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hagwife's review
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Star Daughter is an incredible portrait of family, history, and becoming. I am also deeply in love with the fact that Hindu culture and mythology is front and center. The magical library whose location system relies on music to find books and everything is ordered according to the asanas is divine, no pun intended. I love Thrakar's treatment of generational trauma and the core friendship between Sheetal and Minal is beautiful. This is especially so given their differing secual orientations; Thrakar gives an amazing platonic friendship between the two and gives readers a delightful romance subplot between Minal and Padmini. Usually, I feel we get one or the other or some conflation of the two, and here we get both!
What is an issue for me is the pacing and the kitchen-sink plotting. This book is incredibly fast paced given the complex issues Thakar handles and the story arc she weaves them through. It's a lot and its hard to get attached to certain characters or pieces because it all moves so quickly. To be clear, I don't think Thrakar needs or should have to slow down introducing the readers to the Earthly cast or the Heavenly one – I love the "deep end and swim" approach. There's just one trope too many piled on top of each other at breakneck speed. (Her boyfriend knew she was a star because someone asked him to keep an eye on her, one parent is divine and one isn't, the divine nature hurting someone as we hit the coming of age, familial trauma causing a rift between two worlds, a competition where suddenly the brand new divine being has to master their talent to save everything, etc.)
Overall, its a great addition to YA Literature and I'm excited to see what Thrakar writes next!
What is an issue for me is the pacing and the kitchen-sink plotting. This book is incredibly fast paced given the complex issues Thakar handles and the story arc she weaves them through. It's a lot and its hard to get attached to certain characters or pieces because it all moves so quickly. To be clear, I don't think Thrakar needs or should have to slow down introducing the readers to the Earthly cast or the Heavenly one – I love the "deep end and swim" approach. There's just one trope too many piled on top of each other at breakneck speed.
Overall, its a great addition to YA Literature and I'm excited to see what Thrakar writes next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Blood
There is a dream sequence early on that is unsettling.sssssoup's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I really wanted to like this book, and I think it could’ve been interesting, but ultimately it just wasn’t for me. It had a lot of really pretty description, but the characters and plot fell flat for me. Sheetal’s internal conflict was intriguing and well written, but she often came across as whiny when she interacted with the other characters, though I did appreciate her complicated feelings about her family members. I was also confused by a lot of the terminology and I think the author should’ve included a glossary. Overall, it was pretty mid and I think the right person could really enjoy it, but I know that wasn’t me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Confinement
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse
Minor: Domestic abuse, Medical content, Alcohol, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
taleofabibliophile's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Confinement, Physical abuse, Blood, Violence, and Torture
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Medical content
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
📚 The writing is this book is ethereal and beautiful - I could just imagine the soft light of the stars and the mystery of the celestial palace.
📚 It's so wonderful to read a YA fantasy that doesn't center white teenagers or build off European mythology.
📚 I wish there had been a lot more world-building in this book - there could have been so much more to the history of the star court and the palace intrigue Sheetal finds herself in the middle of, but instead she is relegated to the sidelines, finding out information secondhand. I would definitely have read a sprawling trilogy version of this book.
📚 It's so wonderful to read a YA fantasy that doesn't center white teenagers or build off European mythology.
📚 I wish there had been a lot more world-building in this book - there could have been so much more to the history of the star court and the palace intrigue Sheetal finds herself in the middle of, but instead she is relegated to the sidelines, finding out information secondhand. I would definitely have read a sprawling trilogy version of this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence
afireadsabit's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Star Daughter has so much.
- mythology
- glowing powerful mc
- coming into your own
- competitions
- beautiful, ethereal writing
Even if you go into this expecting a magical fantasy, you'll learn it is also about being human and not only learning about the marvelous world about gods and goddesses
- mythology
- glowing powerful mc
- coming into your own
- competitions
- beautiful, ethereal writing
Even if you go into this expecting a magical fantasy, you'll learn it is also about being human and not only learning about the marvelous world about gods and goddesses
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse
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