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A review by ashleysbookthoughts
On a Night of a Thousand Stars by Andrea Yaryura Clark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.25
I don’t read enough books set in South America, and aside from having seen Evita, I know embarrassingly little about Argentina. Obviously I need to remedy that, so I was delighted when Grand Central sent me this gorgeous historical fiction set during Argentina’s Dirty War.
On a Night of a Thousand Stars is my favorite type of historical fiction. It has a dual timeline, lots of characters, and a bit of a mystery that unravels slowly. While the mystery piece was fairly predictable, it was compelling to see how that inevitable conclusion would be reached.
I really enjoyed this book. My only complaint is that many of the characters (particularly Valentina) are almost too perfect. I would have appreciated more complexity. Stantiago is really the only “gray” character in the book, with everyone else seeming to be saint or villain. Still, a compelling read about an underrepresented historical era. It’s a fantastic debut and I’ll be sure to check out whatever Andrea Clark does next.
On a Night of a Thousand Stars is my favorite type of historical fiction. It has a dual timeline, lots of characters, and a bit of a mystery that unravels slowly. While the mystery piece was fairly predictable, it was compelling to see how that inevitable conclusion would be reached.
I really enjoyed this book. My only complaint is that many of the characters (particularly Valentina) are almost too perfect. I would have appreciated more complexity. Stantiago is really the only “gray” character in the book, with everyone else seeming to be saint or villain. Still, a compelling read about an underrepresented historical era. It’s a fantastic debut and I’ll be sure to check out whatever Andrea Clark does next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Murder, War, Stalking, and Torture
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Miscarriage