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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
FIRST THOUGHTS: I'm seriously blown away by Corey's middle grade debut novel. It just left me with a tremendous amount of warmth in my heart, hope in my soul, and so much love for these characters and their story. Make sure to keep this novel on your radar, folks!
I finally finished this book after what feels like forever.
I had a couple problems with it - mainly that some of the sisters were really awful people, but i think they, more or less, redeem themselves by the end.
I think that this is a fascinating story about mental health for young people with just the right amount of magic mixed in! At times the story is heartbreaking sad, and sometimes joyously hopeful.
It was a truly beautiful story.
I had a couple problems with it - mainly that some of the sisters were really awful people, but i think they, more or less, redeem themselves by the end.
I think that this is a fascinating story about mental health for young people with just the right amount of magic mixed in! At times the story is heartbreaking sad, and sometimes joyously hopeful.
It was a truly beautiful story.
I really wanted to give this four stars, but I had to bump it down to three due to the inconsistent voice.
Summary: Silly (short for Priscilla) and her three older sisters, twins Eleanor and Astrid and middle child Marla, spend their summer vacation with their parents in New Hampshire, and what should be an idyllic break is upset by their mother's depression and drinking and the fact that the twins are keeping something from her and Marla, something that makes her feel like she's alone (which leads to the best line in the book: "I shouldn't feel lonely with three sisters.") Silly soon discovers that her sisters are locking themselves away in their closet because it's magic and become anything they want and an escape from the real-world troubles at home. However, not everything is so rosy and uncomplicated with the closets.
What I loved: the plot line, the characters, and the (what I felt to be for younger readers) fairly deft handling of the complexities of depression children deal with when their parent is ill. The plot is whimsical and magical with just a tinge of menace -- there's something up with those closets y'all. And the fact that we never get a really good explanation for how they work adds to that hint of menace because when you finish book you have to wonder if it's just a coping mechanism for all four sisters or if the closets were actually magical. I liked the fact that there were moments of levity that felt like a summer vacation, but those small moments were often overshadowed by the girls' mother and her actions and their feelings regarding their mother. I also really liked the interweaving of the stars at the end; it really ties back into the title (and I also have an unreasonable fondness for stars).
I loved the dynamic between the sisters because most of the time (barring a few small moments that could be attributed to teenage rebellion but don't feel like teenage rebellion) it felt real. They didn't all get along; they didn't always fight. Silly sometimes got along better with one sister more than the others, and the relationship between each set of sisters and within the four of the group had its own unique vibrancy. There were a few instances, however, where one sister would act more like another sister than herself, so it didn't really feel like they were fully fleshed out independently of one another verses as a group.
I also think this a good look at how a parent's depression affects children. The book doesn't really address the issue head-on because while it is mentioned explicitly that the mother had depression the book is about how the girls cope with a mother who makes them angry (Astrid) or fails to live up to exceptions (Marla -- her disappointment when her mother ignores her is heart-breaking). I think it allows to understand that depression is an illness, that it's okay to be sad, but the real world still exists.
However, the reason that I had to bump it down to a three-star rather than a four-star is the writing. It was just a little too off the mark to the point that it didn't feel like an 11-year-old narrating but rather a 14- or 15-year-old, and it wasn't every once in a while but for a part of the book. The two instances I remember clearly are on pages 29 and 305, and they have to do with the word choice. Page 29: "It's pretty vanilla for Astrid..." Page 305: "I don't want Marla to know we can penetrate the door..." In the context, "vanilla" doesn't fit the lexicon of an 11-year-old (hell, it doesn't really fit the normal lexicon of anyone). It doesn't sound natural. Same with the word "penetrate". There are easier ways to say those things ("un-Astrid like", which would actually fit with another pattern that Silly uses, "unWorry", or "get through the door") that sound more like an 11-year-old.
These are just small problems that exaggerate the larger issue: Half the time, the writing made the book feel like a young adult novel rather than a middle grade novel. The voice just wasn't there 100% of the time, and that's crucial for middle grade.
Additionally, there were too many mentions of Silly's "specialness", and it was just a little too vague. Why was she special exactly? Because she can somewhat control her closet? That explanation doesn't really fly because she can give concrete examples of why Eleanor, Astrid, and Marla are special, but she can't (and her sisters can't) attribute anything unique to her. The message is essentially everyone's special in their own way, which is absolutely true, but as a child reading this, that explanation is one they've heard a thousand times over. It's just preachy while ringing a little hallow.
tl;dr With a whimsical plot, realistic characters (SISTERS! I LOVE reading about sisters!), and a nuanced view of how depression affects children secondhand, the only real weakness to "The Rules for Catching Stars" is the writing. But, since this is a middle grade book, the writing is probably the most important thing, and too often the voice sounded like a 14-year-old rather than an 11-year-old.
AlsoWhy didn't the twins just tell Silly and Marla why Astrid's closet was so bad?! What the hell happened to them in that closet? The whole mess could have been avoided if they had just said straight up why the younger girls shouldn't go in there.
Summary: Silly (short for Priscilla) and her three older sisters, twins Eleanor and Astrid and middle child Marla, spend their summer vacation with their parents in New Hampshire, and what should be an idyllic break is upset by their mother's depression and drinking and the fact that the twins are keeping something from her and Marla, something that makes her feel like she's alone (which leads to the best line in the book: "I shouldn't feel lonely with three sisters.") Silly soon discovers that her sisters are locking themselves away in their closet because it's magic and become anything they want and an escape from the real-world troubles at home. However, not everything is so rosy and uncomplicated with the closets.
What I loved: the plot line, the characters, and the (what I felt to be for younger readers) fairly deft handling of the complexities of depression children deal with when their parent is ill. The plot is whimsical and magical with just a tinge of menace -- there's something up with those closets y'all. And the fact that we never get a really good explanation for how they work adds to that hint of menace because when you finish book you have to wonder if it's just a coping mechanism for all four sisters or if the closets were actually magical. I liked the fact that there were moments of levity that felt like a summer vacation, but those small moments were often overshadowed by the girls' mother and her actions and their feelings regarding their mother. I also really liked the interweaving of the stars at the end; it really ties back into the title (and I also have an unreasonable fondness for stars).
I loved the dynamic between the sisters because most of the time (barring a few small moments that could be attributed to teenage rebellion but don't feel like teenage rebellion) it felt real. They didn't all get along; they didn't always fight. Silly sometimes got along better with one sister more than the others, and the relationship between each set of sisters and within the four of the group had its own unique vibrancy. There were a few instances, however, where one sister would act more like another sister than herself, so it didn't really feel like they were fully fleshed out independently of one another verses as a group.
I also think this a good look at how a parent's depression affects children. The book doesn't really address the issue head-on because while it is mentioned explicitly that the mother had depression the book is about how the girls cope with a mother who makes them angry (Astrid) or fails to live up to exceptions (Marla -- her disappointment when her mother ignores her is heart-breaking). I think it allows to understand that depression is an illness, that it's okay to be sad, but the real world still exists.
However, the reason that I had to bump it down to a three-star rather than a four-star is the writing. It was just a little too off the mark to the point that it didn't feel like an 11-year-old narrating but rather a 14- or 15-year-old, and it wasn't every once in a while but for a part of the book. The two instances I remember clearly are on pages 29 and 305, and they have to do with the word choice. Page 29: "It's pretty vanilla for Astrid..." Page 305: "I don't want Marla to know we can penetrate the door..." In the context, "vanilla" doesn't fit the lexicon of an 11-year-old (hell, it doesn't really fit the normal lexicon of anyone). It doesn't sound natural. Same with the word "penetrate". There are easier ways to say those things ("un-Astrid like", which would actually fit with another pattern that Silly uses, "unWorry", or "get through the door") that sound more like an 11-year-old.
These are just small problems that exaggerate the larger issue: Half the time, the writing made the book feel like a young adult novel rather than a middle grade novel. The voice just wasn't there 100% of the time, and that's crucial for middle grade.
Additionally, there were too many mentions of Silly's "specialness", and it was just a little too vague. Why was she special exactly? Because she can somewhat control her closet? That explanation doesn't really fly because she can give concrete examples of why Eleanor, Astrid, and Marla are special, but she can't (and her sisters can't) attribute anything unique to her. The message is essentially everyone's special in their own way, which is absolutely true, but as a child reading this, that explanation is one they've heard a thousand times over. It's just preachy while ringing a little hallow.
tl;dr With a whimsical plot, realistic characters (SISTERS! I LOVE reading about sisters!), and a nuanced view of how depression affects children secondhand, the only real weakness to "The Rules for Catching Stars" is the writing. But, since this is a middle grade book, the writing is probably the most important thing, and too often the voice sounded like a 14-year-old rather than an 11-year-old.
Also
This book was hard to put down, and I really liked the fantasy of it, but it was also kind of depressing and sad.
Though I’ve read all of Haydu’s books, I really wasn’t sure what to expect from Rules for Stealing Stars. All of her other books (OCD Love Story, Life by Committee, Making Pretty) are YA and incredibly intense. Middle grade also isn’t generally my favorite thing, but, when I love them, they do tend to get pretty dark. Haydu’s talent shines bright in Rules for Stealing Stars, which is as intense as I would have expected.
Haydu novels hit at the pain, but Rules for Stealing Stars is less of a visceral sort of gutpunch. It’s sleepier and sadder, less in your face. Rules for a Stealing Stars is about a family falling apart because of grief, and the tone really fits the story perfectly. There’s something slow and contemplative about this book, even though I actually read it quickly. This may be my favorite Haydu book so far, writing-wise, because it’s truly beautiful in a simple way that fits the youthful narrator.
In some ways, Rules for a Stealing Stars is about Silly’s (short for Priscilla) mom, who has a drinking problem and some other ones less easily identifiable. Silly and her three older sisters, Eleanor and Astrid and Marla, all vary with their mother’s whims. A good day is one where their mom leaves the house and smiles; a bad day is when their mom gets angry or violent or they find her passed out somewhere. They’ve come to the house in New Hampshire, where they spend their summers, in an effort to help the mom through a bad patch, but it’s not working. As the mom gets worse, everyone in the family reacts with their own coping mechanisms, withdrawing from others.
Eleanor and Astrid have been doing something secret in their room, and they finally let Silly in on the secret: the closets are magical. With Eleanor’s closet, they can go into a diorama like Mary Poppins can go into a sidewalk drawing. The magical realism element draws on the Twelve Dancing Princesses and serves as a beautiful metaphor for running away from the hard stuff. The bits in the closets are stunningly done.
Rules for Stealing Stars is lovely, dreamy, and sad. Corey Ann Haydu’s got something special, and you should try her books if you haven’t already.
Haydu novels hit at the pain, but Rules for Stealing Stars is less of a visceral sort of gutpunch. It’s sleepier and sadder, less in your face. Rules for a Stealing Stars is about a family falling apart because of grief, and the tone really fits the story perfectly. There’s something slow and contemplative about this book, even though I actually read it quickly. This may be my favorite Haydu book so far, writing-wise, because it’s truly beautiful in a simple way that fits the youthful narrator.
In some ways, Rules for a Stealing Stars is about Silly’s (short for Priscilla) mom, who has a drinking problem and some other ones less easily identifiable. Silly and her three older sisters, Eleanor and Astrid and Marla, all vary with their mother’s whims. A good day is one where their mom leaves the house and smiles; a bad day is when their mom gets angry or violent or they find her passed out somewhere. They’ve come to the house in New Hampshire, where they spend their summers, in an effort to help the mom through a bad patch, but it’s not working. As the mom gets worse, everyone in the family reacts with their own coping mechanisms, withdrawing from others.
Eleanor and Astrid have been doing something secret in their room, and they finally let Silly in on the secret: the closets are magical. With Eleanor’s closet, they can go into a diorama like Mary Poppins can go into a sidewalk drawing. The magical realism element draws on the Twelve Dancing Princesses and serves as a beautiful metaphor for running away from the hard stuff. The bits in the closets are stunningly done.
Rules for Stealing Stars is lovely, dreamy, and sad. Corey Ann Haydu’s got something special, and you should try her books if you haven’t already.
*I received a free ARC of Rules for Stealing Stars from Katherine Tegen Books via Edelweiss in exchange of an honest and unbiased review*
Rules for Stealing Stars is a poetic story about four young sisters, and how they, and their family, deal with the difficulties life sometimes throw our way. Beautifully written, with a lot of imagery and a fairy-tale like feel, it was a solid story that left me satisfied.
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
Rules for Stealing Stars is a poetic story about four young sisters, and how they, and their family, deal with the difficulties life sometimes throw our way. Beautifully written, with a lot of imagery and a fairy-tale like feel, it was a solid story that left me satisfied.
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
Many times when reading a book, you tend to look for a message that inspires you. It's almost instinctual for readers to reach for a book with a very obvious intention. I felt as though this book was not one of them. That is not to say that this book did not have themes and messages, only that a "positive message" was not my takeaway from reading it. Reading this story gave me great pleasure.I enjoyed this books magical themes. Magical-Realism is my favourite genre, and Corey Ann Haydu did a lovely job with incorporating it into her story. I also admired the sisters and their relationships. It was important for me to read about sisters who love and care for each other and are willing to help each other. Overall, I definitely enjoyed this story and look forward to more from the author.
How bad can it be in a world where you only have to wait until night to see the sky glowing, telling you warmth can always, always poke through?This is one of the most beautiful, important books I've ever had the opportunity to read. After flipping the last page, I closed this book and held it to my chest for a few minutes, just thankful that it existed and that these words belong to me now.
Rules for Stealing Stars is an incredible story about sisters who use magic to escape their mother's illness, and how that escape can make them happier and even more sad all at the same time--how forgetting what's real isn't healing at all. Corey Ann Haydu deftly addresses difficult topics while making each character real and whole. Life isn't simple. Things aren't always happy or always sad. They can't be. Beauty and melancholy don't exist separately, but within each other; they're sisters. That's what this story strives to show--and it succeeds.
This story moved me and reflected so many shades of sadness and wonder I've lived myself. I'm glad this book exists, and I'm glad it can provide readers--young and old-with a small piece of magic in the real world.