pastelmeganes's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The beginning had a decent premise that hooked me in in the first place. Then there was a HUGE genre change from speculative fiction/magical realism to murder mystery suspense. It made it difficult to finish at the end because it really wasnt the direction i wanted the story to go but in sure someone may like it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Animal death
Moderate: Violence, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Rape, and Sexual violence
Minor: Drug abuse and Chronic illness
jenbean's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Cancer, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Rape, Infertility, Murder, Sexual assault, Animal death, Drug use, Infidelity, Death, and Gun violence
noveltay's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, Abandonment, Child abuse, Medical content, Rape, Animal death, and Death of parent
yaelm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Most of this book was closer to 4 stars or even more, but some parts…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Child death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Drug use, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Cancer
sophonax's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I'm not sure what I'd think if a child turned up claiming to be an alien from the stars, from a whole other galaxy, but Jo and Gabe's journey with Ursa was so lovely. Jo is recovering from loss and her own illness when Ursa turns up on the doorstep of the cabin she's working in collecting data for her graduate research. What follows is a fantasy tale which soon turns into something more sinister and frightening. The only thing which I would have changed if I could was the author's use of 'he said' 'she said' 'Jo said' at times it felt repetitive and the language felt stilted in some cases. This was minor and the story more than compensated for this. The past trauma of each individual member of the trio pulled them together and forged wonderful understanding healing relationships, the twists and turns in the story were approached with communication which I loved. No storming off never to return over little things, and misunderstandings never lasted long between Gabe and Jo because they talked then had time to think. The backstories of all of the characters had wonderful dept and it really meant that as a reader I rooted for them, celebrated with them in the happy moments and was worried for them when they were in peril.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Drug use, Sexual assault, and Rape
plutotoujors's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Animal death, and Child abuse
Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Cancer, and Gun violence
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical trauma
kelly_e's review
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Title: Where the Forest Meets the Stars
Author: Glendy Vanderah
Genre: Domestic Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: March 1 2019
T H R E E • W O R D S
Delightful • Mysterious • Immersive
📖 S Y N O P S I S
To escape her recent hardships, Joanna throws herself into her research on birds in rural Illinois. When a mysterious child shows up at the cabin she's renting, her world is shaken. The child, who calls herself Ursa, claims to be sent from the stars with the mission to witness five miracles. Somewhat skeptical of the child's story and past, Jo allows her to stay, soon enlisting the help of her neighbor Gabe. As time passes, more questions than answers are unearthed and the three form an incredible bond. Where the Forest Meets the Stars is a beautiful story of love and loss, of grief and pain, and ultimately what it means to live.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I was initially drawn to this book thanks to the beautiful cover. When I first started, I wasn't sure it was a book for me due to the magical/fantasy aspects, but I am so glad I stuck with it. The characters are believable, vulnerable, and so well developed, each with their own powerful story. How could I not feel connected to and root for Ursa, Jo, and Gabe along the way? When taken together as a whole, the story was engaging, and the writing beautiful. The careful mix of everyday life, the natural world and the mysteries of the universe offered the perfect balance here. And the nature aspect was a welcome addition, adding another layer to the dramatic storyline that I absolutely loved. It is equal parts mystery, fantasy, and romance this was an unexpected and enjoyable read for me.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of child-centered books
• readers who enjoy genre bending stories
• most readers really
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
" 'She's kind of like a baby. She didn't know she was supposed to grow up, and that makes her more fun than other grown-up people.' "
" 'As always, words fail when you most want to say the right thing.'
'People think they have to say something, and it never makes me feel better.'
'I know. I've decided language isn't as advanced as we think it is. We're still apes trying to express our thoughts with grunts while most of what we want to communicate stays locked in our brains.' "
"She had most of the book that had belonged to her parents, and she read passages from them every night before she fell asleep or when she had insomnia. As she read, her fingers touching the same pages theirs had touched, her father and mother were right there with her."
" 'When I knew my mother would be dead in a few months, I had two choices...' She looked at him. 'I could distance myself from the pain or get closer to it. Maybe because I'd lost me dad without getting a chance to tell him what he meant to me, I decided to get closer. I got so close, her pain and fear became my own. We shared everything and loved each other like we never had when death was some distance thing. In the end, part of me died with her. I'm not recovered from it even now, but I made the conscious choice to enter the darkness with her. Everyone I know who's lost someone they love has voiced regrets -they wish they'd done this or that or loved them more. I have no regrets. None.' "
Author: Glendy Vanderah
Genre: Domestic Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: March 1 2019
T H R E E • W O R D S
Delightful • Mysterious • Immersive
📖 S Y N O P S I S
To escape her recent hardships, Joanna throws herself into her research on birds in rural Illinois. When a mysterious child shows up at the cabin she's renting, her world is shaken. The child, who calls herself Ursa, claims to be sent from the stars with the mission to witness five miracles. Somewhat skeptical of the child's story and past, Jo allows her to stay, soon enlisting the help of her neighbor Gabe. As time passes, more questions than answers are unearthed and the three form an incredible bond. Where the Forest Meets the Stars is a beautiful story of love and loss, of grief and pain, and ultimately what it means to live.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I was initially drawn to this book thanks to the beautiful cover. When I first started, I wasn't sure it was a book for me due to the magical/fantasy aspects, but I am so glad I stuck with it. The characters are believable, vulnerable, and so well developed, each with their own powerful story. How could I not feel connected to and root for Ursa, Jo, and Gabe along the way? When taken together as a whole, the story was engaging, and the writing beautiful. The careful mix of everyday life, the natural world and the mysteries of the universe offered the perfect balance here. And the nature aspect was a welcome addition, adding another layer to the dramatic storyline that I absolutely loved. It is equal parts mystery, fantasy, and romance this was an unexpected and enjoyable read for me.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of child-centered books
• readers who enjoy genre bending stories
• most readers really
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
" 'She's kind of like a baby. She didn't know she was supposed to grow up, and that makes her more fun than other grown-up people.' "
" 'As always, words fail when you most want to say the right thing.'
'People think they have to say something, and it never makes me feel better.'
'I know. I've decided language isn't as advanced as we think it is. We're still apes trying to express our thoughts with grunts while most of what we want to communicate stays locked in our brains.' "
"She had most of the book that had belonged to her parents, and she read passages from them every night before she fell asleep or when she had insomnia. As she read, her fingers touching the same pages theirs had touched, her father and mother were right there with her."
" 'When I knew my mother would be dead in a few months, I had two choices...' She looked at him. 'I could distance myself from the pain or get closer to it. Maybe because I'd lost me dad without getting a chance to tell him what he meant to me, I decided to get closer. I got so close, her pain and fear became my own. We shared everything and loved each other like we never had when death was some distance thing. In the end, part of me died with her. I'm not recovered from it even now, but I made the conscious choice to enter the darkness with her. Everyone I know who's lost someone they love has voiced regrets -they wish they'd done this or that or loved them more. I have no regrets. None.' "
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Gun violence, Murder, and Rape
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, Mental illness, and Terminal illness
Minor: Chronic illness and Infidelity
Parkinson's, child neglect, drowningarttichokedipp's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, and Rape
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Pedophilia
Minor: Drug abuse and Gore
beccasbookcase's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, and Murder
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