A review by erickaonpaper
Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

this one's left me feeling a little empty. i'm running off of my late night herbal tea but also some disappointment. this book seems to be a therapist's wet dream, in the sense that so much of the language, behavior choices, etc., seem to be picked straight out of my late afternoon monday sessions. it's brought me to question writing craft and why we tell the stories we tell. if you're looking for a lighthearted romp with queer characters, this might not be for you. if you're looking for high doses of trauma embedded into queer characters experience with loving each other, then hey - maybe this is your book! 

a few standouts: kacen callender is so careful to call out the harsher truths in the book. one of the characters experienced and experiences some really debilitating things and while braves through it, it can be heavy to sit with. i also really appreciated kacen's questioning of how much fandom affects celebrity and how much we, as consumers and self-proclaimed critics, interact with celebrity gossip, dating lives, and everything else tied to hollyweird. 
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