A review by mariebrunelm
The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum

challenging dark emotional reflective fast-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

5.0

I picked up this one because I'd seen so much potential in Ancrum's short story The Legend of the Golden Raven. I read the blurb of The Weight of the Stars but somehow assumed it was Sci-fi when it's much more contemporary with a hint of Sci-fi. But what it is mainly is a book bursting with heart. 
Ryann Bird is what you'd call a difficult student. Outwardly she doesn't really care about any of it, except for the group of misfits she's brought together and watches over fiercely. Then a new student walks in. Alexandria is the angriest person Ryann has ever met. So of course the latter agrees to keep an eye on the former. What she didn't expect was for Alexandria to reach to the stars with as much longing as Ryann does.
This book goes from dark to light and back to a darkness that's shot with so much light. You can't help but care deeply for this weird found family and hope they turn out OK. It's an extremely readable book because the chapters are so short you just keep reading one more, knowing your heart is more and more likely to be squeezed tight. Especially when the story starts to get Interstellar vibes. And the emotion kept bubbling up until my eyes were very wet by the end, which is rare enough to note.
Rep: bi MC, black SC, non-speaking SC, and on the whole a bunch of diverse & queer characters. 
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