Scan barcode
sooky's review
4.0
A gorgeously written story about first love, loss and friendship.
Blurbs that compare a book to other books are always dancing on a thin line and can fall into spoiler territory pretty quickly. I somehow managed to ignore that first line of the description until I was about halfway through, but then it hit me. Does that mean…? It didn’t ruin the story, but took away from the mystery a bit.
The story is centered around Ellory May and her group of friends: Ret, Bex and Jenni. Their borderline toxic relationship is explored in depth as Ellory switches back and forth between then and now. The before and the after. This is not your typical frenemy story, however. There’s a fine line between someone feeling lost and insecure lashing out and one being outright manipulative for the sake of drama, and for quite a long time I was not sure just what to make of these girls.
The budding romance between Ellory and Matthias is pretty vanilla, and despite them being together for about nine months, it always seemed kind of innocent and cute. Until of course it wasn’t… Their relationship is not free of difficult moments, but they don’t center around some stupid love triangle or steamy drama, but happen because teenagers are not always equipped to deal with shit life throws at them. I loved how the author laid out their emotions so clearly, and yet Ellory refused to see the signs. Choosing to ignore what’s right in front of us is one thing many of us can relate to.
Ellory is a lovely girl with dreams of living in Portland and studying art, a clear plan for the future I found admirable, and a set of parents who are, in her words, annoyingly present. We never really meet them, but it’s clear they are involved in her life and are supporting, gently steering her down the path of self sufficiency.
One thing I particularly liked was the Ellory’s unapologetic mention of her therapist she started seeing after everything happened. She treats her visits as a necessary and helpful way to overcome her trauma, and never as a taboo, or something she should think of as a sign of weakness. Why should she? Therapy, and getting help for one’s mental health should never be something one should be ashamed of.
I wouldn’t say this was a thriller though. See All the Stars is more like a slow burning, character driven mystery, and while certainly suspenseful on occasion, the emphasis is on the emotions, not so much on the actions. There’s a lot of dreaming and wallowing going on, but it’s understandable under the circumstances and I found it conveying the story in a way that will hit you in the feels.
Blurbs that compare a book to other books are always dancing on a thin line and can fall into spoiler territory pretty quickly. I somehow managed to ignore that first line of the description until I was about halfway through, but then it hit me. Does that mean…? It didn’t ruin the story, but took away from the mystery a bit.
The story is centered around Ellory May and her group of friends: Ret, Bex and Jenni. Their borderline toxic relationship is explored in depth as Ellory switches back and forth between then and now. The before and the after. This is not your typical frenemy story, however. There’s a fine line between someone feeling lost and insecure lashing out and one being outright manipulative for the sake of drama, and for quite a long time I was not sure just what to make of these girls.
The budding romance between Ellory and Matthias is pretty vanilla, and despite them being together for about nine months, it always seemed kind of innocent and cute. Until of course it wasn’t… Their relationship is not free of difficult moments, but they don’t center around some stupid love triangle or steamy drama, but happen because teenagers are not always equipped to deal with shit life throws at them. I loved how the author laid out their emotions so clearly, and yet Ellory refused to see the signs. Choosing to ignore what’s right in front of us is one thing many of us can relate to.
Ellory is a lovely girl with dreams of living in Portland and studying art, a clear plan for the future I found admirable, and a set of parents who are, in her words, annoyingly present. We never really meet them, but it’s clear they are involved in her life and are supporting, gently steering her down the path of self sufficiency.
One thing I particularly liked was the Ellory’s unapologetic mention of her therapist she started seeing after everything happened. She treats her visits as a necessary and helpful way to overcome her trauma, and never as a taboo, or something she should think of as a sign of weakness. Why should she? Therapy, and getting help for one’s mental health should never be something one should be ashamed of.
I wouldn’t say this was a thriller though. See All the Stars is more like a slow burning, character driven mystery, and while certainly suspenseful on occasion, the emphasis is on the emotions, not so much on the actions. There’s a lot of dreaming and wallowing going on, but it’s understandable under the circumstances and I found it conveying the story in a way that will hit you in the feels.
sarahmarieanne's review
the amount of manipulation is already off the charts and i’m
not even 30% through the story so that’s a no from me
not even 30% through the story so that’s a no from me
shapesandcolours's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Blood, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, and Death
Minor: Drug abuse and Toxic relationship
notlikethebeer's review
4.0
So! I adooooore Kit Frick, like, I would read anything and everything she writes (and, actually, I have done!). Buuuut I believe this is her first novel, and I think it does show somewhat. It had the promise of her later books, just without some of the shine - there were some plot holes and it didn't feel as punchy or fast-paced as it could have done. Then again, having a slower development was also interesting. I also had some thoughts about the characters - that Abigail was under-explored, Matthias was grim, and Ret was overdone. I also have a note in my journal that says 'Jenni?! why Catholic??'. Can't remember what that meant. Anyway. Compared to Frick's other books, this isn't her best; but Frick as a writer is outstanding, so I would definitely recommend this one regardless.
hello_meggielou's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
vera_michele's review against another edition
2.0
2.5/5 Stars
This was ok, but it was way too dramatic and too much like Pretty Little Liars. However, I think Pretty Little Liars was a little better than this.
This was ok, but it was way too dramatic and too much like Pretty Little Liars. However, I think Pretty Little Liars was a little better than this.
agxxo's review
5.0
UM PLOT TWIST:
RET WAS DEAD IN THE “NOW” SECTION.
I still didn’t like her though; or Matthias.
Ret was mean; she thought she deserved all the attention and all the guys. She was messed up. She hooked up with Ellory’s boyfriend for her so that he would dump her— and then wanted Ellory to THANK HER?
I never liked Matthias. He gave me bad vibes from the beginning. I thought he was a druggie/alcoholic like his dad, but he was a no-good, cheating liar.
RET WAS DEAD IN THE “NOW” SECTION.
I still didn’t like her though; or Matthias.
Ret was mean; she thought she deserved all the attention and all the guys. She was messed up. She hooked up with Ellory’s boyfriend for her so that he would dump her— and then wanted Ellory to THANK HER?
I never liked Matthias. He gave me bad vibes from the beginning. I thought he was a druggie/alcoholic like his dad, but he was a no-good, cheating liar.
nicolemims17's review
4.0
I finished this book with my mouth wide open and a heavy heart. I have not been moved by a book in so long. I did not know a book could make me feel the way I am while writing this review. I related to so many people and their stories that I thought I was reading about my years in HS. I gave this 4 stars only because I thought the start was a little slow. By the middle of the book I couldn’t put it down. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.
kadtide's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Death, and Infidelity
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Mental illness
mytileneve's review
Oh my God!!
This book was extremely captivating from the very first chapter. The switching perspectives from 'NOW' to 'THEN' keep the mystery and intrigue alive throughout the whole novel and they keep you reading so you find out what the massive event that caused such a change in these characters' lives is. And the plot-twist at the end will leave you speechless!
This book follows our main character Ellory throughout her last high school years, unveiling two timelines 'NOW' and 'THEN' until they eventually converge and we finally find out the monumental event that split her life in two before/after-type periods. The story is centred around Ellory and her girl squad: Ret, the leader; Jenni, the wannabe, and Bex, the mediator; and the dynamic between them that gets more and more strained until it eventually leads to 'The Fall'. It reminded me a lot of Pretty Little Liars, 13 Reasons Why and Before I Fall (so if you're a fan of any of those I recommend picking this up) but it's definitely it's own unique story and not a repeat of those.
The action is not at all predictable and it keeps you guessing with twists and turns and characters who only ever reveal half the information. I would recommend this for the older side of the YA community, rather than young teen readers (it's marketed as 14+) as it touches on (not very in-depth) some serious topics such as unhealthy friendships, substance abuse, negligent parents etc. The characters are all complex and flawed and they lie and deceive and judge and make the wrong choices for the right reasons. This book will keep you hooked from the very beginning!
The only two things I wish were better is the diversity (with the exception of a couple of characters, including one of the main 4 girls, no one else is said to be of a different race, sexuality, ability/disability) and the bit of insta-love at the beginning (though this did not bother me that much as the story is not meant to be focused on the way the MC and the love interest met and rather explores their relationship from then on. It's not bad insta-love by any means but it was slightly bordering on cliché just a bit. A slower approach would have been better imo). However, these two aspects while I wish they were better, did not take that much away from the novel and I still enjoyed it greatly.
Overall, a wonderful debut novel! I hope to see more from Kit Frick in the future, hopefully with a bit more diversity and representation, but as far as storytelling goes, she is doing an amazing job! I would recommend picking this up!
This book was extremely captivating from the very first chapter. The switching perspectives from 'NOW' to 'THEN' keep the mystery and intrigue alive throughout the whole novel and they keep you reading so you find out what the massive event that caused such a change in these characters' lives is. And the plot-twist at the end will leave you speechless!
This book follows our main character Ellory throughout her last high school years, unveiling two timelines 'NOW' and 'THEN' until they eventually converge and we finally find out the monumental event that split her life in two before/after-type periods. The story is centred around Ellory and her girl squad: Ret, the leader; Jenni, the wannabe, and Bex, the mediator; and the dynamic between them that gets more and more strained until it eventually leads to 'The Fall'. It reminded me a lot of Pretty Little Liars, 13 Reasons Why and Before I Fall (so if you're a fan of any of those I recommend picking this up) but it's definitely it's own unique story and not a repeat of those.
The action is not at all predictable and it keeps you guessing with twists and turns and characters who only ever reveal half the information. I would recommend this for the older side of the YA community, rather than young teen readers (it's marketed as 14+) as it touches on (not very in-depth) some serious topics such as unhealthy friendships, substance abuse, negligent parents etc. The characters are all complex and flawed and they lie and deceive and judge and make the wrong choices for the right reasons. This book will keep you hooked from the very beginning!
The only two things I wish were better is the diversity (with the exception of a couple of characters, including one of the main 4 girls, no one else is said to be of a different race, sexuality, ability/disability) and the bit of insta-love at the beginning (though this did not bother me that much as the story is not meant to be focused on the way the MC and the love interest met and rather explores their relationship from then on. It's not bad insta-love by any means but it was slightly bordering on cliché just a bit. A slower approach would have been better imo). However, these two aspects while I wish they were better, did not take that much away from the novel and I still enjoyed it greatly.
Overall, a wonderful debut novel! I hope to see more from Kit Frick in the future, hopefully with a bit more diversity and representation, but as far as storytelling goes, she is doing an amazing job! I would recommend picking this up!