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A review by warlocksarecool21
Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender
challenging
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Stars In Your Eyes was a powerful book about trauma and healing. On the surface it seems like it’s going to be a fun celebrity fake-dating romance but it’s a lot more than that. If you go into it just expecting that I think you’ll be disappointed. We follow Mattie and Logan, two actors co-starring in a rom-com. They’re forced to fake date to save the publicity for the movie and of course they start to develop real feelings for one another. Callender takes it a lot further than that, exploring themes of sexual trauma and how that manifests years later, the abuse that is hidden by the film industry and the process of healing and self-recovery. I think Callender handles these ideas very well, especially through Logan’s character development as he realizes he needs to process his previous sexual trauma and how he heals from it. I thought the journey that Mattie and Logan’s relationship went through was very well-done. Callender doesn’t shy away from the fact that while they did love each other, they were hurting one another and both needed to grow/heal in their own way before they could have a healthy relationship. I really liked that aspect, as I think a lot of books try to force a third act breakup and then rush to get the characters back together, but in this book it was very deliberate and meaningful. It anyone is looking for a powerful story about healing and growth, you’ll like this.
The only reason I didn’t rate it higher was because I had some technical issues with the writing style. It might seem overly critical but the only reason I felt that strongly about it was because I thought the writing in Felix Ever After was more resonant than this book. The writing in this book was too simple at times for me, with a lot of the characters feelings being directly told to us. There was a lot of repetition in the characters’ inner monologues that led me to skim certain sections. I still enjoyed the book and I appreciate the commentary and themes.
The only reason I didn’t rate it higher was because I had some technical issues with the writing style. It might seem overly critical but the only reason I felt that strongly about it was because I thought the writing in Felix Ever After was more resonant than this book. The writing in this book was too simple at times for me, with a lot of the characters feelings being directly told to us. There was a lot of repetition in the characters’ inner monologues that led me to skim certain sections. I still enjoyed the book and I appreciate the commentary and themes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Violence, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content
Minor: Racism