Friday, September 27, 2013

Where the Stars Still Shine

Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller
4/5 stars
Bloomsbury Childrens, 2013
339 pages
YA Contemporary

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Though I didn't love Doller's debut Something Like Normal, finding the main character rather dislikable and the book overall just a bit too short for everything that was in it, I was still interested in checking out more of her writing and decided I'd give this one a shot if I could. I am happy to report that it went better!

Callie has lived a life on the run with her up and down mother after being technically kidnapped and kept from her father. After a mistake by the mother, Callie is reunited with her father and the big boisterous Greek family she had missed out on knowing all these years. Of course it is not easy to acclimate to this new lifestyle with accountability from parental figures, friendships to negotiate for this loner, and a tentative romance with the dreamy Alex. Can she reach a place where the stars still shine?

I was surprised by how realistic this book felt to me, given that I had a very stable upbringing, am not drop-dead gorgeous, and have never crushed on the hottest guy in the room (funny guys please!) and yet I felt really bonded to Callie and her situation. Everything she thought she knew is uprooted and after ten plus years on the run, it makes for a big change. Especially startling for her is the romantic relationship as Alex turns out to actually be a decent guy unlike pretty much every guy she's known previously (I personally didn't think he sounded hot in a physical way but I tend to be in the minority among YA book bloggers and have seen others gush a lot about him.) One qualm there is that he's twenty-two to her seventeen and will have a birthday before she does-so that makes him my age and I wouldn't want to date a teenager. No one else really seems to have a problem with this but I would have felt more comfortable if he had been twenty, say.

Which is not to say that this book only focuses on romance, as the above paragraph may have made you think that romance was the only thing going on here. I just feel like the romance is really important for Callie to move forward because she had a lot of messed-up ideas about relationships due to her mother's poor example. There is also Callie making a friend (or rather renewing a friendship) and taking on her first job as well as excursions to what sounds like an amazing bookstore that I'd love to visit. And the big thread is Callie trying to find herself a new place in a family as her father had remarried with two sons. I actually feel like more could have been done her. For example, Callie and the stepmother don't start off on the strongest footing and more of that tension could have been explored before moving toward resolution.

As a reader who likes things to be neatly resolved, I still feel like there are a few too many loose strings (especially regarding the mother and Callie's childhood abuse because I'd really like her to get some counseling or something to help her process it.) Other complaints would be wanting more of that big Greek family-there's really only about two scenes with them though they're on the outskirts for others. It's a more concentrated story, really focusing on Callie and what she's going through so I understand that the family couldn't naturally be integrated more but it's still something I would have liked.

Overall: If I kept writing this review, I think I would have picked at more flaws in the plot that left me feeling somewhat disappointed but in general I did really like the writing, the character of Callie, and just the flow of the book, which keep me interested in more writing from Doller.

Other Opinions:
Books Are Vital
Great Imaginations
Once Upon a Prologue
Rather Be Reading
Reading Extensively
The Flyleaf Review

14 comments:

  1. Glad you liked the writing and the main character :) That is good. Sounds like an interesting book, but not for me these days. Still, I'm glad you enjoyed it so much :D Thank you for sharing. <3

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    1. Are you sure it's not for you? I've seen so many raves for this book and I'd hate for you to miss out on something so good.

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  2. Yay, funny guys! I'm the same way, if someone can make me laugh-they are automatically attractive in my book. I like my endings resolved and perfectly tied up but it seems like few contemporaries actually have completely closed endings so it's something I have just gotten used to.

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    1. Let's hear for the funny boys-I frequently don't get the blogging swoon for bad boys because they usually aren't funny, just smirky and it's not at all attractive to me.

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  3. I completely agree with much of what you said. I really wish that the book had shown Callie in some sort of counseling. I liked the way her relationship with Alex started out as pure attraction and developed into something more…
    My review (and interview) go up Sunday and Monday :)

    Jen @ YA Romantics

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    1. I'm going to pretend that she's getting counseling in the imaginary sequel-I just want her to get the healing and help she needs and deserves.

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  4. I was not a fan of Alex at first but I was glad that he turned out to be a decent guy and he really helped her deal with a lot of her issues (and she helped him with his as well).

    I think it would have been nice to see Callie getting professional counseling (I doubt Alex is enough to help her get over the abuse).

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    1. That's all I'm saying-it's great that Callie was able to trust Alex and that he responded so well but it's not professional help for all she's had to go through.

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  5. I think you're right, this book really is focused n callie's personal growth. And I do agree that teh romance/ her sexual relationship w/ Alex plays abig part in that growth. (Which was all fine with me because I LOVED their romance:)

    You aren't alone in wishing that counseling/therapy had been mentioned more then briefly, but I'm kind of glad this book didn't devolve into a book about healing through professional channels. I like that the healing came in the ways that it did.. And I'd like to think that Callie and her mom will get help in the future and be able to work on their relationship. Great review! I'm glad this one worked out better for you then Doller's first book:)

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    1. I'm really hoping for more professional help to get their issues thoroughly addressed and resolved. I loved reading your thoughts about this-so well-written!

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  6. I did also think about the counseling aspect as well. I wished for a little bit more at the end maybe with the family too... but the loose ends were also okay for me because they were just beginning to heal and there was a lot of miles for them to go before they were finally OKAY.

    Great review! I always appreciate your thoughts so much. :)

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    1. I'm a reader who likes everything tied up but for the most part, I was okay with the loose ends here (surprisingly.)

      Thank you for that nice compliment!

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  7. I don't know why but to me that cover says Christmas so now I'm all disappointed. I would also find the age gap a bit squicky, but I experienced all the ways in which a 26 year old screwed over my 16 year old friend so I'm suspicious of relationships like that regardless of whether it's justified or not.

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    1. Maybe it's the sparkly lights? Christmas is featured in the book but I wouldn't describe it as a holiday book. Thankfully this age difference isn't as pronounced as your friend's relationship but it was enough to make me uncomfortable.

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