A Certain Kind of Starlight

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This was not the way Addie wanted to be spending her time.  Back in her hometown of Starlight, Alabama, with her aunt and half-sister…and all the drama of secrets and lies left behind when she moved away.  She finds herself fighting the comfort of being home and the need to run in order to protect secrets she’s sworn to keep.  She has no idea her sister is fighting the same.  But it’s the things that tie the pair together that mean the most right now – their beloved aunt, the family business, and the land their father left them.  Will the magic of Starlight bring them closer together and bring them home?  Or will they run away from their pain again?

Heather Webber is the Queen of Magical Realism with previous releases like Midnight at the Blackbird Café and last year’s At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities.  Webber’s use of everyday perceived magic and flying friends continues in her latest release A Certain Kind of Starlight.  The magical power of a fallen star, an abundance of secrets and drama, and a flock of starlings that watch over them pulls readers into a story of second chances and comeuppance.  This is a novel about the power of friendship and family connections, and the beauty of unexpected justice.

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I give A Certain Kind of Starlight 5 out of 5 stars.  Even though I had a feeling I knew what was coming at the end, this story had me in tears.  I love the way Webber crafts female relationships with both strain and closeness, acknowledging the inherent competitiveness and rivalry between the characters, but still making them lovable.  One of the reasons I love Webber’s writing is the way she pulls in baking and food, the common thread that ties together communities. With dual points of view of the two main characters, this book gives the reader a full view of each scene.

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If you enjoyed At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities, you are going to love this book!  This is a great book for readers who are looking for lighter reads with some mystery, magic, and romance.  I think this would also make a great book club pick with so much to unpack from each sister’s point of view.  With discussions of domestic violence, I do think this would be best directed to readers over the age of 13. 

I have loved reading all of Heather Webber’s works and was excited to see A Certain Kind of Starlight available for reading through NetGalley!  This beautiful book released this week, just in time for those last-minute summer vacations – this was a quick weekend read for me.  Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down!  I know you will enjoy it as much as I did!

 

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What I’m Reading

• Current print book: A Season of Perfect Happiness, Maribeth Fischer
• Current audio book: The Long Game, Elena Armas
• Book I’m most looking forward to: My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Fredrik Backman