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stories's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This is a tricky one to review. It’s well written and engaging, but it’s neither the story I expected based on blurb, nor the story I wanted.
It’s a good story! Starworld as a concept is incredible authentic, and the power of getting to read text exchanges amongst teens, rather than just offpage summaries was mesmerising.
I don’t know. For me, it’s a sad book, and worse, sad in upsetting ways. It could easily be read as hopeful or inspiring or reassuring, and I can’t predict how anyone else will read it. There’s nothing wrong with the book itself and I read it through in minimal sittings, in the wake of a bunch of half-started books. But I’d have been happier never touching it, and I’m not sure it was worth the energy for me.
It’s a good story! Starworld as a concept is incredible authentic, and the power of getting to read text exchanges amongst teens, rather than just offpage summaries was mesmerising.
I don’t know. For me, it’s a sad book, and worse, sad in upsetting ways. It could easily be read as hopeful or inspiring or reassuring, and I can’t predict how anyone else will read it. There’s nothing wrong with the book itself and I read it through in minimal sittings, in the wake of a bunch of half-started books. But I’d have been happier never touching it, and I’m not sure it was worth the energy for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Terminal illness, Alcohol, Cursing, Grief, Cancer, Abandonment, Ableism, and Miscarriage
Explicit depiction of - OCD including other characters’ frustration with OCD behaviours. - adopted teenager grappling with being adopted - Minor character with significant intellectual disability including off page seizures and off page violent outburst - divorced family including minor mention of court custody from POV of childlabyrith_of_a_thousand_mirrors's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-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? Yes
2.75
This could have been great. The story is great. And I love the ressources at the end. The authors seem really nice.
But the execution was just... meh. It read like a first draft a lot of the times.
The prose was very purple. One of the most purple I've ever come across. I'm not a native speaker but my language level is close. I think and dream in English more often than not. But I had to look up a lot of stuff. And sometimes the translation didn't make any sense. Like the authors had a not so secret love affair with a thesaurus and just picked words that sound pretty without understanding them. There were also a lot of abbreviations. Ones I don't think even natives mostly understand. Especially gaming ones. Yes, using those is deep POV, but narrative should never come at the cost of understandability.
Also, this book has "telling" syndrome, which is what mostly made it feel like a first draft. I can not recall a single pivotal moment where an emotion felt by the narrating character was shown instead of told. But there were a few instances where the narrating character described somone elses emotion. So the authors do have the ability to show. It's like they either ignored this very important rule completely, like, by choice, so they could write pretty descriptions of emotions or they just didn't know about it. Which I struggle to believe, because considering the ressources they put in the back, they do seem to own a device capable of running Google and Youtube.
What this telling did is that I never felt like I was being transported into the characters skin, even though the stuff that was happening was lovely and more or less realistic, psychologically speaking.
Therefore I didn't relate to them at all. Or very rarely. Now that I think about it the stream of thoughts moments where their thoughts were just on the page or when Sam was ranting to her mother, were quite relatable and immersive. But all the other moments, I didn't relate. Even though I'm riddled with trauma and anxiety too.
So... yeah...
Idea: great, first draft: okay, line editing: non-existent.
Didn't they have an editor?
I think I'll leave it at that.
But the execution was just... meh. It read like a first draft a lot of the times.
The prose was very purple. One of the most purple I've ever come across. I'm not a native speaker but my language level is close. I think and dream in English more often than not. But I had to look up a lot of stuff. And sometimes the translation didn't make any sense. Like the authors had a not so secret love affair with a thesaurus and just picked words that sound pretty without understanding them. There were also a lot of abbreviations. Ones I don't think even natives mostly understand. Especially gaming ones. Yes, using those is deep POV, but narrative should never come at the cost of understandability.
Also, this book has "telling" syndrome, which is what mostly made it feel like a first draft. I can not recall a single pivotal moment where an emotion felt by the narrating character was shown instead of told. But there were a few instances where the narrating character described somone elses emotion. So the authors do have the ability to show. It's like they either ignored this very important rule completely, like, by choice, so they could write pretty descriptions of emotions or they just didn't know about it. Which I struggle to believe, because considering the ressources they put in the back, they do seem to own a device capable of running Google and Youtube.
What this telling did is that I never felt like I was being transported into the characters skin, even though the stuff that was happening was lovely and more or less realistic, psychologically speaking.
Therefore I didn't relate to them at all. Or very rarely. Now that I think about it the stream of thoughts moments where their thoughts were just on the page or when Sam was ranting to her mother, were quite relatable and immersive. But all the other moments, I didn't relate. Even though I'm riddled with trauma and anxiety too.
So... yeah...
Idea: great, first draft: okay, line editing: non-existent.
Didn't they have an editor?
I think I'll leave it at that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Alcohol, Cancer, Cursing, Grief, Ableism, Chronic illness, and Miscarriage
Minor: Ableism
plumpaperbacks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I didn’t have high expectations for this book or even really know what it was about when I started reading. I certainly didn’t expect reading it to be such an emotional experience. I’m not sure how they did it, but Audrey Coulthurst and Paula Garner co-wrote one of the most beautiful, heart-wrenching contemporaries I’ve ever read.
I can truly say that I’ve never related to a book more. Sam’s relationship with her father, the delicate and exhausting balance of supporting a mentally ill family member but also trying to live your own life, Zoe’s constant efforts to be an “easy” child and not add any more stress to her parents’ plates… I felt these things in my soul. I empathized so strongly with these two girls, because even though our situations are drastically different, the internal struggles that come from such unpredictable external factors are very much alike. This book brought me close to tears more than once as I read, as did writing this review. I don’t think I’ve ever connected so personally, so deeply, to a book before, and honestly, I’m not sure I have the words to explain all of my feelings.
Sam and Zoe’s friendship was so beautiful and wholesome, and I loved seeing it grow. It warmed my heart to see them open up, and give one each other the hope they both desperately needed in their lives. Not only that, they created a safe haven for themselves, a dream world where they could escape for a while and anything was possible. Starworld was for them what books are for me, and they got to share it with each other. A small part of me is almost envious, in a way, because while I have a few friends, none of the people I was closest to in the past are still my friends now, and that kind of hurt stays with you for a long time. Reading about their deep, unwavering platonic love was bittersweet, because I loved what they had but was also kind of sad that I don’t have anything similar.
Every part of this book, every up and down, was perfect. The ending was so hopeful, so lovely, but still realistic; the perfect balance. I’m going to leave this review here because, despite that, I feel emotionally gutted after finishing this book. Not in the same way I do after a fantasy book I loved ends on a brutal cliffhanger, or the way I end up stewing in now-familiar feelings every time I reread Vampire Academy and revisit the unique pain those books bring. It’s different in a way I’m not sure I can articulate. But I know I won’t stop thinking about this book anytime soon. *buys a copy of my own, hugs it to my chest and loves it forever* 🖤
Representation
I can truly say that I’ve never related to a book more. Sam’s relationship with her father, the delicate and exhausting balance of supporting a mentally ill family member but also trying to live your own life, Zoe’s constant efforts to be an “easy” child and not add any more stress to her parents’ plates… I felt these things in my soul. I empathized so strongly with these two girls, because even though our situations are drastically different, the internal struggles that come from such unpredictable external factors are very much alike. This book brought me close to tears more than once as I read, as did writing this review. I don’t think I’ve ever connected so personally, so deeply, to a book before, and honestly, I’m not sure I have the words to explain all of my feelings.
Sam and Zoe’s friendship was so beautiful and wholesome, and I loved seeing it grow. It warmed my heart to see them open up, and give one each other the hope they both desperately needed in their lives. Not only that, they created a safe haven for themselves, a dream world where they could escape for a while and anything was possible. Starworld was for them what books are for me, and they got to share it with each other. A small part of me is almost envious, in a way, because while I have a few friends, none of the people I was closest to in the past are still my friends now, and that kind of hurt stays with you for a long time. Reading about their deep, unwavering platonic love was bittersweet, because I loved what they had but was also kind of sad that I don’t have anything similar.
Every part of this book, every up and down, was perfect. The ending was so hopeful, so lovely, but still realistic; the perfect balance. I’m going to leave this review here because, despite that, I feel emotionally gutted after finishing this book. Not in the same way I do after a fantasy book I loved ends on a brutal cliffhanger, or the way I end up stewing in now-familiar feelings every time I reread Vampire Academy and revisit the unique pain those books bring. It’s different in a way I’m not sure I can articulate. But I know I won’t stop thinking about this book anytime soon. *buys a copy of my own, hugs it to my chest and loves it forever* 🖤
Representation
- sapphic protagonist with anxiety
- side character with OCD
- nonverbal disabled side character
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Cancer
Moderate: Miscarriage, Grief, and Medical content
Minor: Ableism and Excrement
Sam’s mom has OCD and Sam has anxiety, though the latter isn’t diagnosed until the end of the book. Zoe’s mom was diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer prior to the story, and during the story is in partial remission. Her younger brother is nonverbal and disabled, possibly autistic, though that last bit is only my own speculation and not confirmed. Everything tagged moderate and minor is only discussed on-page, to varying degrees, not actually experienced or included in the story.
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