A review by vivianleemit
City of Stars by Mary Hoffman

adventurous emotional fast-paced

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

4.0

I'm doing a reread of Mary Hoffman's Stravaganza series, which I originally read in 2005 (the first 3 books) and 2012 (the second 3 books). City of Stars is one of my favorites, because I love the astrology infused into the book. Central to the plot is the city in which it takes place, which is divided into 12, with each "Twelfth" corresponding to a particular zodiac sign. Alliances in the city follow the elements of the signs, in addition to the city-states that they are aligned with. As per usual in the Stravaganza series, Mary Hoffman uses historical data to inform her worldbuilding; the city of Giglia in the book corresponds with our real-world Siena, and the Stellata horse race is based on the Palio di Siena. The plot is easy to follow and incorporates many side storylines that address tough topics (bullying, suicide, disability) without overdramatizing them.

Main character is 100% a horse girl, with all the horse girl tropes (awkward, boyish, bullied, and then basically hits puberty and becomes attractive), so you have been forewarned ;)