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Review: Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake

Title: Girl Made of Stars
Author: Ashely Herring Blake
Year Published: 2018


Genre: YA fiction
Pages: 289
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Location (my 2018 Google Reading map)USA (TN)

FTC Disclosure: I bought this book with my own money

Summary (from the inside flap of the book): Mara and Owen are about as close as twins can get. So when Mara's friend Hannah accuses Owen of rape, Mara doesn't know what to think. Can her beloved brother really be guilty of such a violent crime? Torn between the family she loves and her own sense of right and wrong, Mara is feeling lost, and it doesn't help that things have been strained with her best friend and ex-girlfriend, Charlie.

As Mara, Hannah, and Charlie navigate this new terrain, Mara must face a trauma from her own past and decide where Charlie fits into her future and how to move forward.

Review: This book seems so timely given the Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh hearings that took place this past week and the fact that I just read Picking Cotton a few days ago. The issues of sexual violence / assault, if and when the survivors (not victims says this story) tell, and how are they treated all feature in this YA novel.

The story is told from Mara's perspective, but it feels like we know how events affect Owen, her twin, Charlie, her best friend, and Hannah, the survivor. Seeing how things feel for all of these characters is key to understanding the issues involved. Who do we believe, how do we treat survivors of various forms of assault, how do students tell?

In addition to issue of assault, the characters deal with dating, friendship, loyalty, family, and more. Given all these heavy issues, the book is a quick and easy read.

Challenges for which this counts: none

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