Stars in the Grass

Beautiful written.  A very emotional family journey coming to terms with the loss of a son and a brother.   The effects  on each member of the family as they  journeyed through the dark tunnel.  A hard subject matter to write about in fiction but superbly done capturing such emotion

In this debut novel the author explores how loss of a child affects each member of a family. Nine year old Abbey relates how  mom, dad and older brother each struggle to cope in their own way. How does a family recover from such tragedy? What brings family members closer and what pushes them apart? This book, given to me by the author, brings to life how quickly life can change and how we should appreciate each day.

I have never had a book have me in tears from the first chapters, but I was only half an hour into the book and already I was crying. In some respects I was angry with the author, but as I read on, I understood there was no other way to tell the story, but honestly, killing a three-year-old boy off in the first chapters was beyond the pale. 

Now that my rant is out of the way, Stars in the Grass is one of the most masterfully told tales I've read in a while. Ann Marie Stewart takes a tragedy that could destroy a family and works little by little to bring the family closer together, but not without quite a few struggles. As the readers become more and more acquainted with the characters, they will be able to empathize with the feelings of hurt and anger the family feels in this drama, and they will see how a ten year old girl will be the catalyst for healing in the family. 

Amazon's synopsis sums up the book quite well:
The idyllic world of nine-year-old Abby McAndrews is transformed when a tragedy tears her family apart. Before the accident, her dad, Reverend John McAndrews, had all the answers, but now his questions and guilt threaten to destroy his family. Abby’s fifteen-year-old brother, Matt, begins an angry descent as he acts out in dangerous ways. Her mother tries to hold her grieving family together, but when Abby’s dad refuses to move on, the family is at a crossroads. Set in a small Midwestern town in 1970, Abby’s heartbreaking remembrances are balanced by humor and nostalgia as her family struggles with—and ultimately celebrates—an authentic story of faith and life after loss.
It just doesn't tell how well Ann Marie Stewart told the story, how deeply her characters were developed and how the settings within the book made the story all the more real. I grew up in the South and like Abby, I caught fireflies almost every summer evening. I live in the Northwest now, and I miss what I called "lightning bugs" when I was growing up. 

I wish I could give this book more than five stars, but the other websites where I post only allow five. Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a mason jar full of fireflies on a summer night. 

My thanks to Shiloh Run Press for allowing me to read and review this book.

Told from nine year old Abby's point of view, we are plunged into the disbelief and overwhelming sorrow of a family trying to grieve the death of a child. 
Preacher John McAndrews, his wife Renee, Matt, Abby and Joel are enjoying their first real holiday together, when there is what appears to be a minor car accident and Joel, just three years of age is killed. What follows is the cycle of grief that threatens to engulf the whole family so one is left to wonder if they are going to be able to come through the grief still united. Each person within the family deal with the loss in their own way. From acting out, refusal to acknowledge the situation, from high levels of anxiety to stoically holding the family together, grief is explored in numerous ways. The behaviour of each person is understandable and there are no instant moments of faith and acceptance. There is a real struggle with faith and understanding God's Will in this book. 
This is not to say that there is no encouragement for Christian readers to take a hold of. There are plenty of passages that are meant as a reminder and encouragement along the way. Its just that the characters aren't spewing out cheery bible verses every time a hardship comes upon them. Rather this is an in-depth study of grief with the underlying question of why does God allow bad things to happen to good people, but no platitudes. The story ends not with clear cut answers but rather an understanding that you can doubt and yet believe.
 The characters are well drawn and understandable and one almost grieves right along side them. Tenderly written, never preachy, this is a Christian novel done exceptionally well.

The story unfolds through the eyes of a nine-year-old girl who asks the hard questions many adults are afraid to ask.  Ann Marie Stewart covers the reader with a blanket of questions, but does not provide all the answers.  Her setting brings back pleasant childhood memories, and the strength and resolve of her female characters is exciting. This novel captures an understanding of grief and loss from many perspectives.  Ms. Stewart aptly puts those feelings into words with, “One night away from the longing to remember and the fight to forget.”  This walk with the McAndrews family through difficult times and elusive hope is insightful and uplifting.

I enjoyed reading Stars in the Grass. It was beautifully and realistically written. It's also an emotional read, so have tissues near by! It's set in the 1970's and is about a minister's family. They have a "perfect" life. Everything is seems perfect. One day on their first family vacation, their 3 year old is accidently killed. The story takes off from there and comes full circle again. This is definitely an emotional story! It made me laugh and cry. It's written from a 9 year old's point of view, but it's written in a way where you understand the whole picture. I'm 29 and I enjoyed it! I received an advanced copy of this book for an honest review. I honestly recommend this story!

Beautiful and believable story. I loved this book. Believable real life family problems and how they are solved..

Stars in the Grass is a well written book.  I like the plot and the well thought out characters.  The story of a family dealing with a tragic loss might be a little disturbing for some but it is such a good story!

Stars in the Grass by Ann Marie Stewart is a story of living one’s faith and having hope through the worst of times.
The McAndrews family consists of the father who is the minister of the local Presbyterian church, mom who is the church organist and three children-Matt, Abby, and Joel. A tragedy on their family vacation threatens to tear them apart forever. How will each one use their faith to go on? Will they be able to continue as a family or will the tragic event isolate them all from each other forever?
The story is written from the standpoint of Abby who is nine at the beginning of the story. The book deals with the death of a family member and how each of the survivors deal with their grief and sense of loss. Each one has many questions and searches for answers. Is God dead? Does he care about me? Has he abandoned me? Where was he when this accident occurred? Why, why, why? All questions many of us ask in times of pain and sorrow. Will the McAndrews find answers that will give them hope for the future and life eternal?
I was drawn into this story from page one and I didn’t want to put it down till I finished it. The writer is able to make me feel a part of the story, like I am one of the parishioners or neighbors. The story is extremely sad at times and I wanted to reach out and comfort the character in pain. I believe I felt their pain more deeply because I have lost a family member in an accident. I really like the way the writer shows each person dealing with grief in their own way. Some may not be healthy ways of dealing but the characters must decide that for themselves; the writer does not make that judgement.
I recommend this book to everyone who likes to read stories about events that could be real. While this is a novel I’m sure many families have been dealt with similar circumstances. At times the story is extremely sad and brought tears to my eyes and at other times it is heartwarming. 
This review is my own honest opinion of this book. I received a complimentary copy from Barbour Publishing though I am under no obligation to post a review

A very emotional read. It's not the usual type of book that I read, but I enjoyed it. Told in the first person by Abby, a nine year old middle child in a pastors family. She tells us what happens in her life and her family after a tragic event takes place. I don't think this book is for everyone because of some very emotional scenes.
Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

When you close the last chapter of this book it will leave you wondering. What if this happened in my family? How would I deal with such a tragic loss? Would I run from God or would I run to God?

This book is told from a nine-year-old Abby McAndrews view point. Her family seemed like the perfect family. She is a preacher's kid. What family doesn't seem perfect at that age? Until the day her little brother is taken from them. Then her family unravels. Her oldest brother rebels, her father runs, and her mother tries to hold it all together. Abby? She really is not handling losing her brother.

This is a tragic story that is all to real in my own life. Coincidentally, I was just a baby in 1969, when my three-year-old brother was struck by a milk truck. Miraculously he was not killed but his brain was permanently damaged. Then another tragedy hit us last year, my son-in-law's three-year-old nephew was pushed down the stairs and died. If I had really known what this story was about, I may not have read it but I did finish it. At the end of all our stories, there is healing. We just need to reach for it.

The McAndrews' had to go through a lot of steps to finally reach the place of healing and to see God in that healing.

I applaud Ann Marie Stewart for writing this story. This is not a story for those that are faint of heart. It is courage at its best!

Disclosure statement
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

I like the author's writing style. This subject of this book is heartbreaking, but the author did an excellent job of showing what all the characters were going through and how they were trying to deal with this tragedy. Nine year old Abby and her family are on an enjoyable vacation when a life changing event happens. This is the story of how Abby, her fifteen year old brother Matt, and her mother and father deal with this tragedy. Even though it is a somewhat sad story, the author ends it on a hopeful note.

The McAndrews family is reeling after the tragic death of their youngest family member, Joel.  At age 3, Joel is killed in a freak accident.  The McAndrews family is also a pastor’s family and the death brings unique challenges for the family.  Reverend John McAndrews struggles mightily and it shakes his faith.  15-year-old Matthew acts out in self-destructive ways.  10-year-old Abby is scared, scared of everything.  And, Renee the mother, finds herself needing to be the glue.
Written from the point-of-view of Abby, the story digs into the stress of the year following the death of Joel.  I think we get to see the issues of each family member, as best a 10-year-old can relay them through a story.  Time is required for the family to move forward and you will be reading and encouraging them to stay together and work through this grief.

"The summer before I turned ten was idyllic—until August 3, 1970. It perfectly describes a time when I thought the world was safe and good things lasted forever. What I couldn’t know then, but try to remember now, is how fragile and delicate are the moments we most treasure, and if they break into pieces, repairing means seeing anew." ~Excerpt

I know it’s only January, but I predict this will be one of my top favorite books of 2017. Yes—it’s that good. 

Here are my reasons for adoring this book, in a three-point formation, just as Reverend McAndrews structured his sermons in this story.

1.	Nostalgia. I adore the nostalgic atmosphere that envelops every page of Stars in the Grass. Reading this book was like rewinding time and revisiting my younger years. The 1970s came alive as I recalled the innocence and freedom of childhood, and the complexities of those coming-of-age days.
2.	Narration. Much of the charm of this book is due to the first-person narration by its main character, nine-year-old Abby McAndrews. Abby is open, honest, raw, and untethered. I respect and admire every nuance of her. As her life is quickly and tragically altered, she allows the reader to see and experience her struggles and grief through her eyes. Her voice is authentic and vulnerable, and I won’t soon forget her.
3.	Noteworthiness. Author Ann Marie Stewart is a brilliant storyteller. She writes as one who has mastered the craft. It is evident she has a deep love of music, carries an appreciation for the innocence of childhood, and understands the resilience of the human soul.


Though we like to think of childhood as an era of innocence and ease, heartbreaking realities often force us to see the world as it is—regardless of our age. Abby reveals her internal struggles as she suffers a tragic loss and her tight-knit family begins to unravel. Her dad questions his faith, her mom attempts to shoulder the family’s grief, and her brother Matt’s pain gradually raises to the surface. 

"My dad preached about a good and loving God who can do anything, but now I didn’t know what that meant." ~Excerpt

This is one of those books that causes you to linger as you near the end. You turn the pages slower to make the story last longer.  You prolong closing the cover because you don’t want to leave these characters behind. I turned the last page in tears, but this book is far from gloomy. It’s filled with hope, family, faith, and perseverance. 

I predict, upon reading this book, you’ll experience a bit of laughter, shed a tear or two, and feel your heart grow a few sizes.

5 great big stars!

Cover: Love it
Title: Love it
Publisher: Shiloh Run Press
Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-1634099509
First line (prologue): I spent the better part of my childhood sitting in the pew in the balcony of Bethel Springs First Presbyterian Church, listening to my dad’s long vowels as he preached on predestination.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, and was not required to write a review.

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Stars in the Grass by Ann Marie Stewart was another book that I like right from the start.  Like the book that I reviewed yesterday, this is the first book I have read by this author, and I am so glad that I got the chance to read this book.  I really loved the author’s style of writing and how reading her book was so easy.  It just flowed so well that I was able to get through this book quickly.  She put just the right amount of details into the book which I also loved because I got everything I needed but it didn’t have so much in it that I got bogged down or lost in all the details.  I loved watching how the characters grew and changed throughout the book.  If you love books that tackle real life problems than I know you will enjoy this book as much as I did.

Stars in the Grass by Ann Marie Stewart is an amazing journey of a family through the valley of the shadow of death. Abby and her family had gone on vacation for a wedding but were coming home for a funeral. When tragedy strikes a family, how do they react? Stewart writes a gut-wrenching account of what death can do to a family, a family that believes in God, even teaches about God to others. What happens when there are no answers, only questions? Is faith gone? Will running away help? Will there ever be healing? Will grief and guilt tear the family apart? The author gives such a realistic view into this family and what grief does to each of them. They've lost a son and brother, can they find the Comforter? Abby, with fears too big for her heart. Matt, with guilt that elicits dangerous behaviors.  Mom and Dad, with such different ways of grieving that their one-ness, their family, may be lost forever. The story is of palpable grief seen through the eyes of Abby, a 9-year-old girl who needs to know that life can have hope, that stories can be written anew. This character driven book reveals the heart of pain and the hope of healing and brought this reader to the brink of tears right from the beginning. A wonderfully moving story that will stay with you long after you close the book.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher and Netgalley. A positive review was not required and the opinions are my own.

An amazing tale of one family's harrowing journey through loss, told from nine year old Abby's point of view. As Abby's father, Rev. MacAndrews, flounders,unable to be the anchor his family needs, his wife Reneé attempts to pull the family together. Abby wanders in a confused cloud through the days while her older teenaged brother, Matt, flirts with trouble.

With Stars in the Grass, Stewart is sure to become an author of note! Her ability to create in the reader the various,intense emotions of each family member is terrific. I cried the whole first quarter of the book. I wondered if I would be as wise as one of Abby's caring teachers. I wondered why Abby's mom would push her dad so hard at times...couldn't she see what she was doing? Would I have closed out my family like Abby's dad? In short, I felt every emotion Stewart's characters experienced and lived this year of their lives with them. What a year it was!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review, and all opinions are solely my own.

Stars in the Grass by Ann Marie Stewart is the story of nine year old Abby McAndrews and her family. While on vacation in the summer of 1970, the family suffers a devastating loss which lives the family scrambling to learn to live in this new life. Her mother, Renee, seems determine to grieve and move on. Her father, John, seems stuck in that moment and refuses to return to his life and job as before. Her older brother, Matt, begins down a destructive path. And Abby is trying to makes sense of everything around her as well as process her own grief and sense of guilt. Told in a year’s time, the family goes through the holidays and community events trying to live life as before. With each passing day, the family tensions grow more and more until the threat of explosion is imminent. Can the family come together and heal? Or will they be torn apart by their grief?
Stars in the Grass is a story of grief and healing. Even though it takes place in 1970/1971, the story could easily happen today. The different responses to grief are very real and the pain seems to leap off the page straight to the reader’s heart. The reader will ache with the Renee, John, Matt and Abby as they try to make sense of what happen. The reader will cry tears of sadness with the family and they will laugh with them as they seem to come to grips with their new reality. I recommend Stars in the Grass as a story of grief and healing in the face of unspeakable tragedy and how those around you can help you heal.

Stars in the Grass
is available today 
on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle
and 
on Barnes and Noble in paperback and on Nook

In a word I would say that Stars in the Grass is riveting. If you were to only read the prologue and the epilogue you would think that the book contains a lovely story about an ordinary family. You would think that life was an easy thing for them, full of funny scenarios and beautiful moments that made for an unbreakable family bond.

What is contained on the pages between those two portions is more realistic. Life is unpredictable. One moment you think things couldn't be more perfect and then out of nowhere things suddenly change. That's how a lazy vacation day happened for the McAndrews family. One moment they were leasurely walking along the roadside after spending a day at the beach and then suddenly their lives were changed completely and forever.

The story is told through the voice and perspective of Abby. She's a darling nine-year-old girl that suddenly finds herself carrying the weight of her family on her shoulders. In the midst of all the grief she gets lost and the story of how she makes it through is heartbreaking at times. I found myself wanting to reach into the story and hold her tight. 

While this is a story of tragedy and contains very depressing moments there is also a consistent glimmer of hope throughout. I found it interesting to look in at this family from the outside. As the reader I was able to see how the family was surrounded and loved even when they didn't have the capacity to accept and flourish in that love. In a note from the author she expresses that she hopes that the reader will see their story in Abby's. I certainly did and I think you will too.

This is Ann Stewart's debut novel and I am looking forward to reading her next. Her writing style evokes strong emotions and as the reader you can't help but be drawn into the lives of the characters. I'm looking forward to sharing this book with my reading group. If you have a book club there are discussion questions in the back that would make for some deep and thought provoking discussion.

There are a couple of things you’ll want to do before you start reading this book.  The first is to be in a quiet, comfortable spot and secondly make sure you have some tissue handy because you’re going to cry.
The story is told by nine-year-old Abby and what an emotional story it is. A family struck by tragedy and how it affects each member is heart wrenching  This book will remind you just how fragile life is and never take anyone or anything for granted.
The author has a gift for drawing the reader in with her vivid descriptions and her realistic characters. I rooted for this family to come to terms with their loss and to be a family unit once more. 
Kudos to Ann Marie Stewart on her debut novel. 
I received a complimentary copy of Stars in the Grass from the publisher and have given my honest opinion.

A Family Struggles to Recover from Tragedy

Nine-year-old Abby thinks her father, a preacher, has all the answers until tragedy strikes. The family is on vacation enjoying the beach. Josh, her four-year-old brother, is tired. Matt, her older brother, volunteers to carry him, but John decides to carry Josh himself. As they walk along the road to their cottage, a car burst on them striking John in the legs. Josh goes flying, hits his head on the pavement, and is killed. The family is stunned. They can’t believe what happened.

When they return home, the tragedy remains with them. John retreats from the family and God. With John unavailable, Matt begins a destructive course of action that leads to more tragedy. Abby watches her family dissolve around her, not knowing what to do. Her mother, Renee, knows they need to move on from this tragedy, but she, too, is stuck. 

This is a beautiful, sad, emotional story told from the viewpoint of nine-year-old Abby. She is a thoroughly believable character. She watches what goes on around her, not really knowing how to interpret it. It’s a reminder that when tragedy strikes, parents need to be mindful of how their behavior is affecting the children. 

The story is one of faith. John, the father, travels a long road to come back to his family and regain his faith. It makes you want to cry, but it is also a heart warming story of how the family sticks together in this dark period. 

I highly recommend this book. It’s well written. The setting draws you in and serves as a good background for the characters. However, the best part of the book is the light shown on a family in tragedy and recovery. 

I received this book from Shiloh Run Press for this review.

I think there are not enough words to describe how well-written and wonderful this story is. This story touched me personally because of what's happened in my family the past few years. You become the characters in the story and you end with a deeper understanding of grief and how it affects you or your family.

This book is a plus for me because it's told in 1st person and that would be 9 year old Abby.
This book is very emotional and will have you crying in most places of the book as the family struggles through the death of a loved one.
Abby and Matt took it the hardest especially Abby. I felt like they left her out of everything as each one tried to grieve on their own. 
I can relate to Abby in many ways. Grief strikes each person differently and grief has no time. 
Like Abbys dad says there is a place and time for everything and a time to heal and a time for growth.
He also said that God didn't run away from him, He ran away from God.
I think in some ways God was tryingto teach him a lesson becausehe uswd to bave all the answers. But, when tragedy happens he suddenly doesn't have all the answers and he doesnt know how to handle it all.
Renee is stuck in between and isnt sure what to do next. It seems she has moved on but yet not moved on. It seems as if she's waiting on something. 
Time heals all wounds but sometimes it doesn't. There are 5 stages of grief but I've forgotten what they are and maybe this family did go through those five stages.
I can relate to this book in many ways because I have lost loved ones too. 
I recommend this book very strongly. 
This story is in mid western Ohio town in the 1970's. I grew up in this time period and was an instant hit for me. I was 3 in 1970

I did something I don't normally do before reading a book I'm to review. I read other reviews first and to be quite honest it made me unsure if I wanted to read the book. Why? Well, the reviews made the book seems depressing and sad and I don't like to read books that fall into those two categories. Since I had agreed to read and review the book for the publisher I put aside my thoughts and started reading. 

The premise of this book is quite simple: the struggles of a family to move on after tragedy strikes. The story is told through the eyes of nine-year-old Abigail, or Abby. The story isn't told in a childish voice though as Abby was almost wise beyond her years. She is very observant and almost seemed to be another victim of the tragedy as her family at times was on the verge of spiraling out of control. 

I thought the story seemed very realistic. The characters actions and feelings came across as realistic and not romanticized or exaggerated in any way. The story is basically the everyday events in this family's lives and how each responded to grief in their own way. Each family member dealt with their grief in a different way and I thought that made the story seem more genuine.

The author's writing style and way of telling a story made it easy to get "into" the story and stay interested until the end. The story flowed easily from chapter to chapter. While the story is sad and a bit depressing at times I found it easy to read and didn't find myself wanting to put the book down. 

This was a well-written book but just not my type of everyday read. If you are looking for a break from the genre you normally read or are wanting a bit of a sad read then pick up this book. You might find yourself enjoying it.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a review.

Some books grab you right at the start and never let go even after the story is finished. This book is one of those. From the beginning it  had me crying as I read the horrific tragedy that the McAndrews family went through. I could see the family in shock and feel their despair as a life slowing passed away. Every moment seemed like it was in slow motion as the family tried to get through each day. The author has written a story that you will not forget as you ponder questions. How would you react if you saw a family member die right before your eyes? Could you work through your grief or stay bitter for years? 

I loved the way the author tells the story through the eyes of a young child. It is a chilling and emotional journey as the family tries to  continue  their normal routine. The father is a preacher who must deal with his faith and continue to lead his congregation. When he shuts down what will happen to his church? Can he find his way back to God? We always hear that things happen for a reason. For this family they will each grieve in different ways and perhaps find answers that will help them heal. 

I don't know how I would react to a tragedy like the one in the story, but the author does an amazing job of showing us the different ways that people handle grief. Some may turn their backs on everyone while others cry out for help. The book reached deep into the emotions of a family and delivers a powerful story of faith and hope that will leave readers emotionally drained. Will the family ever be close again? Does guilt turn into bitterness? Don't miss this story from an author that has the ability to make you feel the emotions of the characters with realism. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

First off I'm going to warn you this is an emotional read. It's moving, it's raw, it's heartbreaking. I loved it! I loved the emotions and the heartbreaking honesty of it all. Abby is our narrator, she's young and full of life, until tragedy strikes. Something that shakes her whole world. Her whole family's world. It shakes them all to the core and yet the world keeps spinning on and everyone else seems to be unaffected by their deep grief and loss. Abby is very perceptive and is stuck in this struggle to help her family as she watches them all shift and change and yet she is unable to help herself.

I loved the writing style and was amazed that this was Ann Marie Stewart's debut fiction novel. To me if felt as if she had been writing for years and years with the way she portrayed the characters, the emotions, the healing and all the ugly in between.

I could not even imagine what it would be like to lose a child, especially a young child who is so full a vibrant with life and love to a tragic accident. How would I respond and react? Would my world completely crumble? Would I be able to keep moving forward through the pain and sorrow to care for my other children? I've had several dear friends have children die, as babies on up to teenagers/early twenties. These babies and youth were so loved and my heart broke and ached for these dear parents. My youngest is a couple years older than Joel, who is our little hero who dies. Oh, I know this is fictional but it happens and it really shakes a family up. As I was reading I couldn't help but think about my little one and imagining not having her smile and laugh and silly antics and yes even the meltdowns to fill our days. Last year was a hard year as my family dealt with a near loss of a family member to having another family member tragically killed. So many emotions that have to be sorted through and allowed to process in our minds and hearts. The grief can be so all consuming. I think between those above mentioned experiences and watching friends lose their beloved children, this book really touched me and pulled on my heart strings.

Abby's father is the Reverend at their church. He is so strongly affected by the loss of his little boy that his ability to live and cope consists of waking, running, disappearing during his runs, coming home and disappearing to his little workshop. No more can he fathom preaching good news when his heart is breaking.

Abby's brother Matt feels so grief stricken he shuts off and walks away from everything he loved. He makes new friends, tries smoking and drugs and hides away all his pain. He pulls away from his relationship with Abby, the one who desperately needs her big brother to help her, but how can she help him.

Abby's mom is left trying to hold everyone and everything together when it feels like sand pouring through her fingers. She can't get a grasp on anything as it continues to slip away. Everyone is changed, she is changed and she has to keep embracing the new person that she is and hope that the rest of the family can also embrace who they have now become through this experience.

Our lives and who we are, they are in constant motion, ever changing. We are never going to be the same person we were a year ago, a day ago. Why? Because every experience we have changes us. We learn, we make a choice, those choices and moments enlighten us to how we want to make further changes. I loved watching that happen to these characters in this book. After last year, I am no longer the person I was then. I hold everyone closer, I reach out more to those loved ones and friends I've lost contact with because we never know who needs us, who else is hurting, who else is struggling to find the person they have become through hard moments in life.

This is so beautifully written. I feel it is something that middle school aged children should read. It's a tough read but very compelling. To be in the mind of little Abby, you could relate to the mind of any young child going through a loss in their lives, be it death, divorce, loss of friendships, hardships at school, anything that can affect them strongly emotionally.

This book does talk about God and Christ and life and loss. I loved it! I wanted to put it away at a couple points because of the emotions and wanting to but being unable to help Abby. And yet, I kept reading because I couldn't put it down. We were driving for a work trip for my husband and I read the whole time. I know and believe that death is not the end, and for me that brings peace and comfort even through the tragedy. I will be with my family again. I know not everyone believes what I believe and that's ok, whatever your beliefs I think this is one of those books that can be read and enjoyed by anyone of any religion or non-religious beliefs. Another book similar to this that I absolute loved was, Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie.

Here are a few quotes that I loved from this book(sorry if you're searching for the end of this review...I just had so many thoughts swirling through my mind and they kept coming as I sat down to right this)

~The summer before I turned ten was idyllic-until August 3, 1970. At the time I didn't know what that word meant, not having heard it in a sermon or one of Mom's vocabulary lessons. But it perfectly describes a time when I thought the world was safe and good things lasted forever. What I couldn't know then, but try to remember now, is how fragile and delicate are the moments we most treasure, and if they break into pieces, repairing means seeing anew.

~"Gossamer," she said softly. "What's that?" Matt asked. "Something delicate." Mom closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. "Sort of how this night feels." "Gossamer...," I whispered, trying it on for size.

~The lady was a mind reader. How maddening. I frowned so hard it hurt.

~If you had lots and lots of happiness, you didn't appreciate it; but if you had a sliver, it was worth so much more. Tonight we all had a sliver.

~Five minus one divided by two equaled two, but we were lonely twosomes. If we were talking accounting, the minuses outweighed the plusses, and I missed being a family.

~If Mom had hope, then I knew our painting had a source of light. I didn't know what it was, but something made the drab colors brighten.

~"It kind of feels like this year slowed down, didn't it?" he asked. "Like there's a lot of gravity. The more gravity, the more time slows down." That made sense. Things had been pretty grave around here and definitely slow. Gravity.

~And maybe this was what heaven felt like: when you wanted a moment to go on forever.

~For any of you who have been through a dark tunnel, you know what it means when someone takes you by the hand and leads you to the light.

~Was there a word bigger than hope?

~I am like Joel. I never want good things to end. When I unwrap Christmas presents, I dread opening the last one. At night, when Mom scratches my back, I don't want her to leave until her tender caress soothes me to sleep and into my dreams. And how can I enjoy the Fourth of July fireworks when each explosion of color might mark the grand finale? It's almost as though I need to know exactly how long the light show will last so that I can anticipate the dark.

~It was a silly thing to do, but we all lay down on the porch with our heads on the step below, for a moment looking at the world upside down to see what Joel saw. Joel's world, and now ours, was lit with twinkling lights flickering through the grass, a miracle simple enough to grasp in our hands and our hearts.

~And I remember that when the world seems most upside down, sometimes, if you look, you can see stars in the grass.

Content: I think I disclosed that with my review, loss and healing and everything in between. Clean read with some religious aspects, mention of drug and alcohol use and the ill effects, a silly moment about where babies come from.

I received a copy from the publisher, Shiloh Run Press, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

This book is so emotional that I was in tears and I don't cry when I read books! This book really grabbed my emotions and before I knew it I was half way done with the book.  I highly recommend it but you may want to have some tissues, even if you don't cry!

I absolutely loved this book!  I laughed and cried through it.  It is written from a nine year old girl's perspective after her family suffered a horrific tragedy.  I felt what each family member went through as they each tried to deal with their grief and despair. The dad, who is supposed to be the 'rock' leaves his pastorate position to spend his days in the basement of their home repairing clocks questioning God and even the existence of Him.  The mom tries her best to stay strong. An emotional read that I highly recommend.

This is a story of loss told by a 9-year-old little girl in 1970. This is a time when I was growing up and experiencing losses in my family so a lot about this story is the same as mine and yet very different. I enjoyed the references to many of the things that were popular during that time -- toys, TV shows, etc. They brought back good memories to me. But, if you are younger and this is just a time in history, you will still like this book!

A loss in a family affects each member differently and how they cope and react affects the family as a whole. This is the basis of this family's story. You will want to read to the very end to see exactly how things turn out whether everything resolves and they move on or if they are irreparably broken. That is your job though to follow their paths and see where they end up. It is a charming and very sad but touching story. I will hold it in my thoughts for some time to come.

Drew me into the lives of the McAndrews family.  Felt I was part of the tragedy dealing with my own feelings of loss and feeling powerless.  A strong story that draws you in and doesn't shake loose easily

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is raw, moving and stunning tale from the perspective of Abby. A bright young girl with a broken heart and broken family. After a tragic accident, this family tries to put the pieces back together, but can't seem to find their way. The writing in this story is excellent. It will make you view matters in your own life differently.

What happens to a pastor's family when the beloved youngest son dies? Stars in the Grass explores just that. Joel, the youngest, age 3, dies unexpectedly and suddenly in the beginning of the book, which is narrated by the 9-year-old middle child and only daughter, Abby. The remainder of the book follows the family as they struggle to cope with their grief and maintain their faith in God. Each remaining family member - father John, mother Renee, 15-year-old Matthew - deal with (or don't deal with) their grief in different way, not all healthy, all realistic. I appreciated that I couldn't predict how it would end and I did think it ended well. Highly recommended.

Stars in the Grass is an incredible loving heart tugging book.  Abby is met up with something I hope and pray y'all don't go through it, but it is an all too familiar thing that happen to people on a daily basis.  Abby's family is falling to pieces but not falling apart.  They are Christians, her father is the Reverend and he is hiding away from GOD by just dealing with things by running, disappearing during his runs, having a hard time spreading the Word of GOD - his heart is in pieces.  Then there is Abby's Mom who is trying to do everything for everyone to keep everyone together while she knows everything is falling to pieces and so is she.  Who is going to take care of her if she is taking care of everyone else )how about GOD - lean on GOD - that is what I would do ) Then there is Abby's brother Matt who feels broken hearted and has withdrawn totally.  He has locked up it all and threw away the key (accept there is one person who has that key - JESUS - AMEN?)  He acts out by making friends who really aren't good friends, smoking and drugs, he hides from the one person who needs him the most - Abby.  Everyone has become someone else and hopefully they all can adapt to the new selves and turn to lean on GOD before they lose each other for the bad.  This book touches the heart on so many levels and my eyes haven't cried so much in a while.  You get so emotionally attached to the characters and that is due to the credit of the author.  Will the family grow together again?  Will they grow close to GOD again?

What a great but sad novel for a first novel.  It really delved into an area most do not when dealing with the loss of a child from a tragic accident and how it affects everyone in the family.  The heartbreak the author writes of how the family reacts sometimes made me think I was not reading a fiction novel  I highly recommend this book.

What. A. Book!!!!!
This is a great story for reading out loud.
Very well-written, we were 'inside of it' from the first page - and totally
unprepared for what was coming  (just like the storyteller, & her family....)
Surely the author has experienced something similar, to know so much
of what it feels like. It is good to be reminded that for the immediate
family, life never returns to 'normal'; indeed a new 'normal' must be found.
Being written from a child's point of view, it is a very different story than
if it had been told from an adult's perspective.
With just enough touches of humour to lighten a weighty subject, this
story is both moving & profound.
One of those rare, special books which catches you up right from the
start - & which you never want to end...
We will certainly be looking out for more from this writer!

Definitely not a "for pleasure" read. This was a wonderful book but very emotional. The story is told from the viewpoint of a 9 year old girl who loses her baby brother to an accident. It's basically about how life went for the family of 4 left behind for the year after the accident. 4 people who had totally different experiences and the effects it had on the other 3. Highly recommend it for the serious reader. The story takes place during the 70's so it's also a little bit of a trip into the past. Well written, well developed characters, clean. It did have some religious discussion, but not preachy, more of the "Is God real and if so how did this happen" sort of stuff.