Review: Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

Title: Where the Stars Still Shine
Author: Trish Doller
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's
Release date: September 24th 2013
Pages: 352
Genre: Young Adult contemporary
Source: Bought
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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.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I read most of Where the Stars Still Shine on the subway - which I would not recommend, because it's kind of a miracle I never missed my stop, considering immersed I was in this story. Trish Doller is amazing at writing incredibly absorbing novels with complex, unique character, and Where the Stars Still Shine is no exception.

The whole set-up of Where the Stars Still Shine is original and intriguing: it takes what some might consider to be a happy ending - a girl "rescued" after being kidnapped and kept away from her family for most of her life - and questions what happens after. What it must be like to return to a "normal" life after living on the run for so long and meeting your family whom you don't remember is such a fascinating idea.

The set-up makes for a main character who is incredibly fascinating to read about. I loved  Callie; she is so different from any other YA character (or any character) I've read about. She doesn't know how to let people in or how to let someone care for her - doesn't know how to be a daughter to someone who cares, how to be a friend, or how to have a romantic relationship that isn't based on someone using her. I felt for Callie and grew to love her so much over the course of this novel. Callie must have been such a hard character to write, and even though of course I can't really judge, her struggles seemed very realistic. Even when her choices are frustrating, it totally works, and just adds to the depth of her character.

I absolutely loved the romance in Where the Stars Still Shine. Alex is older, an usual love interest for YA, which works perfectly for this story. He has his own issues, which are also intriguing, even if they're not explored in as much depth as Callie's. Callie and Alex have amazing chemistry, and an inspiringly respectful way of treating each other. But even though the swoon factor is strong, romance is definitely not the only important relationship in this novel. I also loved Callie's relationship with her cousin/self-assigned best friend Kat, her dad Greg, an the rest of her family. I loved how all of these relationships combined showed Callie that she is worthy of love and capable of having meaningful relationships. And then, of course, there's Callie's relationship with her mother, which isn't as easy to love, but just as well-done. Callie's ambivalent feelings towards her mother and her inner struggle are portrayed with honesty and raw emotion, and I especially loved how Callie's feelings develop over the course of the novel.

I thought for a while about whether I should talk about this or if it's too spoilery, but since Trish talks about this in promotional posts, I'm assuming it's okay to talk about the issue of sexual abuse in this novel. How this issue is treated is actually one of the most impressive things about this book, in my opinion. Callie's past experiences with sexual abuse and how it affects her life today is portrayed in heartbreaking honesty. I loved how Trish Doller discusses the impact of Callie's past experiences on her relationships today, since survivors of sexual assault or abuse (re-)gaining a healthy relationship to sex is something that isn't talked about much. It's interwoven in Callie's relationship with Alex in subtle and important ways. I also love how this plays into Callie's relationship with her mother. Even if it weren't such a great story all-around, this book would be worth reading just for its respectful and raw emotional portrayal of this issue.

The only issue I have with Where the Stars Still Shine is that the ending seems a little rushed and melodramatic, everything with Callie's mom and Alex coming crashing down at the same time. Specifically, I'm talking about a very Hollywood-y hospital scene that, in my opinion, is too melodramatic to discuss the story in the depth it deserves. The ending-ending - what comes after this scene - is good again, it's just in this climax that the novel loses some of its plausibility, for me.

With this book, Trish Doller has manifested her position as one of my favorite contemporary YA authors. With a unique story, lyrical writing, and characters I won't soon forget, Where the Stars Still Shine was a book whose world I didn't want to leave. I can't wait for even more Trish Doller books.

Review: The Devil You Know by Trish Doller

Title: The Devil You Know
Author: Trish Doller
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's
Release date: June 2nd 2015
Pages: 256
Genre: Young Adult mystery/romance
Source: NetGalley - I received a free advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!
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Eighteen-year-old Arcadia wants adventure. Living in a tiny Florida town with her dad and four-year-old brother, Cadie spends most of her time working, going to school, and taking care of her family. So when she meets two handsome cousins at a campfire party, she finally has a chance for fun. They invite her and friend to join them on a road trip, and it's just the risk she's been craving-the opportunity to escape. But what starts out as a fun, sexy journey quickly becomes dangerous when she discovers that one of them is not at all who he claims to be. One of them has deadly intentions.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I fangirled about Trish Doller's debut Something Like Normal forever, but then never got around to reading her sophomore novel. Which is why I was beyond excited to get an eGalley of her newest, The Devil You Know. And despite my very high expectations, The Devil You Know did not disappoint!

Even though I knew the novel would take a thriller-esque turn eventually, I absolutely loved the first half of the book, before any of that started. With Trish Doller's writing and these characters, I wouldn't even have cared if nothing had happened with the mystery; the novel wouldn't really have had a point, but I could have kept reading Cadie's story forever without even needing a real plot. 

The main reason I loved this book, and especially the first part, is Cadie. Cadie's not the typical YA MC - she has strong opinions and isn't afraid to tell you about them; she's tough, quick-witted, and snarky, and I loved everything about her. Her voice is strong, and I loved being inside her head for this story. I also loved her family - her mom, who died a couple of years ago, was a badass feminist whose opinions definitely rubbed off on her. Cadie's relationship with her dad is fully-developed, too, and I loved her little brother Danny.

This romance is such a breath of fresh air in YA romances. How Cadie and Noah meet is very un-YA but very realistic. I loved Noah's character - he's older than the typical YA love interest, and he's gone through a lot of stuff with his family. The dark backstory worked perfectly with his character. The two of them have amazing chemistry, and I would have been perfectly happy if the novel consisted of scenes between these two exclusively.

I also loved how figuring out who you are and what you're doing with your life was integrated into the story in such a casual way. It's not the focus of the story, but there's plenty of references to how Cadie wants to get out of the small-town life that she feels is trapping her, without knowing where she would want to go or what she would want to do. Cadie learns a lot and grows over the course of the story, trying to figure out how to balance what she wants and still supporting her family. Casual is really the only way I can describe how this whole storyline is handled, how Cadie finds ways to live her life fully without demonizing where she comes from.

Even though there's a creepy atmosphere throughout the novel, the actual thriller-part doesn't start until pretty far into the book. I did have some issues with the mystery - it's pretty predictable as I knew more or less exactly who the killer would be and what would happen is pretty obvious. The motivations of the killer aren't quite fleshed-out enough to be realistic, and it was strange to me how the other guy didn't know what was going on and didn't do anything to stop it. But I did still enjoy the mystery element: the suspense throughout the novel is expertly done, and the creepy atmosphere kept me on my toes even if I did already see the plot twist coming. Now that I'm thinking about it, maybe the plot twist wasn't even supposed to be surprising: knowing who the killer would be, and how Cadie so willingly trusts him and walks into his trap, made for a very suspenseful and thrilling read.

Trish Doller has impressed me with her writing once again. Her engrossing writing kept me flipping the pages faster and faster, except when I had to stop and marvel at one of her especially poignant and powerful sentences. While the mystery isn't perfect, the memorable characters and impressive writing more than made up for it. I need to get my hands on a copy of Trish Doller's sophomore novel, Where the Stars Still Shine, as soon as possible!

Review: Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Title: Something Like Normal
Author: Trish Doller
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's
Release date: June 19th 2012
Pages: 224
Genre: Contemporary YA
Source: NetGalley
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When Travis Stephenson returns home from Afghanistan, his parents are on the brink of divorce, his brother has stolen his girlfriend and his car, and nightmares of his best friend getting killed keep him completely spooked. But when he runs into Harper Gray, a girl who despises him for trashing her reputation with a middle school lie, life actually starts looking up. As Travis and Harper see more of each other, he starts falling for her and a way through the family meltdown, the post-traumatic stress, and the possibility of an interesting future begins to emerge.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars


I was going to read Something Like Normal slowly. It was my most anticipated release of the year because it just sounded so perfect. And after reading the first chapter, I knew I would love it. I wanted to read this book one chapter at a time, to make it last as long as possible. But then I just read the whole thing because I COULD NOT STOP. Something Like Normal is like the best piece of chocolate in the world - you know you should eat slowly and save some for later because there will never be another one like it, but you can't stop because it's just so good. That's how I feel about this book. Yes, that's the cheesiest comparison ever, but Something Like Normal got into my head and won't let me think anything but cheesy proclamations of how much I love this book.


Trish Doller's writing is... there's no way to describe it; it's everything. It sucked me into Travis's world and didn't let me go. It's lush and beautiful and just so perfect. It flows so nicely you don't notice the time passing or anything around you. Trish Doller's style is versatile and unique and so perfect for this story. It's understated and let's Travis's voice take center stage most of the time, but then there'll be a sentence that's like a punch in the stomach and will make your heart fill with hurt and love at the same time, somehow. (Here I go again with the cheesy metaphors - I've never been punched in the stomach and I have no idea how it feels. But I imagine it's somewhat like one of those scenes that just completely shattered my heart.)


I feel like I'm not doing a good enough at explaining how amazing Trish Doller's writing it is. We all call writing beautiful all the time, but Trish Doller's style? It goes above and beyond. It's not just beautiful, it's... wow. In the beginning, I found myself reading every single sentence twice, because I kept being amazed - I did not know that words could be so perfect.


And the characters. Oh my God, the characters. Travis, will you marry me? Pretty please? I loved Travis so much. His voice is one of the most realistic male POVs I've ever read. He's so real and his emotions are perfect and I don't even know what to say except I LOVE YOU, TRAVIS. He's kind of an asshole, but he's so freaking adorable at the same time. I loved being inside his mind.


And Harper. Girl, you are so badass it's not even funny. I take my wanting to marry Travis back because Travis and Harper are perfect together and I would never want to mess with that. In the beginning, I was fearing insta-love, because these two do accidentally meet more than is realistic, but this is so not insta-love, and I didn't even care whether their meetings were unrealistic. Their chemistry is hot, and their bantering and teasing is so freaking adorable. Really, these two make me want to squee and swoon and sigh with happiness. (Also, I'm kind of in love with the names Harper and Travis. They're not that special, but I just loved them. Seriously, I'm considering naming my hypothetical future children after these characters because I loved them so much.)


I also loved reading about the family storyline, and I wish we'd gotten to know even more about it. The way Travis is with his mom is adorable. (Sorry, Travis, for calling everything about you adorable - I get that'd kinda piss you off. BUT YOU ARE.) I wish the dad's and the brother's characters would have been explored some more, though, even if both of them made me want to hit something.


But none of this is what I really loved most about Something Like Normal; it's how much it made me feel. There's this feeling you get whenever you finish a really good book. (Well, at least I do... I can't be the only one!?) And after finishing Something Like Normal, I had that feeling, times a hundred. That feeling filled me to the brim, and it made me want to laugh and cry and scream and dance and LIVE. This book has a dark topic, and there are plenty of scenes that tore at my heartstrings, but there are so many more that just brought a gigantic grin to my face. I don't know what it is about it, but this book made me so ridiculously happy!


My only complaint is that it's so short. It ended, and I went, what? How can it be over already!? I love the way it ended, but still. I just wasn't ready for it to be over. Really, if there were a way to make this book never end, I'd be totally fine spending the rest of my life reading this book. But in a way, I get why Trish Doller ended the book the way she did.


Sorry I'm so weird in this review, not making any sense and talking to the characters and all. But this book is so good it might have made me a little incoherent. I don't even know what to say, other than READ THIS BOOK. (Also, sorry about the caps lock. I don't normally do this, but this book calls for caps lock statements. And for random sentences in parentheses.) Trish Doller, please hurry up writing another book, and another one, and another one - I know I'll be reading them all.