Hey. Sadly I was unable to finish this book. I had very much looked forward to it but due to a recent death in the family it became to hard for me to read. But I know I will get back to it on a later date. Thank you so much toigh for sending me this Arc as the writer is ome of my favorites.

Kind regards.

I’m starting to think that I need to not give the author’s books a chance anymore. I have not really enjoyed anything she’s put out and this was no different. The story felt bland and I wasn’t engaged.

This felt like the YA version of Ninth House, if Ninth House was bad. There are a lot of plot holes and almost no character development. I know this is my own issue, but I hate when authors drop cryptic bits of the characters back story and then wait to share the full explanation until well over halfway through the book or never at all. This book felt that way. I think the relationships with Shy could use a little more development and her moms character just felt completely un needed and I wanted to know more about her grandfather.

The world building was a little lacking for me, while the start of the book felt very gothic and creepy, it took a turn rather quickly into just mythical and magical instead. I liked the hybrids, seeing the dead, and the dark academia vibe. This book is filled with everyone’s favorite tropes and it a book for fans of Shadow and Bone (just the book) and the Shadowhunters show. This felt very cheesy to me at points. Like watching the remake of Gossip Girl hoping it was as good as the original.

Overall, it was just fine. Very slow beginning, lots going on, and an interesting concept, but needs some more editing.

2.5/5

Anora Silby can see the dead and turn spirits into gold coins, two things she would prefer to keep secret. Now she must find the person who stole her coin before more lives are lost, but that means making herself a target for the Order, governing body of the dead.

I love a good Ghost Whisperer-esque story. Anything to do with seeing the dead and communicating with them just makes me so happy inside. We are introduced into a new kind of world, full of dead talkers and hybrids. I held on to every word on every page, I loved it. I only have a few grievances, mostly character related and what seems like boring and overdone long-term villains but hopefully we can move past those in book two.

Recommended for fans of ghosts and resurrections and a simple, quick read in a new fantasy universe. A must for fans of Shadow and Bone and The Mortal Instruments.

Thank you to Sourcebooks/bloom books, NetGalley, and Scarlett St Clair for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Stars Come Out is a great YA book. St Clair does an amazing job branching off from her normal spicy content to bring you this safer, less steamy content.

Anora is the new girl on campus and she can see dead people. Not only can she see dead people, but she can turn them in to coins. This includes her Poppa who passed away and she keeps his coin on a necklace she wears everyday.
When she joins this school she’s immediately introduced to Shy. Shy has his own secrets, just like most of the students in this school. Is Anora the only one who sees the dead?
Her first day she meets her first ghost, whom she subsequently turns in to a coin, but the coin gets lost… or does it?

This is a beautiful mystery, science fiction story from Scarlett St Clair and I definitely suggest you check it out.

Only downfall is that it is looooooong. And I wanted her normal spice, but that’s my own issue.

When Stars Come Out is a YA crossover about a girl named Anora who can see ghosts and the havoc this has wreaked on her life lately. I was curious about a YA book my this author, but this book was so freaking good. The plot was amazing, I loved the magic, the ghosts, the otherworldly beings, the villains, the suspense, the murders, the “fated” lovers, literally this book has everything. I feel blessed to have read this and will be re-reading this many times.

I've really enjoyed other books of Scarlett's that I've read and was excited to fall into this story. The plot synopsis is interesting and sounds like something new!

"Anora Silby can see the dead and turn spirits into gold coins, two things she would prefer to keep secret as she tries to lead a normal life at her new school. After all, she didn't change her identity for nothing.
Hiding her weirdness is just one of many challenges. By the end of her first day, she's claimed the soul of a dead girl on campus and lost the coin. Turns out, the coin gives others the ability to steal souls, and when a classmate ends up dead, there's no mistaking the murder weapon."

Anora is a weird teenager, and most of the other teenagers in this book are too, which makes total sense to me, cause teenagers are weird. Add in a secret society and death magic and you've got a reciepe for disaster.
For such an intersting idea, I felt like this book started off a little slow, and it took me a while to get into the story, characters, and plot, but once I did I flew through the book and couldn't wait to find out who the culprit was and how this group was going to get out of the bind they found themselves in.

Starting this book, I was hesitant since fantasy books are a big hit or miss. For me to like the book, it has to have an easy magic system and quick world building. I did not have any problems with those in this book. I enjoyed the whole story, the plot and the characters. The pacing in the book was also nice and I think many people would definitely enjoy this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for providing me with this book. All thoughts are my own.

I recalled take some time to step my ground in beginning this story. I eventually mistakenly thought this is about a ghost whisperer story or maybe grim reaper character. This is my first read from the author, but I hears alot about her another series. And well, I think I found new favourite voice in paranorm genre.

I appreciate the unique ideas about reimagining of Orpheus and Eurydice in darker urban world. Their tragic story isn't as popular as another love stories from mythology. The plot is nothing new, but gripped enough to the end of pages. The conflicts and twist both interesting and give me a glimpse of another bigger adventures in next installment. The pace it self still feel dragging on some parts but rush in another. My another input is both main characters feel generic and lack depth. I want to see stronger bond, believable chemistry and growing relationships.

3.5/5

I‘ve read parts of the Hades x Persephone series and was curious to read a YA book written by the author. I was hoping that, due to the lack of explicit scenes, more focus would be laid on the characters‘ relationships and their development.

Sadly, this was not really the case. I could not relate to the characters‘ attraction to each other nor could I understand the motives behind their actions. There seemed to be an abundance of plot holes and just a whole lot of world building that was neglected. And coming from someone who is familiar with Greek mythology, saying that I did not understand the setting surely must seem troublesome.

There was a whole lot of telling and little to no showing. All I know about Anora is that she is a) mourning the loss of her grandfather (whom I know next to nothing about other than that he likes stargazing) and b) never listening to any advice and instead making poor choices to drive the plot forward. Her mother is an absolute mystery. Shy has no character beyond being ambitious and in insta-love with Anora. Thane, Lennon and Natalie don‘t fare any better.

The pacing also was very weird at times - sped up and then slowed down again randomly - so despite the author‘s typical engaging writing style this wasn’t exactly a quick read for me. In the end, I simply do not care for any of these characters in the least, so I will definitely not read the sequel.

2/5 stars.

This book was so much fun to read - a HUGE thank you SO MUCH to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for allowing me to consume this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

We follow Anora, a high school student who just wants to be "normal," but luckily for us, her life is far from normal. Not only is Anora able to SEE the dead - she is able to turn spirits into gold coins. WHAT?! We get to explore more than just the high school environment as we try to learn who can be trusted and what's ACTUALLY going on here. There's even a gossip app that reveals secrets that Anora wants to stay hidden - what a thrilling ride we have here.

I love Scarlett - she's a queen who has done it once again. If you have read any of her other books be prepared to be blown away. I'd argue this is one of my new favorites from her, and I'm so excited to continue with this series and see what unfolds for the characters. I know this is a retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice based on other reviews I'm seeing, but I was not familiar with that story when I went into this novel.

One thing I will say that I enjoyed was that it wasn't HEAVILY romanced. We do have a dual POV of the assumed love interest, but it's not like hot and heavy right off the bat... I'm sure we'll get some of that thirst quenched in the next book!

I would highly recommend this book! If you are a fan of paranormal, occult, love a good high school drama, slow build romance, plot twists and turns, and enchanting puzzles to figure out GO BUY THIS BOOK. This was easily a FIVE STAR read for me.

Just finished the book yesterday and am still dealing! It is so, so incredible! I can not say enough to encourage everyone I to please read this book!

It was full of so many surprises. I was totally surprised as certain facts were revealed. Going backwards I saw several things I should have questioned. Certainly has you on your toes!

I am so anxious to read the sequel and find out what happens with our heroine, Anora, and the budding forbidden romance between her and Shy.

I don't want to give anything away, but it is so hard to not reveal names and events. Please trust me. You must read this one.

Paranormal, spirits, ghosts, the underworld, good vs. evil, forbidden romance, mystery, and unending excitement. Everything a good book should be and do much more!

Thank you NetGalley, and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for granting me an advance copy of this fabulous book in return for my honest opinion.

Highly recommend.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Bloom and NetGalley for the ARC.

After an incident in New York, Anora moves to Oklahoma to attend a new school, which turns out to be full people who can see the dead and human/raven hybrids. There are also darklings, occultists, and a gossip girl-esque app which exposes everyone’s secrets. The Order is in charge of protecting the town and finding the Eurydice, whose purpose is to summon the gates of the underworld and usher the souls of the dead through. People die, souls are snatched, the dead are resurrected, hellhounds are summoned, and backs are stabbed.

I thought Anora was a unique character and her power to capture the souls of the dead and turn them into gold coins was something I haven’t seen before. I also really liked Shy and seeing the connection he feels to Anora through his POV. The romance is light but I was excited to see that Scarlett wants to expand this into a NA series. There are also heavy themes like grief and how it can change a person. Some things were predictable but I wasn’t bothered by it. I also appreciated the chapter titles. Overall this was a dark yet exciting fast paced read and I hope she writes a sequel soon.

This was a really really enjoyable read it felt fresh and new and exciting. I know it’s a retelling of Eurydice but it was beautifully done and so exciting to read. At times I forgot it was a myth retelling and was very Immersed in the story and along for the ride.

I do appreciate the trigger warnings from the author at the beginning and on what chapters they would happen. I feel this would give readers the ability of informed consent before reading some darker topics. With that said though I feel that even though death was a huge part of this book it wasn’t done In a gimmicky or insensitive way. Things weren’t overly dramatized or dark.

I think the betrayal from Anoras “friends” was a little over foreshadowed, I could see that coming from the moment they were introduced. The characterization wasn’t the best I’ve ever read but no one really felt too flat or fake. I do want to read the second book and learn more about this universe and other characters.

All in all this was a great mythological retelling that I enjoyed reading and would recommend. I cannot wait to read the second one. This was a well done paranormal novel that was able to weave Romance and some fantasy aspects together beautifully and didn’t feel rushed or fall flat.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for allowing me to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When Stars Come Out is my first Scarlett St Clair book. She is notably known for her Hades and Persephone Adult romance series and I might give that a try after reading this story.

When Stars Come Out is a dark YA Fantasy story with a haunting mystery at its center. Anora is a death-speaker and has been able to see and communicate with the dead since seeing her poppa pass. After a terrible incident in New York, Anora and her mother leave and her mother enrolls Anora at the Nacoma Knight School for "troubled teens". When Anora meets Shy Savior, a handsome guy with secrets of his own, mysterious things start to happen and Anora is at the center of it all.

When Stars Come Out is cinematically written between two POVs: Anora and Shy. Anora is able to see the dead, but they are not ghostly spirits. The dead are fleshy and look as if they died recently. Shy is Valryn, and can shift between being a raven, human, and inbetween. There is a strange connection between the two, like a thread tethered between their souls. While trying to figure out this connection there is a darkness spreading amongst humans called Influence: a dark ghostly substance that possesses a person making them kill innocents. Shy and a few other knights in training are trying to figure out a way to stop Influence from spreading and all fingers are pointing towards Anora and abilities she might possess.

Scarlett St Clair writes a dark tale reminding me of books from the early 2000s like Twilight, Fallen, Unearthly, and Night World but for a new generation. I absolutely love how dark and haunting this book is and the constant "whodunnit" mystery. There were times when I was able to predict a few reveals ahead of time but that did not ruin the story for me.

There is romance but it's not at the forefront of the book. Honestly at first I was a little disappointed but the story didn't even need it. I was so wrapped up in the mystery, the darkness, and learning about the world of Valryns, I forgot about the romance. There were times I thought it felt forced, there is a good reason for why I felt this way but then I would be spoiling a reveal.

I'm glad there is going to be a sequel. I'm hoping a few of the side characters get more screen time like Natalie and Jacobi. I do hope Anora and Shy's relationship develops more whether it be friendship or more than. I really liked reading from both of their POVs and I'm crossing my fingers that Natalie gets a chapter or two in the sequel. I didn't like Natalie very much while reading the book but afterwards I realized I wanted to read her side of things.

When Stars Come Out is an engrossing, dark and enticing story. I didn't want to put my kindle down but I also didn't want the story to end.

4.5 stars

4.5 stars. This was my first Scarlett st. Clair book and it was a really fun read.
A girl who is hiding secrets moves to a new town but her high school isn't what it seems but neither is she. She can see and collect spirits of the dead and the living. But she's not the only one who can see the dead. When she accidentally captures a spirit and the hunt is on for the spirit she finds herself hunted. Who can she trust and will they find her and her secrets.
I enjoyed this book albeit a bit predictable. Definitely for ya audience. I suggest this book to supernatural ya lovers.

3.5 stars.

This was an okay book, but I think it needs work.
The word building and explanations are kind of weak.
It’s never really explained how Anora knows what she knows and she seems to know more and more as the book goes on, despite not knowing anything.
It’s also super convenient that her and her mother end up right where she needs to be, and again is never explained how or why that happens. It’s literally just, “a brochure turned up”.
Also, what’s described in the blurb happens like 60% of the way through the book. Why is it part of the blurb if it happens so late?
Despite that, I did like the twists and turns.
But, as I said, this book needs work.

Wow. I really cannot describe how much I enjoyed this book. From the very first page I was sucked in. The description says this is a reimagining of Orpheus and Eurydice, which isn’t something I’m familiar with, so this book felt so unique to me! I loved Anora from the start and felt everything she was going through. I didn’t realize going into it that this book had multiple points of view and typically that’s not an element that I enjoy, but St. Clair was able to handle it perfectly. The chapters were specifically titled to designate who we were following which made it even easier. I haven’t read a book in a single day in years, but I was not kidding when I say I was sucked in. I couldn’t stop reading and I ended up finishing the book in one day and instantly craved more so I was delighted to see that there is a sequel. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good enthralling unique fantasy book!

The beginning reminded me of The Sixth Sense, one of my favorite movies. You know, with the MC seeing the dead. Which was cool.

I wish the story had kept this horrific atmosphere though. Having the dead following you, experiencing their deaths when you walk through them... That's the horror I wanted more of! Instead, it ended up focusing mainly on the magical elements like the Order, the coins, the souls and the darkness befalling people. I liked the idea of giving relief to the dead by transforming their souls into coins, and I would have preferred this being the only magic used.

Because, in the end, it became this generic Good vs. Evil battle we see too many times. More normalcy would have been appreciated for once! Also, the romance wasn't my thing. It's one of least favorite tropes. Ever.

I wasn't surprised by the reveals. I've said this already but it's easy to spot the culprit when there are so few protagonists and less time spent to develop their dynamics. The deduction is simple.

The characters were likeable but they frustrated me as well. The MC didn't make the most reasonable decisions at times...

It was enjoyable nonetheless

When Stars Come Out by Scarlett St. Clair is one utterly, captivating, brilliant story!

I was immediately sucked into this novel, and fell in love with Anora right away!

This is a beautifully crafted story that is full of love and mystery.
It is an engaging read and has just the right amount of romance.
WSCO is incredible, unique, engaging and it will swallow you whole, can't put it down-butterflies in your stomach kind of story!
With a few well-placed words the author managed to paint a picture in my head and let me watch the book like a movie.
It was extremely well written and the plot was fantastic. 
I enjoyed reading this book immensely and really hope that there will be more where we see the characters again.
Even the side characters were so brilliantly executed.
There's twists and turns and just not enough praise can be said for how much I enjoyed this book. I was done in one sitting because I couldn't stop reading. I'm so excited for the next book!

Literally so good.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books/Bloom Books,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.