Reviews

The Star Shepherd by MarcyKate Connolly, Dan Haring

everythingawesome's review

adventurous emotional reflective fast-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

sunflowerscottie's review

5.0

Kyro wants to be a star shepherd like his father and his (deceased) mother. When clusters of stars start falling and disappearing, it becomes clear that there’s something darker causing it. Kyro’s father leaves to find out what’s happening, but he never returns. It’s up to Kyro to find out who’s stealing the stars and stop them before evil beings take over the world.

This is an absolute gem of a book. I give this to my children to read in a heartbeat. If I had kids, that is. It’s sweet, it’s adventurous, and it was fun to read. The illustrations inside are lovely and add to the story. If your kids (or you) like How to Train Your Dragon or The Graveyard Book (or both), then you’ll enjoy this. It’s very steampunk fantasy. I definitely recommend.

**I obtained this as an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher as part of a university program**

lazygal's review against another edition

4.0

So charming! A world where stars keep out horrible creatures, hung in the sky by long-vanished Elders, sounds like some origin story. Yet it's not - it's those stars really do keep out the horrible creatures and so there are Star Shepherds so rescue falling stars and send them back to the sky to keep standing watch. Of course something starts to go horribly wrong, and it's up to young Kyro to figure out how to right things.

However... there's nothing that makes sense about this world geographically. A journey to the other side of the country taking only a day? And that's in "kid steps" not adult steps. Yet a journey to a relatively nearby area takes over a day by land or sea? If that part had been more carefully thought out, this could have been a five star read. As it is, I'm rounding up from 3.5

ARC provided by publisher.

wildflowerz76's review

Not my thing. DNF.

dancingprince's review against another edition

4.0

Sweet, creative juvenile fiction that reads like a fairy tale.

pantaruja's review against another edition

3.0

Good middle grade book. It reminded me of A Series of Unfortunate Events because this kid had the worst luck and the adults were useless and/or bullies. However, it lacked the humour of the other children’s books.

I especially liked the mythology created for the world. It was simple (it’s a middle grade book), but had interesting things like the giants and the different types of monsters or the history surrounding the stars.

I think that kids will like it.

jeffrey_e's review

adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed the way this book made me feel. It definitely brought a sweet charm with it, and was exactly what I needed to help me get back to reading after nearly a week of being too sick to read.

angelashores's review

4.0

This is a must read! dan Haring and Marcy Kate Connolly present a gorgeous middle grades tale of finding one’s way and believing in one’s self. Kyro is a spectacular main character you will fall in love with, and his supporting cast is perfect. Kyro and his father are Star Shepherds, collecting fallen stars and returning them to the sky where they belong. When the stars begin to fall more often than normal, Kyro’s father sets off to get to the bottom of it. But he doesn’t return and Kyro must set out to find him. Accompanied by his friend, Andra, and dog, Cypher, our main character journeys farther than he’s ever gone before. Much like life, the journey is as or more important than the destination, as Kyro gains confidence and determination, growing in his understanding of himself. With a few fabulous twists, the story keeps you reading until the end, and wanting the next installment right away.

lauramct's review against another edition

4.0

I enjoyed the basic premise of this book as well as MarcyKate Connolly style of writing. I thought the steampunk style clockwork aspect was creative and unique, even if it didn't completely make sense with the world. I liked both Kyro and Andra's characters. Some parts were predictable which is why I didn't give it 5 stars. The ending is clearly set up for a sequel/series and I can see many of my students reading more of these books.

emilyparagraph's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring 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? No

3.0