Whoops, I ended up not finishing this one. The choppy writing, manic pixie dream girl trope, and confusing AF narration were too much for me. At least I managed to uphold my 30-percent-before-I-quit rule.

This books writing style was all over the place. It started to grip me then was becoming a little unbelievable. With as much tragedy as Klee went through, the healing was a little too quick, which is kind of what threw me off.....there was unfortunately nothing too memorable about this one.

Klee's story was incredibly heartbreaking and raw. I was so gutted by the events of In Sight of Stars.

In Sight of Stars by Gae Polisner sounds like it'd be exactly my thing - artiness, New York, a story with mental health themes. And yet, something about the writing style or characters just didn't click for me.

Wednesday Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of In Sight of Stars. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Seventeen year old Klee (pronounced Clay) has felt like his whole world has shattered, after the sudden death of his father. Pulled away from the city he loves and the things he knows, Klee ends up unexpectedly with a strong attachment to someone new. When the bubble bursts, plunging Klee into despair, will a split second decision ruin his whole life?

In an attempt to put the reader into the same mindset as Klee, the story is jumbled between past and present. The confusion is strongest at first, but lifts as Klee gets help at the Ape Can, a mental health facility for teenagers. The problem that I had with In Sight of Stars was with the speed in which Klee regains his sound mind. The way I read it, the break he had was catastrophic and I found it unrealistic that he would have been released from treatment so quickly. As messy as Klee's life has become, it just does not seem likely that he would be on the path without big setbacks. The side plot regarding Sarah and her issues just did not seem necessary, adding nothing to the main story. Having read many books with characters suffering from similar issues, In Sight of Stars just does not stand out.

This book follows Klee after his father dies. They were very close and now Klee has to adjust to a new life in the suburbs while also grieving.
He ends up in a psychiatric hospital and as you read you learn more about the incident that leaves him there.
This was a quick read and an important book for people to read.

I did not finish this book. I found myself having a hard time connecting with the book. It just wasn't my style.

I forgot I even read this book. Not that it was forgettable but for some reason contemporary books normally don't stick with me long. I only remembered this book today because I kept picturing a scene from the book and it was driving me nuts that I couldn't remember what book it was. Then I decided to comb through my netgalley books to see if I have any reviews posted to send feedback in and this book popped up and the I REMEMBERED. So there are parts of this book that stuck with me and I know that Gae Polisner has some very beautiful writing.

Musings:

At first I didn’t know what to think of this story. It took me a while to really understand the writing style and where it was all headed, but when I did I began to appreciate the story all of it. It’s brilliant from the very first sentence to the very last. Starting in a (doctor prescribed) drug induced state of hallucinations going on to become more and more clear as Klee heals made the story incredibly unique.

What I Loved:

The change in tone. The ethereal almost mystical tone of the beginning changed to a very real hard hitting one as Klee heals. The beautiful writing created a novel that I am now in awe of.

Paintings influence. I love when the emotional aspect of painting informs the emotion in the characters. Klee and his dad are both painters and the memories of their bond and how they both used it to express themselves was a beautiful touch.

The rawness. Every single moment I felt the raw nature of the story deep within me. It was a hard read for me because I started reading right before my dad went into the hospital and it was difficult for me to keep going, but I feel like reading this and watching a character heal helped me see that I too would heal. After all I have to appreciate the time I have with my family now. I’ve been a mess of worry for a while.

Misinformation. Another thing I loved was that there are secrets kept and beliefs that Klee holds that he doesn’t realize are not true. This happens in real life all too often and utilizing this as a big part of the grief Klee held was brilliant.

The memories. I really like how the memories were told almost dreams, lost in thought moments, and direct stories Klee tells his doctor while in the ape can. At first they are all tangled up and more and more you get attached and emotional as Klee finally reveals the answers to the questions you’ve been thinking about. Mainly what happened to get him into the ape can in the first place?

A unforgiving look at grief and depression. This story holds no punches. Things get dark and very real. It’s heartbreaking. At times it brought tears to my eyes.

All in all:

I think everyone should give this book a shot. The beautiful writing and raw emotion will pull every person in. You can’t not care about Klee and his grief. Another example of a story well told.

I love reading YA novels that deal with mental health and I have to say that this one is beautifully written. It's realistic but it makes you feel uplifted after reading it. Definitely enjoyed this one!

This book was intense, but worth the emotions it caused. The alternating timeline is very interesting and kept my attention throughout the book. I liked that the author dealt with difficult matters such as grief.

Klee is reeling from death of his father even these many months later. The reality is that Klee has never really dealt with the emotions that come with loss and trauma, and that becomes abundantly clear after a frightening incident in front of his former girlfriend lands him in a psychiatric hospital. Now with the help of therapists, medication, and his fellow patients, Klee is going to have to put his life back together.

Told in alternating timelines, Gae Polisner's newest novel is gritty and emotional and not always easy to read because it is not a forgone conclusion that Klee will gain some emotional stability and accept that he needs help.

The main character, Klee (pronounced Clay), is simultaneously grieving both the sudden loss of his father and his mother's austere response to the death. His response to being uprooted from city life and transplanted, in his final year of high school, to a comparatively provincial northern suburb, is realistic. Klee's loneliness and longing for connection are palpable. Polisner writes Klee's internal monologues convincingly, and her use of flashback and flash forward is intentional. I especially liked the two strong female characters who aid Klee in his recovery, one of whom is a mental health professional, and the other of whom is a Catholic nun.

The story navigates therapy and recovery post a traumatic psychological break, and readers bear witness to this process with the gentle guidance of a compassionate therapist and a clever nun. I don't think this will make it into the hands of my middle school students but I certainly hope it finds its way into the hands of upper teen readers and certainly many adults

I just finished an ARC of this book. This is such a great - uplifting - books for our troubled - and not troubled - teens. Klee is in a rehab facility after surviving a breakdown. He is coping with a secret about his father who committed suicide. He feels alone and disenfranchised, but, with the help of a lot of people, crawls back to life and will be stronger as a result.
I was in NYC last week. I made a special trip to Bethesda Terrace because I had to see it based on the scene in the novel. And, yeah, I can see why Klee wanted to take Sarah there. In high school I had a poster of Klee's Senecio on my wall and Van Gogh has always intrigued me. This book spoke to me on so many levels ... I'm sorry my high school self didn't get a chance to read it.

This was a heartbreaking book in general, especially since the protagonist has gone through so many hardships so young. I have enjoyed it and read it in one sitting.

4 stars*

This is the first book by Gae Polisner I've read and was a bit skeptical because the reviews seem to be glowing or panning...not much in the middle. I was pleasantly surprised!

In Sight of Stars is the story of Klee Alden, a 17-year old whom we meet as he is being committed to a psych hospital. I had a hard time getting into the story because it was told in a scattered, almost delusional manner. As i progressed, I understood that was Ms. Polisiner's intention-we feel his confusion and unease through the disjointed telling of his story.

Klee, named for the famed Swiss artist Paul Klee (pronounced Clay), is reeling from the tragic suicide of his father and trying to come to terms with having had to move away from his beloved Manhattan all whilst dealing with the trials of adolescence.

I really enjoyed the side characters-from his fellow inpatients to his psychiatrist, and especially the nun who befriends him.

The flashbacks to his relationship with his father are done well, and the book is not without twists.

I'll be recommending this one to fellow YA enthusiasts and looking into more by Ms. Pollisiner.

*ARC received from netgalley in return for an honest review.

After his father commits suicide, Klee’s mother buys a house in the suburbs so Klee has to start his senior year at a new school. Away from his friends and his familiar city environment, Klee struggles to adapt. Unable to deal with his grief and unhinged by a careless act, he ends up in a psychiatric hospital. With medication and therapy Klee gradually learns to cope with his father’s death and accept the truth about his father’s life and his family. In Sight of Stars is a sensitive exploration of how we can feel broken, alone, and helpless, but “the thing we learn if we make it through is that we’re not.” Teens need this novel which shows that no matter what has happened there is help, there are people who will care if you open up, there is hope, and there is a way to move forward.

This book captures the heartbreaking reality of a young man experiencing loss for the first times. This book follows Klee through his crumbling relationship with his mother, the loss of his father, and loss of a romantic relationship. We as readers get insight into Klee's decent into depression as all three of these losses combine and we as readers also get to watch as he climbs his way back out on his journey of redemption. We see parts of each relationship through flashbacks, so our knowledge is incomplete, but through reading Klee's struggles (which are beautifully never discounted or ignored) we are able to make sense of loss and love.

This was a fairly good book. It was about a 17 year old boy who’d already gone through so much in his life and it’s a good story about mental illness and loved ones and it was a good, interesting story in general! I think you could learn a lot about life and mental illness if you dig deep inside it and think about it! Overall a very good book

Once again, Gae Polisner has written a book I am proud to add to my collection. Rich details, and gorgeous prose make In Sight of Stars an instant keeper.