This book had so much promise. The world building is amazing but I had a lot of trouble connecting with the characters. I found most of them to be annoying. It's a prequel to The Starlight Chronicles and I still plan to read the series. I am hoping that the characters are more likeable as the story progresses. I'm hoping that the issue is that I haven't read the rest of the books yet.

When I first picked up this book, I thought it was going to be an adventure. I imagined that it would suck me in and I'd find a home amongst the characters like I too was going on this mad and crazy journey with them. And man, was I right.
READ IT.

This is a reasonable Teen fantasy.
Although I am a long way from being a Teen the characters are engaging with a good story to back them up.

I generally enjoyed this book, however the main character was quite difficult to like. The world building suffered most of the time and the powers of the main character did not make much sense sometimes, it needed a little bit more grounding. I wanted to know more about the other characters besides physical appearances!

I DNFed this book at 39%.

I loved the world building in this book, but that was about it. The characters were annoying, the plot was hard to follow and the powers of the main character didn’t really make sense. The part that I read mainly focused on Raiya sending a boy into a coma, which was explained but didn’t make much sense. I think the main issue is that the main character, Raiya, is not likable, at least in this book.

A little slow starting and since I haven’t read the rest of the series a little confusing, but once everything settles in, you get a fallen star with teenage drama. I’ve read two different stories about a fallen star and this is the best one, given its got superhero elements to it. Be prepared for lots of fainting, a broken heart and questionable friends.

Fantastic book with a wonderful plot and great characters!! As a huge fantasy reader, I can definitely say that this book definitely got me intrigued into reading the series which I hope to do over the summer.

Great story, fantastic character development and world building, definitely going to search out more books by this author.

It was nice the read through the mind of the other protagonist. It was great to actually read more than snippets of her life.

What makes Searching different is that in Searching the main character knows she has to face a battle----she has apparently been prepparing her whole life for it. -- Another thing that makes this book different is that the main character, Raiya is younger than the usual 15, 16-18 years most YA characters are. She's actually 13 years old. Which makes this book a middle school/ really young YA book.

Before I get into anything else, I just want to say that I genuinely and honestly wanted to like Searching. I feel so bad that I couldn't get more into the novel..

Reasons why I stopped reading:
- I couldn't connect with the story, or the characters.
- Some parts of the story, i.e. the wings, is for some reason, truly unbelievable to me 
- I found the writing, and this prequel to the series feels forced.
- At times the story was kind of predictable.

Overall, I couldn't get into the book when I really wanted to.

Good start for this series. Smart and full of attitude, my favorite kind of heroin. Can't wait for the next one.

- - Received copy through NetGalley - -
L

This is a great read. It is well written, with a great plot and characters. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series. I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley.

I have never read the Starlight Chronicles so I was new to this whole series when I started reading this book. But my friend recommended it to me. I have to say I am not disappointed in the least. The story was written very well and I found no fault with the plot. I felt like I could really feel what Raiya was going through. Her struggle as she feared her own powers. This definitely got me to go and but the rest of the whole Starlight Chronicles. I think Searching is a great prequel that prepares the reader for what to come next when reading the other books. The story is amazing and emotional and I recommend this book for fans of C.S. Johnson


I want to thank NetGalley and for giving me the chance to read an advance copy of this book.

A not very good book, "Searching" is not horrible, but far from being anything special. A prequel to a series by author C. S. Johnson, it introduces us to the world of fallen star (like, really, fallen) Raiya, and how she uses her powers, fights with demons and waits for her love to appear. But Johnson fails on all accounts, offering poor character construction and development, a poor story-line where basically nothing happens, and a world construction that I couldn't buy for even one second (and I am a little bit tired with all those characters feeling, seeing, finding lights inside them and inside others; more originality, please). Again, not horrible, but far from engaging. Not a page-turner.

I love all the twist and turns in this book and I love the storyline

I want to start by saying that I haven't read any other books in this series so I thought the prequel, Searching, would be a good place to start.
C. S. Johnson has written a wonderful introduction to her Starlight series and a wonderful fantasy novel. This book follows the main character, Raiya, as she is learning about who she is and where she comes from. She is learning how to interact with the people around her without giving away that she is different.
I feel that this prequel has set up the rest of the series beautifully despite being written after the fact.
I look forward to reading the next book(s) soon.

Searching is a prequel to the Starlight Chronicles series and from reading it I will most definitely be reading the whole series as long as it takes. Raiya is a fallen star sent to earth to protect it from the seven sinisters. She has to deal with a lot of stuff (including guys) before she is fulfill her destiny and become Starry Night.

This book was a great fantasy read. Raiya knew she was different. She was scared of her own powers. This story was written so well. I could really feel the character! It was so action packed. I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next. I would recommend this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Definitely one of the weakest books in the series, but still a very nice read. This book gives light on some backstory and really helps with understanding the characters more.

YA fantasy about a fallen Star

Raiya is a fallen Star, and all that her new life and mission entail affect her life as a "human" 13-year-old. We are pulled into her school days, her time with her cardiologist, and her relationships with family and friends. This is the only book I've read in this series, and other reviewers comment that you need to read the others first. That's probably true. I think a young girl would enjoy this story, but I found it slow and disjointed. The story has potential but the writing was very average, so I'm assuming the other books are better based on what other reviewers have said.