Title: Girl Made of Stars
Author: Ashley Herring Blake
Series: N/A
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mental Health, LGBT+, Feminism
Publisher: HMH Books
Publication date: May 15th, 2018
Pages: 304
My rating: 
Mara and Owen are as close as twins can get, so when Mara’s friend Hannah accuses Owen of rape, Mara doesn’t know what to think. Can her brother really be guilty of such a violent act? Torn between her family and her sense of right and wrong, Mara feels lost, and it doesn’t help that things are strained with her ex-girlfriend, Charlie. As Mara, Hannah, and Charlie come together in the aftermath of this terrible crime, Mara must face a trauma from her own past and decide where Charlie fits into her future. With sensitivity and openness, this timely novel confronts the difficult questions surrounding consent, victim blaming, and sexual assault.
“I blink at the sky, feeling my own skin around my bones again. Andromeda’s hard to find, usually too far south on the horizon to see. But she’s out there somewhere, trapped and alone, waiting her own release.”
Oh gosh, what an emotional roller coaster this novel was! I already knew before starting this book that it was going to be a very important and hard one, but it was even more than I expected, so I’m so thankful for having an arc and read it before its release date.
Ever since I knew about this book I immediately added to my TBR and been wanting to read it, and after I did I was so heartbroken and happy to have discover a new favorite book that I just wanted to talk about it. I just loved this book so much, and I think it was a very powerful book that talks about so many important things.
“Even girls made of stars are captives, bound at the wrists and traded like property. Eve girls made of stars aren’t asked, aren’t believed, aren’t considered worth the effort unless they can offer something in return.
Even girls made of stars buy into those lies sometimes.”
It was an own voices novel with bisexual representation, and I was in love with the cast of characters. Not only I enjoyed reading from Mara’s point of view, but I also liked her development throughout the whole story and her interactions with other characters. It had amazing female friendships, and I was super happy to see that in this story, mostly because of what it was about. It’s always great to see girls supporting and taking care of each other, and this novel definitely had that.
The author also added a different view to the story, because I haven’t read many stories about abuse told from the perspective of a family member, and I think the author did an amazing job and it made you empathize with the main character. She didn’t took out the blame of what he did whatsoever, but because of the relationship Mara had with her twin brother Owen, it made it sometimes a bit harder to read, because of that connection you had with Mara.
I also really loved the romance between Mara and Charlie. They were so freaking adorable together, and I was so happy to see their relationship develop and become healthier as I continued reading the story.
“I close my eyes and let the gentle hum of the tires over the asphalt calm me down. I didn’t miss anything. I couldn’t have.
Because that guy who hurt Hannah? I don know him at all.”
This novel brought up very important topics that need to be talked nowadays, such as sexual assault, rape culture and consent. She did an amazing job at portraying that abuse in a different for of what most people tend to think when they think about assault or rape, and I think it was so important and raw. I’m so glad I’ve read this book, guys.
Though I have to admit that I cried like a baby and that sometimes it was a bit tough to keep reading. It contained a few graphic scenes about an abuse toward a character, so if you’re a sensitive reader or find that triggering I’d suggest to go more carefully.
Overall, it was a beautifully written, raw and powerful story and I loved it so incredibly much. I venture to say that it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year, and I highly recommend you to check it out once it comes out!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This doesn’t change my opinion whatsoever. All thoughts are my own.
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