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A review by juliannar
Raft of Stars by Andrew J. Graff
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Raft of Stars was a good coming-of-age novel. I appreciated that Graff wrote the story from the perspective of two ten-year-olds who are on the run from their guardians. It was a unique perspective, and I appreciated the inclusion of four adult characters as well since it provided more layers to the story.
Fish and Bread are the children in the book, and are friends. Fish comes to live with his grandfather Teddy every summer, and Bread lives with his abusive father. Fish tries to rectify the situation of Bread's father, when he sees Bread being abused. It is at this point that they both go on the run through the woods. The supporting cast of characters is rounded out by Cal, the Sheriff, Tiffany, the gas station attendant and town girl, as well as Fish's mother Miranda.
The different perspectives round out the novel, as we are able to see the struggles that they are all going through while coming together to save and rescue the boys.
The imagery evoked in the novel reminded me of Hatchet, or even Tom Sawyer. Very raw, natural, boys in their element doing their thing, living their lives and grappling with decisions they've made. It was a very quick read, and very engaging (I read it in about 3 days). I also loved the ending of the book. There is symbolism involving nature and the past that I think is just very well done, and wraps the book up nicely.
I would have liked to see a bit more of the boys personality, rather than just all of their adventuring with a couple sentimental moments thrown in. Same goes for the adult characters. Miranda is billed as one of the main characters, but we don't get nearly as many details about her as we do Tiffany or even Teddy.
This book will receive a 3.5 star rating, rounded up to 4.
Thank you to NetGalley, Ecco, and the author for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Fish and Bread are the children in the book, and are friends. Fish comes to live with his grandfather Teddy every summer, and Bread lives with his abusive father. Fish tries to rectify the situation of Bread's father, when he sees Bread being abused. It is at this point that they both go on the run through the woods. The supporting cast of characters is rounded out by Cal, the Sheriff, Tiffany, the gas station attendant and town girl, as well as Fish's mother Miranda.
The different perspectives round out the novel, as we are able to see the struggles that they are all going through while coming together to save and rescue the boys.
The imagery evoked in the novel reminded me of Hatchet, or even Tom Sawyer. Very raw, natural, boys in their element doing their thing, living their lives and grappling with decisions they've made. It was a very quick read, and very engaging (I read it in about 3 days). I also loved the ending of the book. There is symbolism involving nature and the past that I think is just very well done, and wraps the book up nicely.
I would have liked to see a bit more of the boys personality, rather than just all of their adventuring with a couple sentimental moments thrown in. Same goes for the adult characters. Miranda is billed as one of the main characters, but we don't get nearly as many details about her as we do Tiffany or even Teddy.
This book will receive a 3.5 star rating, rounded up to 4.
Thank you to NetGalley, Ecco, and the author for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, and Death of parent