Reviews

Connect the Stars by Marisa de los Santos, David Teague

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.

gasoline_allie's review against another edition

4.0

One of the most enjoyable middle-grade books I've read in a long time.

nennamonkey's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring lighthearted mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

booksforlosers's review against another edition

1.0

Weird. Unrealistic. Horrible. The first four chapters were good until hey went to the camp.Don't let this amazingly beautiful cover deceive you!!!!!!!

odettebrethouwer's review against another edition

3.0

Deze las ik voor de The Storygraph Bingo 2023 die ik samen met Evelyn voor ons samen heb bedacht, voor het bingovakje 'voldoet aan de criteria van je profiel'.  Want volgens The Storygraph lees ik voornamelijk avontuurlijke, emotionele boeken. 

En dat laat meteen zien dat aanbevelingen a) mensenwerk blijven b) soms een wilde gooi kunnen zijn. Want ik houd meestal van avontuurlijke jeugdboeken, en emotionele romans. Het was dus even zoeken naar een boek met de moods avontuurlijk én emotioneel, en het was het van allebei ook net niet helemaal. 

Dit boek probeert duidelijk te veel te zijn, én een coming-of-age maar in een vrij geforceerde setting), én avontuurlijk, met óók nog eens een op te lossen mysterie erin.. En teveel is vaak net niet goed. Maar ik heb me aardig vermaakt tijdens het lezen wel. 

mjenae's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I can't believe there's not more hype around this book. It's easily just as good as some of the most popular middle grade stories I've read—better than some.
The story itself is of surviving the wilderness and coming out a stronger person—literally and metaphorically. But it's also deeply about friendship and loving people in spite of their flaws.
Because, as you'll find out when you read this book, the "anyway" is what love is all about.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Abandonment, Grief, and Medical content

thomasmannia'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.

constant2m's review against another edition

5.0

This book was recommended to me by an almost 7th grader. While much of the story seemed larger than life, I found it believable at the same time. The kids in the story brought their struggles from home with them to their summer wilderness camp and learned to turn those weaknesses into strengths, as they learned about themselves, each other, and human nature. I found myself moved at many points of the story, as well as challenged to become better myself. I highly recommend this book to kids, teens, and adults.

yapha's review against another edition

4.0

Sometimes the thing you are best it feels like an "unsuperpower." This is true for middle schoolers Audrey (who always knows when anyone is lying) and Aaron (who remembers every fact he has seen, heard, or read). These specific abilities are taking over their lives and making middle school miserable. To help them out, their parents send them both to a wilderness adventure program, hiking across the desert. It is here that they meet each other, and along with new friends Louis and Kate, find out that these talents do not need to define them.

There is plenty of adventure in the desert hikes as their former NFL player guide sets them on extra challenges in addition to the miles of walking. Not every camper wants to be there, and some of the bullying dynamics of middle school reappear here as well. But the harsh beauty of the desert allows them to take a closer look at their lives and find out what is truly important. Told in alternating chapters between Audrey and Aaron, this book has a great mix of outdoor survival and internal struggles. Highly recommended for grades 4-8.

eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss

jesstele's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0