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A review by zanybibliophile
See All the Stars by Kit Frick
3.0
A story of Then and Now showing just how much has changed in a year and how one's actions can have a lasting impact.
Ellory Holland is a rather reserved teenager who lives a simple life by following her friend Ret's lead. She was meek Then but it most certainly awkward and reserved Now and the other girl's lives have all changed from one year to the next.
Jenni Randall is Ret's oldest friend and is not fond of Ellory. Jenni is the type who dreams of being a wife and mother - the exact opposite of Ret.
Bex is headstrong, free-willed and the newest addition to the group. She does not seem to be as dependent on Ret as the other two, but still seeks her approval.
Margaret 'Ret' Johnston, the 'sun' they all revolve around and a rather controlling young woman. She is the one they all follow and she seems to live for their devotion.
The story flicks between time, the Then and Now, making it a little difficult to follow. I personally think it is best to read in one this book in one sitting, especially if you are one who loses track of the plot easily. I thought the writing was good but the plot was, in my opinion, somewhat bland. It was similar to other contemporary YA books in that the bully/problem character is one of the main character's friends but they do not see that what their bully/problem friend is wrong until it is made obvious. It was clear from the first page that Ret was going to be the "problem" character, I just did not yet know in what way.
I was actually thrown off by the ending. Thinking back over the story now, the signs were all there but I did not see it coming. However, I did not like it. I can understand why it was done that way and I suppose it does sort of fit the story, it is just not how I was expecting it to go and I did not like how it wrapped up the drama of the book.
Overall, I liked the book but I was not overly keen on all the story elements. I will say it is worth reading as I think my not-so-positive feelings towards the book are more personal rather than a reflection on the quality of the book.
Ellory Holland is a rather reserved teenager who lives a simple life by following her friend Ret's lead. She was meek Then but it most certainly awkward and reserved Now and the other girl's lives have all changed from one year to the next.
Jenni Randall is Ret's oldest friend and is not fond of Ellory. Jenni is the type who dreams of being a wife and mother - the exact opposite of Ret.
Bex is headstrong, free-willed and the newest addition to the group. She does not seem to be as dependent on Ret as the other two, but still seeks her approval.
Margaret 'Ret' Johnston, the 'sun' they all revolve around and a rather controlling young woman. She is the one they all follow and she seems to live for their devotion.
The story flicks between time, the Then and Now, making it a little difficult to follow. I personally think it is best to read in one this book in one sitting, especially if you are one who loses track of the plot easily. I thought the writing was good but the plot was, in my opinion, somewhat bland. It was similar to other contemporary YA books in that the bully/problem character is one of the main character's friends but they do not see that what their bully/problem friend is wrong until it is made obvious. It was clear from the first page that Ret was going to be the "problem" character, I just did not yet know in what way.
I was actually thrown off by the ending. Thinking back over the story now, the signs were all there but I did not see it coming. However, I did not like it. I can understand why it was done that way and I suppose it does sort of fit the story, it is just not how I was expecting it to go and I did not like how it wrapped up the drama of the book.
Overall, I liked the book but I was not overly keen on all the story elements. I will say it is worth reading as I think my not-so-positive feelings towards the book are more personal rather than a reflection on the quality of the book.