4 out of 5 stars!

Scarlett St. Clair has done it again! This time in a YA fantasy/paranormal story!

The blurb and cover intrigued my interests and the book did not disappoint!

Before I begin, this story has reference to suicide so if that’s a trigger for you, then I don’t recommend reading this book!
Anora is a great and edgy character who lost her Poppa not so long ago. She moved to the new area with her mum, where she started the school.
Anora can see the dead - which is a pretty cool thing to do - unless it pulls you into another world that you didn’t see coming.
Anora has a hard time dealing with the death until she meets someone who also sees them.

Loved this story and cannot wait to see where it takes us! This story is definitely different from the other books that Scarlett has written; but definitely not worse !

I really REALLY hoping to like this.
but I ended up feeling...meh about it.
I was bored, nothing really stood out to me. There were aspects of the story that were interesting (turning souls into gold coins, cool!) But something about the plot felt tired. Person who can see the paranormal is sent to a special school because a parent/relative thinks they are crazy? So tired.
And the instalove....was too much, I didn't even really feel the chemistry between the characters.
Maybe Scarelett ST. Clair's books aren't for me.
final rating : 3 stars

Apparently indie books do occasionally get picked up by larger publishers. This book totally deserved it. It was amazing. I can't stop thinking about it. I was even trying to explain the story to my dad earlier today. It's that good.

However, first off, there is (and should be) a trigger warning. If suicide is a trigger for you, you won't want to read this book. There are several suicides and references to suicides. These are tragic events, and seen as such. But they happen. There are also a lot of dead people. A lot, a lot. The thing is, Anora can see dead people.

It started when her Poppy died, and he saw his soul emerged and then turned it into a coin. Really. It happened just like that. But when she tells her mom, her mom threatens to send her to a mental institution, so that's out. Instead, they move to Oklahoma, to a new school, and unfortunately, Anora sees dead people there, too, and things begin to get really strange.

But Anora is determined to make a new start, so she gives herself three rules. 1. Ignore the dead. 2. Absolutely no boys. And 3. Don't capture souls in Oklahoma. I'll let you guess how many chapters it takes for her to break her rules.

This is the perfect "we love each other but can't be together" trope. It also takes the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice to a new level. And in addition to the death-speakers, we get to meet a group of people called Valryns who take on three forms: human, raven, and a hybrid of the two. I mean, who of us hasn't wished we could do that! If you like high school drama with supernatural characters, dark settings, and morally gray characters, you will love this book. It was quite the ride and I eagerly anticipate book 2.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and have reviewed it because it was amazing!

3.5/5 stars

TW : Suicide (Lots of mentions and depictions), Death, Blood, Violence, Kidnaping, Plane Crash, Fire

I enjoyed this book a lot more than expected, I requested it on a whim as I’ve loved all of Scarlet’s previous books and was curious how she would handle YA and it’s restrictions. This book is very violence and is descriptive for its violence almost up to the do not pass go line for YA fiction. I thought this was a fun mythology retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice and I’m curious how it continues in the next book. I did not know going into the book that it was a mythology retelling but I was very pleasantly surprised by it.

Our main Character Anora, has been keeping a secret ever since her Poppa died that she can now not only see ghosts but can turn them into coins. After she accidentally kills someone in her old school, she and her mother move to Oklahoma to get a fresh start and send Anora to a school that deals with special kids. Anora meets Shy, who is the quarterback and popular guy at Nacoma Knight Academy and they have an instant connection. Anora still doesn’t feel like she fits in as she’s trying to hide her past from everyone, especially her new school gossip app, Roundtable, that seems to know everything about everyone.

The romance in this book was very much instant love but I didn't mind as the couple did seem to get to know each other before fully going into a romance. Eurydice is always reincarnated with a protector and they have a special bond that connects them so they can sense each other's feelings and wellbeing at all times.

The fantasy elements of this book were very intriguing. We have the Valryn, who are basically raven shifters, that are trained to fight to protect the world and serve Charon and are tasked with protecting the Eurydice whenever she is alive. There are also witches and death speakers, I did wish we had seen a bit more about the witches because the one scene we did get was very interesting and I would have loved knowing more about their magic. The Order is the government of the Valryn and their dynamic and how they expected everyone to follow orders no matter if there was evidence to back them up or not was really reminiscent of some real life situations. One other not well explained magic element is the Influence that causes people to act very out of character and almost always kill people, which we see in a plane crash in Switzerland and a fire in London.

I recommend this for fans of loose mythology retellings, romance, and urban fantasy. This was a great YA debut from Scarlett St. Clair and I’m excited for book 2.

I enjoyed this dark fantasy read and thought it was great if you are looking for an easier read. When I first started the book, I was a little unsure of the writing style as I felt like it was a little on the simpler side and the book starts off with only whispers of magic. It wasn’t until I got about a third or half way into the book that it picked up for me and I started to feel more immersed in the world created.

This book takes place in a small and strange town in Oklahoma where there are tons of souls and a fresh new start for our high school aged main character, Anora. I thought this main character was a fairly typical altruistic protagonist - she wants to be a good person and can be brave and rash. However, I didn’t feel like she was someone that I could relate to and most of her personality revolves around wanting to be good and trying to figure out her powers. I felt pretty neutrally about her, I didn’t fall in love with her but also did not find her to be annoying.

This book is written mostly from a first person point of view from our main character, with a few chapters written from a secondary main character’s point of view, Shy, our mysterious main male character.The writing style is easy to understand and the pace of the book is pretty quick. I think the two points of view really help fill the reader in on more background without dragging out the book for Anora to learn of these things.

As the book centers around seeing the souls of the dead and there is a death on the campus, one of the main themes of this book is grief and how different people handle death differently and how sometimes holding onto your grief isn’t always the best. Additionally, the book also covers complex parental relationships between these high school kids and their parents. I thought this was interesting to read about and made for more interesting character motivations.

I would say this book is about learning to believe in yourself and stand up for what you believe in. The main character starts her journey trying to keep her powers a secret, never really believing in herself but really develops throughout the book. I believe there is a sequel and I can’t wait to see what else she is capable of. Additionally, a lot of the characters really struggle to determine if they should follow their ruling government even when they don’t necessarily agree with their practices, which is another big theme the author includes.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a darker fantasy book that is easy to read and has some mystery and romance elements. This book has some dark imagery, unique magical creatures and mysterious boys. In addition, this book has quite a few twists, some more seasoned fantasy readers may be able to predict but are fun to follow regardless.

I’d like to thank SourceBooks Bloom Books for providing me with an eARC of this book.

What an amazing book! I loved this world and the kind of magic and creatures in it. It reads really easy and I loved reading this!
When I saw that I was accepted to arc read this book I was so happy because I loved the hades x persephone saga from Scarlett st.clair. Also this cover looks so pretty!
I definitely recommend this book to every fantasy ya lover! It's just awesome!

Hey. Sadly I was unable to finish this book. I had very much looked forward to it but due to a recent death in the family it became to hard for me to read. But I know I will get back to it on a later date. Thank you so much toigh for sending me this Arc as the writer is ome of my favorites.

Kind regards.

I’m starting to think that I need to not give the author’s books a chance anymore. I have not really enjoyed anything she’s put out and this was no different. The story felt bland and I wasn’t engaged.

This felt like the YA version of Ninth House, if Ninth House was bad. There are a lot of plot holes and almost no character development. I know this is my own issue, but I hate when authors drop cryptic bits of the characters back story and then wait to share the full explanation until well over halfway through the book or never at all. This book felt that way. I think the relationships with Shy could use a little more development and her moms character just felt completely un needed and I wanted to know more about her grandfather.

The world building was a little lacking for me, while the start of the book felt very gothic and creepy, it took a turn rather quickly into just mythical and magical instead. I liked the hybrids, seeing the dead, and the dark academia vibe. This book is filled with everyone’s favorite tropes and it a book for fans of Shadow and Bone (just the book) and the Shadowhunters show. This felt very cheesy to me at points. Like watching the remake of Gossip Girl hoping it was as good as the original.

Overall, it was just fine. Very slow beginning, lots going on, and an interesting concept, but needs some more editing.

2.5/5

Anora Silby can see the dead and turn spirits into gold coins, two things she would prefer to keep secret. Now she must find the person who stole her coin before more lives are lost, but that means making herself a target for the Order, governing body of the dead.

I love a good Ghost Whisperer-esque story. Anything to do with seeing the dead and communicating with them just makes me so happy inside. We are introduced into a new kind of world, full of dead talkers and hybrids. I held on to every word on every page, I loved it. I only have a few grievances, mostly character related and what seems like boring and overdone long-term villains but hopefully we can move past those in book two.

Recommended for fans of ghosts and resurrections and a simple, quick read in a new fantasy universe. A must for fans of Shadow and Bone and The Mortal Instruments.

Thank you to Sourcebooks/bloom books, NetGalley, and Scarlett St Clair for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Stars Come Out is a great YA book. St Clair does an amazing job branching off from her normal spicy content to bring you this safer, less steamy content.

Anora is the new girl on campus and she can see dead people. Not only can she see dead people, but she can turn them in to coins. This includes her Poppa who passed away and she keeps his coin on a necklace she wears everyday.
When she joins this school she’s immediately introduced to Shy. Shy has his own secrets, just like most of the students in this school. Is Anora the only one who sees the dead?
Her first day she meets her first ghost, whom she subsequently turns in to a coin, but the coin gets lost… or does it?

This is a beautiful mystery, science fiction story from Scarlett St Clair and I definitely suggest you check it out.

Only downfall is that it is looooooong. And I wanted her normal spice, but that’s my own issue.

When Stars Come Out is a YA crossover about a girl named Anora who can see ghosts and the havoc this has wreaked on her life lately. I was curious about a YA book my this author, but this book was so freaking good. The plot was amazing, I loved the magic, the ghosts, the otherworldly beings, the villains, the suspense, the murders, the “fated” lovers, literally this book has everything. I feel blessed to have read this and will be re-reading this many times.

I've really enjoyed other books of Scarlett's that I've read and was excited to fall into this story. The plot synopsis is interesting and sounds like something new!

"Anora Silby can see the dead and turn spirits into gold coins, two things she would prefer to keep secret as she tries to lead a normal life at her new school. After all, she didn't change her identity for nothing.
Hiding her weirdness is just one of many challenges. By the end of her first day, she's claimed the soul of a dead girl on campus and lost the coin. Turns out, the coin gives others the ability to steal souls, and when a classmate ends up dead, there's no mistaking the murder weapon."

Anora is a weird teenager, and most of the other teenagers in this book are too, which makes total sense to me, cause teenagers are weird. Add in a secret society and death magic and you've got a reciepe for disaster.
For such an intersting idea, I felt like this book started off a little slow, and it took me a while to get into the story, characters, and plot, but once I did I flew through the book and couldn't wait to find out who the culprit was and how this group was going to get out of the bind they found themselves in.

Starting this book, I was hesitant since fantasy books are a big hit or miss. For me to like the book, it has to have an easy magic system and quick world building. I did not have any problems with those in this book. I enjoyed the whole story, the plot and the characters. The pacing in the book was also nice and I think many people would definitely enjoy this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for providing me with this book. All thoughts are my own.

I recalled take some time to step my ground in beginning this story. I eventually mistakenly thought this is about a ghost whisperer story or maybe grim reaper character. This is my first read from the author, but I hears alot about her another series. And well, I think I found new favourite voice in paranorm genre.

I appreciate the unique ideas about reimagining of Orpheus and Eurydice in darker urban world. Their tragic story isn't as popular as another love stories from mythology. The plot is nothing new, but gripped enough to the end of pages. The conflicts and twist both interesting and give me a glimpse of another bigger adventures in next installment. The pace it self still feel dragging on some parts but rush in another. My another input is both main characters feel generic and lack depth. I want to see stronger bond, believable chemistry and growing relationships.

3.5/5

I‘ve read parts of the Hades x Persephone series and was curious to read a YA book written by the author. I was hoping that, due to the lack of explicit scenes, more focus would be laid on the characters‘ relationships and their development.

Sadly, this was not really the case. I could not relate to the characters‘ attraction to each other nor could I understand the motives behind their actions. There seemed to be an abundance of plot holes and just a whole lot of world building that was neglected. And coming from someone who is familiar with Greek mythology, saying that I did not understand the setting surely must seem troublesome.

There was a whole lot of telling and little to no showing. All I know about Anora is that she is a) mourning the loss of her grandfather (whom I know next to nothing about other than that he likes stargazing) and b) never listening to any advice and instead making poor choices to drive the plot forward. Her mother is an absolute mystery. Shy has no character beyond being ambitious and in insta-love with Anora. Thane, Lennon and Natalie don‘t fare any better.

The pacing also was very weird at times - sped up and then slowed down again randomly - so despite the author‘s typical engaging writing style this wasn’t exactly a quick read for me. In the end, I simply do not care for any of these characters in the least, so I will definitely not read the sequel.

2/5 stars.

This book was so much fun to read - a HUGE thank you SO MUCH to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for allowing me to consume this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

We follow Anora, a high school student who just wants to be "normal," but luckily for us, her life is far from normal. Not only is Anora able to SEE the dead - she is able to turn spirits into gold coins. WHAT?! We get to explore more than just the high school environment as we try to learn who can be trusted and what's ACTUALLY going on here. There's even a gossip app that reveals secrets that Anora wants to stay hidden - what a thrilling ride we have here.

I love Scarlett - she's a queen who has done it once again. If you have read any of her other books be prepared to be blown away. I'd argue this is one of my new favorites from her, and I'm so excited to continue with this series and see what unfolds for the characters. I know this is a retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice based on other reviews I'm seeing, but I was not familiar with that story when I went into this novel.

One thing I will say that I enjoyed was that it wasn't HEAVILY romanced. We do have a dual POV of the assumed love interest, but it's not like hot and heavy right off the bat... I'm sure we'll get some of that thirst quenched in the next book!

I would highly recommend this book! If you are a fan of paranormal, occult, love a good high school drama, slow build romance, plot twists and turns, and enchanting puzzles to figure out GO BUY THIS BOOK. This was easily a FIVE STAR read for me.

Just finished the book yesterday and am still dealing! It is so, so incredible! I can not say enough to encourage everyone I to please read this book!

It was full of so many surprises. I was totally surprised as certain facts were revealed. Going backwards I saw several things I should have questioned. Certainly has you on your toes!

I am so anxious to read the sequel and find out what happens with our heroine, Anora, and the budding forbidden romance between her and Shy.

I don't want to give anything away, but it is so hard to not reveal names and events. Please trust me. You must read this one.

Paranormal, spirits, ghosts, the underworld, good vs. evil, forbidden romance, mystery, and unending excitement. Everything a good book should be and do much more!

Thank you NetGalley, and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for granting me an advance copy of this fabulous book in return for my honest opinion.

Highly recommend.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Bloom and NetGalley for the ARC.

After an incident in New York, Anora moves to Oklahoma to attend a new school, which turns out to be full people who can see the dead and human/raven hybrids. There are also darklings, occultists, and a gossip girl-esque app which exposes everyone’s secrets. The Order is in charge of protecting the town and finding the Eurydice, whose purpose is to summon the gates of the underworld and usher the souls of the dead through. People die, souls are snatched, the dead are resurrected, hellhounds are summoned, and backs are stabbed.

I thought Anora was a unique character and her power to capture the souls of the dead and turn them into gold coins was something I haven’t seen before. I also really liked Shy and seeing the connection he feels to Anora through his POV. The romance is light but I was excited to see that Scarlett wants to expand this into a NA series. There are also heavy themes like grief and how it can change a person. Some things were predictable but I wasn’t bothered by it. I also appreciated the chapter titles. Overall this was a dark yet exciting fast paced read and I hope she writes a sequel soon.

This was a really really enjoyable read it felt fresh and new and exciting. I know it’s a retelling of Eurydice but it was beautifully done and so exciting to read. At times I forgot it was a myth retelling and was very Immersed in the story and along for the ride.

I do appreciate the trigger warnings from the author at the beginning and on what chapters they would happen. I feel this would give readers the ability of informed consent before reading some darker topics. With that said though I feel that even though death was a huge part of this book it wasn’t done In a gimmicky or insensitive way. Things weren’t overly dramatized or dark.

I think the betrayal from Anoras “friends” was a little over foreshadowed, I could see that coming from the moment they were introduced. The characterization wasn’t the best I’ve ever read but no one really felt too flat or fake. I do want to read the second book and learn more about this universe and other characters.

All in all this was a great mythological retelling that I enjoyed reading and would recommend. I cannot wait to read the second one. This was a well done paranormal novel that was able to weave Romance and some fantasy aspects together beautifully and didn’t feel rushed or fall flat.