Starry Eyes

Zorie likes planning and star-gazing. Camping’s outside her comfort zone but she agrees to a trip with a school friend, as it’s a chance to get to know people better and to escape tension at home. However, instead of the glamorous camping she expects, Zorie is left to hike home alone with her ex.

I liked how the trip pushes Zorie and Lennon to set aside (and, then, resolve) their hurt feelings and misunderstandings, but the most compelling part of this story was seeing Zorie fall in love with hiking! Bennett vividly captures the challenges and the rewards of hiking through mountains in California.

And I liked the close relationship Zorie has with her stepmother. Zorie is scared to share evidence of her father’s infidelity, because show more she doesn’t want to lose her stepmother in a marriage breakup -- but the way her stepmother responds affirms how much she values Zorie.

I was frustrated that there weren’t more consequences for some of the other teenagers’ dangerous and selfish decisions, but that’s probably realistic.

Another note: Zorie has chronic hives, triggered by allergies and by anxiety. I’m noticing more protagonists who live with anxiety. I appreciate it.

“What's that?”
“French press.”
“For coffee? Real coffee? Not instant?”
“We're camping, Zorie, not living in a dystopian nightmare.” show less

Pretty much the only issue I had with Starry Eyes involves the explanation/secret behind the breakup that occurred between Zorie and Lennon before the book begins. It just seemed kind of convoluted to me that two people who were best friends for so long, much longer than they were anything more than that would suddenly become so terrible at communicating, even if someone did play a part in interfering, it still seemed like a stretch, as did it seem like a stretch that life-altering news involving Lennon never reached Zorie, not through social media, not through parents, that just struck me as unlikely.

But I was mostly able to get over it and just get back to enjoying the story since for whatever reason even though in actual life I’m show more not much for the wilderness or camping, I love vicariously experiencing those things in fiction, the moment they hit the backcountry and I realized just how much of that would be a part of the story, I was super pleased and engaged.

Despite whatever questions I may have had about their breakup, I really liked Zorie and Lennon together, they had strong chemistry and even though technically the book takes place over a fairly short time period, the pacing of their relationship still managed to feel really right. I also liked them visually, it was fun to picture her plaid outfits and glasses and his goth style, as pretty as the cover for this book is, it’s kind of a shame that it doesn’t more strongly reflect a couple with such a distinctive look.

Lastly, while step-parents have received an extremely bad rap in so many stories, it’s refreshing that Zorie’s relationship with her stepmom ended up being full of depth and love. There came a point where I was much more concerned with their happily ever after than I was with the romance’s happily ever after. I enjoyed the romance, but I loved this mother-daughter bond. show less

This was an easy and enjoyable read. It has a touch of a modern day Romeo and Juliet feel - except in this instance the relationship brings healing rather than death. I loved that Zorrie and Lennon were both quirky and unique. Reading about characters like them will help young readers to feel more comfortable and confident in their own skin. I also really loved Zorrie’s relationship with Joy. It was nice to see a step-mother portrayed in a positive light - contrary to every fairy tale ever!

I also really appreciate how the story portrays that love can be heavy and messy and hard at times but that you can grow together through all of that.

This was an easy and enjoyable read. It has a touch of a modern day Romeo and Juliet feel - except in this instance the relationship brings healing rather than death. I loved that Zorrie and Lennon were both quirky and unique. Reading about characters like them will help young readers to feel more comfortable and confident in their own skin. I also really loved Zorrie’s relationship with Joy. It was nice to see a step-mother portrayed in a positive light - contrary to every fairy tale ever!

I also really appreciate how the story portrays that love can be heavy and messy and hard at times but that you can grow together through all of that.

I do have an automatic bias towards this book because backpacking in Northern California is a plot point. And our lead wants to be an astrophysicist.

But other than that it's cute. Pretty trope-y and of course starring that ~quirky~ nerdy girl. But it's for the youth so I like it for them. It should definitely be made into a Netflix movie.

There is so much angst in this tale that it spills off the teenagers’ plates onto the adults’. Zorie and Lennon were best friends, but then her father forbade her to see him. Zorie gets coerced by her mom to go on a glamping trip with some causal friends, and who should be included in the group, which Zorie didn’t know until they are leaving, but Lennon? Of course. After they arrive at the camp site, a guy in the group gets the bright idea to steal some wine from the bar there. They get caught, of course, and are kicked out, and they decide to hike to a state park their own. A disagreement escalates to a fight and the group sneaks out during the night, leaving Zorie and Lennon alone. Of course. (Cue angst music.) Now the duo that show more was will become the duo that is, as they cope with all the horrors that camping in the wild can bring. Luckily for Zorie, Lennon is an expert at camping and survival. (Cue angst music again.). Meanwhile, the parents are worried, and Zorie’s parents have a soap opera of their own going on. This book pretty much has it all: love, sex, adultery, bears, snakes, deceit, camping disasters, parental edicts, death, suicide, love, romance, and, of course, angst. The author does a good job developing her characters, and the story is entertaining, especially if you enjoy angst. (Cue closing angst music.) show less

This is SO SO cute. Zorie, planner and list maker, is the daughter of a massage therapist and an acupuncturist (very interesting side story there) whose shop in the bay area is right next door to a recently opened sex toys shop. Lennon, son of the shop’s owners is a reptile lover and punk dresser, as well as outdoor enthusiast. He and Zorie were friends forever… almost more… then something happened, and now they aren’t speaking, carrying on the feud Zorie’s dad has with Lennon’s moms. (Phew! Backstory!)

Anyway, everyone goes camping, and Lennon and Zorie end up in the woods together, and fun times ensue. This one really works for me because of the cute chemistry between Lennon and Zorie.

Please excuse typos/name show more misspellings. Entered on screen reader. show less