Starry Eyes is a charming, fun, mature realistic fiction for young adults.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett!
Zorie and Lennon are neighbors at home and work. They also used to be best friends until family problems and drama got in the way. A teen group camping trip, which is supposed to be fun and not exactly “roughing it “, turns out dangerous with Lennon and Zorie stranded. Luckily, they’re both smart enough to help each other and work together to try to make it back to civilization. The two teenagers finally get the opportunity they need to talk and work out their relationship. Humor lightens the drama and Lennon and Zorie have interesting personalities that make Starry Eyes a charming, fun, mature realistic fiction for young adults. 5 stars!

Zorie joins a group of friends on a camping trip and they have a huge fight. 4 of the friends abandon her and Lennon (Zorie's ex-best friend). Lennon has to lead Zorie through the wilderness and they work on their friendship/relationship. This story has a lot of family drama, a lot of friendship, and a lot of sizzle!

I enjoyed the camping scenarios and the family dynamics.

As I've come to expect from Jenn Bennett's YA romances, STARRY EYES features messy, real, relatable characters with interesting interests - and I adored it. Lennon loves reptiles and is all things goth. But also hiking and mapmaking. Zero wants to be an astrophysicist and explore the stars. This is how (after some unexpected drama) the end up together on a backpacking trip to a star party to see a once-a-year meteor shower.

Jenn Bennett also features ultra swoon romances and I couldn't wait to get to that part of this book. And once we were there, that part did not disappoint at all. However, this story was a little tricky for me at first because it is a second chance romance, and those are always hard for me. Some of the beginning where Zorie thinks she likes Brett drove me a little bananas - right along with Lennon. Also, some of Zorie and Lennon's past was hard to read. And I took a star away mostly because I couldn't buy that exact level of miscommunication and drama. (spoiler) especially how no one figured out that Lennon's dad had died (this was the most unbelievable to me due to social media) + Lennon's complete lack of communication at that time + Zorie's moving on so quickly.(end/spoiler) It was like the perfect storm of trouble and I couldn't buy it 100%.

Besides those hiccups, I adored watching Zorie and Lennon fall for each other again, and their history makes it completely understandable how it all happens over a few days hike. Speaking of the hike, I am dying to visit these parks out west. Bennett always describes settings in her books, in this case the wilderness, that makes me want to book a flight to a new adventure ASAP.

Love Triangle Factor: Low (decoy boy)(spoiler) Many will say none, because there's never a question where this is going. Still, the beginning made me a little bit nervous, since Zorie does think she likes Brett for a time. (end/spoiler)
Love Triangle Factor: None

First things first, I desperately wanted to read this book because I read and loved Alex, Approximately. Now I kept hearing this book being pitched as a modern day Romeo and Juliet, as well as it being pitched as a hate to love romance. Both of these are things that I love so I was really excited about going into this book. I don’t think this book is as much of a modern day Romeo and Juliet as I thought it was going to be but I still enjoyed this book immensely. I really liked the camping aspect of this book and how it forced the two main characters to talk to each other instead of just avoiding each other. This is one of those stories where the “hatred” is based on some prior miscommunication and so throughout the whole book you’re begging them to work things out. Now Zorie got on my nerves in the beginning of the book but as the story went on she slowly started to grow on me and her stepmom was just adorable. Lennon’s moms were also super cute and you could definitely tell he was raised by them based on their shared sense of humor. I love that though Lennon is kind of portrayed as sullen he is not actually a bad guy. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, it was really cute and I definitely recommend it.

I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

RATING - DNF

Willing to give this another chance in the future but the audiobook was just not for me.

Starry Eyes is the perfect book to kick off your summer vacation. Zorie and Lennon are former best friends (and crushes) and now enemies, but they rediscover and fall for each other on a backpacking trip in in Jenn Bennett's latest sweet romance novel. Zorie and Lennon were once inseparable and potentially on the verge of becoming more during their junior year homecoming, but they haven't talk since Lennon stood Zorie up and broke her heart.

Zorie and Lennon are completely different. Zorie becomes anxious when her day is not followed by a rigid schedule where everything is written down. She is fascinated by astronomy. Lennon is a horror fanboy, an amateur herpetologist, music aficionado, and a skilled hiker. These two characters collide when they discover they are both attending the same glamping vacation in northern California hosted by Reagan, the popular girl in school and sometimes friends with Zorie. Zorie Everhart uncharacteristically agrees to go, figuring she can still manage to meet up with fellow astronomers to witness a meteor shower on a nearby mountain.Whereas Lennon was invited by Instagram obsessed Brett who is always looking for the perfect selfie to post online. Like most YA dramas and romances, there is drama and misunderstanding between the groups of friends which leads Zorie and Lennon alone together to find their way home. I was actually thrilled to get away from the drama as Reagan and company got on my nerves.

I have read quite a lot of books where friends turn to a couple, but you don't get to witness the romance. This is not true in Starry Eyes. You can actually see Zorie and Lennon interact and there is a lot of things to resolve and move past old hurts. I also liked that while these two were working out their problems figuratively, they were also doing it literally as they cover tough terrain and animal attacks.

I appreciate the inclusion of diversity in Starry Eyes too. Zorie's stepmother is Korean-American. Lennon has two moms and an Egyptian-American biological father. It is so refreshing to see how both families have a positive and strong bond with their children. I also really enjoyed seeing some serious topics such as grief, betrayal, divorce, mental illness, and loss were also explored in the book along side humor which gives the book depth. While I didn't love it as much as Alex, Approximately, I still think it is a solid read and would definitely recommend it.

Holy crap, do I ever LOVE THIS BOOK TO PIECES! So, so much because of the phenomenal characters, the dialogue, the different relationships, the amazing setting that’s near & dear to my heart (camping in the Sierras, baby!), and many more reasons. I honestly don’t even know how to adequately convey how wonderful Starry Eyes is.

Zorie and Lennon were best friends at one time, but something goes down that turns them into enemies. It gets interesting when these two get stranded on a camping trip and spend a few days alone. They are super adorable together! Even when they don’t get along because their bond is so evident. And the banter is delightful! It’s seriously impossible to not love them.

It isn’t only them that makes the story so wonderful, it’s also the moms. All of them, including grandma! I’ve praised Jenn’s portrayal of parents in previous books, and she deserves even more with this one. The women truly rock. I love how they were all there for each other and their children no matter what.

I love that the setting is California, more specifically camping in the Yosemite and Kings Canyon National Forest area. That’s my jam! I could seriously nerd out on it. Jenn does a wonderful job portraying the beauty (and dangers) of our national parks here. You have to experience the area at least once in your life! Also, the inclusion of astronomy is a major bonus. Oh! And the maps! I have a thing for maps, and the ones in this book are freaking adorable.

I honestly love every little thing about Starry Eyes. It’s perfection! If you haven’t read anything by this author yet, then you are sorely missing out.

This book has ALL THE SWOONS!! ALL THE STARS to Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett! I adored this book! Who doesn’t love a sweet Romeo and Juliet adaptation?!?! Starry Eyes is BFFs, butterflies, enemies, feuding families, starry skies and awesomeness!!

Plot • Ever since last year's homecoming dance and a feud erupted between her dad and his parents, Zorie and Lennon are no longer the best friends they once were. In fact, they outright avoid each other. But when they go on a camping trip with mutual friends, things don't go as planned and these so-called friends (who I disliked wholeheartedly) leave them stranded in wilderness. What initially seems like a disaster turns out to be a blessing in disguise. They really talk about what happened between them, their families and things started to take a predictably (but still sweet) romantic turn.

Characters • The best part of the book is when Zorie and Lennon are finally alone. Together, they bring out both the best (so much cuteness and banter) and worst (when they were still pretending to be enemies) in each other. But they are 100% the heart of the book. I also thought their relationships with their respective mothers was a huge highlight. But certain secondary characters played such a huge role in being the "conflict" that surrounded these two, so it was hard to ignore how one-dimensional they came across.

Writing • As always, Jenn Bennett's writing is quick and engaging. This is the third book of hers that I've read and every single time I'm pulled into the characters and their lives almost immediately.

Overall feelings • I liked it! It's a cute book but ultimately my favorite book of hers is still Alex, Approximately.

When Zorie reluctantly agrees to going on a "glamping" trip with the girls she thinks it will just be fun times. When the boys get invited chaos ensues. They end up getting kicked out of the camp and in search of the magical waterfall.

In Starry Eyes nerdy stargazer Zorie Everhart uncharacteristically agrees to join a group of popular classmates on a "glamping" vacation at a northern California resort, the summer after her junior year. She plans to attend a meteor shower viewing with her astronomy club at a nearby location after the trip. When the teens come to pick her up for the drive, she is horrified to find out that her former best friend and crush Lennon Mackenzie is going, too. Their families are feuding because his lesbian moms have opened a sex shop next to Zorie's parents' spa, which seems to be hurting business, and they haven't spoken to each other since he stood her up for homecoming without an explanation. After a series of unfortunate events, Zorie and Lennon find themselves abandoned by their friends without a ride home, so they decide to hike to the meteor shower event, giving them time to resolve their differences and find their way back to love. Serious subjects such as grief, betrayal and divorce are explored, but the snappy dialogue, sympathetic characters and an action packed plot are what will make this a winner with teens.

I absolutely love Jenn Bennett's books and this was no different. It wasn't my favorite but I still flew through it and will be thinking about Zorie and Lennon for a long time. I really liked their relationship and the history that existed between them even far before this story started. I loved watching them rediscover each other and be able to handle their relationship in a new way after a year apart. I didn't love the family stuff and absolutely hated Zorie's dad. I'm still not really sure why exactly that was in there except to add to her anxiety issues. I think I would have liked it more without him being such a jerk all the time. But that doesn't really matter all that much and it's just a personal thing. I just had a little bit of a hard time in the beginning with so many dislikable characters. Between Zorie's dad and Reagan and even Zorie in the very beginning, I was a little worried it was just going to make me mad the whole time and I wouldn't end up liking it. But I did. Once Zorie and Lennon are alone together in the wilderness, the magic really starts happening. I really did enjoy the two of them together, the idea that they were best friends and then (view spoiler) was a fantastic journey. I also loved the outdoor setting, the sex positive attitude, Lennon's parents, how proactive Zorie was with her anxiety, and how sweet Lennon was with Zorie. I didn't love how much they lied to their parents even after everything but that's probably coming more from being a parent myself than anything else. I really enjoyed this one and think it's a perfect book when you want to escape from the real world.

Here's the thing. Jenn Bennett writes awesome contemporaries. I can still remember how I fell in love with Anatomical Shape of the Heart, how it stole a great piece of my heart.

Going into this book blindly might have been the best decision. I think it's really one of the best ways to get into something. Did I have any expectations? Maybe. I just knew that it's going to be good. I easily devoured this book in a span of a weekend.

I'm not the biggest fan of hate to love trope, but I have to admit that it's really growing on me. There's always the tension and chemistry to look forward to, but mostly, it's how the characters get drawn to each other in spite of everything. For Zorie and Lennon, it was a case of getting in the middle of a family clash—it was mostly Zorie's dad having issues with Lennon's moms. Yep, MOMS. I really loved the family dynamics for this book. Zorie with her stepmom Joy, and Lennon with his moms, Sunny and Mac.

The characters were well developed and very relatable. I love Zorie's love for astronomy and Lennon's love for the outdoor adventure. Zorie and Lennon really complemented each other's personality and it was a great experience reading about their story, from being bestfriends, to them falling out, and finally coming together again.

Their whole adventure, being stuck with each other in the wild, was really interesting. I enjoyed the narration, and the voice of the story made it easier to imagine the scenes. Emotions translated pretty well from the pages.

I also adored the illustrations, which were maps from Lennon's notebook. It was one of the things I loved about the book.

Overall, this book was really lovely. I adored literally everything about it. Jenn Bennett's writing style is a wonder. She writes intricately and well fleshed out stories that will surely make their way to everyone's hearts. Starry Eyes definitely made it to my favorite books of all time.

Last year I read and enjoyed Jenn Bennett's Alex, Approximately, so of course when I discovered Starry Eyes, I couldn't wait to check it out! I was even more excited when I read the summary for the book and it was described as a modern day Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets. As if I wasn't curious enough before, I was even more so after reading that!

As you all probably know, I love a good contemporary novel, and I'm always on the lookout for new ones. Starry Eyes has everything I look for in a contemporary novel and more. The storyline was super cute, and I really enjoyed the friends-turned-enemies-turned-friends again relationship. It definitely brought to mind the Montagues and Capulets. I also really loved the setting for the book as well. It totally makes me want to go hiking and camping! (Yeah, that probably won't happen, but still!)

I also really liked the characters in the book. I found the main character, Zorie, to be really relatable. She's a little on the nerdy side, which is so like me, AND, she looooves stars! (I, too, love looking at the stars and planets, and one day I hope to have a super awesome telescope just like hers.) Ahem, moving on. Lennon was super sweet as well. Their families were interesting as well, expect for one person, who definitely seemed to enjoy making everyone else pretty miserable. Ugh. Those people are the worst.

Overall; I think Jenn Bennett has another hit on her hands with Starry Eyes! I really enjoyed both the fun storyline and the interesting characters. They made for a really fun read, and I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for more books by her in the future! If you're a fan of contemporary novels, and haven't yet checked out a book by Jenn, you should totally do so!

Happy Reading!

Not gonna lie, I got pretty excited when I started reading this book. I loved Zorie’s hyper-organized planner personality right from the beginning. On top of that, her interest in astronomy had me hooked. I was less sure about Lennon, who seemed maybe too perfect hipster or something.

As the story went on, though, Lennon grew on me. Turns out, he’s not just a sulking, horror-obsessed pretty face. I liked that his expertise both as a hiker and as an employee at a reptile-focused pet store advanced the story.

If I’m being totally honest, though, Zorie kind of disappointed me. I wanted more from her astronomy interest. More stargazing. More about why the stars drew her. I also found myself wishing her knowledge was necessary on the journey out of the woods, too. Instead, I felt like she kind of just followed Lennon around being impressed by his prowess (which, don’t get me wrong, was impressive.).

The parts of the story about hiking were great. I’m not much of an outdoors person myself, but this book made me want to go on a backcountry hike. It seemed like it took some realistic risks into account and showed both the wonder and beauty of nature and its power and ruthlessness.

I struggled with the ending of the story. I don’t want to give too much away, but there’s a family crisis, and I couldn’t connect with Zorie’s reaction. I felt like she mostly whined about being separated from Lennon. It’s not unrealistic for a new love to be so all-consuming, I guess I felt like it was kind of shallow. I wanted her to be deeper, and have a broader emotional range at that point, or at least to admit that she was trying to avoid her problems by drowning herself in Lennon.

One thing I did find interesting was that she simultaneously argues with her parents that her love life (her relationship with Lennon) is not their business, but that problems in her parents’ relationship are her business. The story doesn’t address this directly, but I thought it was an interesting point—it’s easy to tell people to butt out of your own life. When that shoe is on the other foot, though, it pinches. (As a parent, I’m not really on the train that says kids deserve full freedom and privacy. While I’m still legally responsible for my kids, I get to know what’s going on. But that’s a whole different soap box.)

The banter between Zorie and Lennon was great. I also loved the way each character was so individual—even down to the minor ones who barely appeared in the story. It made the cast seem super realistic and definitely upped the tension surrounding some of those strong personalities.

As always, Jenn Bennett has done it again. She is indeed the queen of YA contemporary. I absolutely loved this one and the issues it tackles. Young Adult doesn't deal enough with actual family issues and I think that's what teens need to see. It's reassuring for older reads like me as well. It's nice to know that you're not alone and that someone, even if they are fictional, has faced the same things as you.

I absolutely loved Zoira. She was an absolute delight and I loved that her anxiety issues were talked about on page. In the end, there is no end all be all cure for her anxiety but she makes some life changes and keeps other parts of her life around.

The whole plot of this novel was very realistic to me. I can definitely see the wine stealing fiasco, the horrible not really friend betrayal, and them being left in the woods. People can be really petty and I can name plenty of people I know of that would do something like this. The backpacking trip was filled with drama but realistic and serious drama, not so much anymore of the he said, she said, gossipy kind of drama.

I was hooked from the start with this one and I can't wait for the next Jenn Bennett masterpiece. All of her books deal with hard hitting issues with the backdrop of a swoon worthy, realistic romance. I like the sexual content as well. It's not uncommon for teenagers to have sex and instead of completely skirting around the issue, we get frank thoughts and feelings about it. Her characters also always have safe sex and only safe sex which I definitely admire. Abstinence only is proven not to work so why should we skate around it in the media marketed towards teens as well? She uses her books to set a good example for real teens and I admire it so much.

What a five-star read this was! I hadn't encountered Jenn Bennett previously, and I was blown away by how much I adored this book.
To start: enemies-to-lovers is a trope that will always have my heart, and Bennett deploys it to perfection in this book. The chemistry b/w our main character and love interest crackled from their first on-page interaction.
I also loved the setting. It was out of the ordinary, beautifully described, and so perfect.
Zorie, the main character, deals with a health issue that I won't divulge here, but I loved that detail; I love that we are seeing more protagonists who aren't in perfect health, and I loved how completely accepted it was by the love interest. Heart-warming, truly.
Finally, this book was messy. The characters were messy, they were petty, they were immature...and that's PERFECT. Because it's a book about teenagers for Heaven's sake! That's what they're SUPPOSED to be like.
In short: I highly recommend this book!

Love this one, if you loved Alex, Approximately, this one will make you happy. It is a sure buy for my high school library.

Bennett’s newest book is another romantic winner. Zorie and Lennon were once the very best of friends. They even tried an experiment with dating but things went awry and it left them as enemies. To Zorie’s father, Lennon’s family is on the opposite side of a huge family feud.

The two are vastly different. Zorie is obsessed with orderliness and thoughtful planning. She dislikes surprises. Lennon’s abandonment of her at Homecoming threw her carefully planned life into chaos. Lennon himself has not had an easy life. He has been raised by his two moms and been the butt of snide remarks and derision. He dresses in dark clothes and refuses to conform to any popular norms.

Zorie is shocked when she finds Lennon is going along on a camping trip to a fancy campground. It’s been called a “glamping” trip because of the glamorous accommodations. It’s roughing it for rich people – a trip planned by Zorie’s good friend’s parents. There are six teens going and Zorie is determined to keep her distance from Lennon – if that’s even possible. It stops being an option when the two of them are left stranded by the other kids. Now, Lennon has offered to be her guide to meet up with her astronomy friends at a star party (a star-gazing event).

The trek through the forest is filled with dangers and fortunately Lennon’s skill at mountaineering and wilderness survival becomes a tremendous asset. As they hike the mountains, caves and trails, the two begin to talk and they even vent their frustration over the Homecoming debacle. But now it’s Mother Nature they need to deal with and Zorie finds she really must rely on her former friend.

Bennet’s characters are beautifully drawn and they sound like real teens. Lennon is adorable and lovable and his skill as an outdoorsman adds to his hunk factor. Plus, now he’s quite buff as Zorie discovered while gazing at him shirtless through her telescope. He’s gentle and kind while maintaining his broody distance. Zorie grows the most throughout the book. She re-thinks her allegiances and her personal obsessive behaviors. The romance rekindles slowly and it’s a beautiful thing. Both teens have personal problems unrelated to each other that they share and that make them even more sympathetic and endearing. This is a romance that shines and hits all the right notes.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

After reading and falling in love with both of Jenn Bennett’s previous releases in 2017, I had high hopes for Starry Eyes. And, boy, did it deliver. I stand by my assertion that Bennett knows how to write the PERFECT YA romance. This was the friends-to-enemies-to-lovers camping romance I didn’t know I needed.

One of the things I appreciate most about all of Bennett’s protagonists is how passionate they are about specific, quirky interests. But, like, in a totally genuine, non-manic-pixie-dreamgirl way. Zorie, an aspiring astrophysicist, is no exception. I always love YA girl protagonists who are driven and have a clear vision of their futures. I recognize this isn’t reality for everyone, but that was totally me when I was in high school. Also, it’s never explicitly mentioned on the page, but Zorie seemed to me to have symptoms of an anxiety disorder, and I related to her character so much in that regard. She loves plans and detests spontaneity.

I also love the role family plays in all of her books. In Starry Eyes, Zorie’s family plays a central role in the plot. Her dad is a scumbag, but I adored her mom and the love she had for Zorie. We also get another awesome family dynamic in Lennon (the love interest)’s moms. It was, of course, great to see some queer characters in this story, since my one complaint with Bennett’s books is the lack of representation. The Mackenzies are a second family to Zorie, and I love how they looked out for her even when she and Lennon were fighting.

The setting of Starry Eyes? AMAZING. The beginning of the book takes place in Zorie’s hometown of Medina Hills, just across the bay from San Francisco, which completely jumped off the page. I’ve lived in the South all my life and have only visited the West Coast a couple of times, but somehow Bennett always manages to capture the very essence of California. (Even though she, like me, lives in Atlanta!) Her settings are so vivid and well-crafted, to the point where I always feel transported. The remainder of the book, however, takes place in the wilderness of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Zorie and Lennon head off on a camping trip with a group of friends, and the story takes off from there.

Okay, we have to talk about the romance. I was swooning the whole time. The romantic tension between Zorie and Lennon was so perfectly built. The pacing was perfect. It’s a classic YA romance with miscommunication and unnecessary drama, but I still ate up every word. The fact that all of it unfolded in the wilderness (and all the mishaps that ensued because of the setting) added a fun twist to such a classic romance trope. Also, I loved that sex was discussed in a healthy way and that the author didn’t shy away from mentioning it explicitly. And all of the kisses and sexytimes were just… so good. *swoons* I loved every minute of this romance.

Overall, I recommend Starry Eyes to both established fans of YA contemporary and people who may be hesitant about the genre. If you’re already a fan of Bennett’s work, you will NOT be disappointed, and if not, this book will totally make you a believer.

Have you read Starry Eyes? If so, did you love it as much as I did? If not, do you plan to read it?