Hi y’all!

What a week we’ve had! Celebrations and warm weather have been highlights for us. We are looking forward to the weekend too.

Today I am excited to share a review of Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass. I read this one several months ago. But for some reason I haven’t reviewed it yet. This book is fantastic and definitely deserves a review here on my blog!

I love everything I read by Wendy Mass and this is no different!

Book Summary: “And as streams of light fan out behind the darkened sun like the wings of a butterfly, I realize that I never saw real beauty until now.

At Moon Shadow, an isolated campground, thousands have gathered to catch a glimpse of a rare and extraordinary total eclipse of the sun. It’s also where three lives are about to be changed forever:

Ally likes the simple things in life–labyrinths, star-gazing, and comet-hunting. Her home, the Moon Shadow campground, is a part of who she is, and she refuses to imagine it any other way.

Popular and gorgeous (everybody says so), Bree is a future homecoming queen for sure. Bree wears her beauty like a suit of armor. But what is she trying to hide?

Overweight and awkward, Jack is used to spending a lot of time alone. But when opportunity knocks, he finds himself in situations he never would have imagined and making friends in the most unexpected situations.

Told from three distinct voices and perspectives, Wendy Mass weaves an intricate and compelling story about strangers coming together, unlikely friendships, and finding one’s place in the universe.”

Mass creates three distinct voices for our main characters that take us on such a fun journey through their shared experiences. All the protagonists have such different personalities that come through strongly. My favorite part of these three voices was the end with the same scene from the three perspectives. Mass does that so well!! Ally is so likable. I love her knowledge of the stars and space and her love for her campground home. Her alien friends and goals to discover a comet are so fun and clever! Bree is surprising. At first she seems to just be a stereotypical popular girl who cares only about herself. I love her journey! She learns to care about others besides herself and find meaning in life beyond her modelling career. Jack is really fun to read about. He lacks confidence and self esteem at the start. But his journey to the eclipse changes him. He finds friends and owns his strengths and interests. Their unlikely friendship is so fun!

I learned a lot about astronomy from this novel which I really enjoyed. Throughout the novel, there is a lot of fun amateur astronomy and eclipse talk. So many fascinating details about how they find exoplanets and discover the new one. The story of Ally’s grandpa and the search for a new comet. Using a telescope and finding planets and stars. How an eclipse works and the eclipse chasers. I LOVED the accounts of the full solar eclipse and how the world shifts. When the light disappears so much comes into focus. A brilliant climax to the book!

Like in the other Wendy Mass books that I’ve read, this book has beautiful morals and lessons. Some of my favorite themes were about growing up, being positive, helping others, learning new things, and the importance of friendship. These don’t come off preachy or in your face. Rather, Mass weaves these themes into her story and that makes the story even more powerful. Also, I love how her stories all overlap in the same universe. The Candymakers characters hear about the discovery of the planet when they come through on their adventure the next year. I love that!

This is another great Wendy Mass novel! I love the dual perspectives, the complex characters and engaging action. I recommend all her books!

What books have taught you about a subject you didn’t know much about?
Any Wendy Mass fans out there? Which books are your favorites?