A review by tfischbach
Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah

emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.0

I've had this book on my kindle for years. It seemed right up my alley, but I had never sat down to read it. Then I picked it up this month and it was the perfect time. There's a bit of mystery, a bit of relationship building, and a whole lot of being outside. I was once a biological technician doing this kind of work, so it was fun to see that on the page, too. There were some plot points that were a little odd, like the relationships with the university students and faculy. It wasn't bad, but I'm not sure it was needed.

Questions I would like to talk to someone about are:
1. The author treats one of the characters mental illness in a way that makes it appear relatively easy to overcome. Do you think that is realistic?
2. What would you do if you were in the same situation with a small child claiming to be an alien and who obviously is afraid to go home?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, and Child abuse

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

There are a lot of bad things that come up later in the book, but you know it's coming. That's the mystery. Why is this girl here?

The story is not sci fi.