kayaaaaaaaaa's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
“…believed that the innumerable stars in the heavens were, each of them, gods. that night…i thought they must be so, certain that on occasion some of them fell to earth and mingled among us, shimmering with light or burnt out like cinders.”
“and who will they be, these people i’m going to love? it felt like, in ten years, i had already used them all up.”
bookslaw's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
4.0
beautiful, bizarre, mysterious. loved this book.
maryhope's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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? No
5.0
hanadavies's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
adclark2's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
carmenghia's review against another edition
3.0
Uh, ok. For the character investment we make, there should have been more of a payoff.
fudgeelizabeth9's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
adrianna80's review against another edition
4.0
It would have been 5 stars if the author had left out the vampire bits.
gyps_fulvus's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Legit, I never write reviews, but I had to for this one. A Trip to the Stars was a gorgeous contemplation of fate, relying on overlapping themes of nature, place, astronomy, pomology and the Classics. I was worried, based on the blurb, that it would be a romance but if isn't (although there is romance). It's really a beautiful labrythine meditation on destiny and I was floored by how well it all came together. Read if you like JL Borges, Italo Calvino, David Mitchell, etc.
juliechristinejohnson's review
4.0
Leaving a Manhattan planetarium in 1965, 10-year old Loren grasps the gloved hand of a woman he mistakes for his aunt, Alma. It will be fifteen years before Loren sees Alma again. Her name will be Mala, his name Enzo, and the separate journeys they take before they are reunited are the focus of this epic, fantastical story of love, betrayal, spiders and stars.
It is a pleasure to suspend belief as A Trip to the Stars unfolds. Mala and Enzo relate their stories in alternating sections and a world of characters pours forth. Mala begins a quest- first searching for her nephew, then for a vanished lover, and ultimately for her soul- that takes her from New Orleans to Vietnam, then through island archipelagos that represent her loose connection to earth. Enzo is cocooned at a sprawling hotel outside Las Vegas, surrounded by a Gothic cast of permanent and transient residents who serve as tutors of his eclectic education. Mala and Enzo are connected by a cleverly rendered combination of star-crossed fate and merciless human manipulation.
Much of this novel is ravishing diversion. Much of it is grinding tedium. Nicholas Christopher infuses Mala's storyline with tremendous passion and feeling. You soar as she discovers deep, abiding love and crash when she loses her way. Her journey, both mystical and maddening, is fascinating.
Most of Enzo's life is related as expository detail. Told in first person by Enzo, it drags on and on, with a voice that never varies, no matter what Enzo's age. It reads as one long flashback, like an interminable movie voiceover. Christopher mires this storyline in so much exhausting detail that he loses all sense of urgency, suspense, and relevance. The threads that weave together to form the complete tapestry of Enzo's and Mala's destinies are found throughout Enzo's narrative, so resist the temptation to skim. But be prepared to suffer boredom at the eye-rolling conceit.
Christopher's prose can be so achingly beautiful, his imagination vast and astonishing, his characters warm and profound. Despite my frustration with the author's style choices A Trip To The Stars will stay with me. And the night sky will hold deeper wonder.
It is a pleasure to suspend belief as A Trip to the Stars unfolds. Mala and Enzo relate their stories in alternating sections and a world of characters pours forth. Mala begins a quest- first searching for her nephew, then for a vanished lover, and ultimately for her soul- that takes her from New Orleans to Vietnam, then through island archipelagos that represent her loose connection to earth. Enzo is cocooned at a sprawling hotel outside Las Vegas, surrounded by a Gothic cast of permanent and transient residents who serve as tutors of his eclectic education. Mala and Enzo are connected by a cleverly rendered combination of star-crossed fate and merciless human manipulation.
Much of this novel is ravishing diversion. Much of it is grinding tedium. Nicholas Christopher infuses Mala's storyline with tremendous passion and feeling. You soar as she discovers deep, abiding love and crash when she loses her way. Her journey, both mystical and maddening, is fascinating.
Most of Enzo's life is related as expository detail. Told in first person by Enzo, it drags on and on, with a voice that never varies, no matter what Enzo's age. It reads as one long flashback, like an interminable movie voiceover. Christopher mires this storyline in so much exhausting detail that he loses all sense of urgency, suspense, and relevance. The threads that weave together to form the complete tapestry of Enzo's and Mala's destinies are found throughout Enzo's narrative, so resist the temptation to skim. But be prepared to suffer boredom at the eye-rolling conceit.
Christopher's prose can be so achingly beautiful, his imagination vast and astonishing, his characters warm and profound. Despite my frustration with the author's style choices A Trip To The Stars will stay with me. And the night sky will hold deeper wonder.