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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
Absolute page turner could not put this down, a wonderfully written story of Aniyah and Noah who are adjusting to life in foster care. Aniyah has always been a star hunter and believes that her mum has turned into a star and sets off on an adventure to make sure that the recently discovered star is named properly after her mum. Told through her experience as the truth of her situation and the reality of what happened to her mum begins to dawn on her this is a moving and gripping read, with well developed characters and believable relationships.
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Aniyah and her brother, Noah, have gone to live with Mrs I and the children she fosters. We know very little about their circumstances but can glean something major has happened. Both are traumatised by their experiences and talk of their mum becoming a star hint at what might have happened.
As the story progresses we learn of the games they used to play with their mum that clearly indicate a life of abuse at the hands of their father. Their wariness and defence mechanisms are tough to read about as an adult.
Reading this as an adult was probably quite a different experience to that of the target audience. Much is hinted at and the details are sparse, but they offer enough to firmly place you on the side of these kids and others like them.
The main focus of the story is the madcap plan to get to the Royal Observatory in order to make sure that the newly discovered star is given their mother’s name. Ignoring plausibility this was the kind of madcap scheme that had you hoping they’d succeed.
Though it was clear what had happened, the final stages of this where Aniyah has her moment of acceptance were hard. In spite of sitting on the bus reading I had tears rolling down my face and found myself needing a moment to digest what, for me, was a sensitively told story but what, for many, will be a grim reality.
As the story progresses we learn of the games they used to play with their mum that clearly indicate a life of abuse at the hands of their father. Their wariness and defence mechanisms are tough to read about as an adult.
Reading this as an adult was probably quite a different experience to that of the target audience. Much is hinted at and the details are sparse, but they offer enough to firmly place you on the side of these kids and others like them.
The main focus of the story is the madcap plan to get to the Royal Observatory in order to make sure that the newly discovered star is given their mother’s name. Ignoring plausibility this was the kind of madcap scheme that had you hoping they’d succeed.
Though it was clear what had happened, the final stages of this where Aniyah has her moment of acceptance were hard. In spite of sitting on the bus reading I had tears rolling down my face and found myself needing a moment to digest what, for me, was a sensitively told story but what, for many, will be a grim reality.
This was an amazing book of a journey Aniyah takes to ensure her mother's heart/star didn't get the wrong name. Full of constellations, stories, characters and an astronomical amount of love, this book is one with a beautiful story.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oh wow, this book was amazing!
So I was enjoying the book from the start, but I think I really got into it about 200 pages in...
Because before that, I wasn't exactly sure where the story was going to go, and also, even though I already loved most of the characters, and the way Aniyah saw life... I did have issues that didn't ruin the book, not at all, but did pull me out of the story a little...
For starters, I (back then) thought that Aniyah was a little too childish, or at least a little too naive for a ten year old, to me, she felt a little like an eight year old in some of the things she believed, thought, or said... I did, however, change my mind on that by the end, but we'll get to that later...
But I think the thing that pulled me out of the story the most,which is weird because that kind of thing would usually not annoy me, was actually... Typos...
OMG THE TYPOS!! SOOOO MANY OF THEM!!
Honestly, at the beginning, I didn't mind this, I was just like "oh" and the maybe laugh if it was a silly one... But slowly, I noticed more and more and more typos, it was so weird, I had never seen any book like that, it's obviously NOT Onjali Q. Raúf's fault, it is her editors who were meant to fix this...
Like, she would say "though" instead of "thought", or forget to put a full stop, or forgot to put a second quotation mark, etc. etc. etc... All these little things that sometimes happen in books and aren't a big deal, happened soo often... It was so odd... Beacuse I have seen no one talk about this, and that seems like something that people would talk about... hmm...
Anyway, I just found myself looking for them instead of reading, or acknowledging them more than usual and checking if they're actually typos, and that pulled me out of the story a little.
So like I said earlier, I sort of changed my mind about Aniyah and her naiveness upon finishing the book... I just sort of got perspective on her character, I guess...
I thought about her and realized that even though she might have been a bit more gullible than others her age might have been, she had her own strengths and ways of being very, very mature...
She was brave, strong and smart when in specific situations... She made lots of difficult and selfless decisions along her way, she was very devoted and quick thinking at times.
She took great care of Noah and was able to keep going no matter what.
So, I realized that it's OK that she's like that... Because no on is perfect and actually some people are like that, and also, I realized that her flaws all make sense to her character, and the situations and traumas she was going through... I think that someone real would be just like her if they were in her position...
I LOVED the ending! It was sweet, heartwarming, sad, happy... Just bittersweet! I actually cried a bit while reading the last few pages
I loved small things in the book, too. Like Ben's silly made up "swear words" and a lot of the little jokes in the book...
I also read about the author after finishing the book and it made me love it even more! I would also reccomend you reading about her!
I loved this book and I think so many other people would! It's serious subjects dealt with a child-y way... It's charming and funny and sweet but also sad, just brilliant!
So I was enjoying the book from the start, but I think I really got into it about 200 pages in...
Because before that, I wasn't exactly sure where the story was going to go, and also, even though I already loved most of the characters, and the way Aniyah saw life... I did have issues that didn't ruin the book, not at all, but did pull me out of the story a little...
For starters, I (back then) thought that Aniyah was a little too childish, or at least a little too naive for a ten year old, to me, she felt a little like an eight year old in some of the things she believed, thought, or said... I did, however, change my mind on that by the end, but we'll get to that later...
But I think the thing that pulled me out of the story the most,which is weird because that kind of thing would usually not annoy me, was actually... Typos...
OMG THE TYPOS!! SOOOO MANY OF THEM!!
Honestly, at the beginning, I didn't mind this, I was just like "oh" and the maybe laugh if it was a silly one... But slowly, I noticed more and more and more typos, it was so weird, I had never seen any book like that, it's obviously NOT Onjali Q. Raúf's fault, it is her editors who were meant to fix this...
Like, she would say "though" instead of "thought", or forget to put a full stop, or forgot to put a second quotation mark, etc. etc. etc... All these little things that sometimes happen in books and aren't a big deal, happened soo often... It was so odd... Beacuse I have seen no one talk about this, and that seems like something that people would talk about... hmm...
Anyway, I just found myself looking for them instead of reading, or acknowledging them more than usual and checking if they're actually typos, and that pulled me out of the story a little.
So like I said earlier, I sort of changed my mind about Aniyah and her naiveness upon finishing the book... I just sort of got perspective on her character, I guess...
I thought about her and realized that even though she might have been a bit more gullible than others her age might have been, she had her own strengths and ways of being very, very mature...
She was brave, strong and smart when in specific situations... She made lots of difficult and selfless decisions along her way, she was very devoted and quick thinking at times.
She took great care of Noah and was able to keep going no matter what.
So, I realized that it's OK that she's like that... Because no on is perfect and actually some people are like that, and also, I realized that her flaws all make sense to her character, and the situations and traumas she was going through... I think that someone real would be just like her if they were in her position...
I LOVED the ending! It was sweet, heartwarming, sad, happy... Just bittersweet! I actually cried a bit while reading the last few pages
Spoiler
(I started somewhere in the Royal Observatory)I loved small things in the book, too. Like Ben's silly made up "swear words" and a lot of the little jokes in the book...
I also read about the author after finishing the book and it made me love it even more! I would also reccomend you reading about her!
I loved this book and I think so many other people would! It's serious subjects dealt with a child-y way... It's charming and funny and sweet but also sad, just brilliant!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It's a phenomenal piece of work, but some things that happened in this book were too hard for me to digest, and that's totally on me
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“Mum has left and turned into a star.
All I know is — that was when I heard a loud crack from somewhere deep inside my chest, and a loud explosion taking place high up in the skies, and a creaking as if the world had stopped turning and didn’t know how to move again.”
The Star Outside My Window is a delicately written tale about domestic abuse, and its toll on children.
Onjali Q Rauf is well known for couching important, difficult issues in beautiful storytelling — arming her young readers with experience, knowledge and instilling in them the compulsion to act.
As Aniyah starts life anew at a foster home with her brother, Noah, the Royal Observatory reports a newly-born star. Millions of people join a contest to name this star.
With their new friends from foster care, this band of star hunters set out on a journey to the Observatory. They need to get there before this new name is picked - because this star is Mum and it’s got to have her name.
As the story unravels, then does Aniyah and the reader gradually cope with the reality of what her father has done. Why all the kitchen plates were missing. Why her Mum had to wear long sleeve sweaters in the summer. Why Dad had to “move the furniture around so much” they broke.
Why life was lived round trying to make sure Dad’s switch did not get flipped.
Do not hesitate to pick up such a book for your young reader, in fact, pick any Onjali Q Rauf title. This is what literature is written and read for.
At the back of the book, Onjali talks about how she lost her 29-yo aunt more than a decade ago to domestic abuse, and the trauma on her family. Yet this book bleeds with tears and sings with hope, for humanity steps up and needs to continue to do so.
📚: @times.reads
All I know is — that was when I heard a loud crack from somewhere deep inside my chest, and a loud explosion taking place high up in the skies, and a creaking as if the world had stopped turning and didn’t know how to move again.”
The Star Outside My Window is a delicately written tale about domestic abuse, and its toll on children.
Onjali Q Rauf is well known for couching important, difficult issues in beautiful storytelling — arming her young readers with experience, knowledge and instilling in them the compulsion to act.
As Aniyah starts life anew at a foster home with her brother, Noah, the Royal Observatory reports a newly-born star. Millions of people join a contest to name this star.
With their new friends from foster care, this band of star hunters set out on a journey to the Observatory. They need to get there before this new name is picked - because this star is Mum and it’s got to have her name.
As the story unravels, then does Aniyah and the reader gradually cope with the reality of what her father has done. Why all the kitchen plates were missing. Why her Mum had to wear long sleeve sweaters in the summer. Why Dad had to “move the furniture around so much” they broke.
Why life was lived round trying to make sure Dad’s switch did not get flipped.
Do not hesitate to pick up such a book for your young reader, in fact, pick any Onjali Q Rauf title. This is what literature is written and read for.
At the back of the book, Onjali talks about how she lost her 29-yo aunt more than a decade ago to domestic abuse, and the trauma on her family. Yet this book bleeds with tears and sings with hope, for humanity steps up and needs to continue to do so.
📚: @times.reads