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In Sight of Stars

Gae Polisner (Goodreads Author)

4.04 · Rating details · 387 ratings · 168 reviews

Seventeen-year-old Klee’s father was the center of his life. He introduced Klee to the great museums of New York City and the important artists on their walls, he told him stories made of myths and magic. Until his death.

Now, forced to live in the suburbs with his mom, Klee can’t help but feel he’s lost all the identifying parts of himself—his beloved father, weekly trips ...more

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Hardcover, 288 pages

Published March 13th 2018 by St. Martin's Press

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Mar 13, 2018 Larry H rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley

4.5 stars, rounded up.

Klee (pronounced "Clay") worshiped his father. They shared a love for art and artists, especially van Gogh, and they spent countless hours together painting and visiting museums and galleries, and Klee loved listening to his father's stories, even the ones which were so clearly made up. He knew his father gave up his dreams of becoming an artist to have a stable job as a lawyer, but his father wants him to have the chances he never had.

His father's sudden death turns Klee's ...more

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Jan 08, 2018 Jeff Zentner rated it it was amazing

I loved this book from start to finish.

It’s an achingly fierce exploration of the way the world wounds us and heals us. If you love exquisitely written coming-of-age stories that will leave you breathless, In Sight of Stars is for you. I wanted to underline every other passage.

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Jan 21, 2018 Aimee ♥ | Aimee, Always rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc, covergasm, did-not-finish-boo, eye-roll, no-chemistry, romances-i-cant-understand, unpopular-opinion

Whoops, I ended up not finishing this one. The choppy writing, manic pixie dream girl trope, and confusing AF narration were too much for me. At least I managed to uphold my 30-percent-before-I-quit rule.

Mini review to come closer to the release date.

[DNF @ 30%]

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Jan 14, 2018 Donalyn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018-nerdy-book-club-picks, ya-realistic-fiction

I've read all of Gae Polisner's books and enjoyed them all, but this is her best so far. Her characters feel like people you know (or want to know) and the structure of this book is unique and thoughtful. I can't wait to share this book in my workshops this year!

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Sep 17, 2017 Kelly Hager rated it it was amazing

Finished In Sight of Stars by Gae Polisner. I received a copy for review. This will be published March 13.

Klee (pronounced like clay) has been committed. We don't know why, and this book goes back and forth in time, explaining how he got there and, more importantly, how he'll find his way back.

I want to make my book club read this, because I have so many thoughts. I think teens will love this---this book really showcases the way that everything feels so viscerally important but never makes it f ...more

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Feb 08, 2018 Monica rated it really liked it

Shelves: give-aways

Excellent story! Fast paced, this book can definitely be completed in one sitting. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Our main character Klee is brutally honest. At only 17, he has faced grief, trauma, and adversity. At the heart of the book is the idea we most often see what we want, what is easiest. The truth is so unclear sometimes. Particularly when it concerns loved ones. We can twist reality to match our ideas of our life story. The difficult part is removing those rose colored glasses and living in ...more

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Dec 01, 2017 Oona rated it really liked it

Shelves: recommended-titles-k-12

Please note that this review is written by a teacher with the intended audience of educators. I make specific recommendations for how to consider this novel for addition to curriculum, so if you don’t want to nerd out with me, skip this.

I received an advanced reader's copy of this novel at the NCTE convention and was able to read the book in just a few sittings once I began it. I value this novel most for its reflection of real life, artistry in details and consistency in craft. The main charac Please note that this review is written by a teacher with the intended audience of educators. I make specific recommendations for how to consider this novel for addition to curriculum, so if you don’t want to nerd out with me, skip this.

I received an advanced reader's copy of this novel at the NCTE convention and was able to read the book in just a few sittings once I began it. I value this novel most for its reflection of real life, artistry in details and consistency in craft. The main character, Klee (pronounced Clay), is simultaneously grieving both the sudden loss of his father and his mother's austere response to the death. His response to being uprooted from city life and transplanted, in his final year of high school, to a comparatively provincial northern suburb, is realistic. Klee's loneliness and longing for connection are palpable. Polisner writes Klee's internal monologues convincingly, and her use of flashback and flash forward is intentional. I especially liked the two strong female characters who aid Klee in his recovery, one of whom is a mental health professional, and the other of whom is a Catholic nun.

I’ve read two of Polisner’s other novels, both of which appeal to middle grades or high school students. This novel is one I’d recommend exclusively for the high school grades, due to the maturity of the content. I rarely say this about a YA novel, but this one could work as a whole-class study for eleventh or twelfth grade. Before you pitch it as such to your supervisor or principal, make sure several of your current students have read it, and ask each student to write down three reasons it should be added to your school’s curriculum. I would pitch it as an alternative to a novel such as like Ordinary People by Judith Guest, since it has comparable themes. (Similar to swapping out The Perks of Being a Wallflower for The Catcher in the Rye.) In planning a full unit of instruction, I suggest collaborating with an art teacher and a psychology teacher. There are so many opportunities for interdisciplinary study with this text, and an English teacher cannot do it all!

Before beginning the unit, definitely take the time to pre-assess what students already know about Vincent Van Gogh, and tap into any expertise in your classroom throughout the course of the novel study. Consider reading and analyzing the following short texts in class as students read the novel: "Hanging Fire" by Audre Lorde, "Richard Cory" by Edwin Arlington Robinson, and "Digging" by Seamus Heaney. An excerpt from Vincent and Theo by Deborah Heiligman would also help to frame the study of the novel. Playing the songs "Vincent" by Don McLean and "The Flight of Icarus" by Iron Maiden, and analyzing their lyrics in relation to the characters in the novel would be another germane learning experience for readers.

If you offer this book as a literature circle choice, consider designing an instructional unit with these other thematically apropos novels as choices: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, Still Life With Tornado by A.S. King, Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero, The Gospel of Winter by Brendan Kiely, Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick, Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner and The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork.

The language in this novel is colorful from its very first page, but have you heard how high school students talk? Stand in almost any high school cafeteria at lunch and listen — you’ll hear far worse in a shorter span of time than what you’ll see occasionally surface on the pages of this novel. To those who have gripes, I say: BFD. At its core, this is a novel about grief and shame, and when human beings try to navigate these complex emotions, language often becomes colorful. I wouldn’t suggest selecting a passage rife with profanity for a class read-aloud or book talk, but beyond that, my students' lives aren't censored, and by eleventh or twelfth grade, I would hope that they're not hyper-focused on f-bombs but instead immersed in the struggles and circumstances of the novel's characters. ...more

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Dec 04, 2017 Nora Baskin rated it it was amazing

I read this story in an early draft and my first response was..Damn, she nailed it. Ms. Polisner captures the truest sense and expanse of a young man's emotions-- his complicated relationship with his mother, the loss of his dad, and his romantic heart aches. She also beautifully renders his descent into confusion when all three collide, and his journey to redemption. Consider this book, ORDINARY PEOPLE for a new generation of readers..it's that good.

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Dec 17, 2017 Dawn McNutt rated it it was amazing

I received an uncorrected proof from Facebook friend and author, Gae Polisner. This review, however, is written without bias and without a complete summary because...read the book. I hate spoilers. Without giving up the plot I can say it is beautifully written with characters that are still in my mind and even made me dream of them as I napped today. The nap was necessary because I couldn't put the book down last night and stayed up until I finished it this morning after 3 AM. The subject matter ...more

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Mar 15, 2018 Vishy rated it it was amazing

Gae Polisner's 'In Sight of Stars' was one of my most awaited books this year. I loved all her three earlier books and so I couldn't wait to read her new one.

In the first scene of the story we find Klee Alden, our narrator, opening a door and entering somewhere and he sees something inside which shocks him and something inside him snaps and he takes a knife out of his pocket and before anyone around him could do anything, he tries to cut himself in his neck. Sometime later we find him in a hosp Gae Polisner's 'In Sight of Stars' was one of my most awaited books this year. I loved all her three earlier books and so I couldn't wait to read her new one.

In the first scene of the story we find Klee Alden, our narrator, opening a door and entering somewhere and he sees something inside which shocks him and something inside him snaps and he takes a knife out of his pocket and before anyone around him could do anything, he tries to cut himself in his neck. Sometime later we find him in a hospital and he hears voices while his eyes are closed. Later, when his physical health is better, he meets the therapist, Dr Alvarez. As Klee and Dr Alvarez talk about his past and what led to his present, Klee also narrates his story in the first person in the gaps between two therapy sessions, and we get to know more about his life, his dad who was a lawyer but who was a painter at heart, his mom who is always dressed elegantly and who seems to be always detached emotionally from family happenings, his friends Kleto and Dan, his new friend and later girlfriend Sarah - we learn about all these people and the part they play in Klee's life. We also learn about the people he meets at therapeutic centre - Martin, Sabrina and Gene - people who are there for therapy like him and with whom he becomes friends. Atleast sort of. We also learn about Sister Agnes Teresa who frequently visits Klee in the evening, plays board games with him and keeps him engaged and provides him opportunities to learn and grow as a person. We also learn about Nurse Carole, who takes care of Klee. We also learn about Klee's love for the paintings of Van Gogh, a love which has been passed on to Klee by his dad. As we wonder what happened in Klee's life that led to his present situation, the different story strands weave together into one fabric and the surprises are revealed. When the revelations arrive, they are stunning - I didn't see them coming.

The first thing I loved about 'In Sight of Stars' was the cover. It is stunning, isn't it? A great ode to Vincent Van Gogh. I also loved the story - the shocking start, the journey back and forth across time as the different happenings in Klee's life are revealed, the stunning surprise which leaps at us towards the end and how all the story strands come together perfectly in the end. Halfway through the novel, I despaired for Klee - it looked clearly that he has suffered a lot, but we don't know the details, and I wanted things to become better for him so that he could live a normal boring life, like everyone else. Does he get to do that? I so want to answer that question but I won't - that is not for me to reveal but for you to read and find out. I loved most of the characters in the story - some of them were beautiful and perfect while others were beautiful and complex and flawed. I loved both types. My favourites were Dr Alvarez and Sister Agnes Teresa and also Klee's mom, but when I think about it again, I really loved them all - they were beautifully sculpted. Gae Polisner's prose flows beautifully and every sentence and paragraph and page moves the story, builds a character or sets up a scene. There is no word wasted. The book is also a love letter to Vincent Van Gogh and his paintings. If you love Vincent Van Gogh, this book is definitely for you.

It is hard for me to not compare 'In Sight of Stars' with Gae Polisner's other books. I love them all because of the way they take a contemporary issue involving teenagers, family, community and society and explore it in depth in the form of fiction. 'The Pull of Gravity' will always have a special place in my heart because it was Polisner's first book but I also loved 'The Summer of Letting Go' and 'The Memory of Things'. In this book, 'In Sight of Stars', I felt that the style and the story and the characters were more intense, more grown up. I felt that the author was getting into new terrain here. I loved that. I think, though it is hard to compare, that it is one of Gae Polisner's finest works.

'In Sight of Stars' is about love, family, loss, grief and about the beauty and therapeutic power of art. It is early days yet, but I think it is one of my favourite books of the year.

I will leave you with some of my favourite passages from the book.

"My body plummets, strong like a bullet, and then I hit the water, hard, stinging, losing my grip on Sarah’s hand. I plunge deeper, and deeper, and deeper.
Everything erases from my brain. The pressure is intense on my ears.
No sound.
No thoughts.
No nothing.
Then, pushback. And lightness. From dark green to pale green to blue, a brilliant and stunning restoration of light as I ascend. I surface, above the water, bobbing like a cork. The sun hits my face and my breath relaxes, and my ears fill with the sound of Sarah laughing."

“Was there magic?”
She laughs. “Well, maybe ‘magic’ is too strong a word. Funny, though,” she says, “how we only recognize huge, seismic breakthroughs when, really, all progress is good progress no matter how small. Sometimes we need to be willing to measure it in millimeters, not feet.”

“So, as long as we’re already here at rock bottom,” Dr. Alvarez says softly, “digging at the painful stuff, let’s just do it, shall we? Let’s deal with the big purple elephant in the room. Let’s go the rest of the way. That’s what I’m paid for, right? I might as well earn my keep.”

"We can only make ourselves happy. We can’t save others. We can love others. But we can only save ourselves."

Have you read Gae Polisner's 'In Sight of Stars'? What do you think about it? ...more

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Feb 17, 2018 Flor rated it liked it

Shelves: 2018

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange of and honest review.

More like 3.5 stars.
It was good but that’s it, a quick read that help me get through a reading slump, so thank you book.

This is the story of Klee, a boy who has to start over after a suicide attempt (this is not a spoiler as it happens in the first chapter), he gets into a mental facility and then we’ll switch from his healing to his memories.

There are very important people in his life, his mom, his girlfriend a ...more

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Nov 19, 2017 Jennifer (JC-S) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: net-galley, review-books

‘There was a time when I felt happy and normal.’

Klee Alden is seventeen years old when the world he was comfortable in changes forever. His father, the centre of his universe, dies. He has committed suicide, and it is Klee who finds him. Klee (pronounced Clay) has explored New York City’s museums and art galleries with his father, learned about the lives and loves of great artists, experienced the magic his father could generate.

We meet Klee in a psychiatric hospital for teenagers. And, as we f ‘There was a time when I felt happy and normal.’

Klee Alden is seventeen years old when the world he was comfortable in changes forever. His father, the centre of his universe, dies. He has committed suicide, and it is Klee who finds him. Klee (pronounced Clay) has explored New York City’s museums and art galleries with his father, learned about the lives and loves of great artists, experienced the magic his father could generate.

We meet Klee in a psychiatric hospital for teenagers. And, as we find out why Klee is in hospital, we learn about how his life changed after his father’s death and why Sarah, a girl he met in art class, has become so important to him.

I was deeply moved by this story. There are two main reasons for this. First, I had some experience myself as a teenager in a psychiatric institution and although that experience is over forty years ago, I remember trying (and failing for a long time) to make sense of what was happening. The world had shifted, and my place in it ceased to exist. Secondly, and more importantly, Ms Polisner takes Klee through the journey he needs to make in a way which felt so real (at least to me). Relearning how (and who) to trust, adjusting to medication, realizing that there is usually more than one reality (and certainly more than one view of it). Klee’s struggles are never trivialised, his views are not discounted. But he learns (as we all do if we survive the journey into adulthood) that our knowledge is often incomplete, our interpretations sometimes flawed.
Klee’s journey involves a number of different characters. We see each of them through Klee’s eyes, so our images are sometimes incomplete. I finished the novel hopeful that Klee would find a new ‘happy and normal’. I finished the novel knowing that I would be rereading it again at some stage. Why? Because there are several layers to Klee’s story, and I know that I’ve not yet absorbed them all.

This is Ms Polisner’s fourth published novel. I’ve enjoyed each of the three novels I’ve read (‘The Summer of Letting Go’ is still on my reading list). Ms Polisner has a gift for creating believable characters in challenging situations, the kind of fiction many young adults can relate to.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith ...more

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Feb 20, 2018 Michele Knott rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2018, young-adult

Brilliantly crafted.
So many lines I want to return to and think about. This is a book that is worthy of many rereads.

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Mar 13, 2018 Richelle Robinson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

In this story we meet Klee who cuts his neck with a knife at a party. Afterwards we are transported to past plus we see what leads up to the event. Klee was going through a difficult time with a parent passing and I honestly felt he would have done well with some counseling. I really liked that we got to see what was going on with Klee and how he’s been feeling the last year. Throughout this story there are some twists that I didn’t see coming and now certain things make sense. We also have a ro ...more

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Mar 08, 2018 Kate Olson rated it really liked it

Shelves: advanced-reader-copies, young-adult

#partner * So, so many young adult books are featuring themes of mental illness now that I start thinking I know what to expect in the genre.........but then THIS book comes along and shows me how it should be done. Polisner has written a quiet and poignant look into a teen's experiences with grief, depression and desperation, and has managed to do so with the most compassionate touch I have seen. Her portrayal of mental health professionals, therapy and in-patient treatment are refreshingly pos ...more

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Oct 09, 2017 Sarah Donovan rated it it was amazing

I received an advance uncorrected proof version. I have read all of Polisner's books and enjoyed all of them. This book, however, feels quite different to me, stretching from young adult into adult, captivating and satisfying in a more nuanced style. There are different textual features depending on the stability of the narrator, art woven into and through the text and the plot, family, love, twists, and the grappling of all that is life. The story navigates therapy and recovery post a traumatic ...more

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Mar 03, 2018 Samantha (WLABB) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018, arcs, contemporary, ya, diversereads2018

Shocker. I read another book about grief and loss, and I liked it, a lot. My penchant for this type of book is well known, but there were so many other things I loved about this beautifully written story of love, loss, and healing.

•Pro: The writing was exquisite. Besides it being so painfully beautiful at times, it also masterfully helped me slip into Klee's mental state. In the beginning of the story, where Klee was in crisis, the writing was a little choppy, but as Klee started working through Shocker. I read another book about grief and loss, and I liked it, a lot. My penchant for this type of book is well known, but there were so many other things I loved about this beautifully written story of love, loss, and healing.

•Pro: The writing was exquisite. Besides it being so painfully beautiful at times, it also masterfully helped me slip into Klee's mental state. In the beginning of the story, where Klee was in crisis, the writing was a little choppy, but as Klee started working through his issues, it became more lucid and orderly. I thought that was brilliant.

•Pro: I was also a fan of the story structure. Polisner slowly reveals how Klee ended up at Ape Can, and these pieces were revealed via remembrances of Klee's or by him recounting the events during therapy sessions as he started to come to terms with what brought him to this point. Once again, these memories are tinged by his mental state, and some were even revisited as he gained more clarity.

•Con: I was not a super-fan of Sarah's. It was easy to see the girl was slightly damaged and not good for Klee, but I did think Polisner gave both Klee and Sarah some insight into each other at the end.

•Pro: Dr. Alvarez, Klee's therapist, and Sister Agnes Teresa, a volunteer at Ape Can, were such stand out characters, and I loved how they each helped Klee on his road to recovery. Their approach was quite different, but both were so supportive and gave him exactly what he needed, when he needed it. They dropped a serious amount of wisdom nuggets too.

•Pro: Speaking of wisdom nuggets. I found myself furiously highlighting throughout this book. So much food for thought.

•Pro: All the van Gogh stuff was really interesting, and I liked the way Polisner wove those bits into the story.

"And the sight of stars," she says, reaching up to point through the trees, "is always right there. Right in your line of vision. Even on the cloudiest day. They don't disappear, you know, just because the clouds are obscuring them. They're always still there. Waiting."

Overall: This was an achingly beautiful book about something painful, which I found to be honest, touching, and encouraging.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS ...more

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Apr 04, 2018 Jessica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2018, realistic-fiction, ya

I absolutely adored this book. Gae Polisner always writes amazing characters, and In Sight of Stars is no exception. I also loved how the story unfolded itself to the reader, a mix of the present and the past. Polisner also deals with the important issue of mental health with beautiful grace and compassion. I think this has become my new favorite book by her. I highly recommend it.

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Dec 18, 2017 Gila rated it it was amazing

I read the ARC of this book and I was engrossed immediately. Without giving anything away, Ms. Polisner managed to write with a level of compassion I was SURE that no one could achieve. Character driven, the story resonated for me on many levels and I was left with many emotions when I finished.. which is how I like my reads!

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Apr 05, 2018 Patrick rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018-young-adult-novels

One of Gae’s best. It is because of stories like this that I love YA so much. Powerful!

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Mar 09, 2018 Mandi Schneck rated it it was amazing

I don't cry at books, I just don't. I get sad and do feel emotion for whatever is happening, but I don't ever shed physical tears. BUT HOLY WATERWORKS. This book got me. In Sight of Stars by Gae Polisner melted my icy heart and sent tears streaming down my cheeks in droves. This story follows Klee (pronounced Clay), a teen struggling with his father's suicide, who in a moment of weakness hurts himself and ends up in a mental hospital (more fondly known as the Ape Can). It's then that he's forced I don't cry at books, I just don't. I get sad and do feel emotion for whatever is happening, but I don't ever shed physical tears. BUT HOLY WATERWORKS. This book got me. In Sight of Stars by Gae Polisner melted my icy heart and sent tears streaming down my cheeks in droves. This story follows Klee (pronounced Clay), a teen struggling with his father's suicide, who in a moment of weakness hurts himself and ends up in a mental hospital (more fondly known as the Ape Can). It's then that he's forced to reconcile everything that's happened...with his dead father, with his mother, and most importantly with himself.

This book is 100% character driven, which is good because the characters were fantastic. Sister Agnes Theresa was such a joy! While at first she was a completely random character with her board games and snack delivery, she ended up being one of the biggest supporters of Klee. I also absolutely adored Dr. Alvarez. I thought she was supportive and nurturing in all the right ways, letting Klee take his time with things and pushing just enough to let progress blossom on its own. Between what Klee did for her at the end and what she revealed about herself to him, I just couldn't hold myself together. I really didn't like Sarah, but I don't think I was meant to. She's the typical manic pixie dream girl who takes what she wants without giving anything back, and even at the end she just left a bad taste in my mouth. Klee's mother was a difficult character to crack, but the more the story developed, the more you start to understand why the "Ice Queen" is the way she is.

And Klee himself, I have so much to say about Klee (but I can't without spoiling too much). From his love of Van Gogh to his fierce loyalty to his father, Klee is emotionally complex and raw. I loved seeing him open up to everyone in the Ape Can, and you could tell that no matter how much he was struggling, he really wanted to understand what was happening and get better.

I loved all the stories and flashbacks with Klee and his father, and the tales he told Klee to teach him about life. The whole thing was beautifully written and like I said before, it takes a lot to touch me enough to make me cry, and this story succeeded. Trigger warnings for suicide and self harm are definitely needed, but the subject was touched on in a sensitive and tender way. This book was deep and emotional, and one that will definitely stick with me for a while.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

A huge thanks to St. Martin's Press for sending me an early finished copy of this beauty. In Sight of Stars by Gae Polisner is out TODAY so be sure to pick up a copy of this beautiful emotional roller coaster. ...more

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Feb 24, 2018 El (book.monkey) rated it really liked it

Shelves: review-copy

I have many, many things to say about this book... First I'd like to begin by saying thank you to NetGally for providing me with a pre-publication copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on the 13th of March 2018.
Lets begin with how beautiful the cover is before we get serious. I love the sunflowers in the cover and the first thing I thought of when I saw the cover was Van Gogh, and how right I was.
This novel is about a young boy Klee (pronounced Clay) who ...more

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Apr 16, 2018 Paula rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018, 40-book-challeng-17-18, realistic-fiction, walk-a-mile-in-their-shoes, ya

"For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream."- Vincent Van Gogh
I know nothing with any certainty, but the reading of each Gae Polisner novel makes me think and feel more deeply about life. I've read everything she's written and she continues blowing me away! In her latest YA book she introduces us to Klee (pronounced Clay-as in Paul Klee) a talented high school artist who is reeling from the recent suicide of his beloved father. His mother uproots hi ...more

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Mar 29, 2018 Gary Anderson rated it it was amazing

Review coming soon. Still processing ...

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Jan 16, 2018 Lmakler rated it it was amazing

I loved Gae Polisner’s previous book The Memory of Things , and was excited to be given an ARC of her new book, In Sight of Stars. The books are very different, but they are similar in that the characters are wonderfully drawn. The author has an amazing ability to write characters that are real, and multi-dimensional, and alive. I loved The Memory of Things because and in spite of the fact that I was brought back to the day of September 11th, the sights, the smells, the emotions. I loved In Sigh I loved Gae Polisner’s previous book The Memory of Things , and was excited to be given an ARC of her new book, In Sight of Stars. The books are very different, but they are similar in that the characters are wonderfully drawn. The author has an amazing ability to write characters that are real, and multi-dimensional, and alive. I loved The Memory of Things because and in spite of the fact that I was brought back to the day of September 11th, the sights, the smells, the emotions. I loved In Sight of Stars because the reader is thrust into the swirling emotions, shock and internal thoughts of a teenage boy who is trying to make sense of a life turned upside down. As a high school librarian, I thought that The Memory of Things was really important for my students to read because they really should be connected to the real life of 9/11; I think that it is really important for them to read In Sight of Stars because while Klee’s life experiences are not specifically universal, his teenage brain and emotions and reactions are.
Sometimes when I read a book, and I especially feel this way with good books written for young adults, I am blown away by and in awe of the vast knowledge that the author has sort of intrinsically written into the book. I remember feeling this way when I first read Harry Potter (very long time ago- but it is so clever and so well written, and really actually deep), and I feel this way about this book, and about Gae Polisner. I know nothing about art, and what I knew about Vincent Van Gogh is limited to what I remembered from reading the Irving Stone book Lust for Life in high school. I know a little more now, and what Gae does is weave Vincent Van Gogh and art into the book effortlessly.
Above all, though, In Sight of Stars is the story of a teenage boy navigating through heartbreak, trauma, and the accompanying mental illness. It is the story of the world through Klee’s eyes, and as in life, what he perceives as reality is not always accurate. His mother is not as he believes, and neither was his father.
I highly recommend In Sight of Stars, and I am looking forward to using it as a book for one of my monthly book clubs. ...more

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May 16, 2018 Jim rated it it was amazing

In this poignant and powerful novel, Polisner tells the story of Klee Alden, a high school senior and aspiring artist who experiences profound grief after his father’s suicide. Save for flashbacks and dream sequences, the novel is set almost entirely within the confines of a psychiatric hospital where Klee is undergoing therapy. The claustrophobic setting effectively echoes the increasing suffocation of the truth that Klee slowly uncovers during his stay.

In similar fashion, the narrative itself— ...more

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Dec 23, 2017 Julie Kirchner rated it it was amazing

I received an ARC of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.

I was very excited to read Gae’s newest book and once I got started, I did not want to stop. The further I read, the more I had to know more about Klee.

Klee is a seventeen year old young man dealing with the recent death of his father whom he adored and his mother moving him to a new home and school for his senior year. Something tragic happens to Klee and he ends up in a hospital, recovering on an emotional and physical level.

The stor ...more

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Mar 17, 2018 Leeann rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018

Wow.

In Sight of Stars was an unexpectedly good read. I say that because the first handful of pages of the book struck me as so bizarre and somewhat creepy that I really wasn't sure I would even finish it, much less LIKE it.

But instead I found a wonderful, moving and thought provoking story, with several characters that really stood out for me, including Klee (pronounced Clay, you'll see why in the book,) Dr Alvarez, and the nun.

People of a variety of ages can get something from this book, from ...more

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Mar 17, 2018 Jennifer rated it it was amazing

I loved THE MEMORY OF THINGS. I loved the way it captured an ethereal feather of time and space, rooted in reality and soaring into history and floating into fiction and memory.

I think I might love this book more. Polisner's confidence in her craft brings us a story that helps us understand how easily people lose their footing in our world, our reality, and how painful and difficult the journey back can be. But she also shows us what is possible, that mistakes are past and aren't future if we ma ...more

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Mar 10, 2018 Maureen rated it really liked it

I have read and loved all of Polisner’s novels and this one is no exception. Klee Alden has lost his father, moved to a new town, left all his friends, and has isolated himself from his mother due to her “ice queen” actions. When he is horribly betrayed at a party, he ends up in treatment at an in-patient facility. As we go forward and back in time, we learn a great deal about Klee and his parents, and Klee learns about himself, and a strong and resolute Klee emerges. Thanks to the publisher and ...more

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Genres

Young Adult

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Realistic Fiction

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Contemporary

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Mental Health > Mental Illness

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Fiction

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Health > Mental Health

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About Gae Polisner

Gae Polisner

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I am the author of THE SUMMER OF LETTING GO and THE PULL OF GRAVITY.

Please note that, although I originally tried to assign star-ratings to my book reviews (and, thus, you will see some of my favorite books with stars), I have stopped doing so. A 3-star review, for example, can mean such different things to readers and reviewers, some rarely give more, so 3 means pretty great, to others 3 is bare ...more