<b>Content Warnings: Suicide (no details), drugs (no details), abuse (minor details)</b>

This was a beautifully written and heartwarming YA novel. It depicted difficult topics with thought provoking characters. The stories of five teens are told using multiple POVs with one character having mostly journal entries to tell their story. This novel is about connections and how it only takes a small act to completely change someone's life. It's a novel I wish I had access to when I was in high school.

<blockquote>It’s about the people you remember, not the other way around. </blockquote>

Though it deals with difficult topics, this novel is most definitely a YA novel. I would say that the target audience is 13 and up, but I think the message is important, even for adults.

Review will be posted on Instagram by or before publication date (@ellie.reads.a.lot)

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review; all opinions are my own.

Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction, Sad Books, Mental Health
Format: Multiple POVs
Content: Talk about suicide, abuse, drugs, bullying, physical health

Can I just say this book sort of wrecked me.
There is so much going on in high school, and the stress kids face is real. So even though this is fiction, it is a lens on reality. Teens need more empathy from adults and each other. School can be rough. And sometimes home is even rougher.

As we follow each thread of a person's story, we can see how it weaves in with other people, and how we can affect one another. The power in this novel is seeing how simple acts have great consequences—both bad and good. I felt like the descriptions were not too intense or specific to potentially cause harm but to bring awareness to problems.

This is definitely a heavy novel but so important to read to understand better.
It specifically says it was written for suicide prevention.

I think high schoolers going through rough patches will find this book to be helpful to know that no one is alone. To hopefully find the courage to reach out. And to be a friend to others.

I hope you read it as an adult too.

We all need to know how to help others in need. This is actually a story full of HOPE. And there is beauty in healing and coming to trust others.

I highly recommend this book!

Oh my heart! I thought that this book would be heavy and sad with the topic(s) addressed. But it wasn't. It is so well written! I couldn't stop once I started. I loved this group of students. Some knew each other and some didn't.

The way the author wrote the book starting at the beginning of the day for Addison and finishing the book at the end of the same day was clever. Yes, it's just a day snapshot but there's so much that can happen in a day.

I also really loved the theme of everyone having their struggles and that a lot of the time those struggles aren't shared or talked about. But they are there and we need to be careful in recognizing that and being there to love and support, to be kind and give strength to each other. What a powerful and wonderful thing that these students learn!

I hope everyone who reads this will take heart that theme and lesson. What a difference doing so could make in our lives, others lives and the whole world's lives!!!

I don't want to go into details but just want to reiterate how much I loved this book! I'm so glad I took a chance on it. Honestly, I couldn't stop until I finished it!!! And even with the topics discussed I want my teenagers to read it!

Content: Clean. There is talk about suicide, suicide prevention, abuse (physical/sexual), drug distribution, pregnancy out of wedlock. With all of those listed I'm sure you're thinking how is this clean. I promise you that the author wrote this book with great sensitivity to those topics. They are mentioned just in the sense that they are happening and not in great detail. The students/characters were well written in how they supported and found help in these situations! Honestly very well done and one I HIGHLY RECOMMEND for parents and youth to read!

I received a copy from the publisher, Shadow Mountain Publishing, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

“…it isn’t about the people who remember you when you’re gone. It’s all about who you remember while you’re here.”

Swimming in a Sea of Stars is a moving novel about a group of teens all struggling with different seen and unseen challenges, and how they learn to help others to help themselves. My favorite part was that the teens each had moments where they felt awkward talking to people who were different or struggling with things, and they learned that even when they might not know what to say, just saying something, however awkward it might feel, can help someone for the better. I strongly recommend parents read this with their teens and talk about how they can help others even when they might know what to say. It only takes something as small as saying hi that can change a life!

Thanks to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I like reading books about mental health and I though that I would enjoy this book as well but, even though I liked the story, I found it pretty simple and don't have too much to say.

This book tell us about 5 people who are from the same school and that, at one point, they cross path with each other. Each of them have their POV and we get to know them throught the book.

Overall I liked the story, because it shows that every one have their own problems but maybe I would enjoyed it even more if the book was longer.

This book totally drew me in from the first page. I don't always like books with several narrators, but I liked each of the five here. I also really enjoyed seeing how their interactions impacted each other, just small things or words that were just the nudge that another character needed to think about things (including each other) differently. I appreciated the honesty of the emotions. I think that's my favorite think about a well-written YA book; the emotions are palpable. In a book that covers topics of attempted suicide, abuse, cancer, etc., those emotions and the plot could have become overwhelming, but I think Julie Wright did a great job of finding the balance of not making them too much for the reader while still making them real and not sugarcoated or overly simplistic. I also liked the feeling of hope as the book progressed. With a book that covers so much--and all occurs in one day--realistically, we're not going to see everything resolve perfectly, but I think where it ended for each character was hopeful. Part of me really wanted an epilogue because I'd love to know what happened to each character, but I also wonder if it could have felt believable; the characters still have a lot of emotional work to do and skipping that to include an epilogue might have diluted their experiences and the power of their processes of coping and learning and growing.
This book covers important topics and is very well-written. I definitely recommend this to teens and adults alike.

4.5 stars.

I read an ARC provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Addison returns to school after being absent for a month due to a suicide attempt. Her story connects with four other students, each with their own hardships. The author presents all five viewpoints which can be confusing at times. A compelling read. Thank you, Net Galley and Shadow Mountain Press for the opportunity to read this candid story. My opinions are my own.

I loved this book. I thought that the journal review at the beginning of every chapter was going to annoy me, but I actually enjoyed it, it allowed me to see inside a character more than I really have before. The spectrum of character trials was very well thought out, and I loved how they all came together in the end. This book can teach us a lot of things about others, and ourselves. I know that this book can have a big impact on people.

I appreciated how this book shows the power of stepping outside your comfort zone to connect and relate to those around you. It also reminds readers that any person can make a huge difference in the world even when they are completely unaware of the difference that their existence makes. Addison's return to school impacts four other teens' lives in ways she may never realize and she makes the first steps toward healing from her past traumas. Even though this book takes place over the course of one single day, the author shows readers how choosing to take a step in the right direction, one day at a time, can get you headed in the right direction.

I appreciated how each character made progress on their journey to dealing with their personal struggles and how the author gently discussed topics in a way that reduced possible trigger warnings for sensitive readers. The author does give the reader all the answers to the questions of life, but ends the book with an opening for in-depth discussion. There are several follow-up questions that would make this book useful in a book group or to help parents and teen learn to communicate about traumas and inner turmoil.

I enjoyed the writing style and found it easy to empathize with the characters. It was a little difficult to keep some of the stories straight (some of the girls have similar struggles they are dealing with), but by the end, I was happy with the resolutions for each character. I would definitely read more from Julie Wright in the future and I hope this book encourages other readers to notice others around them and remember to be aware of small actions that can make a huge positive impact in the lives of others.

Swimming in a Sea of Stars definitely delves into a lot of tough topics but these are topics that need to be discussed. Because the book is set in a short time span, I feel like the author is only able to scratch the surface of the mental health issues the characters are dealing with but she gives her readers a positive sense that there is hope and encouragement from others out there. She demonstrates that there is someone to help and that we are all connected in ways we may not even understand. A must read for young adults today. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#SwimminginaSeaofStars #NetGalley

Swimming in a Sea of Stars was a book with so much emotion. I will warn you it is a book about near suicide of a teenager, that is part of the focus there was so much more to the story. This story is told from the view of several students. Addison is hurting and not knowing how to deal with that emotion nearly had her ending her own life. This story takes place on her first day back at high school, which is hard for her knowing that most of the students know of her attempt. This story deals with hard subjects, suicide, divorce, cancer, abuse, drugs, illness, therapy and bravery. It is a book that is so needed. What a well written novel. Thank you NetGalley, Shadow Mountain and of course the author Julie Wright.

Swimming in a Sea of Stars is an interconnected story starting with Addison Thoreau who attempted to take her own life.

It follows four people including Booker who attempted to kiss Addison before she fled, leading him to believe…what is he supposed to believe what happened unless he speaks with her but she is hesitant to speak with him after she returns to school.

To be honest, I was here for Addison and wanted to find out why she attempted suicide as a way out. I grasped the information that was given but not a lot was given, and I did not “feel’ the interconnectedness with the three other characters, again I wanted more information than was given. Dealing with the issues that were raised in the novel was very serious but maybe I wasn’t the right audience for this story. I have read a previous novel by Julie Wright and that was my primary motivation for reading, Swimming in a Sea of Stars. I would’ve preferred an emphasis on Addison's story, a little more information, and maybe a more organic interconnectedness stemming from her story that would reach out to the other characters in this story.

However, I am glad I continued with Swimming in a Sea of Stars because in the end things were redeemed and I was able to see what could be seen through Swimming in a Sea of Stars in the beginning that you might not see the interconnectedness, if you stick around long enough, meaning that perseverance does pay off in the long run. Don’t give up because it can all come together if you allow it. Don’t let your light burn out.

My gratitude to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain. All opinions are honest and mine.

This was a really good, “thinking” book. It felt so genuine and human, while also giving some good food for thought.

A good fit for the YA category.

This book pulls at your heartstrings but is also uplifting and positive. The book begins with Addison (main character) returning to school after being out for a time due to a suicide attempt. Her fears and thoughts are portrayed through journal writing and her story intertwines with four other teens who are also dealing with issues of their own. The story is told through multiple perspectives and covers one full day. I thought the author did a wonderful job in illustrating that we often have an impact on another person's life without even knowing that we did. My favorite part was the interaction between Addison and Ceclia in the school restroom. I embraced each teen as I learned more about them as the story unfolded. Wright did a beautiful job respecting the mental health issues in the story and was empathic in how the interactions played out. I feel that this book would appeal to young adults and highly recommend that they read it. It's a powerful little book that is thought provoking and shows that every individual has worth and that being kind is something that we all should strive to be.

Amazing book about teen life and life in general. We never know what pain lies beneath our public faces. This book helps explore possibilities that are seldom talked about, but should be.

this was a really good! I liked the characters, and they were super well-developed. the plot was super cool and fun to read, and the writing was also smooth and easy to understand
highly recommend

I don't usually go for books with multiple points of view, but I genuinely enjoyed SIASOS. Everyone had a very different internal voice and perspective to share. Suicide is a heavy topic to cover in less than 300 pages, and especially for a YA novel, but Wright executed it perfectly. Proper representation in books like this is so important for younger audiences.

My only real complaint was that it took me up until at least half way through to feel any real connection with certain storylines, but even then I still loved the plot and link between characters.

4/5 starts, check trigger warnings

A wonderful story for teens and adults. It opens a window in the daily lives of teens. So many of these kids, in the story, interact with each other in a daily basis, not always knowing how one small act of kindness can have a huge impact on others. This is true for everyone, every day. Gossip never helps. We could all help lift one another. The light from each star is noticed, if we just take the time to truly see.

I really tried to get into this book. I liked how it was part diary/part story but there was just so much going with so many characters, I couldn't really connect with any of them. I was not vested in the story line at all.
The ending is good and it seems like Addison who is the FMC, is in a better place at the end (after an attempted suicide) but that is really all I can say about it.

I was not truly sure how I would feel about this book. I recently lost a friend to suicide, and have watched others deal with the same loss, and was not sure how this would affect me.

This is well written, with multiple points of view, with teens going through so many things that my life never had to go through. Each of these characters have such poignant stories, stories that I didn't want them to stop. I want to know what happens after this one day look into their life.

I loved the way the author took you into the characters minds, and showed us how one small thing, one smile, one thank you, can make a difference in someones life. We really don't realize how that one thing can help someone.