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sandysmith's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Death of parent
liloopie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent
Minor: Rape, Sexual content, and Violence
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"Where the Forest Meets the Stars" follows Joanna Teale, a woman who just recently lost her mother and who is trying to heal from her own battle with breast cancer. Jo is a grad student and wants nothing more than to finish her degree and get some control back in her life, but that becomes threatened when a little girl, Ursa, shows up at her home. Ursa claims to be an alien who cannot return to her home planet until she has witnessed five miracles. Jo tries to do the right thing and see if Ursa was reported missing, but she cannot find anyone who seems to know who this Ursa is. Jo befriends her reclusive neighbor, Gabriel, to try to have him help her get Ursa back home, but the pair quickly realize that Ursa may have been sent to them for a bigger purpose.
This was a really beautiful story that is rife with messages about the beauty of life and choosing how to react to the misfortunes around you. Ursa was by far my favorite character, and I was rooting for her and her story from her initial introduction. The way that she sees life, even after everything she has been through, is beautiful, and I loved how she was so focused on seeing the good in the world around her.
Gabriel suffers with his mental health, and I really appreciated how his character was represented. Additionally, I really liked how his struggles were presented. Male mental health is still not talked about nearly as much as it should be, and I think it is so invaluably important to see strong male characters presented and show an accurate portrayal of the struggles they may be facing.
Jo's character was slightly more off-putting from the beginning. She is very cold and closed off because of the obstacles she has faced in her life. I struggled to connect with her, however I did end up enjoying her story arch and how her and Gabriel, along with her and Ursa interacted. Ursa was exactly what Jo needed in her life to help remind her to truly live.
The biggest turn off for me in this book was the alien angle. I am not really into space and aliens, so having a character claim to be an alien did not hook me. Ultimately, I was fine with where the story went, and I appreciate the risk the author took in this angle, but it just did not hit 100% for me personally.
Overall, I do recommend this book to anyone who needs reminded to look at the moments of beauty in the world around them.
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
stephsparkles's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Cancer and Mental illness
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent
Minor: Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Murder
amodernhobbitslibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
The background plot was actually a nice addition that didn’t distract from the main story. Allowing the book to flow smoothly with just enough in the background to flesh out the characters and make way for their development.
The author truly understands what it’s like being the intelligent oddball, and I fully connected with these characters who are more at home in nature.
I was thoroughly invested in Ursa’s story and couldn’t figure out how this little girl ended up in the countryside. But I’m pleased with the ending. This book took me on an emotional journey, but has left me feeling warm and happy.
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Sexual content
kylieqrada's review
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Cancer, Mental illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Gun violence, and Sexual content
jazzyinthewild's review against another edition
4.0
One evening after work, Jo returns home to a lone girl, called Ursa, on her doorstep claiming to be from another planet sent to Earth to witness 5 miracles before she can return home. Jo & her neighbour Gabe spend the summer trying to figure out how to help this mysterious child.
This book wasn’t anything like I expected it to be, but I was pleasantly surprised by the story and I didn’t want to stop reading! It’s very fast paced, with a lot going on pretty much the whole way through the book, and almost all of the characters were loveable and relatable.
Jo was my favourite character. Her ornithology work is perfectly intertwined with the story - I loved all of the details of her nest sites and surveys.
This was such a heartwarming read, filled with love, family and compassion, whilst also satisfying my thirst for nature/environmental fiction.
For fans of: Once Upon A River, Sharks In The Time Of Saviours, Where The Crawdads Sing.
There are quite a lot of heavy topics, so I would recommend checking the content warnings before reading.
Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Dementia, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
ka_ke's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Child death, Infertility, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
plutotoujors's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
cd87's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Gun violence, Grief, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Cancer and Mental illness
Minor: Ableism and Sexual content