I had a hard time rating this book because on one hand, I couldn’t put it down, and on the other hand, it dragged so badly at some points that had I not wanted to figure out what happened, I would have DNF’d and moved on. 

But I needed to know. Despite the blatant toxicity of the friendships in this book, despite so-so characters, and a shrug of a love story, that hint of a good mystery was all I needed to push forward. No spoilers and I should have seen it coming because the book comparisons alone were enough to give it away. Do yourself a favor and DON’T read the full Goodreads synopsis from the top. 

If you read this book for what it’s marketed as, you’ll be disappointed. If you read this book for what it really is, an ode to friendship and a navigating through loss (whether it’s of friendship or tragedy) you won’t be disappointed. 

At its heart, See All the Stars is a gripping mystery that explores the complexity of friendship and how toxic relationships can shape us into who we are and it might not be what you desired for yourself. When you let someone take the reins of your life and lead, you might not be happy where you end up. This book is about 4 friends who are all connected by their fiercely independent and adventurous ringleader, Ret. Ret is the center of their universe and without her leadership, the girls have nothing in common, so you can see where the drama comes into play. Lies, punishment, pitting the girls against each other is all part of Ret’s hold. The story is from Ellory’s POV. She’s really into metalworking and dealing with some stuff. Her world revolves around Ret in a very unhealthy, almost obsessive fixation. She checks her actions against Ret and looks to her to see how she responds. Why Ret has such power over these girls is a mystery. When Ellory starts to pull away things quickly go downhill and in comes the romance. 

As romance goes, this one was kind of bland. There wasn’t any real fire, not even really a connection-it just was. Don’t get me wrong, at times there was really beautiful writing and gorgeous metaphors but the words did not match up with the actual feelings between the characters-or at least, it didn’t read that way. The emotions weren’t there. 

I liked that the story was told between the past and present. Towards the end it all collides and it gets a little confusing. I had to reread one section because I wasn’t sure whether it was in the past. There are flashbacks in the now sections as well. 

There’s colossal build up. Tension is high because as the reader you know something terrible happened but not the magnitude. When you get to the end everything suddenly makes sense with startling clarity.

See All The Stars is one of my favourite book this year! It was a tough read because everything about this book feels real. I couldn't stop reading the book once I start; IT'S THAT GOOD. 

Grief and betrayal are not new topics in young adult but there's something about this book that made you feel like you're part of the story. I think the author did a good job in showing us how to work through these feelings and that it's ok to take your time. This book definitely teach you one or two things about facing your mistakes and learn to forgive yourself.

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

THEN it's the summer before junior year, and Ellory has everything going for her - three best friends who are her whole universe, a boy she meets and starts to falls for, and plans for her future. 

NOW it's the star of senior year, and Ellory's world has imploded because of secrets. Following an extended suspension (reason unknown), she has to start over all alone back at Pine Brook High School. Outcast and feared by most, Ellory walks the halls and suffers through classes while wrecked with guilt over everything she's lost. 

Told in alternating time periods, readers will piece together the destruction of Ellory's life as she knew it. 

THOUGHTS: The mystery of Ellory's junior year definitely will encourage readers to devour this book. Give See All the Stars to fans of realistic mysteries and fans of multi- or unreliable narrators like We Were Liars! PS - It's also locally set on the West Shore of South Central, PA!

This YA thriller is filled with teen angst, young love and tough friendships. Split into two time frames in a before and after format, I was left guessing what the twist might be - while it was in front of me the whole time, I didn’t even see it! I think once people read this, it may be compared to another popular YA novel, which I won’t name for spoiler purposes - but I’ll be curious to see how that impacts reviews for some - for me, this was definitely a hit!

Ellory, Ret, Bex, and Jenni are the modern day Mean Girls. 

"She chose us because we listened to her, Ellory. We hung on her every word."

Ret is Regina George to a “T”: manipulative and cunning. Always keeps everyone at an arm’s length and always having them coming back for more.

"She didn’t pick us because we were special snowflakes. She wanted followers, no friends."

The book goes back and forth between the present (senior year of high school) and a year before (junior year). In the present, we are at the start of the new school year, where the fabulous four went their own ways at the end of last year and are seeing each other for the first time since junior year. They used to all be best friends, but something happened to tear them apart.

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood…"

The above quote was a phrase Ret used to apologize to Ellory, at least her way of an apology.

You may be wondering: “What exactly happens to break up the crew?” “What is Ret apologizing to Ellory for?” “What happened in the year between?” Read and you will find out 🙂

"Before Ret, I was basically invisible.

With Ret, I was somebody."

Ret gave each of the girls enough attention to make them feel like they mattered. Ellory, Bex, and Jenni craved every second they had the approval of Ret, and at times, would get jealous if someone knew something about Ret that the others didn’t. But Ret knew exactly what she was doing. She never divulged too much to anyone, never truly letting anyone in.

So, I knew what was going to happen from the beginning. It was completely obvious, which disappointed me. And I think the justification by some of the characters just made me mad.

However, there was a slight twist of events in the very last portion of the novel, which I did enjoy. And as I was starting to realize exactly what the twist was, it completely made sense in my head and there were clues throughout the book. Because of that, it upped my two star rating to three.

I think this is a more relatable read for someone still in high school or middle school. For me, I was out of touch and didn’t relate to any of the characters, but I think that mainly has to do with age (I felt a little pedophily). Had I been a bit younger, I think this would’ve been a fun read.

See All the Stars is one of those books I raced through because I wanted to know how it ended. What event could possibly be so terrible as to tear these 4 girls, this solar system apart? Even as I found myself absorbed in the story I knew the big reveal wouldn't be satisfying. And in some ways it wasn't. But I still enjoyed reading Ellory's story. Ret is a fascinating character and I still want to know so much about her; the book answered the major question, but not so many lingering little ones I had. I also really liked the positive representation of therapy and the metaphors for healing and letting go.

I was totally captivated by this story. I loved both Ret and Ellory as characters and I was fascinated with the unanswered questions. The writing and the images Frick creates were so vivid. I will definitely be recommending this book to anyone who likes Courtney Summers, E Lockhart, and Karen McManus.

THEN - They were four—Bex, Jenni, Ellory, Ret. Electric, headstrong young women; Ellory’s whole solar system. Lazy summer days. A party. A beautiful boy. Ellory met Matthias and fell into the beginning of a spectacular, bright love. NOW - Ellory is alone, her once inseparable group of friends torn apart by secrets, deception, and a shocking incident that changed their lives forever. Ellory returns to Pine Brook to navigate senior year after a two-month suspension and summer away—no boyfriend, no friends. No going back. Tormented by some and sought out by others, troubled by a mysterious note-writer who won’t let Ellory forget, and consumed by guilt over her not entirely innocent role in everything and everyone she’s lost, Ellory finds that even in the present, the past is everywhere.

I was really hoping to like See All the Stars by Kit Frick more than I did. I've seen so many glowing reviews for it and it's compared to We Were Liars by E. Lockhart and One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus which were stories I particularly enjoyed, but I just feel kind of meh about this debut. I mean, it isn't a bad read or anything - I was just never hooked like I was with the two stories it has been compared to. First, I'll talk about my favorite aspect of the novel which is the fact that it isn't told chronologically. The timeline is broken up, jumping back and forth between then and now asking the reader to put together the clues and try to figure out what happened between this group of friends. For this sort of story that aspect works really well, especially as things really begin to pull together the drama and the tension begins to ratchet up in decent increments that make you want to compulsively read through the story. Even if it isn't all that difficult to make an educated guess as to the truth. 

Now for the aspects I didn't really care for, the story kind of drags - I didn't feel like I had to hang on to every word as I was turning the pages to learn the story behind the incident and the aftermath - and I wasn't invested in the characters enough to really care one way or the other before of afterward. I know the characters are supposed to come off as edgy or something, but I mostly came away with pretentious - looking back on the story I'm not sure why the reveal was such a surprise, especially to the characters who lived the story. One of the things that also bothers me in YA are absent or mostly absent parents - and that's what we get here - seriously, to the parents in YA just watch your kids, or have more than a minor passing role in their life.

Overall, See All the Stars by Kit Frick is a debut YA mystery for fans of We Were Liars by E. Lockhart and One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus. It wasn't quite as what I was hoping for but it is still engrossing and suspenseful. Thanks, NetGalley!

*happy sounds.* Okay, I am not drawn to mystery/thriller/suspense themes often, but this was the perfect combination of those things and summery contemporary! This is a debut novel, which shows a little with the pacing, however the character development MORE than makes up for it!! The chapters flip back and forth between past and present day and the mystery of why the friends no longer speak definitely kept me interested! The characters are well rounded and complex and the plot kept me guessing! A definite page-turner that I would highly suggest to anyone looking for a hold-your-breath sort of read.

The beginning was strong but digressed as the novel went on. The suspense was there, but Ellory seemed to dragged behind at every step.

I was provided with an ARC through NetGalley.

I think I read See All the Stars at the right time so I could relate much more with Ellory, especially with what she was going through with her boyfriend.

I enjoyed the way the story was told. The interchangeable then and now parts of the book really gave the story some mystery which kept me engaged.

Because of the comparison to We Were Liars I feel like a kinda expected the book to end like it did but even though I sort of saw it coming, I still enjoyed this story.

Yes, I read this super early, several months in advance of its release date, but I couldn't get it off my mind once I saw the cover and read the blurb. When a book like this is sitting on your Kindle, you read it, publish date ignored. Within a handful of pages, I knew this was the sort of book that required my full attention

It was a slow start, was going to abandon it but towards the middle it got so good, couldn’t put it down from there. Good, strong story with believable characters. Would recommend giving it a chance.

Listen. I tried, I did really try. I swear. But for the most part, this book didn't hold my interest.
But nonetheless the book was not that bad. Ya with suspense.

Note: I received a free e-copy of the book via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Special thanks to the author and publisher for giving me a chance to read it.

Kit Frick is brilliant at character development, each of the four girls leaping off the page and getting into the reader's mind. See all the Stars was perfectly paced, and an absolute masterclass in page-turning  and suspense driven prose. An accomplished YA debut, and I'm looking forward to what the author does next.

Ellory, Ret, Bex, and Jenni are joined at the hip and inseparable to anyone viewing their posse from the outside. On the inside, these girls are orbiting around Ret, vying for her attention and approval, especially Ellory.

Each chapter alternates between the past and present day, leading up to the event that destroyed the friendship between these four girls. The mystery surrounding the event kept me on my toes, but after the second chapter I correctly predicted the two reveals so I was waiting for Ellory to put two and two together and make the same connection.

I read this novel detached because it was a story I have read over and over again. Ret is a spunky, unique, narcissistic, manipulative, and selfish girl who selects her friends based on their level of neediness. Ellory, Bex, and Jenni were Ret's followers; girls that worshiped Ret and wanted to be her. They each competed with the others to strive for Ret's attention. Ellory always looked the other way and dismissed the times Ret purposely toyed with her and sliced apart her self-esteem. Then Ellory acquires a boyfriend and her friendship with Ret and the other girls slowly begins to fracture.

The big reveal was common sense since the summary of this book depicts it as another We Were Liars, which I enjoyed lots more than this one. The second reveal was self-explanatory because Ret's one of those people who believes she can do no wrong and resorts to manipulation to get what she wants.

Anyway, I was disappointed with this one despite the high ratings and reviews. I think it's just me since I have no tolerance for toxic friendships due to personal experiences.

Thank you Edelweiss and NetGalley for an ARC.

Read this in one sitting. I personally enjoyed it but there were a few bits of the book I didn’t like. Other than that I thought the characters were well developed and the plot was good. Would definitely recommend if you want a quick and easy read!

Left a shiver down my spine. Knots in my stomach. My hands and heart wanting more, but a that I might explode if I received it. I don't want to spoil this story - the characters are so conflicting, the plot complex, and I found myself glued to the pages, savoring every word.

Fans of YA novels will love this book! It is a well-written story that will captivate you and will keep you up reading all night. I really liked the main character Ellory and that the book goes back and forth between two timelines, "then" and "now". It made me think back on my teen years and how complexed and overwhelming things felt, that really wasn't such a big deal but at the time they were to me. This book is a story of high school friendships that are torn apart by lies, betrayals, and secrets.

It’s hard to find the truth beneath the lies you tell yourself.

THEN They were four—Bex, Jenni, Ellory, Ret. Electric, headstrong young women; Ellory’s whole solar system.

NOW Ellory is alone, her once inseparable group of friends torn apart by secrets, deception, and a shocking incident that changed their lives forever.

THEN Lazy summer days. A party. A beautiful boy. Ellory met Matthias and fell into the beginning of a spectacular, bright love.

NOW Ellory returns to Pine Brook to navigate senior year after a two-month suspension and summer away—no boyfriend, no friends. No going back. Tormented by some and sought out by others, troubled by a mysterious note-writer who won’t let Ellory forget, and consumed by guilt over her not entirely innocent role in everything and everyone she’s lost, Ellory finds that even in the present, the past is everywhere.

The path forward isn’t a straight line. And moving on will mean sorting the truth from the lies—the lies Ellory has been telling herself.

What happened junior year? That’s the main mystery in Kit Frick’s debut novel See All The Stars. Secrets, lies, and betrayals unfold over the course of the book. The story transpires through Ellory's disjointed narration, recently returned to school after a lengthy suspension. Dealing with the aftermath of an event only referred to as “The Fall,” Ellory is learning to cope with her decisions and her past. Frick does a wonderful job weaving the story together. Her writing is dynamic and each scene flows into the next. The story moves quickly, while giving enough detail to learn about these characters. The shifting perspective from past to present gives the reader just enough detail to pull together relationships, while offering nudges as everything is about to fall apart.

The story centers on Ellory and Ret, two girls who have been friends for a long time. The world of teenage female friendship is complex and often rife with conflict.  The book does a good job depicting the integral complications that occur with a group of friends that rely on a focal member. Ret has always been the glue that holds the group together, often with friction among the other members. Ellory and the others follow her lead, often vying for attention. There's an element of the classic "mean girls" narrative in this, though tempered to a more realistic, if overly dramatic, degree. Their relationship is most interesting when it lets the girls be themselves. Ret basks in their attention and they bask in hers. Though sometimes, it feels like there’s a hint at something just beneath the surface, never quite spoken.

These four girls are inseparable. In the end, it felt as if their relationship was built on clichés that almost explored something a little more substantial but never quite got there. It’s hard to feel empathy for Ellory when she seems completely aware of the unhealthy nature of her relationship with the other girls. Dismissing the signs, she doesn’t seem to have any urge to leave or change the codependent behavior. The story doesn’t challenge Ellory in those decisions, not even when it leads to disastrous results.

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-"
"I followed her."

With the set-up, it’s fairly obvious that something isn’t what it seems. So as more of the plot is dedicated to the mystery of the previous semester, it becomes clear that the mystery isn’t actually the focus of this book, despite the marketing. The book is less a thriller than it is a story about growing up and learning to move forward. We know something is going to happen; we’re just reading to flesh out the details. The uptick in suspenseful young adult novels has led to a number of similar titles in the market from the Pretty Little Liars series to now. See All The Stars is the newest of that trend. Though it will appeal to young adult suspense fans, the book doesn’t deviate from the formulaic set-up enough to ever get more interesting.

The story relies on some tired tropes to move the story forward, including some dramatic situations for the main cast. There’s also an element of stereotyping in the portrayal of some mental health issues in the book, leading to some uncomfortable depictions of symptoms and behavior that doesn’t quite ring true to anyone familiar with counseling or therapy. Some might find the build-up unrealistic or too tropey to drive the final scene, where it matters the most. To me, it felt like a weak spot in an otherwise interesting story, especially tying into the final twist.

Verdict: Check it out.

The book is paced for a quick read; action takes the reader from one scene to the next, leading the audience to piece together the timeline. The nonlinear style worked well for the story; I don’t think it would have been effective without it. It also kept me turning pages once I’d guessed the major conflict and the incident that drove this group apart. In See All The Stars Frick offers just enough details to keep you from looking away, knowing that the proverbial train wreck is right around the corner.

Some readers may guess the ending before the story arrives there, lessening the impact of the final reveal. This story may appeal to those who enjoy We are Liars, One of Us is Lying, or The Perfectionists. As an exploration of grief and toxic relationships, See All The Stars has more potential to address the complexity of growing up and the consequences of tragedy.

See All The Stars will be released on August 14, 2018.