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laffi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
fionamatilda's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
skyeson2187's review
1.0
It's been a while since I read this, but the one thing that has stuck with me is the fact the the alien character/species needs alcohol to survive, which gives off weird vibes for a ya romance book
mikaloveyou3's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
alyciaplans's review
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ronja_2002's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
sarahesmaewolfe's review
5.0
"We're from the same universe, aren't we? And we're both made of the dust of stars that collapsed billions of years ago. We may not be the same, but here we are, talking together. Living. You deserve to live, to feel. I think you know it too, deep down."
This book gave me everything I wanted from it: lush and lyrical prose, multiple POVs with complex characters, a romance I desperately wanted to happen, and a subtly magical setting.
Teenage sisters Delta and Bee are trying to survive after their father's sudden disappearance when they see a shooting star that lands in the woods behind their house. After feeling the impact like an earthquake, they find a boy lying in the woods and bring him home. Only, he's not really a boy, nor is he from this planet.
Some reviewers have called this ET romance but I'd liken it more to Stardust personally since the love interest is less like an alien and more like the personification of a fallen star. The writing style is whimsical in a Gaiman-like way.
If you're wondering/worried about how the Edward Scissorhands comparison comes in, it's only the strange-boy-in-a-peculiar-small-town loves girl-with-a-bad-boyfriend vibe, if you're familiar with the movie you can probably guess how things might unfold. It's not Christmasy either, even though I happened to read it over Christmas, this one takes place in the summertime. So if you weren't a fan of the tone of the movie don't worry, they aren't too much alike at all.
If you love SPACE and MAGIC and starry-eyed LOVE against all odds, pick this book up! I'm a huge romantic and I love stories where it's as if the universe conspired to get two unlikely people to cross paths so they can fall in love. But it's not just the romance, a large part of the focus is also on family and what it means to belong, what it means to be human, the choices we make, and the complexity of it all.
This book gave me everything I wanted from it: lush and lyrical prose, multiple POVs with complex characters, a romance I desperately wanted to happen, and a subtly magical setting.
Teenage sisters Delta and Bee are trying to survive after their father's sudden disappearance when they see a shooting star that lands in the woods behind their house. After feeling the impact like an earthquake, they find a boy lying in the woods and bring him home. Only, he's not really a boy, nor is he from this planet.
Some reviewers have called this ET romance but I'd liken it more to Stardust personally since the love interest is less like an alien and more like the personification of a fallen star. The writing style is whimsical in a Gaiman-like way.
If you're wondering/worried about how the Edward Scissorhands comparison comes in, it's only the strange-boy-in-a-peculiar-small-town loves girl-with-a-bad-boyfriend vibe, if you're familiar with the movie you can probably guess how things might unfold. It's not Christmasy either, even though I happened to read it over Christmas, this one takes place in the summertime. So if you weren't a fan of the tone of the movie don't worry, they aren't too much alike at all.
If you love SPACE and MAGIC and starry-eyed LOVE against all odds, pick this book up! I'm a huge romantic and I love stories where it's as if the universe conspired to get two unlikely people to cross paths so they can fall in love. But it's not just the romance, a large part of the focus is also on family and what it means to belong, what it means to be human, the choices we make, and the complexity of it all.
starburns's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ashhowland's review
3.0
An imaginative, sweet, and exciting debut, the kind of story you'd wish for on a shooting star.
I love small towns with exciting happenings, and Starling sure fits that bill. A small, closed-minded town unaware of the frenetic energy building beneath them. An eccentric family whose patriarch disappeared inside a closet several months prior. Two sisters trying to survive high school and relationships without him. And all of that before a boy-shaped star falls from the sky, igniting suspicion and violence from the town.
All four of the main characters experience profound transformations and the romance is slow-burning and sweet. As I reflected on the book after finishing, there are quite a few questions (nee plot holes) I would have liked answered, and those are why my review is 3.5 stars. I think about 30 pages from the beginning could have been used more effectively at the end; and there are some stark contradictions that seem like an editor missed. My overall impression of the book is fun, tender, creative, and easily readable, especially once you get past the first 100 pages. I look forward to seeing how the final product reads.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster Teen for the ARC via Wellesley Books.
I love small towns with exciting happenings, and Starling sure fits that bill. A small, closed-minded town unaware of the frenetic energy building beneath them. An eccentric family whose patriarch disappeared inside a closet several months prior. Two sisters trying to survive high school and relationships without him. And all of that before a boy-shaped star falls from the sky, igniting suspicion and violence from the town.
All four of the main characters experience profound transformations and the romance is slow-burning and sweet. As I reflected on the book after finishing, there are quite a few questions (nee plot holes) I would have liked answered, and those are why my review is 3.5 stars. I think about 30 pages from the beginning could have been used more effectively at the end; and there are some stark contradictions that seem like an editor missed. My overall impression of the book is fun, tender, creative, and easily readable, especially once you get past the first 100 pages. I look forward to seeing how the final product reads.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster Teen for the ARC via Wellesley Books.