raineedayze's review
3.0
Definitely a cute summery read. I adored Lennon and Joy the most, but found Zorie kind of annoying. The multiple side-stories were also a bit distracting. But, would be a nice read if you are looking for something to give you summer vibes.
impalalove's review against another edition
4.0
Didn't really like the first few chapters, but after that I couldn't stop reading. Good book.
rubyraereads's review against another edition
5.0
JENN BENNETT HAS DONE IT AGAIN AND I HAVE AWESTRUCK STARRY EYES
Ahhh see what I did there *wink wink*
Anyways, I'm on a roll here and Ms Bennett has taken over my life SHES SO GOOD AND IM SO HAPPY!!!!!! Literally what the heck.
Whilst I think [b: Alex Approximately|30312700|Alex, Approximately|Jenn Bennett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1568555049l/30312700._SY75_.jpg|48100718] is a teeny bit better, this book was just as amazing and had just as much heart and I loved it.
Honestly what the heck how did Jenn Bennett steal my heart like this. Truly so much talent and I'm so glad I found this author. I absolutely flew through this book and Ms Bennett truly has a knack for crafting settings, because I could instantly picture myself with these characters on a hiking trip, which not all authors have the talent to create. But I really felt like I was there and it was so effortless to imagine this landscape. Love that for us.
As anticipated, the dialogue is also just absolutely excellent and I was CACKLING. Love that for us again.
One of my other favourite things about this author is how she balances romance and other really important topics and issues. With this one, we talk about having two moms, loss of parents and unstable home life, and it just really WORKS with this story. It feels authentic and not forced and omg I just really appreciate that. It also discusses having a stepmother and can I just say how much I ADORE Joy omg, she was a darling. Plus, the sex-positivity is amazing and brilliant!!!!!
Finally, let's talk romance, which was adorable and amazing as expected. Compared to Alex, this was a bit more slow-burn and I have absolutely zero complaints. Zorie and Lennon were both phenomenal main characters, individually and together. I loved their chemistry and how their romance developed. Gotta love best friend to enemies to lovers eeeeeep. THEY WERE SO SO SO SO CUTE <3<3<3
Ugh, have I convinced you to read this yet? Because you really do so we call yell together. If you're looking for a transportive and fluffy YA contemporary romance that also touches on some heavy issues, then I so highly recommend this one xoxo
Ahhh see what I did there *wink wink*
Anyways, I'm on a roll here and Ms Bennett has taken over my life SHES SO GOOD AND IM SO HAPPY!!!!!! Literally what the heck.
Whilst I think [b: Alex Approximately|30312700|Alex, Approximately|Jenn Bennett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1568555049l/30312700._SY75_.jpg|48100718] is a teeny bit better, this book was just as amazing and had just as much heart and I loved it.
Honestly what the heck how did Jenn Bennett steal my heart like this. Truly so much talent and I'm so glad I found this author. I absolutely flew through this book and Ms Bennett truly has a knack for crafting settings, because I could instantly picture myself with these characters on a hiking trip, which not all authors have the talent to create. But I really felt like I was there and it was so effortless to imagine this landscape. Love that for us.
As anticipated, the dialogue is also just absolutely excellent and I was CACKLING. Love that for us again.
One of my other favourite things about this author is how she balances romance and other really important topics and issues. With this one, we talk about having two moms, loss of parents and unstable home life, and it just really WORKS with this story. It feels authentic and not forced and omg I just really appreciate that. It also discusses having a stepmother and can I just say how much I ADORE Joy omg, she was a darling. Plus, the sex-positivity is amazing and brilliant!!!!!
Finally, let's talk romance, which was adorable and amazing as expected. Compared to Alex, this was a bit more slow-burn and I have absolutely zero complaints. Zorie and Lennon were both phenomenal main characters, individually and together. I loved their chemistry and how their romance developed. Gotta love best friend to enemies to lovers eeeeeep. THEY WERE SO SO SO SO CUTE <3<3<3
Ugh, have I convinced you to read this yet? Because you really do so we call yell together. If you're looking for a transportive and fluffy YA contemporary romance that also touches on some heavy issues, then I so highly recommend this one xoxo
bookswithbre's review against another edition
5.0
Trigger warning; suicide
Starry Eyes was simply fantastic! This is the first I've read of Bennett's work and goodness, I am in love. Starry Eyes, Bennett's latest release, follows teenager Zorie in the summer before her senior year. A lover of astrophotography and all things space, Zorie is a cute and quirky character whom I loved being in the head of. She was kind, thoughtful and, like many teenagers, hurt by somebody she cared for, her ex-best friend, Lennon, who ditched her at homecoming the previous year. After almost a year of not seeing each other, Zorie and Lennon become stranded in a national park together whilst camping with a group of friends and an emotional and interesting journey ensues.
Zorie and Lennon were refreshing characters. They both had their own personality quirks and interests, with Lennon loving horror movies, reptiles and camping, and I really loved that they had more unique interests and hobbies than what is often seen in YA. They were both very sarcastic characters and I LOVED that! They were well-fleshed out and both showed a growth arc and it was fantastic.
The secondary and surrounding characters, including Lennon's two mother's and Zorie's mother and father, and the group of teens the pair go camping with, were also very fleshed out! They felt so real to me and I could always see, if not understand, their motives and emotions.
Bennett's writing is absolutely wonderful! I really needed an adorable, heartsy contemporary and I am SO glad that this is the one I chose. I cannot wait to read more of her work, I have Night Owls sitting on my shelves waiting for me!
I loved Starry Eyes so much, I can hardly form coherent and intelligent sentences about the book. I am ill right now, and so my brain isn't helping me out all that much, but from memory there was nothing about Starry Eyes that I really disliked. I became so interesting in camping and the animals in the national park, such as the brown bear, that I had to put the book down and research about multiple things - also, bear canisters! I love when a book makes me want to research things present in it and Starry Eyes did just that. I cannot recommend this book enough! Go, read! You'll love it.
Starry Eyes was simply fantastic! This is the first I've read of Bennett's work and goodness, I am in love. Starry Eyes, Bennett's latest release, follows teenager Zorie in the summer before her senior year. A lover of astrophotography and all things space, Zorie is a cute and quirky character whom I loved being in the head of. She was kind, thoughtful and, like many teenagers, hurt by somebody she cared for, her ex-best friend, Lennon, who ditched her at homecoming the previous year. After almost a year of not seeing each other, Zorie and Lennon become stranded in a national park together whilst camping with a group of friends and an emotional and interesting journey ensues.
Zorie and Lennon were refreshing characters. They both had their own personality quirks and interests, with Lennon loving horror movies, reptiles and camping, and I really loved that they had more unique interests and hobbies than what is often seen in YA. They were both very sarcastic characters and I LOVED that! They were well-fleshed out and both showed a growth arc and it was fantastic.
The secondary and surrounding characters, including Lennon's two mother's and Zorie's mother and father, and the group of teens the pair go camping with, were also very fleshed out! They felt so real to me and I could always see, if not understand, their motives and emotions.
Bennett's writing is absolutely wonderful! I really needed an adorable, heartsy contemporary and I am SO glad that this is the one I chose. I cannot wait to read more of her work, I have Night Owls sitting on my shelves waiting for me!
I loved Starry Eyes so much, I can hardly form coherent and intelligent sentences about the book. I am ill right now, and so my brain isn't helping me out all that much, but from memory there was nothing about Starry Eyes that I really disliked. I became so interesting in camping and the animals in the national park, such as the brown bear, that I had to put the book down and research about multiple things - also, bear canisters! I love when a book makes me want to research things present in it and Starry Eyes did just that. I cannot recommend this book enough! Go, read! You'll love it.
labarrec's review
3.0
Oh no, camping with the cute neighbor boy, sharing a tent! WHaT cOuLd PoSsIbLy HaPpEn?!?
POPSUGAR CHALLENGE PROMPT: a book set mostly outdoors
POPSUGAR CHALLENGE PROMPT: a book set mostly outdoors
cursebreakker's review
5.0
I hear best friends turned enemies turned lovers? YES PLEASE!
This story was so good, so original, I don't remember EVER reading about camping before...and it being interesting!! Anyways, I loved the characters, they were all so full of live and Lennon is simply the sweetest boy, he may look like a trouble maker but he's so soft I want to hug him.
This story was so good, so original, I don't remember EVER reading about camping before...and it being interesting!! Anyways, I loved the characters, they were all so full of live and Lennon is simply the sweetest boy, he may look like a trouble maker but he's so soft I want to hug him.
buchundgewitter's review
4.0
3,5 Stars.
I really enjoyed Zorie' and Lannon's relationship and I liked what the author did with Lannon's two moms and their shop. I also loved the relationship between Zorie and Joy, I'm all in for that power-women-book! But there where a few things I wished where addressed more and thoroughly. But I still really liked this book, I laughed a lot and went on a fun camping trip.
I really enjoyed Zorie' and Lannon's relationship and I liked what the author did with Lannon's two moms and their shop. I also loved the relationship between Zorie and Joy, I'm all in for that power-women-book! But there where a few things I wished where addressed more and thoroughly. But I still really liked this book, I laughed a lot and went on a fun camping trip.
chaoseisor's review
4.0
This was much better than the last book I read by this author. Really easy to fly through, I liked the characters, and the plot overall, totally what I wanted it to be
pagesplotsandpints's review
4.0
Initial Impressions 4/6/18 & full review as posted on The Book Addict's Guide 4/9/18: 4.25 - 4.5 stars
Jenn Bennett is a new auto-buy author for me! I thoroughly enjoyed ALEX, APPROXIMATELY and STARRY EYES was just as good if not better. I loved all of the real teen issues tackled in this book from friendships to romance to sex to family, and everything in between. It was a great representation of realistic life and I love any contemporary romance novel that doesn’t go over-the-top with issues and keeps the drama within the normal realm of relatable experiences. (Not to say that over-the-top things don’t happen in real life, because obviously it happens, but I like to keep things more every day and not too dramatic. It gets to be a bit much if you only ever read about the extremes.)
I also really enjoyed the topics that the book did cover. Main character Zorie has anxiety issues and planning is the way that she copes with them, to the extent of planning nearly everything. She lives with her dad and stepmom and I kind of loved that she was actually really close with her stepmom and really considered her to be her mother and called her “mom”. I love seeing step-parent relationships that aren’t negative or angsty, and Zorie actually was closer to her mom than her dad. She wasn’t close with her father, and without spoiling specific things, she ended up having some issues with her dad throughout the book and I really enjoyed how Jenn Bennett tackled all of these issues and situations!
I LOVED the wilderness and camping aspect since that’s something that’s near and dear to my heart. I always went camping with my family as a kid but we always stayed at campgrounds. My husband (before we were married) loved the legitimate wilderness camping and introduced me to that when we started dating so it was really fun to see that atmosphere and see that knowledge put to use on the pages. It’s also great to put things like that into perspective because there’s a lot that you don’t think about as a teen, or even as an adult, being out in nature like that and it makes you really responsible really quickly. I liked seeing that in a teen setting to show some maturity and responsibility, as well as the sense of freedom it provides (and even a few moments where you’re not quite honest with your parents).
STARRY EYES was a wonderful book and I inhaled it in two days! I really enjoyed reading it and Jenn Bennett’s characters are just wonderful. I loved even the secondary characters and how much they supported the stories of the main characters and how they came to life as well. It was so well-done and I enjoyed it from start to finish.
Jenn Bennett is a new auto-buy author for me! I thoroughly enjoyed ALEX, APPROXIMATELY and STARRY EYES was just as good if not better. I loved all of the real teen issues tackled in this book from friendships to romance to sex to family, and everything in between. It was a great representation of realistic life and I love any contemporary romance novel that doesn’t go over-the-top with issues and keeps the drama within the normal realm of relatable experiences. (Not to say that over-the-top things don’t happen in real life, because obviously it happens, but I like to keep things more every day and not too dramatic. It gets to be a bit much if you only ever read about the extremes.)
I also really enjoyed the topics that the book did cover. Main character Zorie has anxiety issues and planning is the way that she copes with them, to the extent of planning nearly everything. She lives with her dad and stepmom and I kind of loved that she was actually really close with her stepmom and really considered her to be her mother and called her “mom”. I love seeing step-parent relationships that aren’t negative or angsty, and Zorie actually was closer to her mom than her dad. She wasn’t close with her father, and without spoiling specific things, she ended up having some issues with her dad throughout the book and I really enjoyed how Jenn Bennett tackled all of these issues and situations!
I LOVED the wilderness and camping aspect since that’s something that’s near and dear to my heart. I always went camping with my family as a kid but we always stayed at campgrounds. My husband (before we were married) loved the legitimate wilderness camping and introduced me to that when we started dating so it was really fun to see that atmosphere and see that knowledge put to use on the pages. It’s also great to put things like that into perspective because there’s a lot that you don’t think about as a teen, or even as an adult, being out in nature like that and it makes you really responsible really quickly. I liked seeing that in a teen setting to show some maturity and responsibility, as well as the sense of freedom it provides (and even a few moments where you’re not quite honest with your parents).
STARRY EYES was a wonderful book and I inhaled it in two days! I really enjoyed reading it and Jenn Bennett’s characters are just wonderful. I loved even the secondary characters and how much they supported the stories of the main characters and how they came to life as well. It was so well-done and I enjoyed it from start to finish.