Reviews

Stargazers by L.P. Hernandez

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twilliamson's review against another edition

4.0

Stargazers is a novella that manages to do a lot with very little. Focused tightly on the actions of a man and his daughter at the end of the world, it packs in a lot about love and fright in its lean package. The central premise of the novel--that people have suddenly become mind-addled stargazers for some nefarious cosmic intelligence--is really secondary to the main themes of parenthood and trauma.

Hernandez is succinct with his characterization, allowing his narrative to focus on the highs and lows of parental love. Henry, his main character, isn't that great a father, and yet he finds himself having to figure out how to be a better one at the end of the world. Henry's daughter, Penny, is also a handful, with more questions than there are answers for them.

The novella is packed with dangers, and convincing ones too, the kinds that tug at the heartstrings of anyone who feels familial duty to one another--and especially parental duty to a young one. He isn't interested in answering questions about the overarching plot device driving his dystopian future, either, which gives his book enough space to keep things interesting without losing its focus on character.

All in all, this is one fantastic novella, worth every terrifying page.

pn_hinton's review against another edition

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5.0

This was an amazing novella. It has me on the edge of my seat the entire time. And the ending was ...wow. I also enjoyed the 'in-between' chapters that helped to move the story along and let us and Henry know more than what our limited view allowed. Highly recommend.

its_rosa_reading's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

cursedreading's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

averymiller's review against another edition

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5.0

This novella grabs you by the ass and keeps on pulling. I had to force myself to leave the last 20 pages for the morning. Such a simple concept turned into an intricate and terrifying world. 120 pages of pure terror. Perfect for the Halloween season.