two search parties set out in pursuit; Fish’s grandfather and the town sheriff on horseback, his mother and a young townswoman in a canoe. Many bad decisions are made by all three groups and the weather, forest and river throw up challenge after challenge. All six are in some ways fleeing things from their past - grief, abuse, regret - and (spoilers ahead) eventually they find each other and themselves. The ending was very predictable, although the path to it was filled with plenty of conflict (with the environment, themselves, each other) and tension so held my interest.

I’ve read criticisms of this story - “ten and eleven year old boys don’t talk or think like that”, “no sheriff would act that way” - and if you read the novel as realistic fiction such criticism is valid. For me the book worked better when I read it as a modern day allegory; the characters designed as archetypes more than realistic people.

My one main hesitation with this story was its Christian overtones. That’s something I prefer to avoid in my reading and the way a couple of the characters were portrayed practising their faith was a little too heavy-handed for my taste.

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juliannar's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Raft of Stars was a good coming-of-age novel. I appreciated that Graff wrote the story from the perspective of two ten-year-olds who are on the run from their guardians. It was a unique perspective, and I appreciated the inclusion of four adult characters as well since it provided more layers to the story.

Fish and Bread are the children in the book, and are friends. Fish comes to live with his grandfather Teddy every summer, and Bread lives with his abusive father. Fish tries to rectify the situation of Bread's father, when he sees Bread being abused. It is at this point that they both go on the run through the woods. The supporting cast of characters is rounded out by Cal, the Sheriff, Tiffany, the gas station attendant and town girl, as well as Fish's mother Miranda.

The different perspectives round out the novel, as we are able to see the struggles that they are all going through while coming together to save and rescue the boys.

The imagery evoked in the novel reminded me of Hatchet, or even Tom Sawyer. Very raw, natural, boys in their element doing their thing, living their lives and grappling with decisions they've made. It was a very quick read, and very engaging (I read it in about 3 days). I also loved the ending of the book. There is symbolism involving nature and the past that I think is just very well done, and wraps the book up nicely.

I would have liked to see a bit more of the boys personality, rather than just all of their adventuring with a couple sentimental moments thrown in. Same goes for the adult characters. Miranda is billed as one of the main characters, but we don't get nearly as many details about her as we do Tiffany or even Teddy.

This book will receive a 3.5 star rating, rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ecco, and the author for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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