Shveta Thakrar

DNF just over a quarter of the way through.

The writing has a magical, fairytale quality that the narrator performs with a wondrous vitality and the blending of cultures and mythologies into the fantastic elements are wonderful. I desperately want to love this story, but it just isn't for me. The grief, obsession, and tantalising hints of magic not far away are absolutely my kind of thing on paper, but the bright, broad strokes with which the author paints the story just didn't work for me. show more

There is a palpable vibe of what seems like (apologies for just how on the nose this is) wish fulfilment, which there's nothing wrong with, it's just not for me. It's often something I can get through, but hear it's just too on the nose for me. I am not someone who throws about Mary Sue and think the discourse around it is contains so much toxicity, misogyny, and cognitive dissonance. However, the perfection of the MC and her life, beyond her mother's death in her childhood and her obsession with work and her mother's stories, is frustrating, especially with the reader only being told of the MC's troubles and feelings. Allowing us to see more of how she experiences life, rather than going from all but perfect moment to perfect moment, while we are told she is struggling.

The MC's partner is the most perfect South Asian Prince Charming, I imagined Kumail Nanjiani's abs after the superhero workout (and let's be honest human growth hormone) made into a person even sweeter than he is with his wife. The MC treats him appallingly and in turn his persistent thoughtfulness starts to feel creepy and misogynistic, especially with him 'not allowing her' to do certain things alone. Both characters and their relationship could have worked with more of all of them actually being on the page, warts and all. Again, this could well be a me problem and my bouncing off this subgenre of fantasy.

Ultimately, with all the beautiful narration and magical prose I just couldn't get swept up in the sweetness of the adventure and didn't feel any of the grief of the character (heavy emotions being something I often resonate with -- I'm a sad girl who loves sad girls), so it ended up feeling incredibly saccharine and false to me. Reading other reviews has no disabused me of this feeling and that it doesn't pervade every aspect of the story.

This is a story the author clearly feels passionate about and has researched and woven in mythology and moon symbolism from various cultures throughout history who has a wonderful way with words. The telling not showing, caricatures, and uncanny valley tweeness of it all simply didn't work for me personally. I would definitely be up for trying another work of theirs and would absolutely track down things the narrator had worked on to hear more of them. show less

"She wore the sky, had it wrapped around her like shadow-stained silk. She danced with it, within it, spinning softly, so softly, a sway here, a slow turn there."

A beautifully spun fantasy dripping with glitter about a girl torn between her silvery star blood and her mortal family.

It's becoming harder and harder for Sheetal to hide the fact that she's half-star. Her hair refuses to stay dyed black, her inner fire is surging, and she's finding it harder and harder to ignore the starsong. Even show more her boyfriend, Dev, seems to suspect something. But when she injures someone she loves in a tragic accident, her aunt finally gives her the letter left by the star mother who abandoned her, giving instructions to rejoin her. Along with her best friend Minal, she travels to the stars in search of starblood to heal her loved one. But she soon finds that her family in the stars has their own agenda they're expecting her to follow. Half-mortal, half-star, Sheetal must fight to find a place to call her own.

The strongest relationship in the book is that of Sheetal and Minal, who always has her back and will follow her anywhere. The love between Sheetal and her dad shines throughout the book, while Sheetal's pain at the absence and reappearance of her mother, Charumati, in her life seeps through the pages. Sheetal finds herself embroiled in both romance and intrigue, making for a great read.

The author uses this book's gorgeous setting among the stars to full advantage, building a shimmering fantasy world brimming with lights and secrets. From the second the girls set foot in the magical market hidden in our world to their moments in court, the otherworldly surroundings enchant. I loved the author's description of starsong as a beautiful melody that each star contributes to, where if you listen closely, you can separate out the individual threads. This is one I will read again and again to savor the beauty of the words. show less

I read this as part of my Norton Award finalist packet.

This is a fun YA read that draws from Indian culture and mythology to bring a new spin to the familiar teen-forced-into-competition trope. The book follows Sheetal, a teen planning to take the PSAT while trying to hide her heritage as a star. Her celestial mother abandoned the family years before, leaving Sheetal with her dad--who she loves dearly, even as they clash as teenagers and parents do. With her 17th birthday days away, though, show more her usual black dye won't stay in her hair, she finds out her boyfriend knew she was a star and was literally using her as a muse (she is not happy), and then in a flare of anger, her star powers surge and she almost kills her dad. Now she needs to ascend to the sky to find out how to cure him before it's too late.

The cultural and mythological aspects of the book were fantastic. The first chapters hooked me right away with the desi family drama, and the drama among her mother's family brings in higher stakes for sure. The whole trope of a teen-forced-into-competition is wearing thin for me, though. I also was frustrated by how many plot points dragged on simply because people couldn't TALK. Yeah, people really do that, but it wears thin in reality, too. Still, it's a fun read and I can definitely see why it made the Norton ballot. show less

Shveta Thakrar’s Star Daughter should be a dream story. It has everything I crave in novels these days – diversity, creativity, a hint of romance, and a strong female lead. Except, I found myself rather bored. After all, no amount of creativity and diversity can change the fact that Star Daughter is simply another coming-of-age/identity story, even if it happens to take place among the stars.

There are two aspects of Star Daughter I thoroughly enjoyed. One is this idea of Sheetal being show more half-star and visiting her star family. I am still not certain exactly what being a star means when it comes to where they live versus the constellations. After all, Sheetal’s best friend is able to get to this star location by hopping on clouds, so it is not like they live in space. Still, stars are not a fantasy creature you normally see, and the novelty of it was intriguing.

I also found Sheetal’s Desi background fascinating since it is so far removed from my own. Everything from the food to the clothes to the familial interactions was fresh and new in my eyes, no matter how often I read a story set in Eastern Asia or with an Eastern Asian main character/family. In fact, Star Daughter served as a great reminder that I still have room for improvement when it comes to diversifying my reading.

Still, Star Daughter is an oft-told tale of a teenager on the cusp of adulthood who must navigate the chaos of family and growing up. This chaos includes everything from family secrets, hidden agendas, ambition, power struggles, loyalty, and first love. No matter how exotic or unfamiliar its setting, there is nothing truly novel about Sheetal’s story.

Looking back on my recent reviews, I realize that I have not really loved the last four books read. I don’t think I am being too picky. There are plenty of novels I am currently reading or have read that give me that reader thrill we seek when reading. Instinctually, I know the coming-of-age story is a classic plotline that remains popular. I think my problem is the fact that these novels are too predictable.

Authors will continue to use this plotline because everyone can relate to it. However, I want them to make it fresh and exciting so that it feels like I am experiencing it for the very first time. This ability to make the old new again is what distinguishes a good author from an excellent one. Excellent authors don’t rely on window dressings to make their novels different, which is where I feel Ms. Thakrar goes wrong. She spends so much time establishing her star and Desi lifestyle that her characters suffer from one-dimensionality, resulting in a story that feels stale.

Star Daughter shows hints of something special. Unfortunately, this only compounds my frustration at its predictability and familiarity. I want more information about life as a star as well as the powers one has as a star or a half-star. Instead, I got a story that briefly touched on those powers but spent most of its time rehashing the age-old questions of “Who am I?” and “What is most important to me?” with answers that I could predict after the first two chapters. In other words, it is yet another frustratingly predictable read. show less