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    Where the Stars Still Shine
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    Where the Stars Still Shine
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    Where the Stars Still Shine
    Ebook291 pages4 hours

    Where the Stars Still Shine

    By Trish Doller

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she'd like to forget completely. But when Callie's mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie's real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life in small-town Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love-even with someone who seems an improbable choice-is more than just a possibility.

    Trish Doller writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
    Release dateSep 24, 2013
    ISBN9781619631458
    Unavailable
    Where the Stars Still Shine
    Author

    Trish Doller

    TRISH DOLLER is a writer, traveler, and dog rescuer, but not necessarily in that order. She is the author of Float Plan, her women's fiction debut, and The Suite Spot. She has also written several YA novels, including the critically acclaimed Something Like Normal. When she's not writing, Trish loves sailing, camping, and avoiding housework. She lives in southwest Florida with an opinionated herding dog and an ex-pirate.

    Read more from Trish Doller

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    Reviews for Where the Stars Still Shine

    4/5

    108 ratings18 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.Where the Stars Still Shine is one of those books that was driven mostly by the characters. Everything that I want to say is about Callie, which is kind of a weird feeling for me. I usually can't do anything but complain about characters, but don't mind me.I really liked Callista. I respected her, and even though she had a really hard life, I think that she turned out alright. The only problem that I had with her is that she just doesn't know how to act around people, seriously. I get that she's never had any friends, but sometimes she was just mean!Other than that, though, she was great. I liked how she told it like it was, and that she wasn't the best kid or anything, but she didn't let that get her down. I'm going to assume, for arguments sake, that this was actually a pretty accurate portrayal of how it would go down if your dad got you back as a teen after you were abducted. He would probably be a bit more protective, though.Back to Callie-- sometimes I found myself wondering how she got to be so...promiscuous, I guess would be the word? As much as I loved her, I couldn't understand how after she was molested she was so comfortable with sex. There are some things that she isn't comfortable with, but you would think that she would be a bit more hesitant.I liked the flashbacks. It gives us better insight into Callie as a character, and it was so nice to be able to understand a little of what she went through.All in all, Where the Stars Still Shine was an interesting, character-driven book, but I didn't love it to death or anything.
    • 5/5
      Callie, after spending almost her entire life on the run with her mother (who kidnapped her when she was five years old), is finally reunited with her estranged father after her mother is arrested. Not knowing how to cope with her newfound (and very large) extended family, Callie still finds herself wanting to run away--though, in this case, it's into the arms of Alex, a gorgeous guy struggling with demons of his own. "Where the Stars Still Shine" is at times both touching and frustrating, but always unflinchingly honest about the experiences that can harm and heal people. This is definitely a book for older teens, due to the graphic nature of some scenes.
    • 5/5
      Where the Stars Still Shine was a quietly powerful book that is impossible to put down once you begin. I found myself up into the wee hours of the morning even though I had to work in just a few short hours but I simply had to finish the book. I tried putting it down a few times but couldn't get the story out of my head so had to return to it. I was able to relate to and connect with Callie in such a way that I was lost in her story. My heart ached for her lonely life with a mentally unstable mother putting her in unsafe situations, never knowing any stability, never staying in one place long enough to put down roots or even make a friend. As angry as I was at a mother who could put her child through this, I also understood Callie's unwavering loyalty to her mother despite her own frustration with her choices.

      "How could my mom be so selfish? Taking the pills would have kept us here. Taking the pills would have kept her from hooking up with Frank. All she had to do was take the goddamn pills and her life, my life, would have been ordinary. Happy."

      While the story itself was heartbreaking, it was the authenticity of the characters that made it so deeply moving. I could completely understand how such a transient upbringing could cause Callie to have difficulty making connections and picking up on social cues. The awkward way she interacted with her newfound family and peers felt genuine and I could completely understand how out of place and uncomfortable she felt around these people that she had so little in common with. I can't begin to imagine how overwhelming it would be for a teenager in her situation but I definitely felt it along with her in the story.

      I'm usually pretty skeptical about most romance but I really enjoyed the dynamic between Callie and Alex, both feeling so out of place for their own reasons and finding a kind of solace in each other. I liked Alex but he was definitely more of a background character. If there is anything that could have been improved in this book, it is that the secondary characters could have had more depth.

      Where the Stars Still Shine is a beautifully written story that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys reading an emotional contemporary story with realistically damaged characters and uncomfortable subject matter. This is one of my favorite reads of 2013 and I look forward to discovering more from this author. I think that she captures her character's thoughts and feelings perceptively and handles difficult topics head on without exaggerating or minimizing it.
    • 4/5
      The general plot is about a teenage girl who goes to live with her father, after having been kidnapped by her mother as a small child. Life with the mother was full of homelessness, drifting, abuse, and rough living, so this is one of those books about having to adjust to the weirdness (to the character) of the normalcy of family life with her father, his new wife, and their kids. Overall I liked it, and it's a short book so a lot of these issues are presented more like sketches. In some ways, this really worked -- it kept things moving and it felt comfortable having some questions remain vague or open-ended, it prevented it from seeming too much like a typical problem novel. At the same time, this very thing made the story-telling feel a little too rushed at times. The father lives in Florida, in a Greek-American community, and that was very fetching.
    • 4/5
      Callie has always been on the run with her mom. But when her mom is finally caught, her dad comes and gets her and takes her to his "new" family. Although a somewhat common thread, Doller creates new situations and smooths the lead's prickly edges in clever ways. I would love it if this got a Printz nod.
    • 5/5
      Where the Stars Still Shine was a quietly powerful book that is impossible to put down once you begin. I found myself up into the wee hours of the morning even though I had to work in just a few short hours but I simply had to finish the book. I tried putting it down a few times but couldn't get the story out of my head so had to return to it. I was able to relate to and connect with Callie in such a way that I was lost in her story. My heart ached for her lonely life with a mentally unstable mother putting her in unsafe situations, never knowing any stability, never staying in one place long enough to put down roots or even make a friend. As angry as I was at a mother who could put her child through this, I also understood Callie's unwavering loyalty to her mother despite her own frustration with her choices.

      "How could my mom be so selfish? Taking the pills would have kept us here. Taking the pills would have kept her from hooking up with Frank. All she had to do was take the goddamn pills and her life, my life, would have been ordinary. Happy."

      While the story itself was heartbreaking, it was the authenticity of the characters that made it so deeply moving. I could completely understand how such a transient upbringing could cause Callie to have difficulty making connections and picking up on social cues. The awkward way she interacted with her newfound family and peers felt genuine and I could completely understand how out of place and uncomfortable she felt around these people that she had so little in common with. I can't begin to imagine how overwhelming it would be for a teenager in her situation but I definitely felt it along with her in the story.

      I'm usually pretty skeptical about most romance but I really enjoyed the dynamic between Callie and Alex, both feeling so out of place for their own reasons and finding a kind of solace in each other. I liked Alex but he was definitely more of a background character. If there is anything that could have been improved in this book, it is that the secondary characters could have had more depth.

      Where the Stars Still Shine is a beautifully written story that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys reading an emotional contemporary story with realistically damaged characters and uncomfortable subject matter. This is one of my favorite reads of 2013 and I look forward to discovering more from this author. I think that she captures her character's thoughts and feelings perceptively and handles difficult topics head on without exaggerating or minimizing it.
    • 5/5
      This book is one of the reasons I love book bloggers and book bloggers with twitter feeds. This is not something I would have picked up for myself if I had seen it browsing in a bookstore or on Amazon. It sounds a little too afternoon movie for my tastes. Basic plot being girl kidnapped as a child by mom after a divorce, moves around the country and then reunited with the dad years and years later when mom is finally arrested and teen has to cope with new family and new life.

      Though after seeing a mixture of three to five star reviews from some of my favourite bloggers, it got me thinking okay, I have to read this now.

      I don't usually like teen drama without some sort of a paranormal romance theme involved. But as it turned out, I loved this book. I found Callie to be a very easy character to understand, and loved how she grew throughout the story. It can't have been easy to have been raised one way, sans normal family life and then suddenly at 17, have to cope with a family and some rules, and people who want to care. And at the same time its understandable why she still feels loyalty to her mom as well.

      The story was an emotional one, sad, angsty, with some sweet moments, some happy moments, and at the same time kind of bittersweet. A mixed bag of feelings making the story engaging. It was excellently written, so clear and easy to picture. A wonderfully emotional book with full rounded characters, and even made me cry a little at the end.

      So I'm glad I gave something different from my normal type of YA reading a chance, it's a really fantastic book.
    • 5/5
      I wasn't sure what I was going to be getting myself into once I started reading. I was hoping for something light because the last few books I read were on the heavy side. I wanted something fun. I wanted something that wouldn't keep me up at night worrying about the characters.Uh, no. I got EXACTLY what I was trying to avoid. But, goddammit if I'm not completely in love with Where the Stars Still Shine.This is truly such a beautiful, captivating book.Callie is an interesting girl. I couldn't help but sympathize with her. She's been through hell and back, and to be such a strong person takes a lot.Alex. Oh sweet, sweet Alex. Admittedly, he takes what he wants and he doesn't seem to have a hard time getting it. He's a boy with a future and that's something I completely love.Just about every other supporting character in Tarpon Springs is genuine. It's a place I wouldn't mind getting lost in. Callie's dad and step mom are undeniably real and I SO WISH I had little brothers like Joe and Tuck. OMG adorable.Now, Callie's mom is a review in itself. I hated her. I hate people who don't grow up when they have something worth growing up for. When they float through life living on a string of hope when they have something obviously worth living for. She's immature. She's sick (and not just in the diagnosed way). In the end, sure, she redeems herself, and she sure as shit got what she deserves. But still, I found myself physically rolling my eyes every time she was brought up. Uh. I just hate people like that.In the end, it's a book that will stick with you. Forever. It's one of those "back of the mind" books, where it just lives there and pops up at random moments.Written enchantingly, I cant say I'm disappointed in reading it.
    • 5/5
      This book made me feel like I was on a journey with Callie. I was captivated from page one and am dying to visit Tarpon Springs now!
    • 4/5
      I started this book when it came out, but had to put it down and read something lighter, because I was coming off some pretty dark books and needed a break. I loved Ms Doller'sfist novel Something Like Normal I’m glad I picked this back up to finish.

      Callie has been with her mother traveling from place to place, never going to school, and becoming a parent to her mother as life has progressed. When Mom is stopped by the police, Callie is surprised to discover that she’s considered a kidnapped victim and has a father who wants her. Callie has a lot to think about and deal with; she suffers from PSTD, while she wrestles with a painful mix of relief and guilt over not being with her mom. She’s used to being able to make her own choices, so struggles with authority. But her freedom is not something she’s ever hoped for, so we worry about her and wait on edge to see/read which way she’ll choose. Stay with dad? Or leave with mom?
    • 2/5
      Having recently read "Some Kind of Normal" by this author I was looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, it didn't do it for me and sent out the wrong messages to teenagers. Callie used sex as a way to escape hardships and was quite happy to jump into bed with boys she hardly knew, and the way she regularly lied to her family also irritated me. The romance between her and Alex never felt real, either. I never warmed to either of them until near the end, then I was left wanting. The one redeeming feature was her large Greek family, who were loving, rowdy and fun.
    • 5/5
      Such a good book ! The struggles Callie faces & her ways of coping are very understandable & relatable if you've experienced anything similar . Very well written character . Alex is fantastic , Greg is the dad everyone should have , & Kat is what true friendship is made of . The only thing I didn't love was that the ending was so abrupt . I wanted more of the story , & suddenly it was just over . It felt unfinished & that is unfortunate . Amazing book otherwise !
    • 5/5
      book made me cry and laugh I enjoyed it so much

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I totally loved this book, we just feel like we're part of the story, we just make one with the main character Callie. So happy I decided to start it !! I'm looking forward for the next book of this author :D I absolutely recommend it !!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      amazing.!!!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      This is an interesting “teen drama,” as it has been called, with unusual layers of complexity in some of the characterizations. The main protagonist, Callie, is 17, and living a life “on the lam” with her mother, who kidnapped Callie from her dad twelve years earlier. The mother, Ronnie, has a bipolar disorder but does not take medication, with predictably unpleasant results. They move from city to city, squatting in abandoned houses or living in bad areas of town in month-to-month rental apartments. Ronnie works at bars, and often brings home her customers. Beginning when Callie was 8, she was molested regularly by her mother’s men friends. And yet, Callie is fiercely loyal to her mother.As the story begins, Ronnie once again pulls Callie out of their apartment to move to a new city. Unfortunately, they are stopped by the police for a broken tail light, and the police discover that Ronnie not only does not have a driver’s license, car registration, or insurance, but that her name comes up in the database for the abduction. Ronnie is put in jail and Callie is taken in by a social worker until her father arrives to pick her up the next day.Greg, the father, flies Callie with him back to Tarpon Springs, Florida, where he lives with his second wife Phoebe and their two little boys, Tucker and Joe. They live close to Greg’s extended family, and Callie learns not only that her real name (which she never knew) is Callista Tzorvas, but that she is part of a large warm Greek community. They all accept Callie back with open arms. Callie quickly becomes aware of all that was taken from her by her mother, but this fills her with mixed emotions: she feels anger toward her mother, but loves her deeply and wants to help and protect her; maybe even go back to her.Callie has been damaged by all that happened to her. She doesn’t really feel like she belongs to this new “perfect” community, but she now has better insight into the “shortcomings” of the way she has been living with her mom. Yet she doesn’t really know how to act around “normal” people. And what about her mother’s mental disease - might she have inherited it? Callie has lots of decisions to make. But there aren’t instant solutions in this book, nor easy answers. Discussion: There is not much “action” in this story; it is more of a character exploration. Some of the side characters are a bit too perfect, but Callie and her mom are portrayed very realistically. You won’t completely love either one of them, but you will come to understand them. And the ending is well-done; not everything gets suddenly resolved, but rather, the story concludes in a reasonable way. Evaluation: The author treats a number of difficult issues with compassion and understanding. This book has been extremely well-received by teens.
    • 5/5
      A few phrases come to mind when I think of this book: culture shock, reality check, and. . . Stockholm Syndrome? Perhaps that’s a little far, but I think it rings true. All Callie has ever known is life with her mother–the mother who kidnapped her and hid her from the rest of her family almost all her life. And why it’s easy to point fingers at Callie’s mother, her story is also heartbreaking, watching her struggle with inner demons. And then there’s Callie: stuck in the middle between the life she should have lived for the past ten years, and the life she actually lived.

      Watching Callie come to terms with her life was an incredible journey that lasted the duration of this book. At the beginning, even the mood and the atmosphere FEEL so lonely, and it was the hardest part of the book for me to get through because of that. As Callie slowly learns to trust people, to open up, and to really entertain the idea of being part of a family, the setting and Doller’s writing started to reflect that.

      This isn’t a book to pick up if you’re looking for a book packed to the brim with plot–it’s heavily character-oriented and while I wouldn’t classify it as one of those slow-moving, but beautiful books, I think the pacing does tend towards the slower side. The revelations that Callie comes across as she struggles with her new life keep the book moderately paced and I HAD to find out how this part of Callie’s story ends, but I don’t think I’d go so far as to call it a page-turner.
      I don’t know how a person would act in Callie’s situation, but her character development seemed highly realistic to me. Here she is, thinking all of life has been one way the entire time, and suddenly she’s confronted with this new truth that’s the opposite of everything she’s always been told. She’s dazed and confused, which affects ALL her relationships–her relationship with her father, her relationship with her cousin who becomes her new friend, and her potential romantic relationship. It’s hard to read about Callie’s inner turmoil, but it’s worth it in the end.

      At the end of this book, things aren’t perfect. It’s not as if Callie wakes up one morning and suddenly feels like she fits everywhere she “needs” to and her life’s now normal, but she’s in such a different place at the end of the book that it works. Everything might not be tied up in a pretty string, but she’s come far enough that it’s clear to see she might one day be that way, which was an incredibly emotionally satisfying ending.

      Final Impression: I loved this book. If I hadn’t heard so many good things about the author, I might not have picked this one up, but I’m SO SO glad I did. It was hard to read at times, but I think the emotional journey Callie went through was believable and satisfying from a narrative point of view. The beginning was slightly rocky for me, but after that, it was clear this was a wonderful book that I came to love.

      Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book on Netgalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      This was the perfect pool read. It had a fun flirty setting with deep rooted emotion. There are triggers so you have been warned!

      Callie is abducted by her own mother... She is used to living alone and fighting her own battles so when she is sent to live with her father and an actual family her world is turned upside down. She has to navigate through her dark past, new love, and endless possibilities. It's not an easy journey, but with a good support system, she learns to live for herself.

      I'm from Florida so I really appreciated the local spots being mentioned and just the beachy vibes. The characters were messy, but in all the right ways. Picture two damaged people coming together to form a beautiful relationship and you have Callie and Alex. Their love was forbidden and a tad tragic. Both had life problems and until they dealt with them, they couldn't truly be together. It was not at all my typical read, but I really enjoyed it!