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Starlight Chronicles #1-3
The Starlight Chronicles Box Set
Lark Singer is seventeen years old and already on the way to a brilliant music career. But as she and her band, Starlight, gear up for a competition, life seems to be throwing her a few curve balls. The mysteries of her past seem to be unraveling, and she’s no longer certain she wants to know those answers or how knowing about her past will affect her difficult relationship with her mother. And when her best friend, Bean, changes things between them, all her plans for a musical future are placed in jeopardy. How can she balance her complicated personal life to keep her musical goals on track?
BOX SET CONTAINS ALL THREE BOOKS IN THE STARLIGHT
Gideon Lee
Lark Singer
Starlight
BOX SET CONTAINS ALL THREE BOOKS IN THE STARLIGHT
Gideon Lee
Lark Singer
Starlight
- GenresYoung AdultContemporary
389 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2015
1 person is currently reading
89 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 21, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to author Lisa Orchard.)
“Don’t worry, Francine. No one in the band does drugs.”
This was a YA contemporary story, with a little music sprinkled in.
Lark was a headstrong girl, who wanted what she wanted, and wasn’t afraid to step on toes to get it. She did fail to think of her mother at times, and really could have been much more respectful to her mother had she only considered what her mother had had to give up for her, but she really grew as a person over the course of the three books, and she knew what she wanted, and was determined to get it.
The storyline in this mainly revolved around Lark’s dreams of becoming a singer, and her thirst to find out the identity of her father. We got the excitement of the upcoming ‘American Singer’ contest, and a storyline involving illegal drugs, as well as some real twists and shocking plotlines as the books progressed!
There was a touch of romance in this, although it also had a bit of a sting to it…
“He stares deep into my eyes and I swear he can see right into my soul. Then he kisses me.”
The ending to these books left me wanting more! I really loved reading about Lark, and I would love for there to be more books in this series.
8 out of 10
“Don’t worry, Francine. No one in the band does drugs.”
This was a YA contemporary story, with a little music sprinkled in.
Lark was a headstrong girl, who wanted what she wanted, and wasn’t afraid to step on toes to get it. She did fail to think of her mother at times, and really could have been much more respectful to her mother had she only considered what her mother had had to give up for her, but she really grew as a person over the course of the three books, and she knew what she wanted, and was determined to get it.
The storyline in this mainly revolved around Lark’s dreams of becoming a singer, and her thirst to find out the identity of her father. We got the excitement of the upcoming ‘American Singer’ contest, and a storyline involving illegal drugs, as well as some real twists and shocking plotlines as the books progressed!
There was a touch of romance in this, although it also had a bit of a sting to it…
“He stares deep into my eyes and I swear he can see right into my soul. Then he kisses me.”
The ending to these books left me wanting more! I really loved reading about Lark, and I would love for there to be more books in this series.
8 out of 10
December 27, 2015
Lark Singer has only got one dream. She wants to be and will be a famous rock star. Lark has a band named Starlight together with Bean and Steve. They have found their big ticket out of the little town they live in. The only thing they have to do is win The American Singer contest. It turns out that even though all the band members want to win just as badly as Lark does, not all of them have a clear mind or conscience.
I loved Lark. She is a young girl with a good head on her shoulders. She lives alone with her mother and has no idea who her father is. Her mother only finds confidence when in a relationship. This is so hard on her. Lark wants a better life for herself, but she is never patronizing where she comes from. She is really a good girl who wants to achieve more than the odds are giving her. In real life she would be a very good role model for young girls.
Lisa Orchard provides lots of twists and turns in her story. There were times when I knew more or less what was coming, but I was so hoping that I was wrong. This story has some dark sides and the writing is great. I loved the fact that the characters were all thought out very well. This completed it for me.
The message I got from Lark is that no matter what curve balls life is throwing at you, keep your eyes on the prize. Stay focused and stay true to what you believe in. You can achieve anything you set your mind to.
I loved Lark. She is a young girl with a good head on her shoulders. She lives alone with her mother and has no idea who her father is. Her mother only finds confidence when in a relationship. This is so hard on her. Lark wants a better life for herself, but she is never patronizing where she comes from. She is really a good girl who wants to achieve more than the odds are giving her. In real life she would be a very good role model for young girls.
Lisa Orchard provides lots of twists and turns in her story. There were times when I knew more or less what was coming, but I was so hoping that I was wrong. This story has some dark sides and the writing is great. I loved the fact that the characters were all thought out very well. This completed it for me.
The message I got from Lark is that no matter what curve balls life is throwing at you, keep your eyes on the prize. Stay focused and stay true to what you believe in. You can achieve anything you set your mind to.
June 21, 2016
I received this box set for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Seventeen year-old Lark Singer dreams of winning the contest to go onto the show 'American Singer', with her other band members Stevie and Bean, as its their only ticket out of town. Lark wants to find out who her father is and as her mother won't say (and they don't get along), she tries to find out on her own. Additionally, as the story progresses the relationship between Lark and Bean, who was her best friend since childhood, changes to a more romantic relationship. However, Bean starts to act strange and and her mum warns her that Bean may be taking drugs. But she's not willing to believe this as he denied it when she confronted him.
I really did enjoy reading the Starlight Chronicles as I liked just about all the characters, especially Bean. Although I think book 1 started off a bit slow and book 2 and 3 were even better than the first! Also, the author tends to repeat some things a couple of times. However, when reading the book 3 and the final chapters I really did get emotional.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading it. Thank you again to the author for providing me with the box set.
Seventeen year-old Lark Singer dreams of winning the contest to go onto the show 'American Singer', with her other band members Stevie and Bean, as its their only ticket out of town. Lark wants to find out who her father is and as her mother won't say (and they don't get along), she tries to find out on her own. Additionally, as the story progresses the relationship between Lark and Bean, who was her best friend since childhood, changes to a more romantic relationship. However, Bean starts to act strange and and her mum warns her that Bean may be taking drugs. But she's not willing to believe this as he denied it when she confronted him.
I really did enjoy reading the Starlight Chronicles as I liked just about all the characters, especially Bean. Although I think book 1 started off a bit slow and book 2 and 3 were even better than the first! Also, the author tends to repeat some things a couple of times. However, when reading the book 3 and the final chapters I really did get emotional.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading it. Thank you again to the author for providing me with the box set.
February 19, 2016
3.5 stars
The Starlight Chronicles is a roller coaster ride of ups and downs as we follow Lark and her bandmates in their quest to win the first round of a national “American Idol”-type competition. In between jam sessions, Lark struggles with her share of teenage angst – conflicts with her mother, questions about her father, friendships, romance, etc. Then there’s Bean. Her best friend since childhood, maybe something more now. Her mother thinks he has a drug problem. Lark insists he doesn’t. She’d know. And therein lies the most important plot element of the book for YA readers, in my opinion. I can’t say much more without giving away spoilers, but I will say this – THE TEARS. They will fall. Goodness.
The whole series takes place over the course of just a few weeks – from February to April – and each book is really more of a novella. You need to start with Gideon Lee (book 1) and read them in order or you might end up being confused. We don’t want that :) This box set eliminates that problem altogether!
Bottom Line: Despite some repetition in the writing style (phrases like “send out a riff” and “my stomach rumbled” will become very familiar by the time you’ve made it to book 3 as well as Lark’s trait of being quite hungry after a jam session and Bean’s ability to be in the zone with his music), the book has an easy and engaging pace that makes for a reasonably quick read. Lisa Orchard does a great job of channeling the teenage voice as well as keeping readers invested in the battle of the bands. The third book – Starlight – will have you on the edge of your seat, especially during the competition and the aftermath. It’s emotional and takes your breath away with a couple of sucker punches to the heart. If you follow the YA literature scene, this is a good series to add to your collection. The next book is definitely one to watch for!
Reviewer’s Note: Since I primarily review Christian/clean fiction, I want to point out that there is some occasional language in The Starlight Chronicles, ranging from mild to not-so-mild. Overall, the occurrences spanning all three books are considerably less than what you would find in a typical prime time sitcom.
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for only my honest review.)
The Starlight Chronicles is a roller coaster ride of ups and downs as we follow Lark and her bandmates in their quest to win the first round of a national “American Idol”-type competition. In between jam sessions, Lark struggles with her share of teenage angst – conflicts with her mother, questions about her father, friendships, romance, etc. Then there’s Bean. Her best friend since childhood, maybe something more now. Her mother thinks he has a drug problem. Lark insists he doesn’t. She’d know. And therein lies the most important plot element of the book for YA readers, in my opinion. I can’t say much more without giving away spoilers, but I will say this – THE TEARS. They will fall. Goodness.
The whole series takes place over the course of just a few weeks – from February to April – and each book is really more of a novella. You need to start with Gideon Lee (book 1) and read them in order or you might end up being confused. We don’t want that :) This box set eliminates that problem altogether!
Bottom Line: Despite some repetition in the writing style (phrases like “send out a riff” and “my stomach rumbled” will become very familiar by the time you’ve made it to book 3 as well as Lark’s trait of being quite hungry after a jam session and Bean’s ability to be in the zone with his music), the book has an easy and engaging pace that makes for a reasonably quick read. Lisa Orchard does a great job of channeling the teenage voice as well as keeping readers invested in the battle of the bands. The third book – Starlight – will have you on the edge of your seat, especially during the competition and the aftermath. It’s emotional and takes your breath away with a couple of sucker punches to the heart. If you follow the YA literature scene, this is a good series to add to your collection. The next book is definitely one to watch for!
Reviewer’s Note: Since I primarily review Christian/clean fiction, I want to point out that there is some occasional language in The Starlight Chronicles, ranging from mild to not-so-mild. Overall, the occurrences spanning all three books are considerably less than what you would find in a typical prime time sitcom.
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for only my honest review.)
June 3, 2016
Not sure if I am a normal older male but I found these stories to be very enjoyable. I am not a fan of rock star books but this one was kinder and more about the growing up and interactions with your peers and not about wild parties, wild sex, and stupid violence.
In these stories we meet Lark. She is a young lady looking to succeed in music. She is in the band Starlight with her friends. Life seems good? Sadly, Lark has a troubled past she must confront. Her friend Bean suddenly changes their friendship. Her bands appearance on an "Idol" type show adds to tensions. What will Lark do?
I enjoyed the writing style of this author. The dialog between characters was clear, the surrounding nicely stated, and the emotions brought out laughter and sadness.
In these stories we meet Lark. She is a young lady looking to succeed in music. She is in the band Starlight with her friends. Life seems good? Sadly, Lark has a troubled past she must confront. Her friend Bean suddenly changes their friendship. Her bands appearance on an "Idol" type show adds to tensions. What will Lark do?
I enjoyed the writing style of this author. The dialog between characters was clear, the surrounding nicely stated, and the emotions brought out laughter and sadness.
March 14, 2016
Gideon Lee is about Lark, an antagonistic 17 year high school girl with a huge chip on her shoulder. She is defined by her love for music and her minefield relationship with her mother, whom she refers to by name. Lark’s biggest problem with her mother seems to stem from the fact that she won’t reveal the identity of Lark’s father.
Lark is not very likable in this first installment. She resents the most popular girl in school simply, because she is pretty and doesn’t have the “flaws” that Lark believes herself to have. She views her mother as weak and gives her zero respect, and actually goes out of her way to make things for her mom and then resents it when that results in consequences ( which she simply ignores ). The story even opens with her deliberately provoking her history teacher with a questionable essay.
Lark’s entire world centers around music. She and her best friend Bean are in a band together and working hard toward a competition that will take the winner to New York and a spot on nationally televised competition show.
Honestly I kept waiting for the story to become engaging and get me past my huge dislike of Lark, who honestly needs some serious discipline, then the story just ended, seemingly in mid paragraph. It was at that point that I realized the story had quietly hooked me and pulled me into this world and I really needed to read on.
-------------
Lark Singer, is much better than the first book. This story picks up hours after the previous one ends and once again revolves around the band competition and Lark’s quest to learn the identity of her father. The twist in this story is that Lark’s mother is convinced that Bean is stealing from them and she fears it is to support a drug habit. Lark has a new found, maybe not respect, but rather a regard for her mother. She knows her mother is probably right, but being a typical teen and the years of Bean being her closest friend has her wanting to believe his vague excuses.
The characters are so much more filled in and show real growth. Lark is imminently more likable in this volume and feels more like an angsty teen rather than a deliberate pain in the behind. Her mom, with her avoidance behavior was as much of the problem in their relationship as Lark. Yet, in this story she seems to be trying for a more traditional maternal approach and it is doing both of them wonders. I am thinking that Bean is going to be a problem in the not too far future.
I suppose that it is a good thing that Lark finds out who her dad is, but I can’t help but wonder if her mother was right in keeping him a secret. Once again this story ended abruptly, but now that there is precedence it doesn’t seem as stark.
-------------------
The Starlight Chronicles just keep getting better. With the competition right around the corner, Lark and her band are in top form. The dark spot is that Lark’s grade school nemesis is also competing and is doing what he can to get into her head, or is that really his angle? Since the talk about her father, Lark and her mom have a new relationship. In fact everything seems to have a positive spin, until tragedy strikes leaving Lark to try to pick up the pieces.
It was great to Stevie fleshed out a bit. He was seeming a bit like a cardboard cutout, just there to be a third member of the band and turned into an integral part of the story. The drama with Lark’s dad is far from over and the loose threads of Lark’s association with Dwayne still need to be reeled in. All the characters are again more developed, more real, than previously and the story is better for it. I did feel that Bean’s story line was a abruptly dealt with. There was so much potential there. It does make it seem that I may have been right about my feeling back in the book 1 about how important Dwayne is going to become.
This third installment is well written, with emotion and a heart, and with some interesting twists to keep you coming back for what has to be a fourth installment.?.
I received a copy of these books in exchange for an honest review
Lark is not very likable in this first installment. She resents the most popular girl in school simply, because she is pretty and doesn’t have the “flaws” that Lark believes herself to have. She views her mother as weak and gives her zero respect, and actually goes out of her way to make things for her mom and then resents it when that results in consequences ( which she simply ignores ). The story even opens with her deliberately provoking her history teacher with a questionable essay.
Lark’s entire world centers around music. She and her best friend Bean are in a band together and working hard toward a competition that will take the winner to New York and a spot on nationally televised competition show.
Honestly I kept waiting for the story to become engaging and get me past my huge dislike of Lark, who honestly needs some serious discipline, then the story just ended, seemingly in mid paragraph. It was at that point that I realized the story had quietly hooked me and pulled me into this world and I really needed to read on.
-------------
Lark Singer, is much better than the first book. This story picks up hours after the previous one ends and once again revolves around the band competition and Lark’s quest to learn the identity of her father. The twist in this story is that Lark’s mother is convinced that Bean is stealing from them and she fears it is to support a drug habit. Lark has a new found, maybe not respect, but rather a regard for her mother. She knows her mother is probably right, but being a typical teen and the years of Bean being her closest friend has her wanting to believe his vague excuses.
The characters are so much more filled in and show real growth. Lark is imminently more likable in this volume and feels more like an angsty teen rather than a deliberate pain in the behind. Her mom, with her avoidance behavior was as much of the problem in their relationship as Lark. Yet, in this story she seems to be trying for a more traditional maternal approach and it is doing both of them wonders. I am thinking that Bean is going to be a problem in the not too far future.
I suppose that it is a good thing that Lark finds out who her dad is, but I can’t help but wonder if her mother was right in keeping him a secret. Once again this story ended abruptly, but now that there is precedence it doesn’t seem as stark.
-------------------
The Starlight Chronicles just keep getting better. With the competition right around the corner, Lark and her band are in top form. The dark spot is that Lark’s grade school nemesis is also competing and is doing what he can to get into her head, or is that really his angle? Since the talk about her father, Lark and her mom have a new relationship. In fact everything seems to have a positive spin, until tragedy strikes leaving Lark to try to pick up the pieces.
It was great to Stevie fleshed out a bit. He was seeming a bit like a cardboard cutout, just there to be a third member of the band and turned into an integral part of the story. The drama with Lark’s dad is far from over and the loose threads of Lark’s association with Dwayne still need to be reeled in. All the characters are again more developed, more real, than previously and the story is better for it. I did feel that Bean’s story line was a abruptly dealt with. There was so much potential there. It does make it seem that I may have been right about my feeling back in the book 1 about how important Dwayne is going to become.
This third installment is well written, with emotion and a heart, and with some interesting twists to keep you coming back for what has to be a fourth installment.?.
I received a copy of these books in exchange for an honest review
March 11, 2016
Gideon Lee book 1
so what happens when your best friend and mom are both keeping secrets . best friend whom you have told everything to now is hiding something but what .
and your mom hiding the fact you don't know who your father is .
and why is one of the cool kids seeing you and why . is it because they want to be or because they feel sorry for you .
and what would it mean if you lost your music time . and lost the band due to reasons you still need to find out . stay tuned for more Starlight .
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Lark Singer book 2
what do you do when one of the main people you trusted stole from you but not only you but your family .
do you call them out on it or let it slide and deny the truth .
or do you tell them to either get help or lose the friendship that they have had since childhood .
and what if by doing that it hurts the band but also to live a lie is to allow the stealing to continue .
so what is a girl to do . deny the truth or face it .
also why is a girl befriending her and why and could she be related to her father and if so would that make the siblings or cousins or could it be another man .
and why wont her mom tell her who her father is ,.
find out by reading and reviewing and stay tuned to Starlight book 3 in the series
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
http://www.amazon.com/review/RAPO2KVR...
Starlight book 3
wow and sad but still a lesson to learn .
so what do you do when you know your best friend is stealing from you but is maybe doing more harm to himself in the long run . { side not what people do does affect others . remember that when you do something that you think only affects you , doing drugs affects you but it also affects others in your life whether it be at work , home , school or everyday life . }
and what do you do when you find out something that changes you more than anything else . and how do you go on in your life . and play music when the one person in your life you never thought would not be in your life til the end of time .
and what do you do when you must let your nemesis in and trust him .
can you let go of the past and the hurt or to keep a hold of it and never heal . find out by buying , reading and reviewing .
so what happens when your best friend and mom are both keeping secrets . best friend whom you have told everything to now is hiding something but what .
and your mom hiding the fact you don't know who your father is .
and why is one of the cool kids seeing you and why . is it because they want to be or because they feel sorry for you .
and what would it mean if you lost your music time . and lost the band due to reasons you still need to find out . stay tuned for more Starlight .
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Lark Singer book 2
what do you do when one of the main people you trusted stole from you but not only you but your family .
do you call them out on it or let it slide and deny the truth .
or do you tell them to either get help or lose the friendship that they have had since childhood .
and what if by doing that it hurts the band but also to live a lie is to allow the stealing to continue .
so what is a girl to do . deny the truth or face it .
also why is a girl befriending her and why and could she be related to her father and if so would that make the siblings or cousins or could it be another man .
and why wont her mom tell her who her father is ,.
find out by reading and reviewing and stay tuned to Starlight book 3 in the series
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
http://www.amazon.com/review/RAPO2KVR...
Starlight book 3
wow and sad but still a lesson to learn .
so what do you do when you know your best friend is stealing from you but is maybe doing more harm to himself in the long run . { side not what people do does affect others . remember that when you do something that you think only affects you , doing drugs affects you but it also affects others in your life whether it be at work , home , school or everyday life . }
and what do you do when you find out something that changes you more than anything else . and how do you go on in your life . and play music when the one person in your life you never thought would not be in your life til the end of time .
and what do you do when you must let your nemesis in and trust him .
can you let go of the past and the hurt or to keep a hold of it and never heal . find out by buying , reading and reviewing .
April 11, 2016
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Gideon Lee, Book One in The Starlight Chronicles by Lisa Orchard for the purpose of an honest review.
It's always a pleasure to read a well-written book, even when it leaves me craving the next book in the series, and Gideon Lee certainly did this for me!
Although it's based on the life of teen, Lark Singer, and her friends, Gideon Lee could be written of any young woman's life, be it high school, college, or young adulthood. Lark, Bean, and Stevie are learning how to navigate their way through life. They are steering through questions about relationships with family and friends, how to approach friends and drugs, and launching what they hope will be a life filled with music.
Ms. Orchard writes about characters that are very real, they could belong in my family or anywhere in my circle of friends. Their ability to face life is very true to form and I'm impressed with the detail of Lark's life.
I must admit that I've already sneaked a peek ahead at the second book, Lark Singer, and I will definitely be back in the near future with reviews of the second and third books! I can't wait to find out where Lark and her friends are headed!
I certainly recommend Gideon Lee, Book One in The Starlight Chronicles by Lisa Orchard and give it four spirited and hot cups Room With Books coffee.
©March 16, 2016
Patricia, Room With Books
It's always a pleasure to read a well-written book, even when it leaves me craving the next book in the series, and Gideon Lee certainly did this for me!
Although it's based on the life of teen, Lark Singer, and her friends, Gideon Lee could be written of any young woman's life, be it high school, college, or young adulthood. Lark, Bean, and Stevie are learning how to navigate their way through life. They are steering through questions about relationships with family and friends, how to approach friends and drugs, and launching what they hope will be a life filled with music.
Ms. Orchard writes about characters that are very real, they could belong in my family or anywhere in my circle of friends. Their ability to face life is very true to form and I'm impressed with the detail of Lark's life.
I must admit that I've already sneaked a peek ahead at the second book, Lark Singer, and I will definitely be back in the near future with reviews of the second and third books! I can't wait to find out where Lark and her friends are headed!
I certainly recommend Gideon Lee, Book One in The Starlight Chronicles by Lisa Orchard and give it four spirited and hot cups Room With Books coffee.
©March 16, 2016
Patricia, Room With Books
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