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heisereads's review
4.0
First Thought: I got to spend a little more time in Europe - the setting reigns in this book!
In STARRY NIGHTS Daisy Whitney has written an ode to artists and their famous artwork, to those who are well-loved and to those who just love to create. It instantly transports the readers to the streets of Paris, the museums housing the masters, and the heart of the pieces they lovingly created. It's a touch of whimsy, a touch of romance, a touch of friendships, a touch of secret underground societies, a touch of travel guide, a touch of art history, a touch of unrequited love, a touch of kisses, a touch of mystery, a touch of art heists, a touch of a tour of the greatest art museums around the world. The twisty bits as we uncover what is really going on as Garnier races to figure out how to fix these most famous art pieces before they are destroyed adds an element to the plot that kept me turning the pages. Some of my most favorite parts of the story were the after-hours in the museum with the artwork coming to life elements along with how real the setting became for me. I love Paris and Daisy Whitney transported me right back there with this novel. STARRY NIGHTS is a fun read with a sweet romance and a mystery to figure out that will keep readers intrigued and looking up artwork from the Masters. It's a bit Night at the Museum + Heist Society + some kind of romance story.
Final Thoughts: Daisy Whitney is one of my favorite authors, and STARRY NIGHTS doesn't disappoint. Although very different from her previous books, it's a whimsical read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
In STARRY NIGHTS Daisy Whitney has written an ode to artists and their famous artwork, to those who are well-loved and to those who just love to create. It instantly transports the readers to the streets of Paris, the museums housing the masters, and the heart of the pieces they lovingly created. It's a touch of whimsy, a touch of romance, a touch of friendships, a touch of secret underground societies, a touch of travel guide, a touch of art history, a touch of unrequited love, a touch of kisses, a touch of mystery, a touch of art heists, a touch of a tour of the greatest art museums around the world. The twisty bits as we uncover what is really going on as Garnier races to figure out how to fix these most famous art pieces before they are destroyed adds an element to the plot that kept me turning the pages. Some of my most favorite parts of the story were the after-hours in the museum with the artwork coming to life elements along with how real the setting became for me. I love Paris and Daisy Whitney transported me right back there with this novel. STARRY NIGHTS is a fun read with a sweet romance and a mystery to figure out that will keep readers intrigued and looking up artwork from the Masters. It's a bit Night at the Museum + Heist Society + some kind of romance story.
Final Thoughts: Daisy Whitney is one of my favorite authors, and STARRY NIGHTS doesn't disappoint. Although very different from her previous books, it's a whimsical read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
rebar351's review
4.0
I really liked this book paintings coming to life is a really interesting concept. I got to brush up on my painting knowledge and learn a couple of new things along the way. I will admit that it took me a bit to really get into the book but once it started picking up I was hooked. The love story between the girl in the painting and Julien is intriguing and captivating. I would recommend this book to those who are art fanatics and would love to hear what the people in paintings have to say.
itsme_lori's review
2.0
I'm going to come right out with it and let you guys know that this book was just not for me. I was originally sucked in by the cute cover and the idea of a YA mystery book meets Night at the Museum but for me it just didn't work. I'll explain my reasons below but I also believe that there are people who will love this book. If you are into art and Paris and museums and HEA, I think this one would work really well for you. So just make sure you keep all of that in mind while you read the rest of this review. Also, there are some *spoilers* here.
My main problems with this book are 1) the instalove and 2) the MC's voice.
Sometimes, I can get behind instalove in books when it feels like there's some kind of justifiable instant connection between two characters but unfortunately, this was not one of those times. Julien falls in love with a girl in a painting. He hasn't even talked to her and he's fallen for her. Then, magically, as soon as she comes out of her painting, she falls for him, too. None of it made sense for me, even in a magical realism world, how a teenage boy would fall in love with a girl in a painting and give up all real girls for her. He knows nothing about her, where she came from, who she is, or if she's even real and going to stick around. But it doesn't matter, he saw her in art and he loves her. And Clio, the girl in the painting, has literally been trapped in a painting that was in someone's basement for a hundred-something years. She knows nothing about Julien, nothing about the current world, hasn't talked to anyone since she was trapped, but she sees Julien and that's it. She gives up all other potential guys and her life's work for the first boy she sees. I just don't get it and can't support a "romance" like that. But if you like really cheesy romances, you might really like Julien and Clio.
On a similar note, Julien never really felt real to me. He's supposed to be a teenage boy and while I understand that he is in France and I'm not accustomed to French teenagers, his voice never felt natural or teenage boy to me. He was a nice enough character and smart and all the things you'd think you'd want in a perfectly nice character, but he just never screamed "I'm a teenage boy!" Though, honestly, he never actually really screamed anything to me. With all of his niceness, he was also a little boring. The only times he really seemed believable to me were the times he was with Emilie, a real girl ballerina. He seemed much more natural and not I was really hoping the two of them would get a chance together, but Julien barely even thinks of her with Clio in the museum.
Overall, the fact that I couldn't connect with the MC and the instalove that gets really cheesy (At one point Julien says, "She tastes like a song.") it just didn't work for me. I wasn't sure about the magical realism at first, but that part actually worked just fine for me. I did really enjoy some of the secondary characters; Bonheur and Sophie add some interest and Simon works as a loyal sidekick. The plot does get a little weird towards the end with the progression of the mystery and the addition of a character who's trying to get Clio's painting. But overall, there just isn't much to the story that I really connected with. It's a very light, somewhat younger YA that might work if you're a big art fan or really into magical realism.
*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
My main problems with this book are 1) the instalove and 2) the MC's voice.
Sometimes, I can get behind instalove in books when it feels like there's some kind of justifiable instant connection between two characters but unfortunately, this was not one of those times. Julien falls in love with a girl in a painting. He hasn't even talked to her and he's fallen for her. Then, magically, as soon as she comes out of her painting, she falls for him, too. None of it made sense for me, even in a magical realism world, how a teenage boy would fall in love with a girl in a painting and give up all real girls for her. He knows nothing about her, where she came from, who she is, or if she's even real and going to stick around. But it doesn't matter, he saw her in art and he loves her. And Clio, the girl in the painting, has literally been trapped in a painting that was in someone's basement for a hundred-something years. She knows nothing about Julien, nothing about the current world, hasn't talked to anyone since she was trapped, but she sees Julien and that's it. She gives up all other potential guys and her life's work for the first boy she sees. I just don't get it and can't support a "romance" like that. But if you like really cheesy romances, you might really like Julien and Clio.
On a similar note, Julien never really felt real to me. He's supposed to be a teenage boy and while I understand that he is in France and I'm not accustomed to French teenagers, his voice never felt natural or teenage boy to me. He was a nice enough character and smart and all the things you'd think you'd want in a perfectly nice character, but he just never screamed "I'm a teenage boy!" Though, honestly, he never actually really screamed anything to me. With all of his niceness, he was also a little boring. The only times he really seemed believable to me were the times he was with Emilie, a real girl ballerina. He seemed much more natural and not I was really hoping the two of them would get a chance together, but Julien barely even thinks of her with Clio in the museum.
Overall, the fact that I couldn't connect with the MC and the instalove that gets really cheesy (At one point Julien says, "She tastes like a song.") it just didn't work for me. I wasn't sure about the magical realism at first, but that part actually worked just fine for me. I did really enjoy some of the secondary characters; Bonheur and Sophie add some interest and Simon works as a loyal sidekick. The plot does get a little weird towards the end with the progression of the mystery and the addition of a character who's trying to get Clio's painting. But overall, there just isn't much to the story that I really connected with. It's a very light, somewhat younger YA that might work if you're a big art fan or really into magical realism.
*I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
kalake96's review
5.0
This was so cute! As a lover of art history, mythology, and YA contemporary lit, such a good choice. I totally called the whole Muse thing (I mean, Clio is the name of a muse. We literally discussed her YESTERDAY in art history.) but it was new and refreshing! It's like Night in the Museum, but with art, and for teenage girls.
sungmemoonstruck's review
2.0
When the paintings at Paris museums start coming to life, Julien falls in love with Clio, a girl trapped in a Renoir painting and one of the ancient Greek muses. The book has an intriguing idea at its core and it's sweet enough, but the romance just isn't very convincing. Clio and Julien make a sweet couple on paper, but the plot twists that drive them apart and bring them back together are as flimsy as tissue paper. It's not a bad book, just not a very good one either.
aprilbooksandwine's review
3.0
With a cover like Starry Nights by Daisy Whitney, it would stand to reason that you would open the book and expect an intense, mash their faces together, in your heart forever romance. At least, that is what I expected upon opening. However, the reality of Whitney’s Starry Nights totally does not match up to my expectations. While yes, there is a romance, it’s hardly one that will launch ALL OF THE FEELS inside. Unfortunately, my friends, I was kind of let down by this book. If I am being honest, the whole thing was just kind of weird for me.
Read the rest of my review here
Note: Review will be posted/link will work on January 17, 2014.
Read the rest of my review here
Note: Review will be posted/link will work on January 17, 2014.
foreveryoungadult's review
Graded By: Mandy W.
Cover Story: Un Livre avec les Bisous, Mais J'adore
BFF Charm: Stuart Smalley
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Talky Talk: C'est Daisy Whitney
Bonus Factors: Art, Museums, Paris
Relationship Status: Favourite Museum Guide
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Un Livre avec les Bisous, Mais J'adore
BFF Charm: Stuart Smalley
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Talky Talk: C'est Daisy Whitney
Bonus Factors: Art, Museums, Paris
Relationship Status: Favourite Museum Guide
Read the full book report here.
angelcwrites's review
1.0
Magic realism novels might seem strange and over-the-top, but there is always a "logic" to the magic, something that ties mysterious events and abilities to the thematic development in a story. In Chocolat, it's the expression of sexuality through taste and touch. In A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, it's the intersection of belief and humanity.
I did not find that thematic logic in this novel.
I’d be lying if I said I never had daydreams about paintings coming to life, and Starry Nights is exactly that: a light and fluffy daydream of a novel. How Clio exists is not fully explained, with Daisy Whitney relying on magic realism to some extent, and I am still unsure whether it worked successfully. The relationship between Julien and Clio was not as well developed as I would have hoped, but younger and new readers starting out in contemporary YA romance will definitely find much to enjoy in this novel. My taste might be more to Whitney’s previous novels, The Mockingbirds.
Posted as part of Seashell Reviews (06/05/13)
I did not find that thematic logic in this novel.
I’d be lying if I said I never had daydreams about paintings coming to life, and Starry Nights is exactly that: a light and fluffy daydream of a novel. How Clio exists is not fully explained, with Daisy Whitney relying on magic realism to some extent, and I am still unsure whether it worked successfully. The relationship between Julien and Clio was not as well developed as I would have hoped, but younger and new readers starting out in contemporary YA romance will definitely find much to enjoy in this novel. My taste might be more to Whitney’s previous novels, The Mockingbirds.
Posted as part of Seashell Reviews (06/05/13)
kailiasage's review
Sadly, this was a DNF. Like, you can't easily get into some of the best known museums in the world WITHOUT being caught. Also, where was my France? Paris? That's the reason I picked up this book to being with but nope, no description of this beautiful city at all.