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Under A Million Stars
Can a beating heart bleed from the shattered pieces?
Her heart cracked when her best friend walked away; it completely shattered when she lost her family in a tragic accident.
Now orphaned at seventeen, Charlotte Peterson is forced to live with her former best friend, Jacob Parker. Charlie, a talented pianist, desperately wants their loving friendship back, but something is holding Jake back. The more she spirals into the darkness of depression, the more she needs him.
Jacob vowed to stay away from her—no matter how much he still loved her. Armed with secrets that would have destroyed both of their families, he chose to end their friendship and walk away, which nearly killed him. As he watches the girl he once knew begin to fade away, however, he realizes that their relationship is more important than the truth he's hiding.
Now it's up to Jacob to put the pieces of Charlie's broken heart back together—even if it means revealing the secrets he so desperately wants to protect her from.
Will Jacob find a way to bring back the carefree, talented girl he once knew, or is it too late for both of them?
*It's a Stand-alone*
Her heart cracked when her best friend walked away; it completely shattered when she lost her family in a tragic accident.
Now orphaned at seventeen, Charlotte Peterson is forced to live with her former best friend, Jacob Parker. Charlie, a talented pianist, desperately wants their loving friendship back, but something is holding Jake back. The more she spirals into the darkness of depression, the more she needs him.
Jacob vowed to stay away from her—no matter how much he still loved her. Armed with secrets that would have destroyed both of their families, he chose to end their friendship and walk away, which nearly killed him. As he watches the girl he once knew begin to fade away, however, he realizes that their relationship is more important than the truth he's hiding.
Now it's up to Jacob to put the pieces of Charlie's broken heart back together—even if it means revealing the secrets he so desperately wants to protect her from.
Will Jacob find a way to bring back the carefree, talented girl he once knew, or is it too late for both of them?
*It's a Stand-alone*
342 pages, ebook
Published August 8, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 29, 2016
*Thank you very much YA Bound Book Tours and Miss Rita Branches for the review copy opportunity.
Under a Million Stars follows the story of a girl who was left broken and devastated by a tragic accident and a story of love, which was broken by so many lies.
Meet Charlotte Peterson, a pianist, a daughter, a loving sister. Meet Jacob Parker, an athlete, a son, and the one who knows the biggest secret that can break not just his and Charlotte’s hearts but also torn their families apart.
Under A Million Stars was written on dual points of views: on Charlotte’s and on Jacob’s. First POV’s from these two made me feel slightly uncomfortable and quite disappointed. They don’t have such strong voices and there are times where I can find myself questioning their actions, choices and decisions – especially Jacob’s. There are also a lot of instances when I just wanted to scream at them and tell them to stop. Stop the drama. Stop this childishness. Be mature enough to make the right decisions. Stop breaking each other’s hearts even more. It’s obvious how they truly love each other but pride and being oblivious to each other’s feelings holds them back.
I understand Charlotte’s case, but not Jacob’s. Jacob is just another representation of how boys are so good on hiding their true feelings, which I, personally hate and annoyed by it. Boys hiding their true feelings were just one of the main reasons for so many misunderstandings and so many heartaches. And Jacob is just pretty good at it. Making their situation worse. Fortunately, their characters – from more than the half of the book – slowly developed. From being both stubborn and prideful, they managed to learn how to handle and express their emotions very well, which opened the opportunity for me to connect with them, understand them, and even love them in a deeply way. The lovely thing about Charlotte and Jacob is they’re realistic and – sure enough – can speak in a deeply emotional way to teenagers who feels broken, lonely, confused or ecstatic because of love.
Under A Million Stars really didn’t meet all of my expectations. In fact, it met only one. Aside from the cover and the title, what made me hope high for this book was the prologue. The prologue was something that will remind anyone of If I Stay by Gale Forman – even if you’ve only seen the movie just like me. With that prologue, I expected this book to be inclined with music, but it’s not. And the blurb, made me hope for this book to be as painful as it sounds, but it was also not.
While the prologue went good, the preceding from the very first chapter just became the opposite. The narration was so fast and things were less elaborated in a sense that the paragraph was already ended while you’re just starting to sink things in, making the reader being unable to comprehend and feel what the narrator had just said, and the words seems non-sense or meaningless. The pacing from fast on the start became so slow in the middle. It just became better few chapters away to the end.
And there are instances where the words and emotions were just feels forced, from the POVs of both Jacob and Charlotte, you’ll already feel how forced they were, specially the emotions this book were trying so hard to give. Under A Million Stars – obviously – meant to break hearts. But on the first half of the book, it was crystal clear that there are a lot of failed attempts to do so. The first half – or more – of the book was just not executed very well, but it slowly had progress and became better up to the end.
The plot isn’t that impressive. It was honestly just okay, just ordinary. There are lots of high school drama happened, totally cliché and I really didn’t enjoyed it at all.
It honestly needed to reached more than the half of the book for the story flow to be well and the failed attempts to deliver emotions succeed. What I loved – and sure you will too – is how this book is filled with emotions. It was heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time. Even though there were a lot of failed attempts to do that, it eventually worked. It’s a book that can leave a wide grin or staple a smile on your face for minutes and make you feel too much pain in your chest. It’s the kind of book romantic or hopeless-romantic people will like. And it’s the only expectation I had for Under A Million Stars that it managed to reached. It’s just sad that it needed more than the half of the book for this to happen.
Even though the book was meant to break hearts, it was ended in the opposite way and I think that’s beautiful. Heart-breaking books mostly just want to push too much to the point of trying so hard to be painful until the end just to torture their readers, but Under A Million Stars isn’t the same. It was just beautifully ended and I do not regret reading Charlie and Jake’s story. From being broken, they were fixed. Fixed by their selves and their love for each other. After reading this, I felt so full of hope and love. Because of how smoothly the flow of the story suddenly became few chapter away to the end, I didn’t realized that I was already almost done. I didn’t imagined that I will ever wish for this book not to end, but I did.
Overall, it was just an average because it still has a lot of improvements to make. I know it can be fixed because it was already proven on the way it got better a few chapters away to the end. What I loved is how this book made me feel giddy, deeply in love, and in pain. The journey of Charlotte and Jacob healing, trying to fix their selves, their friendship and love story was one I am so glad to read. I felt so connected to them that I don’t feel like leaving and closing the book anymore.
Under A Million Stars is a story of love, loss, recovery, family and friendship. Capable of making a reader feel emotional.
Under a Million Stars follows the story of a girl who was left broken and devastated by a tragic accident and a story of love, which was broken by so many lies.
Meet Charlotte Peterson, a pianist, a daughter, a loving sister. Meet Jacob Parker, an athlete, a son, and the one who knows the biggest secret that can break not just his and Charlotte’s hearts but also torn their families apart.
Under A Million Stars was written on dual points of views: on Charlotte’s and on Jacob’s. First POV’s from these two made me feel slightly uncomfortable and quite disappointed. They don’t have such strong voices and there are times where I can find myself questioning their actions, choices and decisions – especially Jacob’s. There are also a lot of instances when I just wanted to scream at them and tell them to stop. Stop the drama. Stop this childishness. Be mature enough to make the right decisions. Stop breaking each other’s hearts even more. It’s obvious how they truly love each other but pride and being oblivious to each other’s feelings holds them back.
I understand Charlotte’s case, but not Jacob’s. Jacob is just another representation of how boys are so good on hiding their true feelings, which I, personally hate and annoyed by it. Boys hiding their true feelings were just one of the main reasons for so many misunderstandings and so many heartaches. And Jacob is just pretty good at it. Making their situation worse. Fortunately, their characters – from more than the half of the book – slowly developed. From being both stubborn and prideful, they managed to learn how to handle and express their emotions very well, which opened the opportunity for me to connect with them, understand them, and even love them in a deeply way. The lovely thing about Charlotte and Jacob is they’re realistic and – sure enough – can speak in a deeply emotional way to teenagers who feels broken, lonely, confused or ecstatic because of love.
I killed Mom, Dad, and Jamie, and, with them, my dream of becoming a promising musician.
Under A Million Stars really didn’t meet all of my expectations. In fact, it met only one. Aside from the cover and the title, what made me hope high for this book was the prologue. The prologue was something that will remind anyone of If I Stay by Gale Forman – even if you’ve only seen the movie just like me. With that prologue, I expected this book to be inclined with music, but it’s not. And the blurb, made me hope for this book to be as painful as it sounds, but it was also not.
While the prologue went good, the preceding from the very first chapter just became the opposite. The narration was so fast and things were less elaborated in a sense that the paragraph was already ended while you’re just starting to sink things in, making the reader being unable to comprehend and feel what the narrator had just said, and the words seems non-sense or meaningless. The pacing from fast on the start became so slow in the middle. It just became better few chapters away to the end.
And there are instances where the words and emotions were just feels forced, from the POVs of both Jacob and Charlotte, you’ll already feel how forced they were, specially the emotions this book were trying so hard to give. Under A Million Stars – obviously – meant to break hearts. But on the first half of the book, it was crystal clear that there are a lot of failed attempts to do so. The first half – or more – of the book was just not executed very well, but it slowly had progress and became better up to the end.
The plot isn’t that impressive. It was honestly just okay, just ordinary. There are lots of high school drama happened, totally cliché and I really didn’t enjoyed it at all.
She hugged me tightly, and soon my tears matched hers. She fell asleep after what seemed like an eternity. I took some time to watch her sleep—watch her squirm and frown, whimper and shiver, probably plagued by the nightmares that invaded her nights. I kissed her forehead each time, trying to mend her broken heart, only to open cracks in mine.
It honestly needed to reached more than the half of the book for the story flow to be well and the failed attempts to deliver emotions succeed. What I loved – and sure you will too – is how this book is filled with emotions. It was heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time. Even though there were a lot of failed attempts to do that, it eventually worked. It’s a book that can leave a wide grin or staple a smile on your face for minutes and make you feel too much pain in your chest. It’s the kind of book romantic or hopeless-romantic people will like. And it’s the only expectation I had for Under A Million Stars that it managed to reached. It’s just sad that it needed more than the half of the book for this to happen.
Even though the book was meant to break hearts, it was ended in the opposite way and I think that’s beautiful. Heart-breaking books mostly just want to push too much to the point of trying so hard to be painful until the end just to torture their readers, but Under A Million Stars isn’t the same. It was just beautifully ended and I do not regret reading Charlie and Jake’s story. From being broken, they were fixed. Fixed by their selves and their love for each other. After reading this, I felt so full of hope and love. Because of how smoothly the flow of the story suddenly became few chapter away to the end, I didn’t realized that I was already almost done. I didn’t imagined that I will ever wish for this book not to end, but I did.
Overall, it was just an average because it still has a lot of improvements to make. I know it can be fixed because it was already proven on the way it got better a few chapters away to the end. What I loved is how this book made me feel giddy, deeply in love, and in pain. The journey of Charlotte and Jacob healing, trying to fix their selves, their friendship and love story was one I am so glad to read. I felt so connected to them that I don’t feel like leaving and closing the book anymore.
Under A Million Stars is a story of love, loss, recovery, family and friendship. Capable of making a reader feel emotional.
It had been settled; we would stay together forever, until we became stars.
August 3, 2016
I don’t read a lot of teen or YA books anymore, but when I do they need to be exactly like Under a Million Stars. This story sucked me in from the very first page and wouldn’t let me go until I was finished.
“I knew I’d never stop feeling for him—this overwhelming need for him. It didn’t matter how badly he treated me. He would never be part be part of my recent promise about not loving anyone else—of not letting anyone else in my heart. Jacob wasn’t anyone; he had created such deep roots around my heart during all these years that he was a part of me.”
Charlie and Jacob were best friends for as long as they could remember. Really, they were each other’s only friends. But they had a special connection, one that others couldn’t break. So, when Jacob broke their friendship—and both their hearts—out of the blue, Charlie knew she would never be the same. However, that wasn’t the worst thing that was going to happen in her life.
“I was going to break my own heart, in order to save hers.”
Jacob never wanted to break Charlie, but he was doing what he thought was right for both families when he found out a shocking secret. But when Charlie needed him the most, he couldn’t continue to push her away.
“I should have been stronger than this. One minute, the resolution of staying away was cemented in my head, and the next, she took my breath away and my brain turned to mush.”
I loved this story! It gave me all the feels. How amazing is it to find your one when you are just children?
“Being close to Jacob had always felt right, like that was where I belonged. It was as if he was my home—my everything.”
This story was extremely sad; I cried a lot. But it was necessary to make you feel and relate to both Charlie and Jacob. And, it was also full of hope and love, secrets and lies, and so much more. This is my second story from Ms. Branches and I will definitely be going back for more! She certainly has a way with words! ~ Tiffany, 4.5 stars
“I knew I’d never stop feeling for him—this overwhelming need for him. It didn’t matter how badly he treated me. He would never be part be part of my recent promise about not loving anyone else—of not letting anyone else in my heart. Jacob wasn’t anyone; he had created such deep roots around my heart during all these years that he was a part of me.”
Charlie and Jacob were best friends for as long as they could remember. Really, they were each other’s only friends. But they had a special connection, one that others couldn’t break. So, when Jacob broke their friendship—and both their hearts—out of the blue, Charlie knew she would never be the same. However, that wasn’t the worst thing that was going to happen in her life.
“I was going to break my own heart, in order to save hers.”
Jacob never wanted to break Charlie, but he was doing what he thought was right for both families when he found out a shocking secret. But when Charlie needed him the most, he couldn’t continue to push her away.
“I should have been stronger than this. One minute, the resolution of staying away was cemented in my head, and the next, she took my breath away and my brain turned to mush.”
I loved this story! It gave me all the feels. How amazing is it to find your one when you are just children?
“Being close to Jacob had always felt right, like that was where I belonged. It was as if he was my home—my everything.”
This story was extremely sad; I cried a lot. But it was necessary to make you feel and relate to both Charlie and Jacob. And, it was also full of hope and love, secrets and lies, and so much more. This is my second story from Ms. Branches and I will definitely be going back for more! She certainly has a way with words! ~ Tiffany, 4.5 stars
October 10, 2019
I read “Painting Sky” a while ago, which I think was the debut novel of Rita Branches. If I remember correctly it was during a Blog Tour and I really liked it, a LOT.
So when the Author approached me with her new book “Under A Million Stars” and asked if I would like to read it – it was basically a no-brainer after I had taken a short look at the blurb and deemed it definitely up my alley.
Oh my and HOW up my Alley it was.
And I do not say stuff like that just because I got a book for free. Believe me, there is more than one author out there that had to take some hard truths from me. Because no matter how nice or polite the words you use are – they will not change the facts if you do not like a book.
But no worries as far as this author is concerned, if you are looking for a YA novel with deep characters and a well told story that tugs at your – you can pick up both, the previous book as well as “Under A Million Stars”.
I remember comparing Rita Branches first story to one of Colleen Hoover or L.A. Fiore. I wasn’t sure at that time, having only one book to judge from, but now I would say definitely the style of L.A. Fiore only in the genre of a YA.
I am as usual not willing to spill on the storyline.
But you can be sure that Jacobs and Charlottes story will devastate you at times. But you will also smile in other moments.
It is the story of the power of true love. The kind of love that lets you be strong enough to walk away from people you love to spare them from harsh realities.
As an outsider one might consider Jacobs decisions unnecessary or harsh but ones you accept that they are coming from deep within his heart.
From what he deems right at that moment. You can feel his struggle in every letter written in this book. Always considering the lesser evil in the problems, he faces.
Rarely you find so well described struggles in such a young book character.
And I loved every minute of reading it.
Honestly … this book offered me one of the rare occasions where I was hoping for a leading character to loose a battle.
And I will be more than happy to pick up the next book by this author if the blurb sounds appealing to me.
July 28, 2016
Under a Million Stars is a sad story. The overarching theme of the book lends to a beautiful, but solemn read, filled with heartbreak and sadness. After performing at a piano concert, Charlotte Peterson is greeted with the news of a tragic accident that took away her family. Charlie is sent to live with family friends the Parkers. There is only one problem with this. Jacob Parker is the love of her life and her best friend, only he hasn’t spoken to her in two years. What follows is their story of re-connection and along the way, secrets are revealed the will change their lives.
Although I didn’t fall in love with this book quite as much as Painting Sky, it was a beautifully written story of loss and love, and the flashbacks to their childhoods give deeper insight into their relationship and the choices they made.
Although I didn’t fall in love with this book quite as much as Painting Sky, it was a beautifully written story of loss and love, and the flashbacks to their childhoods give deeper insight into their relationship and the choices they made.
August 9, 2016
I received an arc in an exchange for an honest review, thanks to YA Bound Book Tours
SO much HEARTBREAK! This was a roller coaster ride full of emotions, but mostly pain and heartbreak. Why did Charlotte and Jacob break up? What secret is he holding that broke them apart so viciously?
This was a typical cliche heart break in relationships, a secret dividing two lovers, torn apart by fate. This " big secret" they kept emphasising throughout the whole book, I honestly was expecting it to be some HUGE news that would be so devastating. Okay so maybe in some sense, I could understand how it would be a problem, however, like in any relationship communication is key. A problem can be tackled if they just had open communication, I feel conflicted about this. I really liked the story, I loved the emotions seeping through the pages for both Jacob and Charlie. But then I kind of think this story was a bit prolonged too much. On a side note, both POV's for the characters was a delight to read! :)
I honestly can't say much about character development is shown in the book, it is more of both of them learning to overcome their difficulties (or what they assumed to be their difficulties) and stop fighting their feelings. But that doesn't mean there wasn't any, for Charlie she realises that life goes on. Good and bad are part of life. And for Jacob, he learns that love can overcome any hurdles and honesty and trust are the key foundations in any relationships.
Although I felt the book was very long, I really did love the writing. I feel like the author got the emotions perfectly in the book, it had the right amount of feels.
SO much HEARTBREAK! This was a roller coaster ride full of emotions, but mostly pain and heartbreak. Why did Charlotte and Jacob break up? What secret is he holding that broke them apart so viciously?
This was a typical cliche heart break in relationships, a secret dividing two lovers, torn apart by fate. This " big secret" they kept emphasising throughout the whole book, I honestly was expecting it to be some HUGE news that would be so devastating. Okay so maybe in some sense, I could understand how it would be a problem, however, like in any relationship communication is key. A problem can be tackled if they just had open communication, I feel conflicted about this. I really liked the story, I loved the emotions seeping through the pages for both Jacob and Charlie. But then I kind of think this story was a bit prolonged too much. On a side note, both POV's for the characters was a delight to read! :)
I honestly can't say much about character development is shown in the book, it is more of both of them learning to overcome their difficulties (or what they assumed to be their difficulties) and stop fighting their feelings. But that doesn't mean there wasn't any, for Charlie she realises that life goes on. Good and bad are part of life. And for Jacob, he learns that love can overcome any hurdles and honesty and trust are the key foundations in any relationships.
Although I felt the book was very long, I really did love the writing. I feel like the author got the emotions perfectly in the book, it had the right amount of feels.
August 11, 2016
Originally posted on Daydreaming Books.
*I received an eARC of this book from YA Bound Book Tours for the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.*
This book was an emotional roller coaster. I loved the story from the beginning till the end and I loved every bits of it. You can also check out my review of Painting Sky, her debut novel, here.
Charlie and Jacob used to be best friends but one day Jacob walked away from her without any explanation. Now Charlie has lost her whole family in an accident and Jacob's family has been appointed her guardian and she is forced to live with Jacob under the same roof. Jacob notices that Charlie is slowly spiraling out of control and if he doesn't do anything he might end up loosing her. Despite the reason why he walked away from her, he decides to bring the old Charlie back but what will happen when the devastating truth comes out?
I definitely liked the plot and it had one of my favourite romantic tropes, best friends to lovers. This was a story of second chances and I loved how it was executed. Charlie and Jacob had been best friends forever but he ended their friendship one day without giving any reason or explanation. Now, when they are forced to live under the same roof, Jacob notices how much the accident of her family has affected her. He buries the secret that tore them apart and decides to help Charlie as much as possible. I liked the big reveal although I had guessed it when I was halfway through the book but it was definitely handled well.
Charlie was a great character but she held herself responsible for her family's death. I could sympathize with her condition and I felt so, so bad for her. I liked her relationship with Jacob, even after he hurt her so much, she still trusted him. Jacob came as plain rude at first but then I could see how much staying away from Charlie was tearing him apart as well. It was definitely not right for their parents to take that decision on their behalf even after knowing how much it would hurt them, it was downright selfish. Nonetheless, I loved the chemistry between Charlie and Jacob and I definitely enjoyed the romance.
Overall, Under a Million Stars was a great read. I loved the plot and the characters and the story successfully kept me engaged from the very beginning. I loved the romance between Charlie and Jacob. The writing was beautiful and easy to read and the pace was even throughout the book. I can't wait to read more books by this author.
Recommend it?
Yes.
*I received an eARC of this book from YA Bound Book Tours for the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.*
This book was an emotional roller coaster. I loved the story from the beginning till the end and I loved every bits of it. You can also check out my review of Painting Sky, her debut novel, here.
Charlie and Jacob used to be best friends but one day Jacob walked away from her without any explanation. Now Charlie has lost her whole family in an accident and Jacob's family has been appointed her guardian and she is forced to live with Jacob under the same roof. Jacob notices that Charlie is slowly spiraling out of control and if he doesn't do anything he might end up loosing her. Despite the reason why he walked away from her, he decides to bring the old Charlie back but what will happen when the devastating truth comes out?
I definitely liked the plot and it had one of my favourite romantic tropes, best friends to lovers. This was a story of second chances and I loved how it was executed. Charlie and Jacob had been best friends forever but he ended their friendship one day without giving any reason or explanation. Now, when they are forced to live under the same roof, Jacob notices how much the accident of her family has affected her. He buries the secret that tore them apart and decides to help Charlie as much as possible. I liked the big reveal although I had guessed it when I was halfway through the book but it was definitely handled well.
Charlie was a great character but she held herself responsible for her family's death. I could sympathize with her condition and I felt so, so bad for her. I liked her relationship with Jacob, even after he hurt her so much, she still trusted him. Jacob came as plain rude at first but then I could see how much staying away from Charlie was tearing him apart as well. It was definitely not right for their parents to take that decision on their behalf even after knowing how much it would hurt them, it was downright selfish. Nonetheless, I loved the chemistry between Charlie and Jacob and I definitely enjoyed the romance.
Overall, Under a Million Stars was a great read. I loved the plot and the characters and the story successfully kept me engaged from the very beginning. I loved the romance between Charlie and Jacob. The writing was beautiful and easy to read and the pace was even throughout the book. I can't wait to read more books by this author.
Recommend it?
Yes.
August 11, 2016
Charlotte is a seventeen-year-old girl with a promising future as a concert pianist. But her whole world is turned upside down when her parents and baby brother are killed in a car accident on their way to her first public performance. Charlotte is forced to move in with her godparents, Laura and Robert Parker, and their son Jacob, who broke her heart when he stopped being her best friend two years ago for an undisclosed reason. What secrets are these two families hiding? Will Charlotte ever stop grieving and start living again?
This is a story of grief, family secrets, and betrayal, but mostly it's a story of a childhood friendship blossoming into love. The author uses a clever trick to demonstrate the way Jacob keeps his distance from Charlotte: he never refers to her by name, only as "she" or "her". Until, of course, he starts feeling closer to her again; then we get into the (urgh!) three names/nicknames for one character territory. Told alternately from Charlotte's and Jacob's points-of-view, we get a good insight into what each character is feeling. A couple of scenes are repeated from both viewpoints, leading to some confusion, as the present-day story jumps back in time to be repeated from the other character's viewpoint. I love the flashbacks to Charlotte's and Jacob's earlier friendship but, with the present-day story written in the past tense and the flashbacks written in the annoying part-perfect tense, they are extremely hard to read. The whole thing would work better if the author used the present tense for now and the past tense for the flashbacks, or if the flashbacks were in italics or labeled (e.g., Seven Years Ago). Another thing that makes this book hard to read is the excessive overuse of commas (and, believe me, I'm a fan of commas), as well as the incorrect use of prepositions. I read an ARC and was prepared to forgive some of these errors; however, after reading the preview on Amazon, I note that every single error is still there.
The story itself is beautiful, if annoying. Both Charlotte and Jacob give up their passions for no good reason, they both get together with totally unsuitable partners, Charlotte constantly contradicts herself, she doesn't eat or sleep but no one notices. Why are Laura and Robert so oblivious? It's so obvious that Charlotte and Jacob still love each other. Why don't they just talk to each other? And all the secret-keeping is so unnecessary. I imagined worse things than what actually happened. I know, I know, there wouldn't be a story without these complications, but still - so frustrating! In addition, what turns out to be a nice ending is ruined by the cheesy epilogue.
Sorry, guys, this is another book in need of a good edit.
Full blog post (12 August): https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.co...
This is a story of grief, family secrets, and betrayal, but mostly it's a story of a childhood friendship blossoming into love. The author uses a clever trick to demonstrate the way Jacob keeps his distance from Charlotte: he never refers to her by name, only as "she" or "her". Until, of course, he starts feeling closer to her again; then we get into the (urgh!) three names/nicknames for one character territory. Told alternately from Charlotte's and Jacob's points-of-view, we get a good insight into what each character is feeling. A couple of scenes are repeated from both viewpoints, leading to some confusion, as the present-day story jumps back in time to be repeated from the other character's viewpoint. I love the flashbacks to Charlotte's and Jacob's earlier friendship but, with the present-day story written in the past tense and the flashbacks written in the annoying part-perfect tense, they are extremely hard to read. The whole thing would work better if the author used the present tense for now and the past tense for the flashbacks, or if the flashbacks were in italics or labeled (e.g., Seven Years Ago). Another thing that makes this book hard to read is the excessive overuse of commas (and, believe me, I'm a fan of commas), as well as the incorrect use of prepositions. I read an ARC and was prepared to forgive some of these errors; however, after reading the preview on Amazon, I note that every single error is still there.
The story itself is beautiful, if annoying. Both Charlotte and Jacob give up their passions for no good reason, they both get together with totally unsuitable partners, Charlotte constantly contradicts herself, she doesn't eat or sleep but no one notices. Why are Laura and Robert so oblivious? It's so obvious that Charlotte and Jacob still love each other. Why don't they just talk to each other? And all the secret-keeping is so unnecessary. I imagined worse things than what actually happened. I know, I know, there wouldn't be a story without these complications, but still - so frustrating! In addition, what turns out to be a nice ending is ruined by the cheesy epilogue.
Sorry, guys, this is another book in need of a good edit.
Full blog post (12 August): https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.co...
December 9, 2016
Based from the synopsis of Under a Million Stars, I really had the impression that I’m in for a roller coaster ride, and I was not disappointed. It was really a roller coaster ride for me, and I couldn’t help but keep on reading because I wanted to unravel all the secrets and about the events that happened in the past.
For throughout the story, there were just too much feels. I found myself crying a lot, and later on smiling, and then crying again. I think that I looked so weird to others while I was reading it, but at that moment, it really didn’t matter at all. I was greedy to keep on reading and reading and reading, and I was entirely immersed into the story. The way Under a Million Stars is written just made it so much easier to connect with the characters, because it felt like I was looking at a glimpse of their soul. There may be not much concrete character development, since it focused more on how both Charlie and Jacob would overcome the difficulties they are facing, but everything was just so vivid and realistic, and it felt like I wasn’t a by-watcher, but somebody who was with the characters throughout their entire journey.
There was just so much heartbreak and sadness, but it was such a beautiful read. I love how the both of them started of as best friends first before their relationship blooming into something more. And it’s just amazing how they are able to find their the one at such a young age. I also love how there were two POVs, which provided more insights on what each character really felt. In addition to this, I love how their flashbacks of their memories during their childhood gave even more depth to their relationship, and made me understand more of the choices they make, or the way they think or act.
However, while I really enjoyed reading Under a Million Stars, I felt like the suspense of what went wrong between Charlie and Jacob was prolonged. And sometimes, I found myself starting to get annoyed on how Jacob became a character that I could quickly switch between someone I love and someone I hate. He was confusing, and despite being able to read his POV, I found him to be secretive and mysterious (which I think was the point of it since he was keeping a secret). Even though it took me a longer time to come to adore him, in the end, it was great to see myself really rooting for him.
In the end, I love how Under a Million Stars is a story about second chances, while each discovering slowly on how to simply live life. Seeing both Charlie and Jacob slowly overcome their hurdles in life was such a wonderful rollercoaster ride. With beautiful writing, complicated romance and so much emotions/feels, everything felt so real. I truly recommend this one (but prepared for a good rollercoaster ride!)
For throughout the story, there were just too much feels. I found myself crying a lot, and later on smiling, and then crying again. I think that I looked so weird to others while I was reading it, but at that moment, it really didn’t matter at all. I was greedy to keep on reading and reading and reading, and I was entirely immersed into the story. The way Under a Million Stars is written just made it so much easier to connect with the characters, because it felt like I was looking at a glimpse of their soul. There may be not much concrete character development, since it focused more on how both Charlie and Jacob would overcome the difficulties they are facing, but everything was just so vivid and realistic, and it felt like I wasn’t a by-watcher, but somebody who was with the characters throughout their entire journey.
There was just so much heartbreak and sadness, but it was such a beautiful read. I love how the both of them started of as best friends first before their relationship blooming into something more. And it’s just amazing how they are able to find their the one at such a young age. I also love how there were two POVs, which provided more insights on what each character really felt. In addition to this, I love how their flashbacks of their memories during their childhood gave even more depth to their relationship, and made me understand more of the choices they make, or the way they think or act.
However, while I really enjoyed reading Under a Million Stars, I felt like the suspense of what went wrong between Charlie and Jacob was prolonged. And sometimes, I found myself starting to get annoyed on how Jacob became a character that I could quickly switch between someone I love and someone I hate. He was confusing, and despite being able to read his POV, I found him to be secretive and mysterious (which I think was the point of it since he was keeping a secret). Even though it took me a longer time to come to adore him, in the end, it was great to see myself really rooting for him.
In the end, I love how Under a Million Stars is a story about second chances, while each discovering slowly on how to simply live life. Seeing both Charlie and Jacob slowly overcome their hurdles in life was such a wonderful rollercoaster ride. With beautiful writing, complicated romance and so much emotions/feels, everything felt so real. I truly recommend this one (but prepared for a good rollercoaster ride!)
September 16, 2017
I was hooked by the story without even realizing it and I didn’t know why or how!
The story revolves around Charlotte Peterson, a very talented pianist who lost her family in a tragic accident, and how she deals with depression caused by her loss. She is forced to live her former childhood best friend, Jacob, who ended their friendship years ago for no apparent reason. Even given Charlotte’s situation, Jacob still refuses to make up. But why? How big is that reason for him not to be swayed by Charlotte’s loss? Finding out the reason why is what kept me hooked with this novel. And most probably will be the reason why you will, too.
The plot is so good. It jogs your memory about If I Stay but, it’s what happened after the incident, and how the protagonist picks up her broken pieces together, slowly, until she has glued herself back together again. The story reminds us about the importance of family and loved ones. In fact, there were actually part where I actually teared up! The thing between Charlotte and Jacob went along with the plot as well.
And the character development!
The protagonist had a really really really wonderful character development. I loved how the author showed the protagonist’s growth and how she handled the depression caused by her loss. We can actually see Charlotte’s self- healing progress in each chapter. How she lost total interest in socializing and the things she used to love, but as the story developed, so did she.
The only thing bugging me about the two protagonists is Jacob and his mood swings. One minute he shows great compassion and love for Charlotte, the next, he’s ignoring her and complaining about her. But! Eventually, when the reason was finally, shown, I understood why he acted that way.
Rita Branches’ writing style is also really comfortable to read. I could easily visualize the scene she was trying to tell and felt the feels she wanted me to have. I just have a small problem with the repetition of scenes. Like how this certain scene given from Charlotte’s point of view is shown again but now it’s in Jacob’s POV. I perfectly understand the reason for this, but I just don’t like it. Although there may be some other readers who are more comfortable with this type of writing but, it’s just not for me.
All in all, this has been a really wonderful read. The plot was good. I loved the character development most of all. The writing style is really comfortable to read. And to top it all, the book cover is just gorgeous. If you’ve read and loved, If I Stay by Gayle Forman, then I definitely recommend this book to you.
The story revolves around Charlotte Peterson, a very talented pianist who lost her family in a tragic accident, and how she deals with depression caused by her loss. She is forced to live her former childhood best friend, Jacob, who ended their friendship years ago for no apparent reason. Even given Charlotte’s situation, Jacob still refuses to make up. But why? How big is that reason for him not to be swayed by Charlotte’s loss? Finding out the reason why is what kept me hooked with this novel. And most probably will be the reason why you will, too.
The plot is so good. It jogs your memory about If I Stay but, it’s what happened after the incident, and how the protagonist picks up her broken pieces together, slowly, until she has glued herself back together again. The story reminds us about the importance of family and loved ones. In fact, there were actually part where I actually teared up! The thing between Charlotte and Jacob went along with the plot as well.
And the character development!
The protagonist had a really really really wonderful character development. I loved how the author showed the protagonist’s growth and how she handled the depression caused by her loss. We can actually see Charlotte’s self- healing progress in each chapter. How she lost total interest in socializing and the things she used to love, but as the story developed, so did she.
The only thing bugging me about the two protagonists is Jacob and his mood swings. One minute he shows great compassion and love for Charlotte, the next, he’s ignoring her and complaining about her. But! Eventually, when the reason was finally, shown, I understood why he acted that way.
Rita Branches’ writing style is also really comfortable to read. I could easily visualize the scene she was trying to tell and felt the feels she wanted me to have. I just have a small problem with the repetition of scenes. Like how this certain scene given from Charlotte’s point of view is shown again but now it’s in Jacob’s POV. I perfectly understand the reason for this, but I just don’t like it. Although there may be some other readers who are more comfortable with this type of writing but, it’s just not for me.
All in all, this has been a really wonderful read. The plot was good. I loved the character development most of all. The writing style is really comfortable to read. And to top it all, the book cover is just gorgeous. If you’ve read and loved, If I Stay by Gayle Forman, then I definitely recommend this book to you.
August 23, 2016
What I Loved
Besides everything? This is the second time this author has completely blown me away! I find that she’s extremely great at making you feel all kinds of emotions. There were some parts that physically hurt and others made me so happy! You’re definitely on an emotional roller coaster during the whole book. I’m just really glad that everything turned out ok for mostly everyone. Also the epilogue was really cute! I love seeing a little glimpse into the future of my book characters!
I don’t normally read contemporary books so I’m not sure if what I’m saying is true, but I’ve never seen a plot like this in anything I’ve read before. The idea was really simple but nothing was easy for these characters and I loved that this story was about fixing relationships instead of breaking them. The relationship is broken from the start of the book so it was nice skipping that part and starting from a point where things could only be fixed. I loved that!
Honestly, it’s really hard to talk about this book because I don’t want to give away any details! Nothing! I think that not knowing anything when you start this book will only make you feel more during the course of reading it. The plot didn’t 100% blow me away but it was the little things here and there that made this a five star read for me. This plot would be nothing without the beautiful writing and the emotion the author puts behind everything. That’s why it got 5 stars from me.
Side note: That cover though! It makes me so happy!!
What I Didn't Like
The one and only thing I didn’t like about this book was that it used the line. The line that is in every YA book ever! The line was “I let go of a breath I didn’t know I was holding.” The book was doing so good until I saw that line! Still, with how this book was going, I didn’t let it affect my rating.
Who I'd Recommend To
I’d recommend this to any YA romance lovers who love complicated relationships. There’s nothing easy about the romance in this book and I think that’s why I loved it so much. It felt so real to me! Also if you’re a fan of gorgeous writing then pick this book up!
See full review at Books for Thought
Besides everything? This is the second time this author has completely blown me away! I find that she’s extremely great at making you feel all kinds of emotions. There were some parts that physically hurt and others made me so happy! You’re definitely on an emotional roller coaster during the whole book. I’m just really glad that everything turned out ok for mostly everyone. Also the epilogue was really cute! I love seeing a little glimpse into the future of my book characters!
I don’t normally read contemporary books so I’m not sure if what I’m saying is true, but I’ve never seen a plot like this in anything I’ve read before. The idea was really simple but nothing was easy for these characters and I loved that this story was about fixing relationships instead of breaking them. The relationship is broken from the start of the book so it was nice skipping that part and starting from a point where things could only be fixed. I loved that!
Honestly, it’s really hard to talk about this book because I don’t want to give away any details! Nothing! I think that not knowing anything when you start this book will only make you feel more during the course of reading it. The plot didn’t 100% blow me away but it was the little things here and there that made this a five star read for me. This plot would be nothing without the beautiful writing and the emotion the author puts behind everything. That’s why it got 5 stars from me.
Side note: That cover though! It makes me so happy!!
What I Didn't Like
The one and only thing I didn’t like about this book was that it used the line. The line that is in every YA book ever! The line was “I let go of a breath I didn’t know I was holding.” The book was doing so good until I saw that line! Still, with how this book was going, I didn’t let it affect my rating.
Who I'd Recommend To
I’d recommend this to any YA romance lovers who love complicated relationships. There’s nothing easy about the romance in this book and I think that’s why I loved it so much. It felt so real to me! Also if you’re a fan of gorgeous writing then pick this book up!
See full review at Books for Thought
August 8, 2016
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *
Heartbreaking. Soul shattering. Tearful. Betrayal. Hopeful. Love. Best friends. Those words pretty much describe this book from the start to the finish. It was absolutely incredible. I started it before bed and read nearly half of it before my body passed out from exhaustion and partly because I was up half the night reading because I just couldn’t put the book down.
Jacob is a character you will love to hate and then love to love. There is something he is hiding starting right at the beginning of the book to nearly the end of the book. He has his reasons to act the way he does but are they really justified? I think that I really started to enjoy Jacob’s character once his character really started unfolding. You see the jerk and the cold side but you also see the caring and heartbroken side. He had his reasons to hide what he did and was acting as he felt was necessary. The secrets go deeper than Jacob and it would unsettle more than just him and Charlie’s world. Charlie can read Jacob and knows Jacob almost more than he knows himself – he could never keep this secret with Charlie around.
This story is absolutely heartbreaking at times. The beginning tragedy I had pegged pretty quickly and it felt like a slow motion train wreck unfolding before my eyes. Tears kept building in my eyes until they over flowed. My heart broke for Charlie – she just wasn’t getting any breaks in life. The story finally gets a little happier and things start getting better and happier.
I absolutely devoured this story and definitely didn’t want the story to end. The end was surprising but a happy surprise. I think you could read this book and finish it and feel content with the story and the characters. The author did a great job writing the story and buttoning it up at the end. I’m so happy that I read this story – It was just as good as her first story, Painting Sky.
* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *
Heartbreaking. Soul shattering. Tearful. Betrayal. Hopeful. Love. Best friends. Those words pretty much describe this book from the start to the finish. It was absolutely incredible. I started it before bed and read nearly half of it before my body passed out from exhaustion and partly because I was up half the night reading because I just couldn’t put the book down.
Jacob is a character you will love to hate and then love to love. There is something he is hiding starting right at the beginning of the book to nearly the end of the book. He has his reasons to act the way he does but are they really justified? I think that I really started to enjoy Jacob’s character once his character really started unfolding. You see the jerk and the cold side but you also see the caring and heartbroken side. He had his reasons to hide what he did and was acting as he felt was necessary. The secrets go deeper than Jacob and it would unsettle more than just him and Charlie’s world. Charlie can read Jacob and knows Jacob almost more than he knows himself – he could never keep this secret with Charlie around.
This story is absolutely heartbreaking at times. The beginning tragedy I had pegged pretty quickly and it felt like a slow motion train wreck unfolding before my eyes. Tears kept building in my eyes until they over flowed. My heart broke for Charlie – she just wasn’t getting any breaks in life. The story finally gets a little happier and things start getting better and happier.
I absolutely devoured this story and definitely didn’t want the story to end. The end was surprising but a happy surprise. I think you could read this book and finish it and feel content with the story and the characters. The author did a great job writing the story and buttoning it up at the end. I’m so happy that I read this story – It was just as good as her first story, Painting Sky.
August 12, 2016
Reviewed on Behalf of Give Me Books
I don’t read a lot of teen or YA books anymore, but when I do they need to be exactly like Under a Million Stars. This story sucked me in from the very first page and wouldn’t let me go until I was finished.
“I knew I’d never stop feeling for him—this overwhelming need for him. It didn’t matter how badly he treated me. He would never be part be part of my recent promise about not loving anyone else—of not letting anyone else in my heart. Jacob wasn’t anyone; he had created such deep roots around my heart during all these years that he was a part of me.”
Charlie and Jacob were best friends for as long as they could remember. Really, they were each other’s only friends. But they had a special connection, one that others couldn’t break. So, when Jacob broke their friendship—and both their hearts—out of the blue, Charlie knew she would never be the same. However, that wasn’t the worst thing that was going to happen in her life.
“I was going to break my own heart, in order to save hers.”
Jacob never wanted to break Charlie, but he was doing what he thought was right for both families when he found out a shocking secret. But when Charlie needed him the most, he couldn’t continue to push her away.
“I should have been stronger than this. One minute, the resolution of staying away was cemented in my head, and the next, she took my breath away and my brain turned to mush.”
I loved this story! It gave me all the feels. How amazing is it to find your one when you are just children?
“Being close to Jacob had always felt right, like that was where I belonged. It was as if he was my home—my everything.”
This story was extremely sad; I cried a lot. But it was necessary to make you feel and relate to both Charlie and Jacob. And, it was also full of hope and love, secrets and lies, and so much more. This is my second story from Ms. Branches and I will definitely be going back for more! She certainly has a way with words! (4.5 stars)
I don’t read a lot of teen or YA books anymore, but when I do they need to be exactly like Under a Million Stars. This story sucked me in from the very first page and wouldn’t let me go until I was finished.
“I knew I’d never stop feeling for him—this overwhelming need for him. It didn’t matter how badly he treated me. He would never be part be part of my recent promise about not loving anyone else—of not letting anyone else in my heart. Jacob wasn’t anyone; he had created such deep roots around my heart during all these years that he was a part of me.”
Charlie and Jacob were best friends for as long as they could remember. Really, they were each other’s only friends. But they had a special connection, one that others couldn’t break. So, when Jacob broke their friendship—and both their hearts—out of the blue, Charlie knew she would never be the same. However, that wasn’t the worst thing that was going to happen in her life.
“I was going to break my own heart, in order to save hers.”
Jacob never wanted to break Charlie, but he was doing what he thought was right for both families when he found out a shocking secret. But when Charlie needed him the most, he couldn’t continue to push her away.
“I should have been stronger than this. One minute, the resolution of staying away was cemented in my head, and the next, she took my breath away and my brain turned to mush.”
I loved this story! It gave me all the feels. How amazing is it to find your one when you are just children?
“Being close to Jacob had always felt right, like that was where I belonged. It was as if he was my home—my everything.”
This story was extremely sad; I cried a lot. But it was necessary to make you feel and relate to both Charlie and Jacob. And, it was also full of hope and love, secrets and lies, and so much more. This is my second story from Ms. Branches and I will definitely be going back for more! She certainly has a way with words! (4.5 stars)
August 15, 2016
This atmospheric read chews you up and swallows you whole. It touches on a myriad of issues facing teens, some more so than others. While I appreciated the fact that the main character experiences depression and codependence, there were aspects of Charlie and Jacob's relationship that were rather unhealthy. As someone who has struggled with depression for over two decades, I can assure you this is not the type of love that helps someone with mental illness, but I'm not given the impression that the author would disagree given the way things go in this book. The prose within the pages of this book had me spellbound even when I wasn't so keen on the events taking place. This is an important piece of ya fiction that I think could show a lot of others the types of troubles that can befall a teenager looking for help when they feel they have no one to turn to. If you are suffering, you need not be alone and ultimately I think that's what Charlie needed to know. Due to the darker nature of this story I would say it's suitable for ages 16 and older.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
August 28, 2016
I loved this book. I stayed up way too late to read it more than once. I'll put a more detailed review up soon... But seriously my favorite romance of the year!
October 31, 2016
Can a beating heart bleed from the shattered pieces?
Her heart cracked when her best friend walked away; it completely shattered when she lost her family in a tragic accident.
Now orphaned at seventeen, Charlotte Peterson is forced to live with her former best friend, Jacob Parker. Charlie, a talented pianist, desperately wants their loving friendship back, but something is holding Jake back. The more she spirals into the darkness of depression, the more she needs him.
Jacob vowed to stay away from her—no matter how much he still loved her. Armed with secrets that would have destroyed both of their families, he chose to end their friendship and walk away, which nearly killed him. As he watches the girl he once knew begin to fade away, however, he realizes that their relationship is more important than the truth he's hiding.
Now it's up to Jacob to put the pieces of Charlie's broken heart back together—even if it means revealing the secrets he so desperately wants to protect her from.
Will Jacob find a way to bring back the carefree, talented girl he once knew, or is it too late for both of them?
*It's a Stand-alone*
Rating: 3.5/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: mature content warning!; this handles some tough subjects with sensitivity and tact; intriguing, complex characters; believable, realistic relationships and situations; there's a lot of grieving in this book, but a lot of hope too; emotionally-driven, heart-wrenching read
Huge thanks to Rita Branches and YA Bound Book Tours for sending me a copy of this title free in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.
Jacob wasn't anyone; he had created such deep roots around my heart during all these years that he was a part of me. You couldn't shake a part of who you were.
This book covers some intense, mature subjects, readers--so please be careful when considering this book! Such subjects include: eating disorders; suicide; bullying; grief; underage drinking. If such subjects trigger or upset you, please take this warning into consideration before picking up this book.
BUT PENGUINS, guys! Let's just talk about that cover first, shall we?! It's been a long time now since I raved about a cover, but this one... THIS. ONE. Looking at it now, having finished the read... I see so much more to it than I did when I was first setting out on this journey. This cover, though perhaps not intentionally, makes a deep statement about our main character and the struggles she faces throughout these pages. And I'm not going to lie to you--she goes through A LOT. Her character arc is rocky, full of turmoil, and crafted from chaos...but the ending, penguins. Trust me when I tell you, you'll want to see how this one ends.
It sounded stupid, but the sight of those little ducks and their protective mother venturing into the dangerous task of crossing the water made my resolution.
"I'll go," I answered. I needed to cross my own waters.
The prose is a bit awkward in places--there were some missing words, some weird phrasings. These were small inconsistencies, but I picked them up throughout my read. They weren't big enough to bother me, though, and they never slowed down my pace. It is not necessarily poetic prose; it's pretty simple, honestly. But there are some beautifully written moments woven throughout this read, regardless.
These characters are complex and uniquely individual. I wish we had seen more of several of them--Jacob's parents, for example, feel a bit more like cardboard cutouts than they did actual people to me. Until the ending of this book, when the biggest secrets are revealed, I wasn't sure what their roles were, save being the caregivers/guardians. Matt and Kylie, as well, were two characters I feel we should have seen more of, given how important they are to our main duo. Still, I was compelled by the story, and sucked immediately into both Jacob and Charlie's journeys.
Overall, this was an endearing, heart-wrenching read...with a ton of emotionally-driven, mature subjects. While several of the characters felt a bit lacking, Charlie and Jacob almost instantly grabbed at my heart-strings and dragged me along for the ride. I recommend this to readers of contemporary romances, characters tortured by secrets, and sensitively-handled, heavy-handed subjects. This was a quiet, subtle read...but such a lovely journey.
August 18, 2016
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Under a Million Stars is a young adult contemporary standalone novel by author Rita Branches. Last year, I read and absolutely loved Painting Sky by this author, so I knew that I had to grab Under a Million Stars as well. While, I didn't love this book quite as much as I loved Painting Sky (it was a very different tone), I did really, really enjoy this story. It will make you an emotional wreck, so be prepared for that. The story starts out with Charlotte finding out her parents and her brother have all just been killed in a car accident while they were on their way to watch her play in a piano recital. Talk about some harsh grieving. Charlotte really goes through an emotional ringer, and Rita is such a strong and descriptive writer that she brings the readers right through that emotional wringer with Charlotte (and Jacob)
Under a Million Stars is told in dual narrative between Jacob and Charlotte. They used to be best friends, and their parents are actually Charlotte's godparents and guardians under her parents will. (side note: Yay for Rita getting the terminology correct for this part!) Jacob and Charlotte don't speak anymore because of a strange falling out they had years ago. You know pretty early on that Jacob is holding on to some important information regarding that but it is all very hush hush for a while. And no, I am not going to ruin anything.
Under a Million Stars is a story that is about so many things. It is just as much about Jacob as it is about Charlotte and everything she is going through. These two will make you smile just as much as they make you cry. They are wonderfully complex characters that still stay true to their age. Under a Million Stars is a fantastic example of deep, complicated and multi faceted young adult fiction done right. I really enjoyed this book. And it has further cemented author Rita Branches in my mind as a strong writer that I want to read more of. While I would not consider Under a Million Stars to be a light, happy go lucky read by any stretch of the imagination, it is a beautiful read. But you might want to read this one with tissues near by. Or maybe I am just a big cry baby...which I will admit might be the case. Either way, Under a Million Stars really ripped my heart out of my chest at times.
Bottom line: If you are looking for a wonderfully detailed, emotional read with multi dimensional characters, Under a Million Stars is the book for you.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Under a Million Stars is a young adult contemporary standalone novel by author Rita Branches. Last year, I read and absolutely loved Painting Sky by this author, so I knew that I had to grab Under a Million Stars as well. While, I didn't love this book quite as much as I loved Painting Sky (it was a very different tone), I did really, really enjoy this story. It will make you an emotional wreck, so be prepared for that. The story starts out with Charlotte finding out her parents and her brother have all just been killed in a car accident while they were on their way to watch her play in a piano recital. Talk about some harsh grieving. Charlotte really goes through an emotional ringer, and Rita is such a strong and descriptive writer that she brings the readers right through that emotional wringer with Charlotte (and Jacob)
Under a Million Stars is told in dual narrative between Jacob and Charlotte. They used to be best friends, and their parents are actually Charlotte's godparents and guardians under her parents will. (side note: Yay for Rita getting the terminology correct for this part!) Jacob and Charlotte don't speak anymore because of a strange falling out they had years ago. You know pretty early on that Jacob is holding on to some important information regarding that but it is all very hush hush for a while. And no, I am not going to ruin anything.
Under a Million Stars is a story that is about so many things. It is just as much about Jacob as it is about Charlotte and everything she is going through. These two will make you smile just as much as they make you cry. They are wonderfully complex characters that still stay true to their age. Under a Million Stars is a fantastic example of deep, complicated and multi faceted young adult fiction done right. I really enjoyed this book. And it has further cemented author Rita Branches in my mind as a strong writer that I want to read more of. While I would not consider Under a Million Stars to be a light, happy go lucky read by any stretch of the imagination, it is a beautiful read. But you might want to read this one with tissues near by. Or maybe I am just a big cry baby...which I will admit might be the case. Either way, Under a Million Stars really ripped my heart out of my chest at times.
Bottom line: If you are looking for a wonderfully detailed, emotional read with multi dimensional characters, Under a Million Stars is the book for you.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
August 19, 2016
http://www.bemusedbookworm.com/review...
Let me start by saying that I was probably not the intended audience for this book. My thing is SciFi and this is a contemporary. I prefer my books to be futuristic and adventurous. I’d say this book is more dark and moody. Even with the themes being outside my preference, i still really enjoyed this book.
The characters in this book were all deeply flawed. Charlotte (Charlie) has just lost her parents and brother in a car accident that has almost completely destroyed her. Jacob her ex best friend and new adoptive family member/crush has some extreme mood swings as well as some pretty bad anger towards an unknown event (revealed later in the book), that causes him to act like a jerk at times and a caring friend at other times. All of the minor characters were interesting and important to the story. They all seemed to have a purpose not just filler people, like i’ve seen in other contemporaries.
Well in one word, this book was messy. The writing was great and the storyline, plot and pacing were great, but Charlotte’s life and personality was just plan messy. There were many instances when she did something that i (as an adult) just couldn’t believe but coming from a broken teen, i guess i can understand. Jacob on the other hand, seemed to have these crazy anger outbursts that usually only exacerbated the already high emotions of the other characters. That’s def how i would categorize this book, an highly emotion/messy ride with a few twists as you go.
By the ending of the book, i better understood the personalities of the characters and really thought that they grew a lot. I’m really glad i read this book and plan to reread it soon, now that i know the ending and twists. I’d like to better see how that influenced the characters overall.
Let me start by saying that I was probably not the intended audience for this book. My thing is SciFi and this is a contemporary. I prefer my books to be futuristic and adventurous. I’d say this book is more dark and moody. Even with the themes being outside my preference, i still really enjoyed this book.
The characters in this book were all deeply flawed. Charlotte (Charlie) has just lost her parents and brother in a car accident that has almost completely destroyed her. Jacob her ex best friend and new adoptive family member/crush has some extreme mood swings as well as some pretty bad anger towards an unknown event (revealed later in the book), that causes him to act like a jerk at times and a caring friend at other times. All of the minor characters were interesting and important to the story. They all seemed to have a purpose not just filler people, like i’ve seen in other contemporaries.
Well in one word, this book was messy. The writing was great and the storyline, plot and pacing were great, but Charlotte’s life and personality was just plan messy. There were many instances when she did something that i (as an adult) just couldn’t believe but coming from a broken teen, i guess i can understand. Jacob on the other hand, seemed to have these crazy anger outbursts that usually only exacerbated the already high emotions of the other characters. That’s def how i would categorize this book, an highly emotion/messy ride with a few twists as you go.
By the ending of the book, i better understood the personalities of the characters and really thought that they grew a lot. I’m really glad i read this book and plan to reread it soon, now that i know the ending and twists. I’d like to better see how that influenced the characters overall.
October 27, 2016
4.5 stars
This is the story of Charlotte and Jacob. How they withstand several devastating events in their lives. How their love lives despite of what happened.
It started on the day she was orphaned when her parents and baby brother died in a car accident. As her godparents, Jacob's parents took her in to live with them. She was supposed to be happy that she will live with her bestfriend but unfortunately, Jacob is not her bestfriend anymore after that fateful day. The day when they kissed and suddenly told her that should not be friends anymore. Without telling her any reason, Jacob kept the secret thats going to ruin their lives, as he thought.
There is no day that pass without Charlotte crying over the losing her family, how she was left alone by her family and her bestfriend. Depressed she tried to punish herself for what happened. She blamed herself for their deaths. She thought no one will notice. But Jacob always notice down to the tiniest detail.
The author has wonderfully written this young adult book that teaches us to live, even when our loved ones died. You can really fathom the emotions the characters feel as the author described each moments that happened the year. You will really feel the frustration of not knowing yet Jacob's reason for leaving her and it haunts me from page 1. You also need a box of tissues beside you when you read this book.
Words to describe this book: Heartbreaking. Tragic. Grateful. Loyal. Loving. Living. Tearful.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of this book that was given to me.
This is the story of Charlotte and Jacob. How they withstand several devastating events in their lives. How their love lives despite of what happened.
It started on the day she was orphaned when her parents and baby brother died in a car accident. As her godparents, Jacob's parents took her in to live with them. She was supposed to be happy that she will live with her bestfriend but unfortunately, Jacob is not her bestfriend anymore after that fateful day. The day when they kissed and suddenly told her that should not be friends anymore. Without telling her any reason, Jacob kept the secret thats going to ruin their lives, as he thought.
There is no day that pass without Charlotte crying over the losing her family, how she was left alone by her family and her bestfriend. Depressed she tried to punish herself for what happened. She blamed herself for their deaths. She thought no one will notice. But Jacob always notice down to the tiniest detail.
The author has wonderfully written this young adult book that teaches us to live, even when our loved ones died. You can really fathom the emotions the characters feel as the author described each moments that happened the year. You will really feel the frustration of not knowing yet Jacob's reason for leaving her and it haunts me from page 1. You also need a box of tissues beside you when you read this book.
Words to describe this book: Heartbreaking. Tragic. Grateful. Loyal. Loving. Living. Tearful.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of this book that was given to me.
November 10, 2016
Review for Under A Million Stars By Rita Branches
This book is the following things: cry worthy, heartbreaking, optimistic, and expectant. This book was everything I wanted and more.
Charlotte, the main character of the book, goes through a lot in this novel. Charlie loses everything including her family, best friend, her passion and she is in an extremely fragile state. She is so broken that she cannot find it within her to eat. She is forced to live with Jake’s family. The book is told from both of their point of view.
Jacob - Is her childhood best friend. They seemed to have a fallout 2 years ago. Jake and Charlie are meant to be together but Jake keeps pulling back and Charlie cannot seem to figure out why.
Jake explains to himself and keeps himself at a distance from Charlie because of some reason that could end up hurting Charlie. No matter how hard Charlie tries to keep away from Jake because he’s distant, She can’t.
When Charlie has her panic attacks in the middle of the night, Jake starts to comfort her and be there for her. Comfort her and be there for her. This only makes the both of them even more confused.
Throughout the book we find out more and more about who Charlie and Jake really are. The ending of this book was great. The book made us feel so many emotions throughout it. I loved it.
This book is the following things: cry worthy, heartbreaking, optimistic, and expectant. This book was everything I wanted and more.
Charlotte, the main character of the book, goes through a lot in this novel. Charlie loses everything including her family, best friend, her passion and she is in an extremely fragile state. She is so broken that she cannot find it within her to eat. She is forced to live with Jake’s family. The book is told from both of their point of view.
Jacob - Is her childhood best friend. They seemed to have a fallout 2 years ago. Jake and Charlie are meant to be together but Jake keeps pulling back and Charlie cannot seem to figure out why.
Jake explains to himself and keeps himself at a distance from Charlie because of some reason that could end up hurting Charlie. No matter how hard Charlie tries to keep away from Jake because he’s distant, She can’t.
When Charlie has her panic attacks in the middle of the night, Jake starts to comfort her and be there for her. Comfort her and be there for her. This only makes the both of them even more confused.
Throughout the book we find out more and more about who Charlie and Jake really are. The ending of this book was great. The book made us feel so many emotions throughout it. I loved it.
November 1, 2016
Original Post: http://booknauthors.blogspot.com/2016...
Under A Million Stars revolves around Charlie and Jake. Both are ex best friends parted by a tragedy in Charlie's life. After Charlie's family dies in an accident, Charlie is all alone at 17. Plot twist, she finds herself in Parker family and has to face Jake on daily basis. Does their heart still beats fast when they look at each other? Will everything be ever normal for Charlie or she'll always remain in the black hole of depression?
This was another mental illness kinda book which was AHMAZINGGG! I swear the plot was so intriguing and the character development was on point. I loved how Charlie fought the hardships in her life and slayed them all. Plus Jake was no doubt a bitch but he starts helping her a little bit. My heart broke again and again when they both ignored each other. Like mannn staaappp making me cry. It was such an emotional and powerful read. Depression has been portrayed in such a good way in the novel. I really loved THAT ONE BIG plot twist. I swear you'll be swearing when you'll read that part!
Under A Million Stars revolves around Charlie and Jake. Both are ex best friends parted by a tragedy in Charlie's life. After Charlie's family dies in an accident, Charlie is all alone at 17. Plot twist, she finds herself in Parker family and has to face Jake on daily basis. Does their heart still beats fast when they look at each other? Will everything be ever normal for Charlie or she'll always remain in the black hole of depression?
This was another mental illness kinda book which was AHMAZINGGG! I swear the plot was so intriguing and the character development was on point. I loved how Charlie fought the hardships in her life and slayed them all. Plus Jake was no doubt a bitch but he starts helping her a little bit. My heart broke again and again when they both ignored each other. Like mannn staaappp making me cry. It was such an emotional and powerful read. Depression has been portrayed in such a good way in the novel. I really loved THAT ONE BIG plot twist. I swear you'll be swearing when you'll read that part!
February 14, 2017
Review copy provided by YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
This story is about how despite the the tragedy of loosing her family and her best friend, Jacob, Charlotte learns to continue living her life courtesy of her ex-best friend when she's forced to move in with him.
I really liked how the author had the story written in both Charlotte's and Jacob's point of view. It added more to the story knowing what Jacob was thinking and why. Of course, I kinda didn't like Jacob (I mean, how could you not? He broke poor Charlie's heart!) at the beginning, but as I read more from his prospective and also learning the secrets he wanted to keep hidden, he became more likable.
One of the reasons I got hooked, and stayed hooked, was because I wanted to find out the secret Jacob kept hidden. Throughout the story, it mentioned the secret and the way it was described made it seem like it was very important which made me want to find out what it was even more.
I like Rita's writing style a lot. The book was written smoothly and I could imagine what was going on pretty clearly. I love how she shows that even after loved ones die, you can keep living.
This story is about how despite the the tragedy of loosing her family and her best friend, Jacob, Charlotte learns to continue living her life courtesy of her ex-best friend when she's forced to move in with him.
I really liked how the author had the story written in both Charlotte's and Jacob's point of view. It added more to the story knowing what Jacob was thinking and why. Of course, I kinda didn't like Jacob (I mean, how could you not? He broke poor Charlie's heart!) at the beginning, but as I read more from his prospective and also learning the secrets he wanted to keep hidden, he became more likable.
One of the reasons I got hooked, and stayed hooked, was because I wanted to find out the secret Jacob kept hidden. Throughout the story, it mentioned the secret and the way it was described made it seem like it was very important which made me want to find out what it was even more.
I like Rita's writing style a lot. The book was written smoothly and I could imagine what was going on pretty clearly. I love how she shows that even after loved ones die, you can keep living.
October 30, 2016
I loved how this book wasted no time in sucking readers into the tragedy that was Charlie's life. And it just continued to get better from there. This book is so beautifully written and never failed to make me cry every time Charlie's pain was described. I really empathised with Charlie, especially when she felt guilt over not being nicer to her younger brother. However, Jacob was a character I didn't really understand. The reason for why he kept the secret was shown to us but...
full review to come
full review to come
August 3, 2016
DISCLAIMER: I received an e-ARC of this book (from the author first, before learning of my position in this blog tour) in exchange for honest review.
My review will bu up soon.
My review will bu up soon.
October 30, 2016
Full Review at http://kendralovesbooks.blogspot.com/...
Charlie's world was rocked upside down on the day of her first piano recital, when her parents and little brother did not show up. She later found out, after she was finished playing that they were all killed in a car accident on the way to her piano recital.
She goes to live with her parents best friends, Robert and Laura and their son Jacob. Charlie and Jacob have also been best friends all their lives. But two years prior Jacob starting distancing himself away from Charlie and was very hurtful to her. So living with Jacob was super hard because she not only lost her family but her best friend didn't talk to her anymore either.
Jacob holds a huge secret as to why he was very distant towards Charlie. But he loves Charlie and the secret would only tear them apart. When Charlie finds out she is crushed.
This book was good, but the beginning and middle were slow and too many unnecessary flash backs. There were some parts where you read Charlie's point of view and then Jacob's point of view back to back, which was super repetitive. The last quarter of the book is where it really picked up and I really starting liking the book more.
Jacob in the beginning was super annoying and he was sooo selfish!! But after learning what his secret was, it kinda made sense as to why he was like that. And Charlie, geez poor girl!! She had a very difficult year after her parents and brother were killed.
And the ending, I loved the ending!!! It even made me cry!! This book is definitely worth the slow beginning because of the ending!!
I received a copy from YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
Charlie's world was rocked upside down on the day of her first piano recital, when her parents and little brother did not show up. She later found out, after she was finished playing that they were all killed in a car accident on the way to her piano recital.
She goes to live with her parents best friends, Robert and Laura and their son Jacob. Charlie and Jacob have also been best friends all their lives. But two years prior Jacob starting distancing himself away from Charlie and was very hurtful to her. So living with Jacob was super hard because she not only lost her family but her best friend didn't talk to her anymore either.
Jacob holds a huge secret as to why he was very distant towards Charlie. But he loves Charlie and the secret would only tear them apart. When Charlie finds out she is crushed.
This book was good, but the beginning and middle were slow and too many unnecessary flash backs. There were some parts where you read Charlie's point of view and then Jacob's point of view back to back, which was super repetitive. The last quarter of the book is where it really picked up and I really starting liking the book more.
Jacob in the beginning was super annoying and he was sooo selfish!! But after learning what his secret was, it kinda made sense as to why he was like that. And Charlie, geez poor girl!! She had a very difficult year after her parents and brother were killed.
And the ending, I loved the ending!!! It even made me cry!! This book is definitely worth the slow beginning because of the ending!!
I received a copy from YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
November 1, 2022
I really liked this one. It's a slow burn and ya but it's a good slow burn.
The main character is Charlotte, she loses her entire family in a car accident and her best friend suddenly stops talking to her two years before that happens, but then she has to move to his house because his parents are her legal guardians named in her parent's will and they slowly rekindle their friendship and relationship and we learn about some secrets and why Jacob stopped being her friend two years ago.
I love that we get hints and glimpses of those secrets through the book but it takes until the end for the author to finally tell us what happened and what those secrets were. The ending was a little bit rushed since the climax happens about 30 pages before the end of the book so everything seem to be happening all at once but it's still a good book. I loved this one even though it's a romance and a slow burn and I am normally not a huge fan of either of those.
The main character is Charlotte, she loses her entire family in a car accident and her best friend suddenly stops talking to her two years before that happens, but then she has to move to his house because his parents are her legal guardians named in her parent's will and they slowly rekindle their friendship and relationship and we learn about some secrets and why Jacob stopped being her friend two years ago.
I love that we get hints and glimpses of those secrets through the book but it takes until the end for the author to finally tell us what happened and what those secrets were. The ending was a little bit rushed since the climax happens about 30 pages before the end of the book so everything seem to be happening all at once but it's still a good book. I loved this one even though it's a romance and a slow burn and I am normally not a huge fan of either of those.
January 22, 2021
I loved it. I hated it. Jacob, ughhh, why couldn't you make your my mind up? And all that screeching and yelping didn't help either. I desperately wanted to love it but...
August 17, 2016
Can we please all just take a minute to gush over the stunning cover that envelops Under A Million Stars? I can't deny that I had a massive case of cover lust when I first set eyes upon it. What really caught my eye though was that this was a story about friends who had grown apart. About a secret, something so massive, that it tore what was supposed to be a forever friendship into two halves. I'm definitely addicted to these kinds of stories. I always find myself eagerly awaiting the fix, and the happily ever after.
I should start with the fact that both Charlotte and Jacob aren't the easiest characters to love, especially at first. They grew on me as I read though, so definitely don't give up too quickly. Charlotte is a talented pianist, who has recently lost her family in a car accident. As such, she's about as withdrawn and self pitying as you might expect. It's hard not to grant her a bit of slack, since she's just had her whole world turned upside down. Jacob, on the other hand, was a lot harder to forgive for the first half of the book. As Charlotte's former best friend, you'd expect that he'd be the one to be there for her in her time of need. Instead, he spends a good portion of beginning of this story treating her like dirt. It was maddening. I knew that it was building up to something else, but it didn't make me like Jacob any more. In fact, it took me until the last quarter of the book to even enjoy his character.
In all fairness to the plot though, which is rather interesting, that kind of tension needed to be built. Although I wish it had been done a bit more organically, it was wonderful to slowly uncover why these two had fallen so far apart. I saw a girl who was struggling with finding her place in a world that didn't contain her family. I saw a boy who didn't know who he was without his best friend, but didn't know how to put all of that back together. In truth, you could actually see the ice between these two slowly start to melt and that, above all else, was what endeared me to them. I'm a sucker for repaired relationships, especially when they're so important to both parties.
There were definitely a lot of scenes in this book that had me tearing up. It deals a lot with depression, with guilt over the loss of family members, and with the secrets that families manage to keep from one another. I was also giddy over the fact that Jacob didn't once allow Charlotte to do anything she'd regret, while she was depressed. Let's be honest, chivalrous guys like that are few and far between in books. That's always a win for me.
So, final verdict? I'd say that this book will probably genuinely appeal to fans of contemporary fiction that is full of emotional turmoil. I had a little trouble sinking in at first, but by the mid point I was more than happy to continue on. I'd give Under A Million Stars a solid three star rating.
I should start with the fact that both Charlotte and Jacob aren't the easiest characters to love, especially at first. They grew on me as I read though, so definitely don't give up too quickly. Charlotte is a talented pianist, who has recently lost her family in a car accident. As such, she's about as withdrawn and self pitying as you might expect. It's hard not to grant her a bit of slack, since she's just had her whole world turned upside down. Jacob, on the other hand, was a lot harder to forgive for the first half of the book. As Charlotte's former best friend, you'd expect that he'd be the one to be there for her in her time of need. Instead, he spends a good portion of beginning of this story treating her like dirt. It was maddening. I knew that it was building up to something else, but it didn't make me like Jacob any more. In fact, it took me until the last quarter of the book to even enjoy his character.
In all fairness to the plot though, which is rather interesting, that kind of tension needed to be built. Although I wish it had been done a bit more organically, it was wonderful to slowly uncover why these two had fallen so far apart. I saw a girl who was struggling with finding her place in a world that didn't contain her family. I saw a boy who didn't know who he was without his best friend, but didn't know how to put all of that back together. In truth, you could actually see the ice between these two slowly start to melt and that, above all else, was what endeared me to them. I'm a sucker for repaired relationships, especially when they're so important to both parties.
There were definitely a lot of scenes in this book that had me tearing up. It deals a lot with depression, with guilt over the loss of family members, and with the secrets that families manage to keep from one another. I was also giddy over the fact that Jacob didn't once allow Charlotte to do anything she'd regret, while she was depressed. Let's be honest, chivalrous guys like that are few and far between in books. That's always a win for me.
So, final verdict? I'd say that this book will probably genuinely appeal to fans of contemporary fiction that is full of emotional turmoil. I had a little trouble sinking in at first, but by the mid point I was more than happy to continue on. I'd give Under A Million Stars a solid three star rating.
July 24, 2016
With author's works, sometimes their books are amazing and you find yourself so engrossed in them and then they write a new one and you try to read it but it's not as exciting or engrossing to you as the first read and you struggle a bit with it. For me, that's how I found Under a Million Stars as I loved her debut novel Painting Sky and was looking forward to this book and then as I started reading - it began good and then fell flat for me and I found it really hard to connect to the characters in this story. The book starts off with Charlotte at her piano concert and her family not turning up , we then discover that there was a car accident which has now left her an orphan. Charlotte still only seventeen goes to live with her family's best friends - The Parkers . Growing up Charlotte and Jacob Parker were inseperable and they even shared together their first kisses and all was going well until one day Jacob pulled away and each day started distancing himself from Charlotte and his family . Charlotte never knew the reason , all she knew was that her best friend in the world had broken her heart for no reason. One day he was there and the next he was gone from her life. Now at seventeen, we discover that they are both hurting in their own way as we read the discovery of the decision and come to realise why Jacob pulled away as the reason would have destroyed not only their friendship but also both of their families. I have to admit , even though Jacob was keeping this secret - I found his character quite hard to connect for as he comes across like a spoilt moody teenage and it's like really , could he act a little nicer since Charlotte just lost her entire family and world ? . Under a Million Stars is an edgy read and touches on the topics of close family secrets - think the Hastings Family and DiLaurentis Family from PLL and you catch the drift . If you love secrets, family saga and drama, then check out Under a Million Stars by Rita Branches.
November 1, 2016
All in all the plot of this story is a decent one. Charlotte's parents and little brother die in a car accident, on the way to an event for Charlotte. The emotion of the story was very well written.
There were a few things that bothered me about this story.
I love alternate viewpoints, when they are labeled correctly,which this one was. However, I'm not a fan of how when it would jump to the other characters point of view, it's like we are restarting an entire chapter, then being brought back to the present. Not a fan of that. I loved the childhood flashbacks though.
Please for the love of all that is holy, pick ONE nickname for a character to cal another character. We jumped from her name Charlotte, to Charlie, to Charms. All by the same character. It got to be a bit much. It seemed like the author made a long list of names, and instead of narrowing it down, said "well let's just use them all!"
The plot "secret"? Yeah, I guessed that by the 2nd chapter.
I think it was a good book, it could have just used some adjustments is all.
There were a few things that bothered me about this story.
I love alternate viewpoints, when they are labeled correctly,which this one was. However, I'm not a fan of how when it would jump to the other characters point of view, it's like we are restarting an entire chapter, then being brought back to the present. Not a fan of that. I loved the childhood flashbacks though.
Please for the love of all that is holy, pick ONE nickname for a character to cal another character. We jumped from her name Charlotte, to Charlie, to Charms. All by the same character. It got to be a bit much. It seemed like the author made a long list of names, and instead of narrowing it down, said "well let's just use them all!"
The plot "secret"? Yeah, I guessed that by the 2nd chapter.
I think it was a good book, it could have just used some adjustments is all.
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