Friday, October 18, 2013

Review: WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE by Trish Doller

Author: Trish Doller
Publication date: September 24, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's
Source: an ARC provided by the publisher for an honest review.

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Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

Trish Doller writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true.

Review:


First line: Yellow light slashes the darkness as Mom sneaks into the apartment again.

I had high hopes for this book. Nothing outrageously high or expectations that will inevitably fall because nothing can meet up to my already-set standards. Just hopes. I hoped I would love this one. I hoped that I would be reading about a girl joining her family who she was horribly separated with. I hoped to be emotionally connected. I had read an adult book similar to this synopsis years ago and really liked it, but refused to set up a comparison as I read Where the Stars Still Shine. But in all, no matter what I hoped it to be or refused to compare it to, my expectations fell flat. 

Callie's mom is the stereotypical, contemporary, Sarah Dessen-like mothers, who's a deadbeat. She has had a string of jailbait boyfriends, hopping around from one place to the next, and there's the fact that she's kept her daughter away from her father and his family. Then Callie is reunited with her dad and his family in the beginning and we are soon introduced to the love interest, Alex. 

Unfortunately, I am in the minority with my feelings on this book. I didn't care for it. It wasn't bad, perse. I wasn't connected, I wasn't buying it, and I felt like I was duped.


The romance: 

Miranda from On the Nightstand says it perfectly, "I never really got the impression that Callie and Alex were in love with each other so much as they were in lust with each other." This whole story is mostly centered around Callie's "romance" with Alex and their "relationship." I put these words in quotes because there was no relationship. They meet, they "connect," and then they suddenly get very intimate. I think part of the reason was because Callie had a shaky childhood and usually girls coming from her background are, um, faster with guys because they want that stability and love. 



I couldn't swoon or root for them because I didn't like them. I wasn't a fan of Alex and honestly, I didn't care for Callie that much. How was I supposed to cheer them on? 

The story: 

I have seen many people rave about this book and say that they could connect with Callie and her story. They have, in one way or another, been in her place. So I do not bash these people, doubt them, or completely wave off their life. However, I couldn't get into it. Like I've said before, I wasn't able to connect with her. I have read plenty of contemporary "issue" books, some of them I was invested in while others I wasn't. This fell in the latter category. I thought some parts were unrealistic such as the certain romantic elements as well as her father's parenting choices. 

Mainly, I wanted to see more family. She did have moments with her father, a problem with her stepmother and her kids, befriended her cousin, and definitely lots of attention on her mother. But I wanted that large and loving family I thought I would get. I wanted more family scenes, more family interactions, more everything. Callie was cold and closed off with her family (reasonable), but as a reader, I felt no attachment. I was indifferent, as if she was just another girl I randomly had an encounter with in Walmart.

Verdict: I wanted to love it. I love Bloomsbury and the author was incredibly nice, but I sadly disliked the book. 

Note: This book contains darker elements...it is a contemporary issue book.

22 comments:

  1. Oh I'm so sorry you weren't able to enjoy this book as much as you'd hoped Sunny, I hate it when you go into a book expecting so much, but end up feeling really disappointed! I usually expect some sort of connection with my characters too, in order for a book to work for me. I have seen lots of praising reviews for this book so far, but it's always great to see a different perspective too! Great honest review Sunny! :)

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    1. Thank you, Jasprit! I wish I had experienced it differently.

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  2. I haven't read this one yet, Sunny, because I'm afraid I'll feel the same way. I loved Doller's debut novel, and so many of my friends have loved this one, and so I think my expectations are super high and I'm afraid the story won't live up to them. I'm sorry you couldn't connect with this story. I'm hoping to get the courage to read this soon and maybe we can compare notes then. :)

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    1. Hey, if you do, at least you know that you're not completely alone in the minority! Yes, I look forward to it!

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  3. Really good review. I love the cover- what connection did it have to the plot? (Loved the Downton Abby GIF.) :)

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  4. I can see how you had these issues with this one. It was a middle-of-the-road read for me - some feels and moments I loved, some things I hated, and I never clicked with Callie. She was such a witch at times to everyone around her, so thorny, and that made it hard to like her. At the same time, I admire Trish's ability to WRITE a character like that, but I don't think I could.

    Alex and Callie were...eh, I go back and forth on them. They moved way too fast for me, but I ended up cheering for them and liking them. And yeah, I LOVED the family elements and wished there was a bit more of that.

    Fabulous, honest review, Sunny! :D

    Molli | Once Upon a Prologue

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    1. Yes, WITCH. That's the word I was trying to grab at. And thorny, definitely. I also agree, she did great in creating her, which I couldn't do, and while I can't reallyyyy fault her for it, I didn't like it all the same.

      Thank you!

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  5. The idea of this sounds great and everyone seems to be loving it so it's such a shame it didn't work out for you. I don't think it would be my sort of thing because I need to connect with the main character and believe in their connections with other characters so this could be a problem for me. Such a shame. Thanks for the great and awesome review Sunny!

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    1. Well, I hope if you read it that you have a better connection!

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  6. Aw, I'm sorry this one fell flat for you! I know you were excited about it and I really liked the concept and the cover. I have a feeling that the "relationship" aspect would bother me too; I really want a relationship that I can really ship and root for in books. Well, even if you didn't like it, your review is still great and very well written! :)

    Alice @ Alice in Readerland

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    1. The cover IS gorgeous, my gosh. Thank you very much, Alice!

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  7. Aww, I'm sorry that you didn't love this one! But I fall in a similar category - I just don't "get" it. I don't get the falling into bed after being Spoiler spoilered. And I can't say that I was such a huge fan of Alex either. But... I did think that he was sweet. Question: did you think that Callie's mom was a weirdo? LOL. Awesome review, girly! Hopefully your next read is better. <3

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    1. Finally. I'm glad I'm not the only one. He was...in parts. YES. Haha, I also thought Callie was one as well.

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  8. I follow the author on Twitter and I think she's great... but I've been really reluctant to pick up her books. I don't like contemporary issue novels, and for me to be able to stomach a story like that, I need to be invested in the characters. And I find that difficult to do when I don't like or understand the romance. Characters getting intimate with each other too early on can put me off entirely. Sometimes it's definitely the more realistic approach, but the stubborn romantic in me doesn't want to read about it. Sorry to hear that this fell short of your expectations, Sunny, but lovely review!

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    1. She really is great and that's why I was so disappointed! Haha, me too. Thank you!

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  9. Ahhh. I only peeked at a couple of lines of your review since I have to find time to write mine, Sunny, but I'm relieved to see that I'm not alone in not falling for it the way just about everyone else seems to be. I actually did like it, but I didn't love it at all, and I was somewhat surprised by that since it's gotten so many accolades. Oh, well.

    Wendy @ The Midnight Garden

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    1. Well, it's good to know that I'm not alone. I was surprised as well!

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  10. Oh no! I haven't read this, but I've been in love with the cover since I first laid eyes on it. Maybe I should just continue my love affair with the cover and ignore what's inside. ;) Also, Callie has been my favorite name since before I can remember, I was even going to name my son that had he been a girl. But oh my gosh ... that name is getting overused in books now! I'm starting to resent authors who use it.

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    1. Haha! I love the cover too, but hopefully you would enjoy it more than I did. I agree.

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  11. Aw, it's always disappointing when books fall flat like this. While I enjoyed this one more than you did, I still agree with you to some extent. I never bought Callie's romance with Alex either, and I didn't like him as a character either.

    I loved the family aspect though, which is why I agree with your wanting to see more of it. I thought Doller did a great job of portraying Callie's discomfort with he new family, showing how she still feels loyal to her mom, and developing both of these relationships. I just would have liked to see more family and less romance.

    I hope you enjoy the author's other novels more should you decide to try them!

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  12. Sorry you couldn't connect to this one. But I completely understand your perspective. I've not lived anything close to Callie's life either, but I could understand how someone who had would react in the ways that she does. Still the quick start to the "romance" also made me uncomfortable, though I do like that they develop much more of an emotional bond over time. I can definitely understand your point about her family. Also, I can't believe that no one ever brought up the fact that Greg's wife and Alex were SIBLINGS, so Callie and her dad are dating/married to a brother and a sister. It's kind of an awkward situation.

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