This is a beautiful tale of heartbreak and recovery. A story of becoming stronger than the past that dragged you down. Mara and Hannah bring a voice to people often disbelieved because they are female. There were moments in reading Girl Made of Stars that i could see my own experience. Of not being believed of my experiences because I am a girl.

Coming forward and telling the truth is hard, it's often heartbreaking and I could feel and understand the strength and resilient of Mara and Hannah. This book was beautiful and not like what I usually read, but it is a necessary read for everyone. To see how voices can get stamped out because you're scared of not being believed.

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This was wonderfully written book that tackles many important issues. One in particular being, that we like to think we would react to certain situations one way, when in reality it doesn't always work that way when the situation actually happens. Mara's mom and Alex in particular send this message home. If I didn't know this was fiction, I would have thought I was reading a true story as it is so realistically done. Almost too realistic, since I wanted more closure, with the ending wrapped up in a box but life is full of hard decisions and so was this. I recommended this to everyone.

Thank you to HMH Teen and Netgalley for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Content warnings: rape, sexual harassment, repressed memories, homophobia, victim blaming. I mean like everything really.

If you're planning on reading this book I want you to look at the list of warnings and maybe look into more in depth warnings if you're worried because it's really heavy. A lot happens in this book and whilst I think it's an important book I hope everyone who reads it knows that it deals with some things that could be very triggering. Even this review, don't read it if you're worried it'll affect you.

Mara's biggest problem in life is that her ex has moved on and they're not the close friends they used to be. Until Mara's twin brother is accused of rape, and Mara struggles with believing the victim, her friend, over her brother who she has been close to all her life. She has to come to terms with her morals versus her family and when some repressed memories start coming to the surface it gets even worse.

I feel weird saying I loved this book because it's such a rough book. Every page felt like a punch in the gut and I've never dealt with rape and/or sexual harassment. Whilst there is so many things in this book that can be triggering they are dealt with so well and I think that's such a testament to Blake's skill.

Mara is a very strong main character, her voice is so human and believable through the whole thing. For such rough topics it could really be a struggle for the author in making a character like Mara and keeping her voice one of a teenager, it could've gone too young or too old for her age but it didn't.

Mara'w ex Charlie is genderqueer and there's a fair bit of discussion about it in the book, which I really wanted to point out because I haven't seen too many people mention it. I keep seeing people say this is an f/f book, which it isn't. I can't speak for the representation but I could tell Blake had done her research.

I think because of the content this book will stay with me for a long time. I almost want to reread it but I don't know if I want to put myself through that again. I want everyone to read it but I think for a good few people it could be emotionally harmful.

I adore Ashley Herring Blake and Girl Made of Stars did not disappoint. This novel is beautiful and really adds a new dimension to the usual story of rape in fiction. It really attacks rape-culture and shows some of the harsh realities of our society. This book made me cry and I would wholly recommend it.

This book is truly fantastic! Its such an important, relevant and heart-breaking read, and the author wrote it in both a beautiful and shockingly real way. It's seriously one of the best books I’ve ever read! I'm going to try my hardest to do it justice in this review, but honestly I don't know if that's even possible because there aren't enough words that exist to describe my feelings towards it.

The book follows Mara; one half of Mara and Owen, inseparable twins that have always been close. So when Hannah one of Mara's closest friends accuses Owen of rape, Mara is torn on who to believe out of two people she loves and has always trusted. Split between being loyal to her family and her own sense of truth she begins to feel overwhelmingly lost. Making the trauma from her own past come rolling back, she must face her the past and look to her future. She begins seeking comfort in her brother's best friend Alex and her ex-girlfriend Charlie hoping to make sense of her own feelings and everything that she has lost.

“Even girls made of stars are captives, bound at the wrists and traded like property. Even 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.”

This book confronts many difficult topics, including questions surrounding consent, victim blaming, and sexual assault. And while being sensitive to the subject matter the author managed to broach it in a very open way that didn't shy away from things that need to be questioned more in society.

"I never got it before, you know? All the stories I've heard other women tell about how much shame there is in being the one it happens to. But there is. There's this weight of responsibility, of... god, I don't know. Of just existing."

Along with the very heavy topics the book is an own voices novel with bisexual representation. And there is also a genderqueer love interest. Which were both excellent to see since I haven't seen nearly enough of this kind of representation in young adult literature. I was very happy to see how amazingly diverse the novel was and how well written each individual character was. Even though I can't relate on a personal level to this specific story, I do find it very exciting to see more and more diversity and the fact that no matter who you are there are books out there with characters going through the same things as me or you. There are even side plot lines in this book exploring anxiety, ptsd, panic attacks, depression, sexism, biphobia, homophobia and bullying. And it was great to see these things brought to light and addressed, however if you do find sensitive subject matter triggering I would keep in mind that the topics aren't brought up in a subtle way.

"Owen has always been loud and kind of crude with his friends, but that's not who he is with me. With me, he's a boy made of stars, soft and light and safe. He always has been."

There wasn't much in terms of romance, since the main character had recently broken up with her girlfriend just prior to the beginning of the novel. But the overall character development was extremely well done. And the relationships and friendships in general were very original and honestly not the usual type of thing you see in young adult contemporary.

"Some parts of me are gone. Some others have come alive, woken by the need to fight, to matter, to be heard. Some parts are wary, others angry, others heartbroken. But I'm still me. I'm still moving."

Overall this book was wonderful and I can't get passed how amazingly well done the novel is. I will definitely be looking into Ashley Herring Blake's past and future works. And I highly recommend you pick up this book, it's a read you don't want to miss. The subjects that are brought to light are so relevant and it's important we keep fighting to change the norm and support this kind of development when it comes to literature. The truth is, that this kind of literature is a ground breaking step in the right direction. If you couldn't already tell, the thing I loved most about this was the representation, but I need to mention it one more time because it is honestly outstanding, and there is even more things that I've not brought up for spoiler reasons. But first and foremost this is a story about survival, the ways in which people deal with trauma, and the endurance of heart-breaking truths.

Rating: 5 Stars

Oh my gosh, this book was heartbreaking. I’m crying. I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this, but it shocked me. This is full of such strong characters. They went through such an emotional journey, through which you can see their characters grow. It was amazing.

This such an important book and about so much more than rape. This is a story of surviving and feminism and rape culture and victim blaming and all the gray area we don't like to think of when we talk about rape. Because whether we like it or not, rape isn't just about the victim. It's also about the person who's been accused. And what happens if the accused is someone you love and trust? What do you do? How do you walk the line between believing and supporting one of your best friends while also trying to hold onto your family and childhood and trusted and loved twin brother? And how do you move on when there are no consequences for the accused but the victim will forever be affected by those actions? I don't think any of us truly know what we'd do if put in that situation. But I loved how Mara let us share in her journey and showed us that being strong and brave can mean different things to different people. We also see how sexual assault can change a person and how that battle can be a daily fight but that doesn't mean that person is broken, it just means they're different. And that's ok.
This book also does an amazing job with representation and while I'm not reviewing this is any sort of own voices way, I did truly appreciate seeing both a bisexual main character and a genderqueer character on the pages and be able to learn a little bit about their journeys.
I didn't love everything about this book but the important parts very much outweigh any little annoyances I had with it. I'm a huge fan of all of Blake's books and I really think she's writing some of the most important stories that are being published right now. I highly recommend all of her books and I really hope you'll check some of them out. They can be tough reads but that's also what makes them good.

Trigger warning : Rape/Sexual harassment

What can I possibly say about this book that will give it proper justice? How can I even begin to summarize the whirlwind of emotions that have been created in the wake of reading this story? Girl Made of Stars wrecked me, moved me and haunted me. It's a story that will make sure that none of its readers will ever stay the same after turning the last page.

Ashley Herring Blake's books create the impact in me that Sarah Dessen's books did when I was a pre teen girl just venturing into the world of YA. At 12 years old, when I read Just Listen, I was inspired to take notice of things I shrugged off, to confess and to move on. At almost 20, Ashley has become the perfect substitute to the matured reader and female in me, and to say that Girl Made of Stars has created a lasting impression in me would be an understatement.

In the wake of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movement, we have managed to see numerous perspectives of the discussion of sexual harassment. Girl Made of Stars just doesn't discuss rape culture, it takes it on, and hits the nail on the head in a raw and realistic manner that will stun you. Mara and Hannah are not girls strange to us, we meet them everyday, sometimes, we are them. As the story travels along the topics of rape accusations, victim blaming, consent and the blatant truth, you can't help but draw parallels to real life incidents, stories, memories and news. Girl Made of Stars is by no means an easy read, but it's powerful and it's important.

Girl Made of Stars tackles a hypothetical question I have often asked myself. If someone you love and trust is accused of sexual harassment, will you let your love override your values and feminism and trust the accused? Or will you believe the victim? Or will you wait for the truth to be revealed? I have asked this question to myself a lot of times, and every time, I am scared to find an answer. I am scared that I might actually be a hypocrite behind all my beliefs and values. Mara is faced with that question in real life, when her twin brother, one of the most important people in her life, is accused of rape by his girlfriend. Who will she believe, as a sister, as a female, as a survivor? When Mara finds her stance and her answer - and it's not an easy journey - she passes on the mantle to all of us to ask ourselves the question, and find the truth within ourselves.

Ashley's previous novel, How to Make A Wish, was rich in characters and relationships, and Girl Made of Stars follows that. Mara is a terrific protagonist, a girl whose emotions are so raw, whose thoughts are so clear and whose plight is so relatable. You'll feel for her as her world is shattered and you'll stand with her as she takes decisions. Mara is a girl with conscience, a girl of resolve and most of all, a girl full of compassion.

In between the central crux of the story is Mara's own complicated relationship with Charlie. Her best friend and ex girlfriend, with whom her relationship is strained. Charlie is genderqueer, and uses she/her pronouns. There's Alex, a much needed trustworthy male character in a book like this. Mara's relationships, her bisexuality and her conflicted feelings are integral parts of her story, and her personality.

The book's portrayal of victim blaming is heartbreaking. As a South Asian female who grew up in a community which finds it too easy to point fingers at the victim, whether they believe them or not, it was not a foreign concept, yet still so hard to read about. The book is hard hitting and doesn't hold back. It reminds you once again why many victims find it hard to confess, to come forward and to say the truth.

I have to mention Ashley's writing, because it's phenomenal. I don't know how she manages to find the balance between that beautiful, almost whimsical prose, while also keeping the content and emotions raw and real. The book is just full of plain, naked emotions, and the writing is the smooth sea on which they flow so easily.

Girl Made of Stars is that book that everyone needs to read, whether you read contemporary or not, whether you're up for some reality check or not. It's a story packed with myriad of emotions, of realistic characters so close to life and a novel that will incite thoughts and realizations that are poignant and necessary. This is undoubtedly one of the best novels of 2018, and unarguably one of the best contemporaries I've ever read.

https://youtu.be/P48i2B68Pm0?t=3m27s
https://youtu.be/P48i2B68Pm0?t=3m27s
https://youtu.be/P48i2B68Pm0?t=3m27s

Ashley Herring Blake is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. She has such a gift for handling very difficult topics with sensitivity and grace. I didn’t think she could top How to Make a Wish, which was one of my favorite reads last year, but she has outdone herself with her beautifully written and heartbreaking latest, Girl Made of Stars.

It’s not just a well-crafted story either. Girl Made of Stars is also an incredibly relevant and timely story, hitting the shelves in the midst of the #MeToo movement on social media that is calling out sexual predators and finally holding them accountable for their actions.

Girl Made of Stars follows the journey of Mara, high school student and founder of the feminist school publication, Empower. Mara has very strong convictions about giving a voice to those who wouldn’t normally have one, but when she finds herself caught in the middle of an impossible situation, her whole belief system is turned on its head and she doesn’t know what to do.

Her twin brother Owen is accused of rape by his girlfriend, Hannah, who also happens to be one of Mara’s best friends. Mara doesn’t want to believe that her beloved brother could be capable of such a heinous act, but Mara also doesn’t believe that Hannah would lie about such a thing so she just feels so lost and confused.

It also doesn’t help Mara’s state of mind that her own personal life feels like such a mess. She and Charlie, her best friend since they were kids, tried to take their relationship in a romantic direction and things didn’t go well. Now everything is awkward between them and Mara doesn’t know what to do about that either.

Girl Made of Stars follows Mara as she tries to make sense of all of the things that are happening in her life and as she tries to confront demons from her own past that are holding her back.

This is one of those books where I feel like I’m going to ramble and ramble and never quite do justice to just what a gorgeous and well-crafted story it really is.

One of the standout moments of the book is how the author sets the stage. The book opens with Mara and her twin brother Owen lying outside on a flat roof, gazing up at the stars, and reciting a story they made up when they were kids about some of the constellations. It’s this perfect portrait of innocence and because it seems so innocent and pure, it’s all the more shocking and hard to believe that just a few pages later, Mara’s brother will be accused of rape. Those two images are just so jarring and hard to reconcile.

I also loved that the story comes to us from Mara’s perspective. That way we don’t actually see the rape but instead, we learn of it the same way Mara does and have to make up our minds using the same evidence Mara does.

Speaking of Mara, I thought she was just such a loveable main character. I love that she founded a feminist publication and used it to stand up for what she believed in. I also spent those early pages ooh’ing and ahh’ing about how sweet her relationship with her sibling was so I became super invested in her once I read what her brother was being accused of because I knew it would tear her up inside. Mara has to face some tough facts in this story and I was right there with her every step of the way as she begins to watch her brother more closely at school and with his friends. She begins to see the possibility that just because he’s her brother and she loves him more than life, there is still the possibility that he could be guilty of what he’s accused of doing.

And then to complicate what Mara is feeling even further, there’s Hannah to consider. Hannah is precious and I loved her just as much as I loved Mara. Hannah is this kind, free-spirited, hippie type and she is absolutely adorable. That and she’s also head over heels in love with Owen. When we first meet them at a party, it’s almost nauseating how cute they are with each other. Her obvious love for Owen makes it all the more shocking that she later accuses him of forcing himself on her. At the same time, though, it lends that much more credibility to her story. If she loves him so much, what would be her motivation to accuse him of something so awful? It becomes so easy to see why Mara is so lost and confused and it made me all the more sympathetic to her as she tries to decide where her loyalties should lie.

In addition to the story of Hannah and Owen, which dominates much of the book, I also really liked the Mara/Charlie storyline that threaded its way through the narrative. I loved Charlie right away. Charlie is gender queer and is still trying to figure out exactly what that means, but uses music as a way to work through it. I kind of wanted to knock Mara upside the head for nearly messing up her relationship with Charlie and really wanted her to figure things out so that she could have at least one good thing happening in her life.

Have Your Tissues Handy. This is a book where I felt so invested in all of the characters that I ended up in tears several times while I was reading. I shed tears for Hannah, not just because of what happened to her but also because of how she was treated by Owen’s friends and others when she returned to school. Blake effectively exposes the ugliness and unfairness of victim blaming and Hannah’s experience serves as a stark and heartbreaking reminder of why so few rape victims come forward and report the crimes.

I didn’t just cry for Hannah though. I also cried for Mara as well. I cried for the impossible situation that she finds herself in, torn between her best friend and her brother. Not only is Mara’s whole world torn apart because she’s caught in the middle, but the whole experience serves as a trigger for Mara, reminding her of a traumatic event from her own past that has haunted her for years.

And lastly, I shed tears for the relationship between Mara and her brother. Bottom line, whether Owen is innocent or guilty, their relationship is forever changed. Those twins who would lie outside, look up at the stars, and make up stories about them are no more. The innocence is lost and there’s no way to get it back. Will they ever be close again? Where do they go from here? It’s heartbreaking to see that Mara could lose the person she has been closest to all her life.

I love when a book is so good that I have nothing bad to say about it.

I’ve been somewhat stingy with 5 star ratings this year, but I say without hesitation, that Girl Made of Stars is a 5-star read all the way. It’s a heart-wrenching read that tackles difficult subjects with sensitivity and understanding. I guarantee it will move you.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Though they each have their own lives, twins Mara and Owen have always been close. Never having any reason to doubt each other, their happy family is shattered when Hannah, Owen's girlfriend and one of Mara's best friends, accuses Owen of rape. Being close with both, Mara is torn. While she wants nothing more than to believe her twin, Mara has a nagging feeling that Hannah would never lie about something like this. While their parents support and defend "golden boy" Owen (clearly Hannah must be exaggerating), Mara grapples with her unique position.

Meanwhile, Mara has been dealing with her own breakup with Charlie - her best friend turned girlfriend - and feels lost without her two voices of reason. She can't even find solace in the feminist magazine she founded at school, since she's "too close" to the issue of consent they're now discussing. Mara has buried demons of her own that she must face in order to move forward.

THOUGHTS: Girl Made of Stars packs a powerful punch and will grab readers from the onset, forcing them to think about a variety of issues including consent. Charlie's status as genderqueer, not yet out to her parents, is also discussed in regards to her relationship with Mara. Readers of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith will appreciate how Ashley Herring Blake emphasizes the lasting impact of sexual assault. This is an essential addition for high school/young adult collections where realistic, intense, character driven books are popular.

The subject matter is hard. It's so tricky to talk about as a real event, I can't even imagine trying to fictionalize it. And while the author of "Girl Made of Stars" does a good job creating conflict, and certain parts hit much closer to home than I thought possible, elements of the storytelling prevented a higher score.

The initial premise - a girl's brother is accused of raping the girl's friend - was so intriguing. That perspective, being related to the accused, instead of the victim, was what originally drew me to the book. The fact that the opinionated, feminist mother quickly goes from supporting victims and taking on the patriarchy to "she's just confused" as soon as her son is involved was incredibly believable. Seeing how the school reacted to a short skirt much more strongly than a girl being taunted with "welcome back, slut" was infuriating in it's authenticity.

However, and I never thought I'd be saying this, the author tries too hard to make characters diverse. Gender-fluidity and bisexuality need to be represented more in literature, but the way that the author presents it here feels less like character development and more like a platform for the author to declare their own inclusivity.

The reveal that the protagonist was also sexually abused fell flat. Of course that's the only way she could believe her brother to be capable of rape; someone else she knew and looked up to had abused her. Of course the only person who could believe a girl claiming she'd been raped would be someone who's been through a similar ordeal. Add to that the fact that the conclusion of the book doesn't deal with actual consequences of either of the offenses: the brother half-admits his guilt, but with the state attorney declining to press charges, his family (and the protagonist) apparently just silently agree to never speak about the fact that the prodigal son is a rapist, and the book itself ends with the protagonist going to her parents to tell them what happened to her.

The book brings up good points, and some of the scenes are heartbreakingly real. But they are far overshadowed by the author's own need to come across as representative and #woke.

Mara and Owen are teenage twins trying to make their way through a performing school, like the Gemini correlation they relying on each other but one night a heart-breaking act from Owen tears them apart.
A party at the lake leaves Mara devastated as her ex-girlfriend shows up with another girl, unable to deal with it Mara gets a ride home leaving Owen and Hannah, his girlfriend and Mara’s best friend at the party.

From that night Mara is torn between the truth and family loyalty, does she really believe her own twin could be capable of raping her best friend? But why would Hannah lie? We see the raw emotions Mara goes through trying to cope with her own past, her breakup with Charlie and her brother's betrayal all in one go.

Mara, Hannah and Charlie are three strong young women who fight for what they believe in, stand up when any injustice they feel is taking place. But how will pressure from Mara and Hannah’s family effect their friendship, and what happens when Mara shares a secret she’s held inside her for years, is there justice for victims in todays society?


I really wish there was a way to give this beautiful book more than 5 stars, the topics are so strong and so relevant to the culture we see today. I loved the book a great deal, it felt raw and honest on subjects that can be seen as taboo. It demonstrates a true reflection of the rape culture that happens around the world, showing how more often than not men are automatically believed and women are seen as a slut with no right to say no or change their mind.

For me the ending of the book felt complete, I’m quickly tiring of books that leave things widely open-ended but this didn’t, while not everything could have ended in the way it should, it didn’t leave me with that horrible weird empty feeling you get when there is no closure.

The characters were so relatable, with a fantastic representation of sexuality and of someone who is genderqueer but were rightfully wasn’t the overriding factor about the characters, it’s a part of them rather than a token gesture the author has thrown in.

So far this year it is looking like a strong contender for my YA of the year, a book that should certainly not be overlooked for the tough subjects.

A beautifully written and heartbreaking novel about such a difficult topic. This book shreds some important insight into rape culture. I would recommend reading this as well as 'I Stop Somewhere'.

This book was heart rending. It takes a different look at what happens to a girl when a crime is committed in her community and the accused is close to her. Is it worse for her if she believes him innocent or if she believes him guilty? I love the diversity of the book and I think this is an important story.

Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake is such a hard book to review because it deals with such a difficult topic. It’s the story of Mara, whose twin, Owen, is accused of rape by one of her best friends, Hannah. Torn between her friend and her brother, and dealing with her own demons from the past, Mara doesn’t know what the future holds. She’s also recently broken up with her girlfriend, Charlie, which adds more tension to the situation.

Girl Made of Stars is a very emotional read and Blake deals very thoughtfully with tough and important issues like sexual assault and consent. Mara’s voice was so raw and authentic, I wanted to reach through the pages and give her a hug and tell her everything was going to be okay; even though I knew that wasn’t true. While I did find the pace a little slow at times, Blake’s writing is beautiful and lyrical and my heart just broke while reading this book. Ultimately, Girl Made of Stars is such a difficult but important book and I hope that it is widely read.

4 1/2 stars. I cried.

Girl Made of Stars is about a situation that for the vast majority of us is not only horrifying, but unimaginable. For other feminists like me, our default is to offer compassion to rape survivors. To offer belief. To unite against the rapist. But... imagine if the alleged rapist was your closest friend, your anchor, the one person you've always been able to trust. Imagine if it was your twin.

This is the situation Mara finds herself in. She desperately wants to believe her brother when he says he did nothing wrong, but she knows the victim is not someone who is likely to lie. Torn between the feminist values she has always held close to her heart and her loyalty to her brother, Mara goes on an introspective journey that is ultimately about her own personal growth.

Mara has a lot of issues of her own to deal with beyond this. At the start of the book she has just broken up with Charlie, who is genderqueer but uses female pronouns and still hasn't come out to her parents. The deeper reasons for the break-up are revealed as the novel progresses, tied in with Mara's reasons for being particularly affected by the accusation against her brother.

It's a hard-hitting critique of rape culture and especially the ways victims are silenced by the disbelief of others. It's also an intimate portrait of a teenage girl's mind as she struggles to cope with her world being turned upside down alongside figuring out who she is. I think the book is stronger because it doesn't linger too long on Owen and the crime itself, choosing to focus instead on how Mara processes this impossible situation.

I’ve lumped myself in with my labels — girl, bi, queer — but I still can’t seem to really apply any of it to the person I see in the mirror every day. That girl is still voiceless, still scared.


Mara's sexuality is neither stereotypical, nor the focal point of the book. We see her explore two relationships - with genderqueer, white Charlie and a Korean boy called Alex - but her liking of more than one gender is not treated as a big deal.

In the end, this is a book about the damage caused when we treat rape survivors with suspicion. It is necessary for us to listen, even when we really don't want to.

TW: Rape.

This was okay, some of the writing was beautiful and some of it felt like it needed more time in editing.

This story is well written and the subject it covers right to the point. I did't not like it, but is not like I liked it either.

I liked Charlie's character but I didn't completely liked Mara (and I don't even know why).

Is it rape if you are heavily making out with your boyfriend and then you just don't feel like going all the way and ask him to stop but he doesn't and puts it in anyways? Isn't that what our president, Donald Trump did with his ex wife; had sex with her even when she didn't want to?

Anyways, some people will say that men should stop anyways... but that is not the issue here. I liked how Blake linked what happened to Mara to Hanna. Why would you believe one girl over the other?

Exploring what happened to Mara could be another whole book by itself!

Blake even takes on this whole new trend of I-don't-know-what-I-am (male or female), so I'm binary. But that's not really what this book is about either.

I will never understand how you a person can break up with somebody because "I don't want to lose your friendship." What the heck is that? Especially coming from a teen. If you didn't want to ruin the friendship you shouldn't have started dating in the fist place. And since when do teenagers see so far ahead? 17 year old breaking up because she doesn't want to ruin their friendship...

I think these teens in this book acted a lot more serious than their age. I didn't feel as if I was reading something from the perspective of a teenager but an adult.

Anyways, this is a nice book for a book club as it has a lot of points that can be taken up for discussion. Very well written, just that the characters didn't sound their age to me.