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lonelyasfranz's review against another edition
1.0
DNF at page 163. Life is too short to read poorly written books, and this is certainly a poorly written book. It wasn’t so terrible before the wilderness survival camp, when it was just “ordinary” life, but it all went downhill after that. The characters somehow became even more dramatized (practically caricatures). Every character was exaggerated to the point of irritation. The “superpowers” of our protagonists were simply not written well. There was no development in at least the first 47% of the book. The one person monitoring a group of teenagers in the middle of the desert is completely abusive and moronic. He does nothing when the kids are bullied and, in fact, bullies them himself. Even the one “good” adult (the male child’s English teacher) says questionable things. I don’t like survival/wilderness books, much less combinations of the two, but Wild Bird was decent and even The Canyon’s Edge was better than this. Spare yourself the time and effort and read the former instead.
shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition
This middle grade novel requires some suspension of disbelief but the feelings about friendship ring true. The story is told in alternating voices which were so similar I often mixed them up. Aaron's special 'gift' is a photographic memory. Audrey's special 'gift' is the ability to know for sure when someone is lying. Both gifts interfere with friendships. Aaron and Audrey, and a group of other quirky kids, meet at a desert survival camp. All are transformed by the experience. Kids who want their stories to be realistic might balk at some parts of this story but kids who want and need to think about friendship will find things to love.
mschrock8's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't agree with the way the authors used the word "disappeared," but the story was sweet & inspiring. Reminded me of "Holes."
hayleybeale's review against another edition
4.0
Audrey and Aaron have uncommon, perhaps even super, abilities. When they go on a challenging outdoor camp in Texas, they learn to see these powers as a gift as well as a burden. Connect the Stars has the same rich character development and evocative sense of place that made Saving Lucas Biggs stand out, but the plot didn't work quite as well for me. See my full review here.
Thanks to Harper and Edelweiss for the digital review copy.
Thanks to Harper and Edelweiss for the digital review copy.
katiegrrrl's review against another edition
5.0
Really good story of finding yourself and trusting others.
ris_stitches's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book a lot. A pretty original premise with a compelling storyline. I would recommend it to my favorite teens for sure! Marisa de los Santos really has a gift for character development, and she and her husband did a lovely job of writing from a teen perspective.
aylea's review against another edition
4.0
Review originally published at The Children's Book and Media Review
Audrey and Aaron both have special gifts that make life difficult for them. Audrey can tell when people are lying and she can’t understand why everyone lies. Aaron remembers all the facts he comes across, but he has no understanding about how feelings work. They meet at a wilderness adventure camp with other kids who have challenges and been sent by their parents to deal with their individual struggles. They meet Kate, a girl who is sad all the time but has the ability to understand those around her, and Louis who has hypersensitivity to such an extreme that it makes his life difficult. They go on challenges set by the camp leader, Jare, while trying to deal with the bullying of two other campers, Daphne and Randolph. When Daphne disappears, all of the kids learn to appreciate their own strengths and get over their challenges to help each other survive the desert.
This is an adventure book with a lot of heart. Switching from the perspectives of Audrey and Aaron, the book shows the challenges the kids are facing and makes you root for them as they try to find their place in the world and survive in the desert. It has a good mix of survival challenges in the desert as well as internal struggles, and realistically shows how difficult both of those things can be. There are a lot of characters which might make it hard to tell them apart, but they all have their own personalities and struggles that the main characters try to understand. This book is a perfect read for kids who may be feeling a little lost and trying to find their place in the world, just like Audrey and Aaron.
Audrey and Aaron both have special gifts that make life difficult for them. Audrey can tell when people are lying and she can’t understand why everyone lies. Aaron remembers all the facts he comes across, but he has no understanding about how feelings work. They meet at a wilderness adventure camp with other kids who have challenges and been sent by their parents to deal with their individual struggles. They meet Kate, a girl who is sad all the time but has the ability to understand those around her, and Louis who has hypersensitivity to such an extreme that it makes his life difficult. They go on challenges set by the camp leader, Jare, while trying to deal with the bullying of two other campers, Daphne and Randolph. When Daphne disappears, all of the kids learn to appreciate their own strengths and get over their challenges to help each other survive the desert.
This is an adventure book with a lot of heart. Switching from the perspectives of Audrey and Aaron, the book shows the challenges the kids are facing and makes you root for them as they try to find their place in the world and survive in the desert. It has a good mix of survival challenges in the desert as well as internal struggles, and realistically shows how difficult both of those things can be. There are a lot of characters which might make it hard to tell them apart, but they all have their own personalities and struggles that the main characters try to understand. This book is a perfect read for kids who may be feeling a little lost and trying to find their place in the world, just like Audrey and Aaron.
beths0103's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those books that didn't receive much buzz, but it is a delightful middle grade novel that is accessible to all kinds of readers.
thefragranthand's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
aliviasbookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a gorgeous story about embracing your differences, and I honestly loved it so much. I read this as an audio book while camping in girl guides when I was 12 and couldn't remember the name until this year. So glad I found it again.