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55th out of 75 books
—
69 voters
The Life History of a Star
by
Kelly Easton (Goodreads Author)
Kristin Folger feels like she's on another planet. Her body keeps changing shape. Her mother wants her to dress like a girl. Her best friend's dating a weirdo. Her grandmother seems to be getting younger. And there's a ghost in the family's attic whom no one wants to talk about.
In the era of Watergate, the Vietnam War, and David Bowie, fourteen-year-old Kristin navigates t
...morePaperback, 208 pages
Published
May 25th 2004
by Simon Pulse
(first published 2001)
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It’s the early 1970s, the Vietnam War is raging, Nixon is in the last phases of his troubled presidency, and fourteen-year-old Kristin Folger is living the life of an average southern California teen, surrounded by her friends, her annoying brother Bobby, her flaky parents, and a grandmother who lives nearby in senior housing. But there is one thing, one very important thing, that makes Kristin’s life anything but average—it is the person who occupies a bedroom in the family attic, the person wh...more
The genre of The Life History of a Star by Kelly Easton is fiction. I read the back of this novel and I could tell by the back alone that I have a lot in common with the main character Kristen Folger. This contributed to me choosing to read The Life History of a Star. When I was Kristins age my mom tried to make me dress girly, which Kristin experienced too. I had a lot of changes in my life similar to hers, her brother David had been in the Vietnam war. My cousin A.J., who is like my brother,...more
A little editorializing first. I still can't get used to reading about the Vietnam War as history, but I digress from a great story. Kristin comes of age in high school when her brother has returned from Vietnam with a severe case of PTSD. She calls him "the ghost" and her brother lives in the attic with all of his mental, psychological, and health issues. This has monumental effects on all the familiy members throughout the story. She still manages to be a good kid and the story of her relation...more
The story, The Life Histor of a Star is about a girl named Kristin folger. Kristin lives with her Mom and brother she sometimes goes and spends time with her dad. she had a brother but he had died a while she is always talking about how close they used to be. Kristin is always thinking she is on another planet. She is gorwing so her body is developing and say how she hates everyting about her is changing. Her mom is always tring to make her wear dress so turn girly but Kristin never liked being...more
The protagonist is Kristin Folger, who is fourteen years old. It talks about the problems that she is facing in school and at home. I think this book can connect to every teenage girl. Since it talks about how Kristin gets her first period and how her body is changing. I strongly think that the author is doing great on hooking the readers. First of all, she creates an interesting cover to attract readers’ attention. Secondly, she makes readers to wonder a lot in the book by bringing curious sit...more
I got attracted by this book's cover and title, and that's the reason why I started to read this book. It turned out this book is really different from what I think it will be about. The protagonist is Kristin Folger, 14 years old and the whole book are diaries that she wrote. The book talks about the problems that Kristin are facing from school and home. I found this book connect to myself and probably every teenage girl. Because this book also talks about how Kristin got her first period and h...more
What can i say about this book. This book was one of the worst books I read,it was basically about a girl from the 1970's and this book was just boring me to death and it wasnt that interseting when i first read it. I actually thought it was a pretty good book when i saw the cover. Well you can't really judge a book by it's cover.
Oh oh oh. Funny and sad, as a book about surviving the loss war brings should be. Beautiful character, and heartbreaking. Important read, and not just for young adults.
Plain story, besides that lame "ghost" for disfigured brother word play. Growing pains + Alcoholic/worthless parents + sex/drug curious friends + diary = we get it.
This is how I wanted PDKTF to be... just a little more polished. I love this girl!
I must, asy it was actually deeply depressing, despite the smiley face.
Extremely funny. A quick read and worth the entertainment.
A unique story told in journal format.
At first i thought this is going to be a really boring book but i read it anyways because it has a interesting cover page. But then it turned out to be more interesting than i thought. This book is about a girl who got her period. She found out that her body changed and she became more like a woman. And how she deal with her problems in school and at home. I recommand this book to any teenagers because i think it shows the inner part of teenagers. Its a really good book for me, you and us.
Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. But what happens when your ghost lingers? Easton's story, set during the Vietnam war, addresses the aftermath of combat faced by one family and (after two wars) is far more relevant today than when she first published in 2001. Heart-wrenching, funny, and occasionally lovely, Easton reminds us that "out of the scraps and debris and beautiful things, we build our lives." I'd amend that to: Scraps, debris, beautiful things, and stories like these.
Sep 16, 2010
Kaitlin B
added it
It was okay.
Aug 05, 2007
Anny B.
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who wants to cry their eyeballs out
I read it some time ago so the details are fuzzy. However this book, was very good. The writing was emotional and beautiful. It also has some historical relevance, as it is a brutal depiction the detrimental and horrific effect of the Vietnam War on US families and returning soldiers. The ending was absolutely amazing, I cried harder than I have ever cried.
This book was so bad, I couldn't even finish it. It's written in the style of a journal or diary and is just so pointless. I rarely give up on a book entirely and just abandon it....I usually finish even the worst of books (Never Let Me Go for example), but I just couldn't waste my time with this one. Blech!
Mar 04, 2008
Samantha Barbery
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
somebody who doesn't like Marie's style
Recommended to Samantha by:
b&n
I really liked this book. I thought Marie would hate it, which is why I suggested it. So, my plan worked... and it continues to work! *MUAHAHAHAHA* sorry, marie.
This book could be about right now. It's the journal of a girl whose brother was in a useless war. Very funny, sharp and poignant.
its funny and weird in some parts. diary form.
a horrible and depressing story . ( thanx samantha )
Sad, funny, great 70s period touches.
i love how it's set in the 70's
Mar 11, 2013
Hayley
marked it as to-read
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“What exists beneath the sea?
I’d always pictured it in colors of emerald and aquamarine, where black velvet fish with sequined eyes swim among plankton.
But, when my eyes adjust, I see gray stones, lost anchors, wet wood, buttons, hooks, and eyes, the salem witches who wouldn’t float, stars and stripes, missing vessels, windup toys, the souls of Romeo and Juliet, peaches, cream, pistons, screams, cages of ribs and birds, tunnels, nutcracker soldiers, satin bows, drugstore signs, Pandora box ripped open at its hinges.”
—
9 people liked it
I’d always pictured it in colors of emerald and aquamarine, where black velvet fish with sequined eyes swim among plankton.
But, when my eyes adjust, I see gray stones, lost anchors, wet wood, buttons, hooks, and eyes, the salem witches who wouldn’t float, stars and stripes, missing vessels, windup toys, the souls of Romeo and Juliet, peaches, cream, pistons, screams, cages of ribs and birds, tunnels, nutcracker soldiers, satin bows, drugstore signs, Pandora box ripped open at its hinges.”
“The larger a star the shorter its life, but all the more fascinating its death. As it collapses within it’s body, the infalling material can be no longer be compressed; the star is blown to pieces; its shattered mass realeases out ward at the speed of light.”
—
7 people liked it
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