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Lost Stars
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Before her older sister, Ginny, died, Carrie was a science nerd, obsessively tracking her beloved Vira comet. But now that Ginny is gone, sixteen-year-old Carrie finds herself within the orbit of Ginny’s friends, a close-knit group of seniors who skip school, obsess over bands (not science), and party hard.
Fed up with Carrie’s behavior, her father enrolls her in a summer ...more
Fed up with Carrie’s behavior, her father enrolls her in a summer ...more
Kindle Edition, 288 pages
Published
October 4th 2016
by HMH Books for Young Readers
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Sep 30, 2016
Sarah Elizabeth
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
netgalley-edelweiss,
r2r-read,
read-2016,
read-with-abbie,
death,
historical,
romance,
young-adult
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Bonnier Publishing and NetGalley.)
This was a YA story set in the 1980’s, about a girl whose older sister had died.
Carrie came across as the sort of girl who went out of her way to irritate people at times, and I could see why her father was so worried about her, especially after the death of her older sister.
The storyline in thi ...more
“And then, for some reason, I hated my job twelve percent less.”
This was a YA story set in the 1980’s, about a girl whose older sister had died.
Carrie came across as the sort of girl who went out of her way to irritate people at times, and I could see why her father was so worried about her, especially after the death of her older sister.
The storyline in thi ...more

After the death of her older sister Carrie becomes the typical rebellious teen acting out in her grief. She's begun hanging out with the older crowd that were friends with her sister and doing all the wrong things. Getting fed up with her behavior Carrie's father insists she go to a summer work camp at a local state park to hopefully get Carrie back under control again. Carrie meets Dean that summer, a guy who sees the real her and helps to pull her back out of the wild crowd she'd gotten hersel
...more

This one took some time for me to settle into. I struggled with this story. Hard. And if not for a blog tour, I might have DNF'd.
Carrie is hard to like in the beginning. She's rude and mean and careless and perhaps a bit suicidal. There's been a lot of loss and upheaval in her world and her reaction is to act a fool. There are loads of secondary characters, but we don't really get to know them. It's an effective way to show Carrie's state of mind and how she feels alone.
The book is set at a very ...more
Carrie is hard to like in the beginning. She's rude and mean and careless and perhaps a bit suicidal. There's been a lot of loss and upheaval in her world and her reaction is to act a fool. There are loads of secondary characters, but we don't really get to know them. It's an effective way to show Carrie's state of mind and how she feels alone.
The book is set at a very ...more

This one was a very easy read, even though their was a lot of anger, grief and people being asshats (looking at you Carrie). At the beginning it is clear that Carrie's sister, Ginny, is dead.... and it is also clear that Carrie has not been coping well and has instead been turning to drugs and alcohol to get through each day. It is also clear that she is trying (and sometimes succeeding) in building a wall around herself to keep people away, as well as being an asshat to people. Carrie could hav
...more

Despite the really beautiful cover and the potentially heartbreaking premise, Lost Stars did not engage me at all. I actually picked it up multiple times over a number of weeks, waiting for that moment of utter attention to strike, but after perhaps the fifth time I just gave up because it just never happened. Had this not been a review book, unfortunately, I probably would’ve DNFed it pretty early on.
Set in the 1980s, Lost Stars is the story of Carrie, a teenage girl living in the aftermath of ...more
Set in the 1980s, Lost Stars is the story of Carrie, a teenage girl living in the aftermath of ...more

3.5 stars.
I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
After reading the synopsis of this book, I was really excited to read this book, and I am very pleased to say that the book definitely lived up to my expectations!
Carrie, or Caraway, is a sixteen year old girl that is struggling with the death of her older sister, and she turns to drugs, alcohol and partying. As any concerned and worried father would, Carrie's dad sends her off to a boot camp for the sum ...more
I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
After reading the synopsis of this book, I was really excited to read this book, and I am very pleased to say that the book definitely lived up to my expectations!
Carrie, or Caraway, is a sixteen year old girl that is struggling with the death of her older sister, and she turns to drugs, alcohol and partying. As any concerned and worried father would, Carrie's dad sends her off to a boot camp for the sum ...more

This is like a classic YA novel from the golden age -- the seventies and eighties, when kids made decisions and had problems and were idiosyncratic. Carrie falls in love with a by who knows how to play the right songs on the guitar, and who understands why she is so unhappy in her home. As she obsesses over the astronomy and him, she tries to live with her tragic past and hard present. Davis' writing is beautiful and spare and honest. A must read for everyone who thought the Velvet Underground a
...more

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Okay, I kind of tolerated this book for most of it and then it just went downhill. For 70% of the book, I really thought this was going to be a three star book. So Carrie is upset at the death of her older sister, Ginny. Ginny drank and did drugs and of course, Carrie picked up the role of "rebellious child" after her death. Carrie uses Ginny's death as an excuse to push people away and act selfish and generally just act mean to ...more
Okay, I kind of tolerated this book for most of it and then it just went downhill. For 70% of the book, I really thought this was going to be a three star book. So Carrie is upset at the death of her older sister, Ginny. Ginny drank and did drugs and of course, Carrie picked up the role of "rebellious child" after her death. Carrie uses Ginny's death as an excuse to push people away and act selfish and generally just act mean to ...more

Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Full Review Here
Before starting the book I had only briefly skimmed the synopsis a few months ago and had a vague remembrance of what the book was about, so when I picked it up to actually read it, I kind of went in blind.
Lisa’s writing was beautiful, I loved the metaphors and the fluidity of the story. I didn’t actually realise that the book was set in the 80’s until I read a couple of other reviews, oops. However, that does explain all the music references scattered thr ...more
Full Review Here
Before starting the book I had only briefly skimmed the synopsis a few months ago and had a vague remembrance of what the book was about, so when I picked it up to actually read it, I kind of went in blind.
Lisa’s writing was beautiful, I loved the metaphors and the fluidity of the story. I didn’t actually realise that the book was set in the 80’s until I read a couple of other reviews, oops. However, that does explain all the music references scattered thr ...more

Review also found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The book was just released.
I will begin my thoughts with what confused me about this story. I was quick to discover that this story took place in the eighties. While there was no specific mention of the period of the story, the reference to cassettes, jelly shoes, shoulder pads and balloon pants was a dead giveaway. While I e ...more
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The book was just released.
I will begin my thoughts with what confused me about this story. I was quick to discover that this story took place in the eighties. While there was no specific mention of the period of the story, the reference to cassettes, jelly shoes, shoulder pads and balloon pants was a dead giveaway. While I e ...more

Lost Stars by Lisa Selin Davis is the story of a family coping with a devastating loss that may end up tearing the whole family apart. Carrie has turned to partying, her mother took off, her little sister is lost in the shuffle and her father is just angry. Facing the death of oldest daughter Ginny, the family is fractured in many ways. I must admit, that I at first thought that Carrie, our MC, had awful fashion sense but amazing taste in music (The Pixies on vinyl!). Then once I realized that o
...more

Lost Stars by Lisa Selin Davis * 4.0 Stars*
Since her sister Ginny died, Carrie stopped being herself a hundred percent, and started becoming someone else. Partying, alcohol, and drugs became frequently activities for her. Not knowing what else to do to help Carrie, her father enrolled her on a summer job, where she encountered a friend from her past (who I really liked). This friend shared the same feelings towards astrophysics as Carrie and being close to her made Carrie remember how things use ...more
Since her sister Ginny died, Carrie stopped being herself a hundred percent, and started becoming someone else. Partying, alcohol, and drugs became frequently activities for her. Not knowing what else to do to help Carrie, her father enrolled her on a summer job, where she encountered a friend from her past (who I really liked). This friend shared the same feelings towards astrophysics as Carrie and being close to her made Carrie remember how things use ...more

I can't. I just can't. I only made it maybe three pages in, but I have a life to live and a lot of books to read in that lifetime and so sometimes, rarely, but sometimes, I have to say no. I might have been willing to get through this book if the author had given me a reason to care that didn't feel so overly manipulative, but three pages in and all I know about this girl is that her sister is dead, and she spends all of her time either: high, getting high, thinking about getting high, in troubl
...more

Lost Stars is about a girl called Carrie whose sister died causing her to go on a downward spiral, so her dad enrols her in a summer youth program in an effort to make her grow up.
I wasn't overly fond of Carrie, whilst she was just acting out due to loss she just seemed really ignorant to her dad caring about her and just generally obnoxious, but thankfully she progressed as a character throughout the novel. Carrie loves astronomy which I loved reading about because it's not often you read about ...more
I wasn't overly fond of Carrie, whilst she was just acting out due to loss she just seemed really ignorant to her dad caring about her and just generally obnoxious, but thankfully she progressed as a character throughout the novel. Carrie loves astronomy which I loved reading about because it's not often you read about ...more

This book has left me nearly speechless, so I could probably put together a mix-tape to better express my feelings. I knew when the first song Carrie listened to was "Unsatisfied" by the Replacements that this was going to be very, very good. Such gorgeous writing, a story of grief and loss and love and hope and forgiveness. I loved the setting - the book takes place in 1987ish - and how the music helps Carrie grieve and heal.
...more

*Review copy received from publishers*
This was a pretty good read. The best part of the book was all the music references. The astrophysics part, at times, seemed forced. It's set in the 80s, but the teens are super relatable. Overall, I liked it. Will be purchasing for the library. ...more
This was a pretty good read. The best part of the book was all the music references. The astrophysics part, at times, seemed forced. It's set in the 80s, but the teens are super relatable. Overall, I liked it. Will be purchasing for the library. ...more

Such a bittersweet YA contemporary. Here's my review: https://nataliawikana.wordpress.com/2...
...more

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars
You can read my spoiler-free review on my blog :)
https://anniesdiary.nl/2018/10/21/all... ...more
You can read my spoiler-free review on my blog :)
https://anniesdiary.nl/2018/10/21/all... ...more

Teenager Carrie (born Caraway, named after a spice like her sisters Ginger and Rosemary) is caught in the throes of self-destruction. After her older sister Ginger dies in a drunk driving accident, Carrie seems determined to push herself down a similar road to her own annihilation. She immerses herself in Ginny’s crowd of older friends, drinks, takes drugs and allows boys to diddle her while she’s semi-conscious. Her inability to move past her sister’s death means a never-ending cycle of grief,
...more

Review link: https://booknerdmomo.wordpress.com/20...
Going into Lost Stars I was a bit hesitant as I’ve seen more negative reviews than not. However, I ended up enjoying the majority of this book. It wasn’t a book that completely wowed me but it wasn’t terrible either.
I actually put this book down at about 85% through and didn’t pick it back up for seve ...more
I received this eARC via the publisher from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
All quotes are from the ARC and subject to change.
Going into Lost Stars I was a bit hesitant as I’ve seen more negative reviews than not. However, I ended up enjoying the majority of this book. It wasn’t a book that completely wowed me but it wasn’t terrible either.
I actually put this book down at about 85% through and didn’t pick it back up for seve ...more

This is the story of Carrie who after her sister dies takes her place in her group of wild older group of friends. She is struggling with drug use, drinking, anger issues, stealing, and major issues with her family (especially her dad). Because of all of these struggles her dad makes her take a job working for the local park with other troubled youth. Even though Carrie is a wild child who loves good 80's music, she is an astrophysics nerd at heart. She loves all things space and spends most of ...more

Since Carrie’s sister died she’s been spiraling downward, drinking and using drugs with Ginny’s old friends. Her mom has left, her dad doesn’t know what to do, and her younger sister is frightened of her. Carrie resents being forced to enroll in a summer work camp for teens, but as she works to build something new, she slowly reconnects with her old self, the one who liked being smart, the one happy to be an astrophysics nerd.
Lost Stars by Lisa Selin Davis examines a family coping with tragedy. ...more
Lost Stars by Lisa Selin Davis examines a family coping with tragedy. ...more

GoodReads Review
Lost Stars by Lisa Selin Davis a young-adult novel that features a romance between two teenagers. One named Caraway, also known as Carrie, lost her sister a few years ago and has been affected ever since, and the other Dean who is her new neighbor. I enjoyed this book although I feel some changes could have been made to improve the overall experience of reading it.
One element of literature is the setting, this element was unique and effective. One example is that this book was se ...more
Lost Stars by Lisa Selin Davis a young-adult novel that features a romance between two teenagers. One named Caraway, also known as Carrie, lost her sister a few years ago and has been affected ever since, and the other Dean who is her new neighbor. I enjoyed this book although I feel some changes could have been made to improve the overall experience of reading it.
One element of literature is the setting, this element was unique and effective. One example is that this book was se ...more

Wow! I will be completely honest and say I did not have the highest hopes for this personally as a typical fantasy lover. But this was one hell of a whirlwind journey that hooked me in deep and I ended up completely this the same day I started it.
Maybe I can't relate to Carrie's type of loss and her specific way of coping by domestic rebellion, but her thought process, emotions and the way she expresses her emotions were severely relatable to how I think myself sometimes. Her rage and ability t ...more
Maybe I can't relate to Carrie's type of loss and her specific way of coping by domestic rebellion, but her thought process, emotions and the way she expresses her emotions were severely relatable to how I think myself sometimes. Her rage and ability t ...more

I was pretty excited about reading LOST STARS as it seemed to promise the intense, deep, and meaningful contemporary YA's that I enjoy reading. I was expecting something with a similar tone to EVERY LAST WORD. Sadly, I got something that definitely didn't measure up. It wasn't terrible, but it was just okay at best.
LOST STARS brings you Carrie, a teen who is still grieving the loss of her sister to suicide. Following her death, she rebels and acts out. She starts hanging out with the wrong crowd ...more
LOST STARS brings you Carrie, a teen who is still grieving the loss of her sister to suicide. Following her death, she rebels and acts out. She starts hanging out with the wrong crowd ...more

Original review: A Novel Glimpse
3.5 Stars
Note: I won a copy of this book from Rockstar Book Tours.
Lost Stars is a story about a young woman learning to accept the cards life has dealt her.
Nothing is as it should be in Carrie’s life. Her sister’s dead, her mom’s MIA, and her dad is just plain mean. All that Carrie has left to make her world a decent place are her sister’s friends. They’ve taken her under their wings, and been there when she needed them. Those same friends have helped Carrie disco ...more
3.5 Stars
Note: I won a copy of this book from Rockstar Book Tours.
Lost Stars is a story about a young woman learning to accept the cards life has dealt her.
Nothing is as it should be in Carrie’s life. Her sister’s dead, her mom’s MIA, and her dad is just plain mean. All that Carrie has left to make her world a decent place are her sister’s friends. They’ve taken her under their wings, and been there when she needed them. Those same friends have helped Carrie disco ...more

This book is about a young teenager who is making her life worse, even though it was bad enough. Her older sister is dead, her mother moved out, and her dad is a huge jerk! So that's when her father put her in boot camp this summer to see if it helps her any. While she's at this boot camp, she realizes 3 things. #1. That Ginny's friends are bad influences and she should stop doing drugs and alcohol. #2. That she has fallen in love with a boy who has some secrets of his own from the past. #3. Tha
...more

Jun 01, 2020
Nikki
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
serious,
touch-of-romance
Feelings. I feel them so strongly and sometimes that seems like a bad thing, you know? But in reality... I'm usually pretty thankful to feel everything so strongly. And to read stories that make me feel things so strongly. And this story was full of feelings. Sharp and achy feelings. Regret, guilt, love, fear... sorrow. Daughters named after spices and parents who struggle, as all humans do.
I sometimes struggle with the feelings I am having in my own life. Books like this allow me slip on someo ...more
I sometimes struggle with the feelings I am having in my own life. Books like this allow me slip on someo ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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YA Buddy Readers'...: Lost Stars By Lisa Selin Davis - Starting September 29th 2016 | 8 | 13 | Sep 29, 2016 11:52AM |
I'm thrilled/incredibly nervous about my debut non-fiction book, TOMBOY: The Surprising History and Future of Girls Who Dare to Be Different, out 5/5/20 with Hachette. I've also written a YA novel called LOST STARS and a grown-up novel called BELLY, way back when. I'm written essays and articles for The New York Times, Time, The Wall Street Journal and many other publications. Before that I worked
...more
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