A review by greenlivingaudioworm
Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

Planning can’t save you from everything. Change is inevitable and uncertainty is a given. And if you plan so much that you can’t function without one, life’s no fun. All the calendars, journals, and lists in the world won’t save you when the sky falls. And maybe, just maybe, I’ve been using planning less as a coping mechanism and more as an excuse to avoid anything I couldn’t control. 
 
But that doesn’t mean preparation is altogether bad. Planning can be useful when you’ve come out on the wrong side of a cave and need to figure out a new way to get back on route.
 
When all you can do is put one foot in front of the other and push forward.

I’ve slowly been working through my giant unread shelf. As with all collections of books, there are some fantastic reads hiding away and some books that might be better suited for a different reader. Overall I really liked this book but there are definitely some things that made me hesitate to automatically add it to my classroom library. Ultimately, I decided this book is better suited for a high school library or a reader that will treasure the story more than I will. 

Things I Loved 🌟
  • Zorie is such a fun character! I loved following along on her journey with her. Strong female teenagers are my favorite to read about.
  • Hey authors: we need more books about adventuring girls. I loved loved loved that Zorie and Lennon were facing the elements on a camping trip. For this reason alone I wanted to put this book in my classroom library. I feel like so many adventure books are geared towards boys and I love that this book is one that is more likely to picked up by a female.
  • The slow burn romance was fantastic. I was falling in love with Zorie and Lennon myself. That can be hard for young adult lit, especially as I get further away from being a teenager myself.
  • A little thing but I loved the map at the end of the book that showed Zorie and Lennon’s relationship. 😍
  • There was some good representation and conversation about race due to the fact Zorie’s stepmom is Korean-American. I like that this conversation was included in a book that features predominantly white characters.

Things I Didn’t Love as Much 🌵
  • Zorie’s friends are actually garbage humans. I suppose that’s part of the story but terrible. I couldn’t believe how some of her friends treated her especially while on a trip in the middle of nowhere.
  • Lennon’s moms own a sex shop. There’s quiteeeee a bit of conversation surrounding dildos. This was a big reason I ultimately decided not to put this book in my 8th grade classroom. As an adult reader I found it hilarious, but I also felt like the school board might not support my decision to put this book in my classroom library.
  • There is one sex scene. For those of you who live in states like Iowa that have laws about “sexually explicit” material in schools, my librarian and I determined this book would not violate the law. Again, a scene I didn’t mind as an adult reader (I actually found it to be a quite sweet scene) but something to be aware of.
  • There is some teen drinking too. Adding all of these things together, this makes this book a dicey one to put in middle school classrooms.

Recommended for readers grades 9+
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