January 2018 - Final Thoughts - **Spoilers Allowed** - Stars Across the Ocean

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Final thoughts (and reviews if you like) on Stars Across the Ocean by Kimberley Freeman

[Kathryn]

Spoiler if you aren't up to p404 (view spoiler)[I knew it!! All along I've been irritated by Agnes' certainty that Genevieve is her mother (based on very flimsy "evidence") and her excusing all the bad things she's told about her and looking for ways that Genevieve's traits are reflected in hers. And it appears I was right to doubt Genevieve's motherhood of her!! Mind you, I'm sure most people probably picked that - it wasn't especially subtle! (hide spoiler)]

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Ooh - I'll resist Kathryn :)

[Kathryn]

Good idea, Brenda! It's a major spoiler if you aren't up to that point!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

I haven't started yet! lol

[Andrea]

I finished this book last night, but haven’t reviewed it yet. It was my first by this author and although I found it a little predictable, I thought it was really entertaining and a very enjoyable read. I think I have one other of her books in my Kindle library, so I’ll look forward to reading that at some point.

I liked how the author used a present-day anchor for the main story (i.e. the historical part), but I actually wish this had been given more pages and depth. I guess that’s a sign that she wrote it well! I’d be happy to read a whole novel about Victoria and her mum.

[Andrea]

Kathryn wrote: "Spoiler if you aren't up to p404 [spoilers removed]"

Yes, I felt this was a tad predictable, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. I was just waiting for the character in question to catch on to what I was already fairly certain about!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

I finished this late last night and absolutely loved it! I've just written my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm finding myself thinking about it all the time - Agnes' character was so gutsy and focussed, strong and determined - I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and look forward to Wildflower Hill which I have on my kindle :)

Thanks to whoever nominated this one!

[Kathryn]

Brenda wrote: "I finished this late last night and absolutely loved it! I've just written my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm finding myself thinking about it all the time - Agnes' ch..."

I enjoyed it too, although Agnes did irritate me a little with her determination to see things how she wanted to see them, despite all evidence to the contrary!! But she was everything that you said!

I think Mish might have nominated it.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

I saw that as tenacity in her want to find out who she was and where she was from :)

Thanks Mish!!

[Kathryn]

Brenda wrote: "I saw that as tenacity in her want to find out who she was and where she was from :)"

Yes - or an over-romanticised notion that she stubbornly clung to without taking the whole truth into account. Possible spoiler for anyone not finished (view spoiler)[She cherry-picked the aspects she liked, made over the parts that she didn't and ignored the parts she couldn't make fit. Just imagine - if she'd been open to the truth, she'd have found out who she was and where she was from so much sooner! (hide spoiler)] Not that there would have been as much of a story then!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

So true! I'd worked that out myself, but I enjoyed how we got there :)

[gathering feather]

I’ve reserved this story from the library... looking forward to reading it soon:)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

I hope you get it soon Doreen :)

[Michelle]

I finished Stars Across The Ocean last night. I really enjoyed this adventure! The story was slightly unbelievable, but I don't read fiction to necessarily be realistic. :-) I loved Agnes and her strong character, although I thought she was a little too stubborn in seeing the world from her own perspective and ignoring facts and advice along the way - typical 19 year old? I liked the interweaving of Tori's story with her mother and I loved Moineau's story, especially the end. The outcome was predictable, but since I love a happy ending, that suited me fine.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Well said Michelle!

[Kathryn]

Michelle wrote: "I loved Agnes and her strong character, although I thought she was a little too stubborn in seeing the world from her own perspective and ignoring facts and advice along the way..."

My thoughts exactly, Michelle!!

And as Andrea said, I'd have liked more of Tori and her mother's story in the mix to create a better balance - I really enjoyed the small glimpse into that storyline.

[Heather]

Finished. I did like the characters. I did like how the style was different for the three different time periods, although I have to admit I preferred the presence tense writing the most.

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

I enjoyed it but did not see why it was necessary to have the three time periods. It was a bit gimmicky to me. Agnes' story written as a straight historical adventure would have been just fine! She pretty much took up the whole book anyway:)
Nice story, well told though.

[Kathryn]

Phrynne wrote: "I enjoyed it but did not see why it was necessary to have the three time periods. It was a bit gimmicky to me. Agnes' story written as a straight historical adventure would have been just fine! She..."

I thought that was quite clever since Tori found the letter that her mum had lying around, but only in bits and pieces, and so that gave us Moineau's story, which led us to Agnes' story from the other end from her character's point of view.

Unfortunately, though, I was most interested in Tori's story - more than either of the others, and it's the one we probably got the least of!!

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

That's our difference Kathryn! I was only interested in Agnes so the other stories felt like intrusions. So I can see it is clever but for me it was unnecessary.
Isn't it funny how we all get such different feelings from the same books:)

[Kathryn]

Phrynne wrote: "Isn't it funny how we all get such different feelings from the same books:)..."

Yes, isn't it?!!

I'm not sure how you describe it when books have stories from different eras in the same book, but I generally don't mind books written like that. However it seems like not long ago, most of the books I read were just "straight-through" sort of books with one story and one character's point of view, and ones with stories told in different periods or with multiple points of view were something different. But now it feels like the majority of books have, at the very least, flashbacks to a previous time and it can sometimes get a bit irritating if you just want a normal story!!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

I agree - Agnes' story was the most interesting to me :) But I did enjoy Moineau's story as well. Tori's just tied it all together :)

[Mish]

I finished the book and found that I highly enjoyed Agnes quest and her adventures around the world to find her mother. I thought at the beginning I may have wanted equal parts of the present as well as the past but when Freeman introduced the letters from Moineau my focus turned solely on the past - with Agnes and Moineau. So all in all I thought it was a good balance of different time periods for me.

However I have to agree with Kathryn about (view spoiler)[the flimsy evidence. I find it hard to believe that someone would assume so and so was his or her mother based on a button. And I thought it was very odd how everyone just casually agreed with - and accepted - Agnes theory! (hide spoiler)] So for that reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.

[Mish]

Brenda wrote: "I finished this late last night and absolutely loved it! I've just written my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm finding myself thinking about it all the time - Agnes' ch..."

Yes it was me Brenda! :) Glad you like it. I really like Agnes fighting spirit too!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Well thanks Mish! I really enjoyed it! She was a feisty little thing wasn't she ;)

[Andrea]

Mish wrote: "Yes it was me..."

Thanks Mish, I may never have read this if it hadn't been chosen as the group read for January. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

That's why group reads are so good I think! I'm the same Andrea :)

[Mish]

Andrea wrote: "Mish wrote: "Yes it was me..."

Thanks Mish, I may never have read this if it hadn't been chosen as the group read for January. I thoroughly enjoyed it."

That's great Andrea! Happy you enjoyed it too :)

[Mish]

Brenda wrote: "That's why group reads are so good I think! I'm the same Andrea :)"

Agree Brenda! group reads are definitely a good way to try something new or you wouldn't normally read.

Looking forward to next months group read!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Next months is Carolyn's choice :)

[Kadi]

I didn't mind it although it isn't really my type of story. I also found it predictable. I would have preferred more of Tori and her mum's story.

[Mish]

It's funny because when I read the prologue with Tori and her mum it took me back to the time I read Still Alice. So I thought it was going to be a very powerful, profound novel looking into Alzheimers in more detail. It turned out nothing like it! But I still enjoyed it :)

However, in saying that those who preferred more of Tori and mum's story might really like Still Alice...if you haven't yet read it :)

[Kathryn]

Mish wrote: "It's funny because when I read the prologue with Tori and her mum it took me back to the time I read Still Alice. So I thought it was going to be a very powerful, profound novel look..."

I've always thought Still Alice might be a bit too heartbreaking, but perhaps I should just bite the bullet and settle down with a box of tissues and the book and read it...!

[Mish]

Kathryn wrote: "Mish wrote: "It's funny because when I read the prologue with Tori and her mum it took me back to the time I read Still Alice. So I thought it was going to be a very powerful, profou..."

Kathryn, it's not as bad as you may think. It's most definitely sad and scary but I really don't think you'll need the box of tissues. It one of those books that's an eye opener, and will stay with you for a very long time.

[Kathryn]

Mish wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Mish wrote: "It's funny because when I read the prologue with Tori and her mum it took me back to the time I read Still Alice. So I thought it was going to be a very ..."

I wouldn't say I normally sob through books, but I did need tissues for Me Before You (different issues, but a heart-wrenching read), and I've had a couple of grandparents with dementia, so I thought that emotional connection might make it harder to read... Maybe only part of the box of tissues might be needed...!

[Andrea]

Kathryn wrote: "I've had a couple of grandparents with dementia, so I thought that emotional connection might make it harder to read ..."

I was thinking about that when you brought it up the other day. I don't have any close personal connections to dementia (yet - touch wood), so although it was a sad and emotional read for me, it was bearable.

Regardless, I'd still highly recommend it.

[Kathryn]

Andrea wrote: "Regardless, I'd still highly recommend it..."

OK, I'll bear it in mind, Andrea and Mish!

[Tien]

Kathryn wrote: "Spoiler if you aren't up to p404 [spoilers removed]"

Hmm, yes, I am v. irritated too! And well, I guessed right (view spoiler)[(of who her mother really was...) (hide spoiler)]so bleh, sorry, I don't like being proven right lol

[Carolyn]

I've finished the book yesterday and enjoyed it. For some reason I was expecting that Tori's story would end up tying in with Agnes' so was a bit disappointed that there wasn't more to it. I did guess where this was heading as Moineau's story unfolded, but felt the author was pointing us in that direction by including this thread in the novel. (Also agree re the button being a bit flimsy!)