Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Stargazing For Beginners” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Stargazing For Beginners

Jenny McLachlan (Goodreads Author)

4.05 · Rating details · 473 ratings · 112 reviews

Science geek Meg is left to look after her little sister for ten days after her free-spirited mum leaves suddenly to follow up yet another of her Big Important Causes. But while Meg may understand how the universe was formed, baby Elsa is a complete mystery to her.

And Mum’s disappearance has come at the worst time: Meg is desperate to win a competition to get the chance t ...more

Get A Copy

Paperback, 256 pages

Published April 6th 2017 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Stargazing For Beginners, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James

UKYA in 2017

129 books — 74 voters

Young Adult Literature Convention 2018

217 books — 17 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.05 ·

Rating details

· 473 ratings · 112 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Stargazing For Beginners

Apr 27, 2017 Dannii Elle rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary-cuteness

Such a gorgeously penned and emotive novel, dealing with the themes of love, loss, and finding one's self. Ultimate space nerd, Megan, has so much to teach the reader about identity and, of course, the solar system.

Aside from our shared love for outer-space, Meg made for such an endearing protagonist due to her immediately likeable nature. Her battles with her debilitating social anxiety, as well her new home-life struggles, could have made this a disheartening read. But her quietly witty perso ...more

flag 41 likes · Like · see review

Apr 02, 2018 Lara (Bookish_turtle) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-stars, want-to-reread-hopefully-soon, realistic-fiction, young-adult, super-cutesy-contemporaries, read-in-2018, i-will-go-down-with-this-ship

Ahhhhhh! It was so cute and adorable and perfect and just ! ! ! All the stars!

LOVED:
~ The biscuit club
~ Protagonist wants to become an astronaut & dreams big!
~ MC loves science. There's never enough of that!
~ Friendships with so much development
~ That cover! TBH it's the only reason I read the book & it is gorgeous
~ The spine is gold and shiny. I know I'm superficial, but the book is just so pretty!
~ Beautifully written
~ Meg's d ...more

flag 22 likes · Like · see review

Mar 28, 2017 Casey rated it really liked it

Shelves: standalone, contemporary, romance, young-adult

Stargazing for beginners is such a great contemporary and although there is the cliche nerd girl ends up liking popular boy it was so cute and adorable I didn't care.

Meg is a teen, smart, ambitious, shy, and riddled with social anxiety when presented with groups of people. She can seem stand offish or "snobby" which rang true if you're awkward and shy a lot of people can see you like this which sucks but hey so can people, especially high schoolers.

Meg's mum is a free spirit to say the LEAST, after ...more

flag 14 likes · Like · see review

Jul 24, 2017 Bee (Heart Full of Books) rated it liked it

Shelves: ukya

Jacqueline Wilson for young adults!

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Mar 08, 2017 Kelly (Diva Booknerd) rated it really liked it

Shelves: middle-grade, bloomsbury

Fifteen year old Megara is an aspiring astronaut and in the midst of preparing for her presentation, an opportunity for an all expenses paid vacation to NASA headquarters, when her free spirited mother leaves for Myanmar, a Southeast Asian country where she will aid underprivileged communities. Her mother also leaves behind Elsa, an infant who cannot comprehend where her mother is and expects her elderly father to shoulder the burden of two children.

Rather than place Elsa in the dang Fifteen year old Megara is an aspiring astronaut and in the midst of preparing for her presentation, an opportunity for an all expenses paid vacation to NASA headquarters, when her free spirited mother leaves for Myanmar, a Southeast Asian country where she will aid underprivileged communities. Her mother also leaves behind Elsa, an infant who cannot comprehend where her mother is and expects her elderly father to shoulder the burden of two children.

Rather than place Elsa in the dangerous environment of her grandfathers home, Meg decides to become Elsa's primary caregiver while balancing school and preparation for her presentation. Meg's mother was infuriating and left me feeling irate. Free spirited is for those without obligations, her mother has two young children and an elderly father who excuses his daughter's behaviour. Although her grandfather is reluctantly accommodating, his home resembles an unhygienic menagerie and refuses to inconvenience himself for his young granddaughters. Her grandfather is lovely, but why would any responsible adult allow a fifteen year old girl to accept responsibility for an infant sibling.

Being a preoccupied adolescent consumed by science, Meg and step sister Elsa are relatively strangers, sharing the same irresponsible mother and little else of significance. Through circumstances, the two sisters begin to care for one another. It was wonderful to see Meg being supported by new and unlikely friends in her mentoring program, especially sarcastic and resolute Annie who is a student with Autism. A friendly rivalry and gentle friendship were the foundation of an enchanting romance.

Although it was lovely and incredibly entertaining, the adult characters within Stargazing For Beginners were irresponsible. From their mother and grandfather, to the caregiver at Elsa's daycare center who suspected their mother may have been absent. How did the school facility not realise the change in her behaviour? The responsible and astute student now unpolished and exasperated has gone unnoticed.

Jenny McLachlan is a magnificent author, a wonderful storyteller and an absolute delight. Amusing, entertaining and incredibly charismatic. ...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Jan 28, 2018 Stacey (prettybooks) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-my-twenties, young-adult-fiction

Jenny McLachlan's stories make me feel warm and fuzzy inside, and Stargazing for Beginners was no different. From the lovely opening scene describing a young Meg sitting in a cardboard spaceship that her grandfather made her, I knew it was going to be a powerful story – I love YA novels featuring female characters with a passion for science.

Continue reading this review over on Pretty Books.

flag 17 likes · Like · see review

Mar 25, 2017 Maddie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, arcs

I really loved this. In such a short contemporary, it manages to balance strong friendships, a family drama and a little bit of romance that was well grounded in friendship first. Meg's passion for space was so strong and it was great to see a character with a hobby. Like a Jacqueline Wilson book for an older audience, I had such a fun time reading this!

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

May 06, 2017 Nomes rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2017, faves-of-2017, kindle, want-to-hang-out-with-the-gang, my-kind-of-awesome, swoon, favourites, hidden-gem-i-love-you-so, i-own, i-had-no-idea-i-would-love-this-so

Stargazing for Beginners was an unexpectedly awesome a new fave for me - swoony, fun and a little bit quirky. I found the whole novel to be so charming and completely refreshing and addictive reading experience.

I love it when my fave literary things align to create a a brilliant read. Stargazing for Beginners had so many magic components for me:

Meg is just so delightfully endearing.

Though there are deeper issues in this book ~ it did not cast a dark shadow over the whole tone of the book. I l Stargazing for Beginners was an unexpectedly awesome a new fave for me - swoony, fun and a little bit quirky. I found the whole novel to be so charming and completely refreshing and addictive reading experience.

I love it when my fave literary things align to create a a brilliant read. Stargazing for Beginners had so many magic components for me:

Meg is just so delightfully endearing.

Though there are deeper issues in this book ~ it did not cast a dark shadow over the whole tone of the book. I love finding novels that are funny, whimsical and light-hearted at the same time as dealing with some more serious themes.

I love how a motley crew of friends slowly assembled - the side characters felt like protagonists of their own lives - fully nuanced and unique and diverse in a way that reflects real life.

Some of the teachers in this novel really steal the scene. So. Hilarious and bumbling and charming. And, sneakily, caring and making a real difference. I love seeing teachers advocate for students - and teachers who don't mind being seen as daggy for the sake of genuinely caring for their students and wanting to inspire and nurture them.

The comedy! The laughs! Those awesomely awkward situations and moments!

And Ed! Swoon! Fun! Antagonistic kind of rivalry with this slow burn of maybe liking? So many classic scenes together. LOL at the science fair, and the takedown moment on the science excursion. And the showstopping finale!

Science! Smart kids. The whole universe and solar system and all that stuff :)

Finishing this book left me with a warm buzzing glow and I was straight away texting some reading BFF's to get on with reading it asap. Stargazing for Beginners was an ultimate feel good read with depth. Take note: it opens fairly dramatically and perhaps some of you may think: Eh? What's going on here? This might be too quirky for me? But it really settles into a groove and everything becomes so genuine and heartfelt I really believe so many people will find a lot to love in this upbeat, warm and fierce novel. Absolute fave for me - I'm still smiling just thinking about it now.

Add this contemporary YA to your TBR if you're looking for a breezy, charming read with a smart lead character.

4.5 stars * :) ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Jul 02, 2017 Jenna rated it it was ok

Shelves: arcs, young-adult, contemporary, romance, review-copy

This review also appears on Happy Indulgence.

I received a review copy from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve read two of Jenny McLachlan’s books previously and enjoyed them but Stargazing for Beginners left me kind of disappointed. I found the plot to be extremely boring and the abundance of disliked tropes in this book made it hard for me to stay engaged and get through it.

This book follows Meg, a space-obsessed 15 year old, who suddenly finds herself looking/>I This review also appears on Happy Indulgence.

I received a review copy from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve read two of Jenny McLachlan’s books previously and enjoyed them but Stargazing for Beginners left me kind of disappointed. I found the plot to be extremely boring and the abundance of disliked tropes in this book made it hard for me to stay engaged and get through it.

This book follows Meg, a space-obsessed 15 year old, who suddenly finds herself looking after her one-year-old sister, Elsa, after her mother decides to take an impromptu trip to Myanmar to help sick kids. Meg is initially reluctant to take responsibility because she sees her sister as a bit of an inconvenience in her life and an obstacle towards her goal of winning a competition that will give her the opportunity to visit NASA’s headquarters in Houston. But she soon learns that achieving her dreams might require her to let others into her life. I think the only aspect of this book that I really liked was the science aspect. I loved that Meg was a STEM girl and that she was passionate about her studies and becoming an astronaut in the future. Her love for space and physics really came through in this book and made me really happy. But that’s kind of where it stops.

I didn’t like Meg’s character at all. I found her to be quite dislikable and difficult to connect with. This was probably in part to do with the fact that Stargazing for Beginners is targeted towards a younger YA audience but I usually don’t have much trouble connecting with younger characters. I just thought Meg was really cold and abrasive, and even though I was probably the same nerdy and introverted 15 year old, I found her really hard to relate to. And this was also true of most of the other characters in the novel. I thought they were a little bit too purposely quirky and none of them really seemed real to me. But can we talk about Meg’s mother and her disappearing into thin air? The absent parent narrative is one that I especially hate and the way that Meg’s mother disappeared was arguably worse than the alcoholic parent trope that we often see in YA contemporary. My mind just cannot comprehend the irresponsibility of her mother and what compelled her to neglect her two children… or how she managed to justify it to herself. Cannot compute.

On top of the issues I had with the characterization, I also found the plot to be boring and slow. There isn’t really anything that happens in this novel besides Meg going to school and sitting in classrooms, feeding and changing Elsa and writing a speech. There are some friendship elements as Meg makes friends with a random group of kids who sit around eating biscuits…but I found the development of these friendships to be really quick and a little bit unrealistic. I was honestly just a bit confused about the development of the plot and wasn’t really engaged in what was happening, which was why it took me a whole 6 days to finish what was supposed to be a fast-paced and short contemporary read.

The romance between Ed and Meg helped a little bit but my overall feeling about the romance was that it was a bit unnecessary. I don’t really believe that every YA contemporary needs a romance and this was one case where I would have preferred more plot and character development over the inclusion of a romance. I liked Ed as a character but he wasn’t really the nicest to Meg and I’m a little over the whole “he’s teasing you because he likes you” thing. My least favourite part of the romance was a trope that I actually discussed last week in my post, Five Most Disliked Tropes in YA Contemporary, and it irked me to no end that I pretty much predicted its presence in this novel.

Stargazing for Beginners had some great astronomy elements but fell short in its execution of the plot and characterization. I found most of it to be quite boring and the contemporary YA tropes that were in this book made it quite hard for me to digest. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Feb 01, 2017 Perdita Cargill rated it it was amazing

Stargazing for Beginners is Jenny McLachlan’s best novel yet. That is saying something; I’ve been a fan of her books since Flirty Dancing. Megara (Meg) is clever and resilient and comically unaware of her own appeal. The story packs a real emotional punch because Meg is dealing with a lot of chaos and too much responsibility (I was reminded a little of Clare Furniss’s brilliant The Year of the Rat). It’s cosmically informative, it’s laugh out loud funny, romantic (Ed is perfect!) and true and to ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jul 18, 2019 Dany rated it really liked it

Recommended to Dany by: Jatin Tanotra

Shelves: 4-stars, 2019-reads, contemporary, middle-grade, btb-19

Couldn't be more perfect Middle Grade contemporary.

Meg is a space nerd with a big opportunity to go to Houston by giving a speech in front of a crowd. She's the one among the two selected from her school. The other one is Ed King. The perfect , flawless and popular Ed King who's always hanging out with the mean girl who basically makes Meg anxious.

As if things weren't bad enough , Meg's Mom leaves her and her sister Elsa to take care of themselves. Elsa is a toddler who has bad temp ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Mar 12, 2017 Yolanda Sfetsos rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: YA Contemporary readers

Shelves: ya-contemporary

I absolutely adored The Ladybirds series, and was looking forward to reading Jenny McLachlan's latest book. So I was super excited when I received an ARC last week.

Thank you so much, Bloomsbury Australia. :)

Meg is fifteen, loves science and maths, is really clever, and wants to escape Earth by becoming an astronaut. She also spends a lot of time by herself because her interests don't fit in with what the other kids like. Plus she's always competing with Ed, and wants to beat him in the upc I absolutely adored The Ladybirds series, and was looking forward to reading Jenny McLachlan's latest book. So I was super excited when I received an ARC last week.

Thank you so much, Bloomsbury Australia. :)

Meg is fifteen, loves science and maths, is really clever, and wants to escape Earth by becoming an astronaut. She also spends a lot of time by herself because her interests don't fit in with what the other kids like. Plus she's always competing with Ed, and wants to beat him in the upcoming Reach for the Stars competition. If she wins, she'll get to visit NASA and start making her dreams come true. But in order to do that, she'll have to overcome her fear of public speaking.

When her hippie mother decides to suddenly leave the country to volunteer and help children in Myanmar, Meg is left alone to look after her baby sister. Their grandfather is there to help, but most of the time is more a hinderance than anything else. So she carries on, looks after her sister, covers for her mother, and even starts to make friends while forced to attend the Biscuit Club. But will her mother's actions ruin her chances of freedom?

I love the cover for this book because it's simple, yet pretty and effective. It's so Meg. Meg--or Megara--is a girl who's always loved science, and has big dreams of becoming an astronaut. I really liked how she refused to compromise who she was and what she wanted, so instead chose to keep other kids at arm's length. It wasn't that she didn't trust or dislike them, just found it easier to keep her distance. I always love an independent character with flaws. But when chaos strikes and she's forced to look after her baby sister, it puts things in perspective.

I also really liked the other characters. Annie was a lot of fun and didn't take crap from anyone. Plus she didn't let a disability stop her from doing what she wanted. Rose was a kind and understanding girl willing to help others. Jackson was mostly distracted, but was a good kid. Even Bella and Raj weren't bullies, just didn't understand Meg most of the time. And Ed, what a lovely character he turned out to be!

Funny how Meg's uncertainty and her determination to be left alone sometimes caused needless friction where there was none. She also did this with her sister. Never bothered to spend any time with her until she didn't have a choice.

Lastly, I have to mention the two characters that were so disappointing and frustrating that they bothered the hell out of me. Meg's mother is a free spirit, but her actions in this story are plain selfish. That she volunteers and wants to help others, but dumps her baby daughter on her teenage daughter was appalling and even hypocritical. And that her grandfather pretty much enables this behaviour, and is somewhat irresponsible himself is terrible. But you know what? As much as they bugged me and I disliked their actions, it was a fair portrayal about family and people. About how becoming parents and grandparents doesn't magically mean that someone's personality, hopes and dreams fade.

Still, this didn't affect my overall enjoyment of this book because at the end of the day, it was a fair representation of different types of people. Though I do kinda wish their mother had been held accountable for her mistake.

Stargazing for Beginners is a really cute, fun and interesting coming-of-age story about a girl who plans for everything, except the chaos theory. Meg wants to escape the world around her by learning about space, where she thinks she'll find freedom and like-minded people. But what she finds out (the hard way) is that sometimes, in order to reach your dreams and true potential, you need a support crew to help along the way.

I had a great time reading this! ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 07, 2017 Amanda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: uk, netgalley, ya-lit, realistic-fiction, bloomsbury, contemporary-fiction, 2017-release, family, sisters, i-have-a-copy

Fifteen-year-old Megara Clark, Meg for short, finds herself abandoned by her mother and left in charge of her younger half sister, Elsa. Her mother, a nurse and volunteer, gets caught up in a new cause and flies off to Myanmar, leaving Meg in charge. Meg's grandad lives nearby, but he's often just as messy and unreliable as her mum, even though he's caring and supportive. Meg's plans to win a competition gets derailed by her mother's sudden absence, despite her attempts to stick to her plan. Fifteen-year-old Megara Clark, Meg for short, finds herself abandoned by her mother and left in charge of her younger half sister, Elsa. Her mother, a nurse and volunteer, gets caught up in a new cause and flies off to Myanmar, leaving Meg in charge. Meg's grandad lives nearby, but he's often just as messy and unreliable as her mum, even though he's caring and supportive. Meg's plans to win a competition gets derailed by her mother's sudden absence, despite her attempts to stick to her plan.

I adore Jenny McLachlan's Ladybird series - four books about a group of friends, and I could not wait for her latest, Stargazing for Beginners . It did not disappoint. I immediately connected with Meg. It's clear her neatness, organisation, and love of planning is a direct response to the irresponsibility and unreliability of her mother. Meg's dream of becoming an astronaut was admirable, as was the fact that she knew exactly how she was going to achieve it. I loved that she was proud of her intelligence and that she was open about her love of science and space.

Unfortunately for Meg, her BFF moved to New Zealand, so she spends her lunch times alone in the library, and often sits alone in class. Though, she is in a friendly rivalry with classmate Ed, as he is also extremely smart. Through Ed, Meg has some interaction with other students like Bella and Raj. Meg also makes some new friends thanks to getting a detention, and they provide much needed support to her and Elsa.

Meg's home life left me feeling helpless and angry. Her mum's complete disregard was infuriating, especially as she left them without any money. Meg has anxiety about not letting anyone know they've been abandoned which is even more stressful for her. But, this more serious plot line was balanced perfectly by the romance and friendship in the story. Ed's obvious feelings for Meg made me so happy. Poor Meg doesn't realise that Ed returns her feelings, so watching them bumble around was sweet and heartwarming.

Ableist language: idiot, twit, insane, crazy, mental, lame.

Stargazing for Beginners is a funny, clever, heartwarming story of a girl who has a big dream. Meg's ambition, determination, and intelligence makes her a wonderfully relatable character, and she's sure to inspire teens to pursue their own dreams, no matter what!

Thank you to Bloomsbury for my copy.
...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 07, 2017 Kim rated it really liked it

This was an absolutely lovely YA read.

15 year old Meg is an aspiring astronaut who dreams of escaping Earth. Meg is stuck with a super flaky hippie Mother who one day up and leaves Meg in charge of her toddler sister to go on a volunteer holiday to...Myanmar. I'll tell you, it's easy to hate Meg's mum who tells her that they have no money to pay for a trip to a NASA camp for Meg but can afford airfare to Myanmar. What a load of rubbish. Actually kind of disappointed the author tried to redeem M ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 13, 2017 Vanessa rated it liked it

Many thanks to NetGalley & Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) for the ARC! I have voluntarily reviewed Stargazing For Beginners.

This book was such a pleasant read! The author manages to give us a little bit of everything, enough so no emotions are more overwhelming than others: Stargazing For Beginners is funny, emotional and true to teenage friendships, something I greatly appreciate when it comes to Young Adult books. I enjoyed the real characterization of each character and situations which are no ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Apr 02, 2017 Sally rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science, school, boy-meets-girl, ya, friendship, e-galley-read

I absolutely adored this! I actually read it entirely in one sitting today, I didn't want to put it down... Meg was an awesome character, in fact ALL of the characters were awesome - I loved the Biscuit Club to bits, loved Ed, loved Bella - the dynamic between her and Meg was just great, you could tell Bella was kindhearted and Meg's friend throughout but poor Meg was just too suspicious! Bless. Her trials and tribulations of looking after baby sister Elsa made for a fantastic read as well, as d ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 29, 2017 Suzy rated it really liked it

I adored this book, read it in one sitting. It's just enough parts mad, emotional, and funny to keep you wanting to know more and perhaps even want for such a revelation of belonging yourself.
Wonderful plot, and a great characterisation of young teenagers. As someone who was also very nerdy and bookish, this really was easy and great fun to relate to.
Can't wait to recommend it to friends!

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Apr 03, 2017 Emma rated it it was amazing

Review also on my blog:
Stargazing For Beginners By Jenny McLachlan (Boolino Book Review) |
https://emmajanemason.wordpress.com/2...

Space, the final frontier they call it. The great unknown and one of life’s many mysteries surrounds us on a daily basis. We humans go about our everyday lives completely oblivious to the fact that our sun that we use to tan and relax in is a dying s ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 09, 2017 Gabby rated it it was amazing

Read in two sittings over two days. Such an adorable yet touching read!
Review will be up on my blog soon;
alwaysandforeverreading.wordpress.com

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 04, 2017 Keri (BooksWithKeri) rated it it was amazing

Stargazing for Beginners to a straight up brilliant book. It's well written, well researched. The characters are strong and hold this story with this wild personalities. Meg may be one of the most relatable characters I've read about in terms of how she feels afraid to speak out. It's interesting to show how what other people see to be harmless jokes can have a serious affect on someone's self-esteem, and it's so heartwarming to read about her overcoming that fear.

I definitely apprec ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 08, 2017 Sabrina rated it it was amazing

Poor Meg has a completely insane family, which is probably why she like to be so organised. It feels a little bit childish to start though I think she is in her early teens, but the end is wonderful and well worth the read. I could completely relate to Meg's nerves at trying to get her speech just right, I'm going through something similar, wondering how to get my own astronomy enthusiasm across. An uplifting and inspiring read.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 06, 2017 Karen Barber rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley

Meg is an out and out science geek. She dreams of being an astronaut and wants desperately to win the competition to visit NASA. Unfortunately Meg also has an incredibly selfish and immature mother...
We get to watch Meg look after her younger sister and keep her own interests ticking along after her mother hops on a plane and disappears to Thailand.
I got very irritated by the selfishness of mother, and couldn't get over how lenient our writer was towards her.
Good-humoured and n ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 07, 2017 Trisha rated it it was amazing

Shelves: geeky, secrets, humour, family, ya-literature, contemporary, romance, diversity-in-ya, friendship, spacey

Top-notch teen novel that doesn't use swearing or drinking or sexing to engage readers.

Meg is obsessed with becoming an astronaut but has to accept she can't do it on her own. Great budding friendships, adorable romantic lead, and strong family drama.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 26, 2017 Kelly rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017-reads, 2017-releases-read, contemporary, young-adult, physical-owned

A book about an intelligent young girl who absolutely loves space and dreams of being an astronaut… That’s a big YES from me!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and really loved Meg. I thought she was a wonderful character and a great example to young people of how loving Science is not a bad thing. I did have a rather significant issue with her mother though. Meg’s mum is beyond irresponsible and it really bothered me but it also gave us the chance to see Meg bonding with her baby sister ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 17, 2017 Sarah Capon rated it really liked it

Really, REALLY enjoyed this. Science is my thang and I loved learning more about the cosmos in this book.

Meg is obsessed with science and is determined to become an astronaut and to take the first step on this daunting journey she must win the trip to Houston. The only problem is, to win she must do a speech in front of a LOT of people, which is going to be very hard considering Meg cannot even give the speech in front of her dog and baby sister.

I loved all the characters ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 03, 2017 EmmiK rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley-reads, ya

Stargazing For Beginners had a lovable main character you can't help but feel an instant connection to. I felt her troubles like they were my own and I was fully engrossed in her story; however, i hated the situation she was placed in.

I was angry that a grandparent and a parent of two kids, one being an infant, could be so irresponsible and careless. It is something that really hit me hard and simply left me completely in a bad book mood. Just for this I would have given the book 1 star but t ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 02, 2017 Michelle (Fluttering Butterflies) rated it really liked it

Shelves: british-reading-challenge, books-read-in-2017, ya

Utterly lovely, read in one day because I couldn't get enough of it.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 26, 2017 Nina Rossing rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017, young-adult

This was adorable! Realistic characters, realistic plot, funny scenes, questionable parenting, heartwarming friendships developing. Will definitely recommend.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

May 21, 2019 Becca Watson rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Okay. I really liked this book. I am shocked too. To begin with I found Megs character annoying, self centred and totally detached from her own life. Her mother was irritating, irresponsible and borderline child abusing. This book might make it to my top 10 list OF ALL TIME if when she came back form her little trip, Meg gave her a good slap across the face and gave her a good talking to about, I don't know, LOOKING AFTER HER CHILDREN instead of swanning of to Malaysia or whatever to look after ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jun 04, 2017 Emmaleah rated it really liked it

I loved this so much. It was realistic and ultimately common yet so unique. Being a space nerd myself, I understand her nerdy speeches and space references and for this, I love it more. Though, I don't get teased about this. I loved the character development within the main character Meg and Elsa, the baby, really made me think of my cousin Willow. I loved their relationship and I longed to hug my baby cousin all throughout. Ed and the crew were unique and so realistic in a sense that we can all ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Young Adult

28 users

Contemporary

20 users

Romance

8 users

See top shelves…

About Jenny McLachlan

Jenny McLachlan

116 followers

I have always loved reading and I studied English at university just so that I could read a bit more. Next I found my way into secondary teaching and discovered that I loved it too: I got to read more books, show off and hang out with very funny teenagers. What a great job!

Teaching English also encouraged me to write. Soon I had planned and started lots of different stories, but they w ...more