Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller
Series: N/A
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: September 24, 2013

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

Trish Doller writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true.

Where the Stars Still Shine is one of those books that was driven mostly by the characters. Everything that I want to say is about Callie, which is kind of a weird feeling for me. I usually can't do anything but complain about characters, but don't mind me.

I really liked Callista. I respected her, and even though she had a really hard life, I think that she turned out alright. The only problem that I had with her is that she just doesn't know how to act around people, seriously. I get that she's never had any friends, but sometimes she was just mean!

Other than that, though, she was great. I liked how she told it like it was, and that she wasn't the best kid or anything, but she didn't let that get her down. I'm going to assume, for arguments sake, that this was actually a pretty accurate portrayal of how it would go down if your dad got you back as a teen after you were abducted. He would probably be a bit more protective, though.

Back to Callie-- sometimes I found myself wondering how she got to be so...promiscuous, I guess would be the word? As much as I loved her, I couldn't understand how after she was molested she was so comfortable with sex. There are some things that she isn't comfortable with, but you would think that she would be a bit more hesitant.

I liked the flashbacks. It gives us better insight into Callie as a character, and it was so nice to be able to understand a little of what she went through.

All in all, Where the Stars Still Shine was an interesting, character-driven book, but I didn't love it to death or anything.