Souls in the Stars

Firstly, huge thanks to Snowfire Publishing, author Sarah Jane Triglia, and NetGalley for letting me dive into this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say, this story really got to me and is certainly one I will not forget. I was moved to tears multiple times.

It had everything—adventure, romance, grief, hypocrisy, spirituality, and some seriously cool sci-fi tech. The "Hunger Games meets Avatar" pitch is delivered upon, but the stakes are totally different, making it a story all its own.

While it's definitely accessible for high-school-aged readers, the themes and impact of the relationships give it a crossover appeal similar to the Hunger Games.

I really connected to Bay’s struggle with perfectionism, and her journey to self-acceptance and letting go of things beyond her control hit me hard. The dialogue even called me out a bit, reminding me that sometimes I just need to have faith, even as someone who leans more toward science than spirituality.

Ash's character was so lovable, and his passing hit me hard, right alongside Bay. The line, "having him in my life, even if only for eight years, was better than not having him at all," stuck with me long after finishing the book.

As someone who wants to get the quote "We are all stardust" tattooed, the overall message really resonated with me. It's ultimately about accepting that sentiment, no matter where you fall on the belief spectrum. The story touched on grieving someone who's still alive, how grief affects relationships, and the universal desire to be seen for who we truly are.

The world-building was solid. It was a bit confusing at times, albeit adding to the story's uniqueness. Much of the confusion is intentional and made clear by the ending though, so stick with it! The storytelling was immersive, painting vivid images that pulled me into the setting, the action, and the characters' dynamics.

And that ending! Easily my favorite part. It was totally unexpected but made perfect sense with the hints dropped along the way. It tied up loose ends while leaving me with new questions to ponder long after finishing.

While the amount of things I enjoyed about this book far outweighs the things I didn’t, there were a few things I didn’t love:

• Some references, like the significance of being barefoot versus wearing shoes, felt unresolved.
• Gemma, a mother-like figure, also felt underdeveloped, leaving me wanting more from her character.
• There were also some subtle digs at "millennial culture" and the "wokeness" trend that some were funny and others didn't land, but I didn't see exactly how it connected to the themes
• The use of modern slang like "vibes" and "fire" seemed forced and added little to the overall message. Perhaps the intention was to annoy the reader for the sake of it, but I didn't understand the purpose.

Overall, this is a strong debut novel, and I'm already telling my friends to keep an eye out for it when it's published!

Rating: 4.5 Stars!