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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
I wasn’t sure what I was in for with this one, but as a bird and fantasy lover I couldn’t go past this book.
Also, that cover is just stunning!
It is so unlike everything I have read, but in such a good way!
Norah and Dex develop such a beautiful platonic friendship! The story is powerful and heart breaking, the trauma feels so tangible and real that I had to stop reading a few times to process.
It’s not a fast read, it’s slow and poetic and powerful and it’s one that keeps with you for a very long time.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review, thank you so much for the privilege of sharing these beautiful characters!
Also, that cover is just stunning!
It is so unlike everything I have read, but in such a good way!
Norah and Dex develop such a beautiful platonic friendship! The story is powerful and heart breaking, the trauma feels so tangible and real that I had to stop reading a few times to process.
It’s not a fast read, it’s slow and poetic and powerful and it’s one that keeps with you for a very long time.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review, thank you so much for the privilege of sharing these beautiful characters!
I received an ARC of this and am so glad I did. The lyrical descriptions draw you in but also make it a little difficult to get completely sucked in. Typical fantasy world-building book where it’s tough to get going but all of a sudden you can’t put it down.
Dex is a character I loved right from the beginning. You can’t help but love him. Norah has nuances and layers that I loved getting to peel back as the story progressed.
No spoilers here, just a recommendation to read if you want a great fantasy with a great platonic relationship storyline.
Dex is a character I loved right from the beginning. You can’t help but love him. Norah has nuances and layers that I loved getting to peel back as the story progressed.
No spoilers here, just a recommendation to read if you want a great fantasy with a great platonic relationship storyline.
Of The Stars by A.M. Alcedo is a beautiful book, from the cover art to the type-set to the language the author uses to describe her characters. Overall, I enjoyed the story, despite some of my own misgivings about certain tropes and themes.
I generally avoid platonic soulmates, just because it’s hard to do right - and let’s be honest, I like smut a little too much! I don’t know that Of the Stars totally nails the concept, but it comes closer than any other books I’ve read, with the main characters - Norah and Dex - growing into a kind, loving duo with a relationship built on friendship and compassion, as well as shared admiration. These characters definitely drive the story, with each bringing a different perspective to the universe they share. I didn’t find the side characters (with the notable exception of Alina, who has my heart) as engaging, but they moved the story when necessary.
Although the language is beautiful, there are places where the language was purposely complicated or obfuscating just to build prose. And in some places, it works! There are lovingly crafted passages about mental health, about the concept of friendship, about the very mechanics of being alive. Some of the descriptions - but, thankfully, very little of the dialogue - are stilted, or contain so much language that the page feels too full. This made reading a little uneven; the way Norah talks about her trauma is so gut-wrenching, so real that it hurts, but the way some of the other characters describe feelings, or Norah’s descriptions of Dex, just feel like they aren’t as authentic. This translates to the world as well. Corvid is obviously not a great place, but beyond that, I don’t feel like I know much about the world these characters inhabit. Lots of birds, lots of bird themes, it’s a small town but not that small, but never a truly cohesive world - which is a shame, because it has so much potential to be a backdrop to the lives that I’m so invested in. I don’t want to give anything away (which is hard, because I was SHOOK at the twist) but even with the ending giving me so many feelings, I wish Norah and her world could have been more in sync.
Alcedo is a keen student of human nature and the way we relate to each other, and this absolutely comes through in the plot (which I feel like I can’t really talk about because of how the ending plays out, honestly!) and the relationships she builds. I loved the dual POV, and I’m thankful for the straightforward trigger warnings at the beginning of the book. Definitely triggering for those with parental trauma (heck, small-town trauma too) as well as thoughts of self-harm or anyone struggling with mental illness. The concept of not being sure if you’re real or not was both so beautifully discussed and so wonderfully played through, but I can definitely see how it could be triggering. Unlike many internal monologues, Of The Stars gets the voice(s) in your head right, and doesn’t give us blocks of incomprehensible text.
Although I do think there are some stylistic issues - the use of excessively complicated language and descriptors while avoiding some of the world-building I’d have liked, for example - I think it is of particular note that Alcedo does create a story in which, honestly, the antagonist doesn’t matter because the story shows the real truth: that when we learn to listen to ourselves, to love ourselves, to grow and heal and learn and love? Well, then it doesn’t matter what obstacles we face, because we have everything in us we already need.
Full disclosure: I was an ARC reader, and - not that it matters for my review - the author is LOVELY.
I generally avoid platonic soulmates, just because it’s hard to do right - and let’s be honest, I like smut a little too much! I don’t know that Of the Stars totally nails the concept, but it comes closer than any other books I’ve read, with the main characters - Norah and Dex - growing into a kind, loving duo with a relationship built on friendship and compassion, as well as shared admiration. These characters definitely drive the story, with each bringing a different perspective to the universe they share. I didn’t find the side characters (with the notable exception of Alina, who has my heart) as engaging, but they moved the story when necessary.
Although the language is beautiful, there are places where the language was purposely complicated or obfuscating just to build prose. And in some places, it works! There are lovingly crafted passages about mental health, about the concept of friendship, about the very mechanics of being alive. Some of the descriptions - but, thankfully, very little of the dialogue - are stilted, or contain so much language that the page feels too full. This made reading a little uneven; the way Norah talks about her trauma is so gut-wrenching, so real that it hurts, but the way some of the other characters describe feelings, or Norah’s descriptions of Dex, just feel like they aren’t as authentic. This translates to the world as well. Corvid is obviously not a great place, but beyond that, I don’t feel like I know much about the world these characters inhabit. Lots of birds, lots of bird themes, it’s a small town but not that small, but never a truly cohesive world - which is a shame, because it has so much potential to be a backdrop to the lives that I’m so invested in. I don’t want to give anything away (which is hard, because I was SHOOK at the twist) but even with the ending giving me so many feelings, I wish Norah and her world could have been more in sync.
Alcedo is a keen student of human nature and the way we relate to each other, and this absolutely comes through in the plot (which I feel like I can’t really talk about because of how the ending plays out, honestly!) and the relationships she builds. I loved the dual POV, and I’m thankful for the straightforward trigger warnings at the beginning of the book. Definitely triggering for those with parental trauma (heck, small-town trauma too) as well as thoughts of self-harm or anyone struggling with mental illness. The concept of not being sure if you’re real or not was both so beautifully discussed and so wonderfully played through, but I can definitely see how it could be triggering. Unlike many internal monologues, Of The Stars gets the voice(s) in your head right, and doesn’t give us blocks of incomprehensible text.
Although I do think there are some stylistic issues - the use of excessively complicated language and descriptors while avoiding some of the world-building I’d have liked, for example - I think it is of particular note that Alcedo does create a story in which, honestly, the antagonist doesn’t matter because the story shows the real truth: that when we learn to listen to ourselves, to love ourselves, to grow and heal and learn and love? Well, then it doesn’t matter what obstacles we face, because we have everything in us we already need.
Full disclosure: I was an ARC reader, and - not that it matters for my review - the author is LOVELY.
*Please look at the trigger warning list before diving into this book*
This was a dark contemporary fiction with psychology elements. The author is a licensed therapist - so this book feels a lot like having a discussion with your therapist. It feels real - even through the fantasy/magical elements
« I’ve experienced more pain in my life than I thought a heart could survive »
This book can break you and heal you at the same time ❤️
This was a dark contemporary fiction with psychology elements. The author is a licensed therapist - so this book feels a lot like having a discussion with your therapist. It feels real - even through the fantasy/magical elements
« I’ve experienced more pain in my life than I thought a heart could survive »
This book can break you and heal you at the same time ❤️
To start off with. I ~adored~ the platonic relationship between Norah and Dex. That sort of relationship, in my experience, is a digging one for authors to do well but this one definitely did. The way those two slowly grow together and help heal each other and themselves is the chicken noodle soup to my soul. Honestly just about everyone in it needed a hug and fuzzy blanket.
Also, Norah’s burn out is SO REAL.
The setting for the book was also something I wasn’t very used to. It felt very steam-punky victorian, and a little magical but set in a sort of modern world with dangers simmering under the guise of perfectly normal things. After the majority of the world building was done in the first quarter of the book, it added a very interesting element as we see the characters react to their surroundings too.
My only complaint is that sometimes the language and descriptions, while beautiful, were not always necessary, or would take me out of the story and force me to reread sections to understand what was going on. Bordered on purple prose at times, especially at the beginning when the setting was being built up. But it was typically easy to skip without missing much important information.
The first part of the book may require some dedication to get through but I swear it’s worth it!
Full disclosure: I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review, but that did not affect my opinion the book.
Also, Norah’s burn out is SO REAL.
The setting for the book was also something I wasn’t very used to. It felt very steam-punky victorian, and a little magical but set in a sort of modern world with dangers simmering under the guise of perfectly normal things. After the majority of the world building was done in the first quarter of the book, it added a very interesting element as we see the characters react to their surroundings too.
My only complaint is that sometimes the language and descriptions, while beautiful, were not always necessary, or would take me out of the story and force me to reread sections to understand what was going on. Bordered on purple prose at times, especially at the beginning when the setting was being built up. But it was typically easy to skip without missing much important information.
The first part of the book may require some dedication to get through but I swear it’s worth it!
Full disclosure: I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review, but that did not affect my opinion the book.
This was not my typical genre I tend to read but I’m glad I judged this book by its cover! And c’mon can you blame me? Stunning. The story was so well written and it captivated me by the gothic tones and truly took me on a bittersweet journey. The father/daughter duo was so endearing and squeezed my heart. It is a stand alone, which was such a nice reprieve to have all questions and loose ends tied up in one book. This beautiful story covers some heavy content so check out the TWs to make sure it’s a right fit for you.
Unfortunately, I don't think the prose of this book is for me, which is such a bummer when everything about the concept seemed right up my alley. I love existentialism, and I love books that have realistic and well-rounded portrayals of therapy, and the parts I read that had a therapeutic aspect to them were wonderful. I know the author is a therapist IRL, and I think that aspect really shines through.
I got to about 13% and decided that it was probably better to just move on to other things in my TBR. Maybe I'll come back to it later, maybe not.
I got to about 13% and decided that it was probably better to just move on to other things in my TBR. Maybe I'll come back to it later, maybe not.
I absolutely love all the symbolism and meanings behind everything that happens in the book! I had so much fun with all my theories throughout my read. It made me feel seen and less alone, with past events from my own life! If you’re looking for a book about a great friendship and mental health? This is it! Highly recommend.
It’s a depress fest. The tone stays somber for far too much of the book.