Rising Stars Book Club

Warning: My review may contain a few spoilers...

This book kept me curious the whole way through. Was she really an alien, or a traumatized little girl? The book gave hints that suggested both possibilities, so I really wasn't sure until the end.

The characters: I really liked Jo...BUT I kept forgetting she was only supposed to be 26. She seemed older to me. Maybe it was because of the mastectomy thing and that 26 is pretty young to have that done, so I kept forgetting she was in her twenties, or she was just written older. I don't know, and it's not necessarily the fault of the author...I'm just saying, she seemed quite a lot older than Gabe to me.

Gabe was a strange character. I LOVED him. He was the sweetest thing and if Jo hadn't ended up with him I would have reached through the book and slapped her silly. BUT, his depression seemed a little phony to me. I know as a depression sufferer myself that it's a strange thing and affects everyone differently, but I've never known a grown man that behaves that way when depressed. He was a hard worker that put everyone first--his mom, his farm, his responsibility, so it seemed strange that he would just stay in bed and shirk his duties just because he felt his family expected him to be weak and vulnerable. I just didn't buy it. I still LOVED his character and loved seeing his character's growth by the end of the story.

Gabe's sister was a great villain, though her reasons for continuing to hate Gabe seemed juvenile. It was strange to me that after years of being angry with him, they were able to make amends and settle everything in one day. I'm not complaining, I liked that part of the story, it just seemed weird to me.

Ursa was my favorite of everyone. Although she was disturbed and had gone through a lot. She was the most mature of everyone and knew better than anyone what was best for her. She was strong, brave and independent. She wasn't willing to obey the system...she was a fighter.

I enjoyed this story a lot. However, the most exciting part should have been when the bad guys came for Ursa, and Ursa and Jo were gunned down, BUT most of this section was written in passive voice which made it sort of hard to read.

I ended up being more critical of this book than intended, as I really did like this a lot. I would certainly recommend it to others, as despite some weaknesses here and there, it was a darn fine tale of love in its many forms, heartache and forgiveness.

Where the Forest Meets the Stars would get a solid 4 stars from me.


Order my new book on Kindle!

FORUM

Review Exchange For Published Authors  (18+) Need Amazon reviews for your book? Post them here: Make sure to read the rules! #2200505 by IceSkatingSugarCube

FORUM

SugarCube's Monthly Random Contest!!  (13+) A New Contest Every Two Weeks! #2175732 by IceSkatingSugarCube

FORUM

SugarCube's Insomniac Asylum  (18+) Night owls welcome!! Open 24 hours! Daily activities! Prizes! #2179526 by IceSkatingSugarCube