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laelyn's review against another edition
2.0
"Body of Stars" had an interesting premise that immediately drew me in. The idea of girls with marks on their bodies that predict their future is one I haven't read about before, so I was really intrigued. It is beautifully written, too, and Walter definitely knows how to build her own world, fill it with details and tidbits to make it come to life.
In the end, though, this book turned out to just not be for me. It talks about serious topics, which I usually enjoy in dystopian fiction, but it was all a little bit too on the nose for me. Some more subtlety would have helped in creating a more eerie, dark atmosphere that I think would have benefitted the story.
The protagonist, Celeste, never really managed to get me interested, and neither did her brother Miles. The side characters weren't really fleshed out either, although there is a lot of potential here (I especially liked Marie's mother), so I didn't really care about either of them at any point. Which, considering the fate of Miles is one big plot point of the story, means that I was never emotionally involved at all.
The pacing is very slow and nothing really seems to happen for a long time - most of the book reads more like an introduction to this world. There are constant allusions to Bad Things happening in the future, with Celeste mentioning that "this was the last time I'd ever see this person" or "at this time I didn't know how important this moment would be for my future self" (no direct quotes, of course) which should have built up suspense but never actually delivered., There are some time skips, too, that kind of gloss over important, maybe even crucial character development that I would actually have been interested to read - especially Celeste's time at the Mountain school, I wish the book dived more into her process of unlearning all these societal norms and rules instead of basically just saying "and during that time, she learned a lot".
The concept is a really interesting one and the writing is beautiful, but the story never really seems to flesh out its plot and characters and thus ended up being a rather shallow read.
Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for this arc!
In the end, though, this book turned out to just not be for me. It talks about serious topics, which I usually enjoy in dystopian fiction, but it was all a little bit too on the nose for me. Some more subtlety would have helped in creating a more eerie, dark atmosphere that I think would have benefitted the story.
The protagonist, Celeste, never really managed to get me interested, and neither did her brother Miles. The side characters weren't really fleshed out either, although there is a lot of potential here (I especially liked Marie's mother), so I didn't really care about either of them at any point. Which, considering the fate of Miles is one big plot point of the story, means that I was never emotionally involved at all.
The pacing is very slow and nothing really seems to happen for a long time - most of the book reads more like an introduction to this world. There are constant allusions to Bad Things happening in the future, with Celeste mentioning that "this was the last time I'd ever see this person" or "at this time I didn't know how important this moment would be for my future self" (no direct quotes, of course) which should have built up suspense but never actually delivered., There are some time skips, too, that kind of gloss over important, maybe even crucial character development that I would actually have been interested to read - especially Celeste's time at the Mountain school, I wish the book dived more into her process of unlearning all these societal norms and rules instead of basically just saying "and during that time, she learned a lot".
The concept is a really interesting one and the writing is beautiful, but the story never really seems to flesh out its plot and characters and thus ended up being a rather shallow read.
Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for this arc!
emilygoe's review
4.0
This was impactful, to say the least. I thought this books way of taking such a serious issue and put it into fiction to comment on the horrid nature of rape culture was pretty well done and brought light to many of the struggles women face within it. Was wonderful to see the main character be so self aware in her lack of power and to see her address her own trauma. The ending was a little lackluster for me. Not because it was bad but because I think I convinced myself it would be more grand, and be happier, but it was simple and bittersweet.
karlies's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mrpitmansgranddaughter's review
4.0
This is a book full of deep deep sentiment but written with a such a flowing plot that even in overwhelming moments you continue moving along the journey, wanting to keep it going, wanting to stand by the characters. Then finally, you close the book and you can process it. The emotion of the book and the characters that you have been alongside. But mostly and overwhelmingly, the meaning how it is just a step away from our reality, that combined with the events of the last few months this book took me back, added to that ball of emotion that has been sitting inside so many of us.
What you have here is a book that poses the question, what if all female futures are mapped on our bodies? Simple markings could tell you how the rest of you life turns out. Thats the premise of a really interesting story. Throw in a version of 'puberty' that makes women utterly irresistible and fascinating to other humans and well things get even more interesting. Then what Walter does is trickle in a reality that shares so many similarities to our own, the treatment of women, the risks women face everyday, the blame and responsibility women carry and bring them to the forefront of a society led by men and well you have quite the book... that any skeptic can see is very much a play on our society.
It would be easy to throw this into a feminist dystopian category and be done with it and while it has those elements, I don't think that does this book justice. It needs to be recognised for, how brilliant the author has been created a world close to out own and using tiny tweaks to make it feel more dystopian. Don't write this off because of that categorisation, and I will say it again for the people at the back. Stop comparing all feminist dystopia to The Handmaids Tale... it's ok to not just be another version of that.
It is beautifully written, carefully and cleverly explored and thought provoking. You will feel so many emotions and you will feel anger, anger for the world that Celeste lives in and anger when you realise just how close to our own it is. It might not be on any lists right now but it absolutely deserves to be at the top of your pile.
Some powerful words from this book that struck a cord with me ‘I viewed abductions as I did my own morality: they were an indisputablefact of life and yet unfathomable, too fast and horrific to hold in my mind for more than a few seconds.'
What you have here is a book that poses the question, what if all female futures are mapped on our bodies? Simple markings could tell you how the rest of you life turns out. Thats the premise of a really interesting story. Throw in a version of 'puberty' that makes women utterly irresistible and fascinating to other humans and well things get even more interesting. Then what Walter does is trickle in a reality that shares so many similarities to our own, the treatment of women, the risks women face everyday, the blame and responsibility women carry and bring them to the forefront of a society led by men and well you have quite the book... that any skeptic can see is very much a play on our society.
It would be easy to throw this into a feminist dystopian category and be done with it and while it has those elements, I don't think that does this book justice. It needs to be recognised for, how brilliant the author has been created a world close to out own and using tiny tweaks to make it feel more dystopian. Don't write this off because of that categorisation, and I will say it again for the people at the back. Stop comparing all feminist dystopia to The Handmaids Tale... it's ok to not just be another version of that.
It is beautifully written, carefully and cleverly explored and thought provoking. You will feel so many emotions and you will feel anger, anger for the world that Celeste lives in and anger when you realise just how close to our own it is. It might not be on any lists right now but it absolutely deserves to be at the top of your pile.
Some powerful words from this book that struck a cord with me ‘I viewed abductions as I did my own morality: they were an indisputablefact of life and yet unfathomable, too fast and horrific to hold in my mind for more than a few seconds.'
rivera_morenita's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Misogyny
abthebee's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
ladylil's review
5.0
'What I truly wished for, what I could barely allow myself to imagine, was a full reckoning. To transfer the shame and responsibility from girls who were harmed to where it belonged - to the men, and to everyone who defended those men in myriad ways.'
Reading this book was electric. A number of times I had to put this book down just to truly appreciate Walter’s writing. Body of Stars is a book of true importance and one of my favourites for 2021.
Reading this book was electric. A number of times I had to put this book down just to truly appreciate Walter’s writing. Body of Stars is a book of true importance and one of my favourites for 2021.
ida_the_vision's review
2.0
This was not quite as I expected.
The story takes place in an alternative universe where the future can be read from the markings on the body of girls - freckles, moles etc. Girls also go through a changeling period where they transition into womanhood, and in this period they are 'irresistible' to men, so abductions of young girls are fairly normal.
I thought the premise was intriguing. Initially I also enjoyed the somewhat slow and contemplating writing style. But as the story progressed I found it to lack nuance and complexity, and it just kept getting worse. I understand the social commentary the author is trying to make, but it is done in a very basic way that just feels unrealistic. And the story really lost steam in the last half of the book.
So overall I'm just disappointed.
The story takes place in an alternative universe where the future can be read from the markings on the body of girls - freckles, moles etc. Girls also go through a changeling period where they transition into womanhood, and in this period they are 'irresistible' to men, so abductions of young girls are fairly normal.
I thought the premise was intriguing. Initially I also enjoyed the somewhat slow and contemplating writing style. But as the story progressed I found it to lack nuance and complexity, and it just kept getting worse. I understand the social commentary the author is trying to make, but it is done in a very basic way that just feels unrealistic. And the story really lost steam in the last half of the book.
So overall I'm just disappointed.
daisysbookmusings's review against another edition
5.0
Body of Stars is a complex novel; it is both whimsical yet harrowing. The narrative of rape culture and control posed upon women is entwined with beautiful descriptive magic of a future where the marking on a women's body predicts the future for her and sometimes male family members. It is all-consuming, and from the off, you feel as if you have deep dived into a story that is both familiar and foreign. It reflects society's views on victim-blaming and manipulation, making the reader feel the devastating reality of a society fixated on fate ultimately; however, it is a story of hope. It also raises questions regarding gender, gender roles, stereotypes as any identity other than heterosexual, cisgender a crime in its society—a complete triumph of a book that will indeed become a modern-day classic.
agirlandabook85's review
4.0
4.5 stars
This tells the story of Celeste who lives in a world where the future is foretold on women’s bodies. The unique moles and freckles of a woman are deemed to be similar to constellations in the sky which can be interpreted to show how her life will turn out. Within this dystopian universe men do not have this gift and as such rely upon the future being told upon the lives of women close to them. Around the age of puberty a girl becomes a woman when her markings change and her fate is set. But what happens when that future is something you want to prevent at all cost?
At this point I will include a CW: (This book contains Confinement, Drug use, Misogyny, Rape and Kidnapping).
The major theme within this book is topical for many of the conversations currently being held in our country right now. The objectivity of women, victim blaming, focusing upon the behaviour of women rather than the violence of men and as such it may be a difficult read for some at this time, please be kind to yourself.
In addition to the above vital social commentary of what it is to often be a woman in this world the book also left me puzzling my very existence. I loved the concept of fate and destiny... would you want to know how your life was going to turn out from the start? Would you prefer to have the knowledge of future so as to prepare but have no choice over what that might be?
This was an astounding debut and I throughly enjoyed reading it ✨
This tells the story of Celeste who lives in a world where the future is foretold on women’s bodies. The unique moles and freckles of a woman are deemed to be similar to constellations in the sky which can be interpreted to show how her life will turn out. Within this dystopian universe men do not have this gift and as such rely upon the future being told upon the lives of women close to them. Around the age of puberty a girl becomes a woman when her markings change and her fate is set. But what happens when that future is something you want to prevent at all cost?
At this point I will include a CW: (This book contains Confinement, Drug use, Misogyny, Rape and Kidnapping).
The major theme within this book is topical for many of the conversations currently being held in our country right now. The objectivity of women, victim blaming, focusing upon the behaviour of women rather than the violence of men and as such it may be a difficult read for some at this time, please be kind to yourself.
In addition to the above vital social commentary of what it is to often be a woman in this world the book also left me puzzling my very existence. I loved the concept of fate and destiny... would you want to know how your life was going to turn out from the start? Would you prefer to have the knowledge of future so as to prepare but have no choice over what that might be?
This was an astounding debut and I throughly enjoyed reading it ✨