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duck_teeth's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
From shadow monsters to pirates to robots, this book singlehandedly cured my childhood. Kyro is emotionally neglected by his father after the death of his mother. Everyone in town hates him despite the fact that he's a literal twelve-year-old. It's really quite silly, although entirely emotional where it needs to be.
As someone who's also experienced emotional neglect, it really resonated with me. Sometimes parents will bleed themselves dry and they still won't have anything to show for it. They may try their very best, but sometimes their best will just be getting out of bed in the morning.Sometimes their best will be staring at telescopes all day. Sometimes their best will be going on a journey to fix the stars because they can't imagine a world where something they love so much disappears. Sometimes their best is leaving their kids alone in the world because in their efforts to be better they've somehow become worse. Sometimes neglect is normalized out of an understanding of depression, which isn't something I would necessarily argue against, but that doesn't mean that loneliness is not a terribly heartbreaking thing for a child to let loose inside their mind; for a child to know and understand and accept as though there is no feeling more familiar.
Maybe it hit me a little too hard for a children's book.
Overall, it's a good book with a fascinating story. While it certainly has its flaws, it was much too important a world at much too important a time for me to give it any less than five stars.
As someone who's also experienced emotional neglect, it really resonated with me. Sometimes parents will bleed themselves dry and they still won't have anything to show for it. They may try their very best, but sometimes their best will just be getting out of bed in the morning.
Maybe it hit me a little too hard for a children's book.
Overall, it's a good book with a fascinating story. While it certainly has its flaws, it was much too important a world at much too important a time for me to give it any less than five stars.
jennymock's review
4.0
Review for ARC: Cover is gorgeous, book illustrations are inconsistent in quality, world building (for a children’s book) is fine, the plot is great, and the characters are relatable.
everythingawesome's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
sunflowerscottie's review against another edition
5.0
Kyro wants to be a star shepherd like his father and his (deceased) mother. When clusters of stars start falling and disappearing, it becomes clear that there’s something darker causing it. Kyro’s father leaves to find out what’s happening, but he never returns. It’s up to Kyro to find out who’s stealing the stars and stop them before evil beings take over the world.
This is an absolute gem of a book. I give this to my children to read in a heartbeat. If I had kids, that is. It’s sweet, it’s adventurous, and it was fun to read. The illustrations inside are lovely and add to the story. If your kids (or you) like How to Train Your Dragon or The Graveyard Book (or both), then you’ll enjoy this. It’s very steampunk fantasy. I definitely recommend.
**I obtained this as an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher as part of a university program**
This is an absolute gem of a book. I give this to my children to read in a heartbeat. If I had kids, that is. It’s sweet, it’s adventurous, and it was fun to read. The illustrations inside are lovely and add to the story. If your kids (or you) like How to Train Your Dragon or The Graveyard Book (or both), then you’ll enjoy this. It’s very steampunk fantasy. I definitely recommend.
**I obtained this as an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher as part of a university program**
lazygal's review
4.0
So charming! A world where stars keep out horrible creatures, hung in the sky by long-vanished Elders, sounds like some origin story. Yet it's not - it's those stars really do keep out the horrible creatures and so there are Star Shepherds so rescue falling stars and send them back to the sky to keep standing watch. Of course something starts to go horribly wrong, and it's up to young Kyro to figure out how to right things.
However... there's nothing that makes sense about this world geographically. A journey to the other side of the country taking only a day? And that's in "kid steps" not adult steps. Yet a journey to a relatively nearby area takes over a day by land or sea? If that part had been more carefully thought out, this could have been a five star read. As it is, I'm rounding up from 3.5
ARC provided by publisher.
However... there's nothing that makes sense about this world geographically. A journey to the other side of the country taking only a day? And that's in "kid steps" not adult steps. Yet a journey to a relatively nearby area takes over a day by land or sea? If that part had been more carefully thought out, this could have been a five star read. As it is, I'm rounding up from 3.5
ARC provided by publisher.
pantaruja's review
3.0
Good middle grade book. It reminded me of A Series of Unfortunate Events because this kid had the worst luck and the adults were useless and/or bullies. However, it lacked the humour of the other children’s books.
I especially liked the mythology created for the world. It was simple (it’s a middle grade book), but had interesting things like the giants and the different types of monsters or the history surrounding the stars.
I think that kids will like it.
I especially liked the mythology created for the world. It was simple (it’s a middle grade book), but had interesting things like the giants and the different types of monsters or the history surrounding the stars.
I think that kids will like it.
jeffrey_e's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed the way this book made me feel. It definitely brought a sweet charm with it, and was exactly what I needed to help me get back to reading after nearly a week of being too sick to read.
angelashores's review against another edition
4.0
This is a must read! dan Haring and Marcy Kate Connolly present a gorgeous middle grades tale of finding one’s way and believing in one’s self. Kyro is a spectacular main character you will fall in love with, and his supporting cast is perfect. Kyro and his father are Star Shepherds, collecting fallen stars and returning them to the sky where they belong. When the stars begin to fall more often than normal, Kyro’s father sets off to get to the bottom of it. But he doesn’t return and Kyro must set out to find him. Accompanied by his friend, Andra, and dog, Cypher, our main character journeys farther than he’s ever gone before. Much like life, the journey is as or more important than the destination, as Kyro gains confidence and determination, growing in his understanding of himself. With a few fabulous twists, the story keeps you reading until the end, and wanting the next installment right away.