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A review by lit_laugh_luv
The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels
3.0
I have a lot of respect for this book - it highlights the AIDS epidemic with dignity and grit that doesn’t shy away from the harsh lived experiences of people who were diagnosed and those around them. With that said - I didn’t feel much emotional draw to the characters in this book, and it felt a bit one note in its delivery.
I enjoyed the subversion on the typical queer coming of age story (returning from the big city) - but the setting felt a bit hollow for me. Jess’ character arc was particularly odd to me - it tries to accomplish a lot of things, but most of them don’t pay off and it felt increasingly muddled. Otherwise most characters felt very one-note in their perspective on Brian and they felt more like literary devices than realized people.
I would have appreciated more of Brian’s insight and a more streamlined resolution to the events of the novel to have a bigger emotional payoff. The ending feels like it’s looming the entirety of the book, but by the time it arrives I felt ready to put this down.
Overall - by no means a bad book, and does a great job portraying a very sensitive (but necessary) part of queer history. I’d still recommend this, but unfortunately the characters and plot didn’t really resonate with me.
I enjoyed the subversion on the typical queer coming of age story (returning from the big city) - but the setting felt a bit hollow for me. Jess’ character arc was particularly odd to me - it tries to accomplish a lot of things, but most of them don’t pay off and it felt increasingly muddled. Otherwise most characters felt very one-note in their perspective on Brian and they felt more like literary devices than realized people.
I would have appreciated more of Brian’s insight and a more streamlined resolution to the events of the novel to have a bigger emotional payoff. The ending feels like it’s looming the entirety of the book, but by the time it arrives I felt ready to put this down.
Overall - by no means a bad book, and does a great job portraying a very sensitive (but necessary) part of queer history. I’d still recommend this, but unfortunately the characters and plot didn’t really resonate with me.