Reviews

Raft of Stars by Andrew J. Graff

liberrydude's review against another edition

4.0

A modern Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Two boys (ten year olds) flee into the forest and river in Northern Wisconsin after one shoots the other’s abusive father. It’s also about two other pairs: the grandfather and sheriff who pursue them by horseback and the mother and sheriff’s wannabe girlfriend who pursue by canoe. All three pairs during this trek have intimate and introspective epiphanies. Descriptive and engrossing it has some over the top moments but it didn’t disappoint.

ego8's review

adventurous emotional reflective tense medium-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

4.0

neumanzoo's review against another edition

I can't get past the beginning due to the hunting and grizzly details of dead or dying animals. It's justifiable, as it's a farmer protecting his cattle, but still, it's not a book for me. I really loved the premise, and sad I can't enjoy it.

victorialynch's review against another edition

5.0

I thought this was an excellent adventure story. I probably liked it more because my husband would’ve been the same age as the boys in 1994 and spend a lot of time outdoors. I thought the writing was very well done and I enjoyed the thriller at an outdoor story..

lilyreads01's review against another edition

4.0

Raft of Stars by Andrew J. Graff is a novel of natural beauty and human devotion. Summer 1994, in Claypot Wisconsin the lives of best friends “Fish” and “Bread” are irrevocably changed. A gunshot resounds and the boys flee the scene into the woods. Here they build a raft and set an escape plan along the raging river. They are tracked by four adults; Miranda Fish’s mum, Teddy his grandfather, gas station attendant Tiffany and new Sheriff Cal. This is a story of friendship and making connections. They set out on an adventure and all learn their strength, the power of love and life’s hidden beauty. Both boys are shaped by their fathers through absence and abuse but under the stars, in the face of hunger, the rage of a mother bear the boys come of age. This is a beautiful, thrilling story of wisdom and wonder which I recommend to all readers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a review copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

sophmod's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

meganac's review against another edition

4.0

You have permission to forget it, she’d tell him. Just for a minute, just enjoy your pillow, just rest, let it go. Close your eyes and sail away from troubles on a raft made of stars.

This could almost be a great book to read with kids, all the adult thought-monologues aside. It's sweet, sad, powerful, and hilarious at points. It has an element of magic-realism in it that I appreciated.

annaavian's review against another edition

4.0

Two boys involved in a shooting flee into the Wisconsin Northwoods and build a raft to escape down a raging river. At first I thought that this kind of story won’t be something I would enjoy because I’m not a big fan of YA novels but I was pleasantly surprised. This is a large-hearted debut novel about survival, courage and friendship that plays out in a wild, intriguing setting. The characters enter the woods broken and numbed but amid the wilderness they don’t lose themselves, nor do they turn against one another. Instead, they open up and cry, revealing their regrets, fears and needs. At the end they not only survive, but they all become bigger and better versions of themselves.

trisha_thomas's review against another edition

4.0

"Here floats," he said, and then spoke slowly, "Last Stand of the Poachers' Hope of Lantern Rock."

This was a very fast, very enjoyable read. I loved the adventure the boys got to have, even if the reason for it broke my heart. Their drive, their push to see new things, and their fight was really good. I also loved the two other groups that made the voyage to the boys. They added some humor and depth to the story so as the boys grappled with what had happened and what was going on, the other two groups were the ease to move to lighter things. I loved the flashlight scene, the misunderstanding and the commandeered horse for safety. But the last few scenes were serene and nice after the adventure of the story.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

andydrew2's review against another edition

3.0

This one was an airport pick up. It started off very strong. The characters were likeable and the story intriguing. However, it became a little slow and a slog for the rest of it. Still good, but you could cut a lot out of it and still have a great story.