I am so so so so so EXCITED to be part of Penguin Teen's Daring Debuts Blog Tour, to introduce some of the hottest books of the Fall 2019 season! These books are all written by debut authors, and they are all shining new voices in YA lit. My post today features a review of The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus, as well as graphics for my favorite quotes. i hope you check out some other tour posts when you have the chance! ReviewThank you to Penguin Teen for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review. Trinidad. Sixteen-year-old Audre is despondent, having just found out she’s going to be sent to live in America with her father because her strictly religious mother caught her with her secret girlfriend, the pastor’s daughter. Audre’s grandmother Queenie (a former dancer who drives a white convertible Cadillac and who has a few secrets of her own) tries to reassure her granddaughter that she won’t lose her roots, not even in some place called Minneapolis. “America have dey spirits too, believe me,” she tells Audre. Minneapolis. Sixteen-year-old Mabel is lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling and trying to figure out why she feels the way she feels–about her ex Terrell, about her girl Jada and that moment they had in the woods, and about the vague feeling of illness that’s plagued her all summer. Mabel’s reverie is cut short when her father announces that his best friend and his just-arrived-from-Trinidad daughter are coming for dinner. Mabel quickly falls hard for Audre and is determined to take care of her as she tries to navigate an American high school. But their romance takes a turn when test results reveal exactly why Mabel has been feeling low-key sick all summer and suddenly it’s Audre who is caring for Mabel as she faces a deeply uncertain future. In The Stars and the Blackness Between Them, Junauda Petrus introduces readers to lovable characters and a sense of breathless spirituality that will soothe all who pick up the novel. I have a lot of words for how I felt when I finished this story, but I don’t want to use all of them for fear of sounding redundant: most of them are synonyms of amazing. *note: From here forward I will be abbreviating The Stars and the Blackness Between Them to “The Stars,” for ease and flow in this review.* The first thing I noticed was the writing. This alone makes The Stars a standout. Mabel and Audre are the two primary narrators of the novel, and each of them has a distinct voice and view of the world around them, which comes across perfectly to the reader. Not only that, but their voices fit together perfectly, which made it so easy to fall into their world. I especially appreciated the moments when Mabel and Audre were sharing the same space, because I was interested in the similarities and differences of what they noticed about their setting and about each other. Petrus’s writing is smooth and flowing. The pacing of the story was gentle, but I was always compelled to turn the page and keep reading. Each page had some sort of revelation, which I would have to stop and wrap my mind around before moving on. I love that. I love that it was impossible to rush through The Stars, and that I was forced to slow down and fully consider what I was reading, and how it made me feel. One concrete aspect I appreciated were the astrological poems interspersed throughout the book. Two of my favorite quotes down below come from those poems, because I loved the language Petrus used in them to connect themes and history. They went chronologically, from Gemini Season after the Prologue, to Cancer Season in the end. Since Petrus shared Mabel and Audre’s stories in first person, I grew incredibly attached to them over the course of the novel. Mabel was an absolute sweetheart. She connected with the world through music, and I like that she was so open with Audre immediately. They had beautiful chemistry and watching them become friends and then fall in love was perfect. I found it interesting that Mabel got into astrology, but I liked the parallel of both girls pushing themselves spiritually: Mabel in learning astrology and star charts, and Audre in reading her oracle stones without her grandmother. Speaking of whom, Queenie is one of my favorite characters in The Stars. I think the most important aspect of the novel is about human connection and relationships, both expected and new. Audre’s bond with Queenie was beautiful to read, and I liked the memories she shared with Mabel, and reading about how the two of them would dance and read stones and go to the beach and explore natural energy to connect with each other. In such a technological world, reading a story about women leaning into nature, feeling their emotions, and exploring natural healing is a breath of fresh air, especially in YA. We need to send the message that not every problem can be solved with Google, and a look into one’s consciousness can go a long way. Part of this is putting a real face out to family and friends, which is why I liked the parent and friend relationships in the novel as well! Like always, family can be complicated, but reading in Mabel’s perspective how much she loves her parents and shares with them brought me joy. Audre’s family is a bit more complicated, but I liked that her dad made the effort to connect with her and welcome her into his life in the States. Before I close, I want to mention the fabulous representation The Stars brings. I had so much fun learning about Audre’s life in Trinidad, and what Caribbean culture is like. Her descriptions of the island and the memories associated with her life put me in such a good mood. I also love love love books about queer women of color! There were mentions of homophobia and some of Audre’s narrative featured characters who were bigoted and even violent, but for the most part The Stars honors women who love women. This novel is absolutely a celebration of spirituality and self-recognition, and I love how open and freeing the narrative is. I was one hundred percent in tears by the end because of some particular moments of clarity. Despite being topically heavy, The Stars and the Blackness Between Them folds the reader into the story fully, and I finished the novel with a sense of peace despite my grief at leaving Mabel and Audre. 5/5 stars for a wonderfully written and shaped novel. I recommend this to everyone! Favorite Quotes
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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