Review: WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE by Trish Doller

Title: Where the Stars Still Shine

Author: Trish Doller

Publication date: September 24, 2013

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's

Source: an ARC provided by the publisher for an honest review.

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.