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Star Daughter
If the night sky holds many secrets, it holds Sheetal Mistry's secret the closest. A secret that explains why her hair is the silver of starlight, or why some nights the stars call Sheetal by name.
Stars like her mother, who returned to her place in the constellation Pushya years ago. Since that day, Sheetal has been forced to hide.
But as her seventeenth birthday draws near, the pull from the sky is growing stronger. So strong that Sheetal loses control, and a flare of starfire burns her human father—an injury only a full star's blood can heal.
Sheetal has no choice but to answer the starsong and ascend to the sky. But her celestial family has summoned her for a reason: to act as their human champion in a competition to decide the next ruling house of heavens.
Desperate to save her father, Sheetal agrees. But nothing could have prepared Sheetal to face the stars' dark history—or the forces that are working to shut the gate between the realms for good.
Stars like her mother, who returned to her place in the constellation Pushya years ago. Since that day, Sheetal has been forced to hide.
But as her seventeenth birthday draws near, the pull from the sky is growing stronger. So strong that Sheetal loses control, and a flare of starfire burns her human father—an injury only a full star's blood can heal.
Sheetal has no choice but to answer the starsong and ascend to the sky. But her celestial family has summoned her for a reason: to act as their human champion in a competition to decide the next ruling house of heavens.
Desperate to save her father, Sheetal agrees. But nothing could have prepared Sheetal to face the stars' dark history—or the forces that are working to shut the gate between the realms for good.
435 pages, Hardcover
First published August 11, 2020
About the author
Shveta Thakrar
34 books774 followers(Hi! I can't accept friend requests here, so if you'd like to get in touch, please find me on social media or contact me via my website.
Also: I am unable to provide review copies of any of my books. All that is handled by my publisher. Thank you!)
Shveta Thakrar is a writer of South Asian–flavored fantasy, part-time nagini, and full-time believer in magic. Her debut novel Star Daughter is out now from HarperTeen, and her short fiction and poetry have appeared in a variety of magazines and anthologies. When not spinning stories about spider silk and shadows, magic and marauders, and courageous girls illuminated by dancing rainbow flames, Shveta crafts, devours books, daydreams, travels, bakes, and occasionally even plays her harp.
Also: I am unable to provide review copies of any of my books. All that is handled by my publisher. Thank you!)
Shveta Thakrar is a writer of South Asian–flavored fantasy, part-time nagini, and full-time believer in magic. Her debut novel Star Daughter is out now from HarperTeen, and her short fiction and poetry have appeared in a variety of magazines and anthologies. When not spinning stories about spider silk and shadows, magic and marauders, and courageous girls illuminated by dancing rainbow flames, Shveta crafts, devours books, daydreams, travels, bakes, and occasionally even plays her harp.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,867 reviews
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February 28, 2021This was a really cool debut fantasy! I absolutely adored the world and how it was brimming with Hindu culture. It was super vibrant and whimsical and just came to life. There were a lot of elements I really enjoyed about the story overall. I found the stars to be fascinating, the star hunting aspect, and the competition and how it played out, and how the competition centred around art and the stars as muses. But, the pacing was a bit off for me. It was really slow as most of the book is building up to the competition and then the competition itself wrapped up quite quickly. I think I would've preferred for the actual competing part to be more of the story, especially because the middle dragged a lot. Most of the middle is following the main character Sheetal as she's trying to figure out a lot of things, which is understandable, but it didn't make for a pleasant reading experience. It became pretty repetitive after paragraph after paragraph of her being kind of whiny and wondering about basically everything. There were also quite a few instances of info dumping that bogged the story down a bit. But overall, it was super interesting, I just think some of the pacing could've been worked out better. The writing was beautiful and very whimsical which suited the story well. I will say some of the flourishes of it does make things kind of confusing. One of my favourite things was the friendship between Minal and Sheetal. Minal was definitely a favourite character for me. I also enjoyed that the friendship seemed to take prevalence over the romance. Or maybe that's just how I read it because I didn't care so much about the romance. The love interest was really sweet at the beginning, but I forgot about him because he disappeared for awhile, so then when he reappeared and became a main part of the story again I didn't really care. Overall, I think this was a strong debut, despite the issues I had with it I really enjoyed a lot of things about it too!
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December 21, 201920 Dec. 2019: I just finished my final read-through, and while there's no book more perfectly designed for giving stars to (✨✨✨✨✨), I believe reviews are for readers, not authors. So I'll leave that up to all of you--but I will say I adore this book and am so, so, so proud of it. It is the magical fairy tale of my heart, my love letter to everyone who yearns for more and has always wished to go shopping at a magical Night Market and wants to find their place in the world(s). I hope if you read it, you love it, too.
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I see someone updated this listing, and MY GORGEOUS COVER IS LIVE! AHHHHHHHHHH! :D :D :D I hope you love it as much as I do!
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I see someone updated this listing, and MY GORGEOUS COVER IS LIVE! AHHHHHHHHHH! :D :D :D I hope you love it as much as I do!
August 27, 2020
since it seems like most of the pre-reviews for this are basically a support group - hi, my name is jessica and i, too, picked this book up solely because of the gorgeous cover.
that being said, i really wish the story inside was just as stunning. dont get me wrong, i liked this. just not as much as i wanted to. and i think it stems from the fact that this story very much feels like a debut novel and there is so much room for growth and development.
the inspiration from hindu myth is fascinating, but the world-building is quite confusing and assumes the reader is already familiar with desi culture and folklore (which i am not). there is so much potential for the characters and many opportunities for their development, but they all fell flat for me. and the writing is pretty basic. its a very telling narrative (versus a showing narrative), which can be boring at times.
so while there is so much great representation and inherent positives about this story, im not quite sure it plays to all its strengths. definitely not a bad book, but i hope ST develops her style a little more with her next novel!
↠ 3.5 stars
that being said, i really wish the story inside was just as stunning. dont get me wrong, i liked this. just not as much as i wanted to. and i think it stems from the fact that this story very much feels like a debut novel and there is so much room for growth and development.
the inspiration from hindu myth is fascinating, but the world-building is quite confusing and assumes the reader is already familiar with desi culture and folklore (which i am not). there is so much potential for the characters and many opportunities for their development, but they all fell flat for me. and the writing is pretty basic. its a very telling narrative (versus a showing narrative), which can be boring at times.
so while there is so much great representation and inherent positives about this story, im not quite sure it plays to all its strengths. definitely not a bad book, but i hope ST develops her style a little more with her next novel!
↠ 3.5 stars
September 7, 2020
August Owlcrate! A beautiful sprayed edge edition of the book! Click the link below the picture to see the GOODIES!
GOODIES LINK: https://melissa413readsalot.blogspot....
AUGUST FAIRYLOOT BOX. Click the link under the picture to see the awesome goodies!
GOODIES LINK:
https://melissa413readsalot.blogspot....
Son of a damn shit hole!!!!!!!!!!! I’m so mad!!!
This was one of the books on my most anticipated books of the year. Of course, I thought it was going to be something totally different, but that’s neither here nor there. And naturally, I got two beautiful editions through FairyLoot and Owlcrate with purple sprayed edges and golden shimmery sprayed edges! I had planned on keeping them both, but no, I have to trade them both in! I’m just going to start hating all pretty books before I read them so they might be good!
I don’t even know half of what was going on in the book! I guess I’m not artistic enough to get it. Whatever, sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I hope others love the book and I hope the people that buy my trade in really love it. I do love to put smiles on others faces.
Fin.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
GOODIES LINK: https://melissa413readsalot.blogspot....
AUGUST FAIRYLOOT BOX. Click the link under the picture to see the awesome goodies!
GOODIES LINK:
https://melissa413readsalot.blogspot....
My mother is a star. I am half earth, half of heavens. Cut me, and I might bleed silver. My skin is a rich brown, the exact shade of my human father’s skin, but my hair is long and thick and frosted like the moon. In my chest burns a fiery core that beats in time with the music of the spheres, their song deep and layered with dreams.
Son of a damn shit hole!!!!!!!!!!! I’m so mad!!!
This was one of the books on my most anticipated books of the year. Of course, I thought it was going to be something totally different, but that’s neither here nor there. And naturally, I got two beautiful editions through FairyLoot and Owlcrate with purple sprayed edges and golden shimmery sprayed edges! I had planned on keeping them both, but no, I have to trade them both in! I’m just going to start hating all pretty books before I read them so they might be good!
I don’t even know half of what was going on in the book! I guess I’m not artistic enough to get it. Whatever, sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I hope others love the book and I hope the people that buy my trade in really love it. I do love to put smiles on others faces.
Fin.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
October 21, 2020
OwlCrate's August 2020 Box : My Rep Code: MEL10 ❤️
Fairyloot's August 2020 Box: My Rep Code: MELANIE5 ❤️
Reviews you should check out: Fanna's, Anandi's, Sara's
"She was nothing but the words of a story, one tale weaving imperceptibly into the next. She was the loom that wove the tapestry. She was the tapestry that joined all things."
Star Daughter is a beautiful story about a girl who is half human and half star, and she must go to the celestial court to try to save her father after he has fallen ill. And before she knows it, she is taking part in a magical competition that she must win!
This is also a story about art and all the different forms, and how sometimes music can be healing. Yet also about how much is taken from other cultures under the disguise of the word “muse”. This is such a beautiful story that is ownvoices for the Indian representation and the Hindu mythology, and I truly think it’s a bright and shining star *wink* in 2020 debuts!
If you’re looking for a story with some magic, some romance, some identity discovery, connections through our ancestors, beautiful and lush settings, mouthwatering food descriptions, and a whole lot of love on every page, I’d really recommend Star Daughter!
Trigger and Content Warnings: abandonment, lots of blood depiction, violence (cuts & stabs), captivity, hospitalization of a loved one, illness of a loved one, panic attacks, talk of kidnapping, and talk of loss of a loved on in the past.
Blog | Instagram | Youtube | Ko-fi | Spotify | Twitch
Buddy read with Maëlys! ❤
December 8, 2020
The Written Review
August OwlCrate Unboxing Video is up! Honestly wasn't my favorite box...but some of it was nice. Click the link to check it out!
What...an absolute disappointment.
She was nothing but the words of a story, one tale weaving imperceptibly into the next. She was the loom that wove the tapestry. She was the tapestry that joined all things.
Loved the way Sheetal's culture was portrayed in this book - absolutely amazing.
BUT the actual plot and Sheetal's overwhelming naivety? Insufferable. It was like...American idol...in space...kinda.
My thoughts and prayers are with her kinda-sorta-boyfriend. That poor man.
Full review to come
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
Shelved as 'willsacrifice-maryams-soul-for-this'
August 14, 2020Sees the Indian girl on the cover...
Takes the cover pic & goes to look in the mirror...
Mrin: Nah..she doesn't look like me
Mrin's mom:
Mrin:*shrugs*
I just hope my Mom does not sees this😂
But the expression of the lady was ON POINT
Mrin after seeing the cover...
Jokes aside...I am sooooooo excited for this book!!!
This is based on the Indian Mythology
the MC is the daughter of a STAR AKA NAKSHATRA...
Don't know if it's present in all of India
BUT even now we have "NAKSATRA's " assigned to us during our birth
So basically when a child is born ...their "Patrika/kundali" is made
this Patrika includes the star sign, nakshatra of the child along with other "Astrology facts"
won't go too deep into it or else you will get confused
Anyways just thought to add this ..I thought it MIGHT be exciting
If it was boring...not gonna apologise😂😅
I mean just thought it might be interesting for those who don't know much about Indian culture
hmmm..now for the "Will sacrifice Maryam 's soul" part...
She is my friend & a self-proclaimed phoenix
Don't worry about her she will survive
AND I AM NOT THE EVIL ONE HERE!!
Maryam is the one who started it!
She wanted to "LURE" me & steal my soul by bribing me with Biryani
AND we have a SLYTHERIN(MARYAM) Vs GRYFFINDOR(MRIN) thing going on too
And since this is NOT HP..There are chances that the Slytherin will win
Therefore I have to sacrifice her soul in exchange for this book before she sacrifices mine
If you have read till this part...THANK FOR KEEPING UP WITH MY NONSENSE😂🙈
Takes the cover pic & goes to look in the mirror...
Mrin: Nah..she doesn't look like me
Mrin's mom:
Mrin:*shrugs*
I just hope my Mom does not sees this😂
But the expression of the lady was ON POINT
Mrin after seeing the cover...
Jokes aside...I am sooooooo excited for this book!!!
This is based on the Indian Mythology
the MC is the daughter of a STAR AKA NAKSHATRA...
Don't know if it's present in all of India
BUT even now we have "NAKSATRA's " assigned to us during our birth
So basically when a child is born ...their "Patrika/kundali" is made
this Patrika includes the star sign, nakshatra of the child along with other "Astrology facts"
won't go too deep into it or else you will get confused
Anyways just thought to add this ..I thought it MIGHT be exciting
If it was boring...not gonna apologise😂😅
I mean just thought it might be interesting for those who don't know much about Indian culture
hmmm..now for the "Will sacrifice Maryam 's soul" part...
She is my friend & a self-proclaimed phoenix
Don't worry about her she will survive
AND I AM NOT THE EVIL ONE HERE!!
Maryam is the one who started it!
She wanted to "LURE" me & steal my soul by bribing me with Biryani
AND we have a SLYTHERIN(MARYAM) Vs GRYFFINDOR(MRIN) thing going on too
And since this is NOT HP..There are chances that the Slytherin will win
Therefore I have to sacrifice her soul in exchange for this book before she sacrifices mine
If you have read till this part...THANK FOR KEEPING UP WITH MY NONSENSE😂🙈
August 5, 2020
This cover makes me want to activate my (tbh terrible) flirting skills.
Emotional book playlist filled with Hindi songs for this adventurous, cute, and gorgeous YA debut of stars and Hindu mythology → Spotify LINK ✨
Review to come but, in the meantime, read the author’s heartfelt note because it fully paints what to expect of Star Daughter:
A court-full of stars to my superhero for sending me an eARC from Edelweiss 💛
Be humble, for you are made of earth. Be noble, for you are made of stars.
—Siberian proverb
Emotional book playlist filled with Hindi songs for this adventurous, cute, and gorgeous YA debut of stars and Hindu mythology → Spotify LINK ✨
Review to come but, in the meantime, read the author’s heartfelt note because it fully paints what to expect of Star Daughter:
Dear reader,
My whole life, I’ve yearned for magic. I grew up steeped in Western fairy tales, in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, in books about witches and Narnia and faeries, and I’ve always nurtured lush fantasy realms in my imagination.
Even so, it took me until my mid-twenties to wonder why the important characters in books were always white and why readers were expected to be familiar with pixies and brownies, but not with apsaras or yakshas. Why, especially, if someone did write about my desi heritage or Hindu faith, it was inevitably serious and unhappy—and often wrong. I wanted adventures and magic, too! I wanted to see brown girls having fun.
So I decided to write the stories I never had.
Star Daughter is partly my response to Neil Gaiman’s and Charles Vess’s gorgeous illustrated novel Stardust. When I found it back in 2002, I fell in love. The journey of a human boy to find a star who’d been knocked out of the sky even inspired me to write a short story about a half-human, half-star girl. Except, as in Stardust, that story called for a quest—and quests fit much better into novels, so...
I wove Hindu mythology together with other concepts I adore, like enchanted Night Markets and fey balls. I explored Sheetal’s misunderstandings with her boyfriend, her relationships with the women in her life, and her being caught between worlds. And I dreamed up so much starry brown girl magic.
I hope the result is just as fun to read, too.
A court-full of stars to my superhero for sending me an eARC from Edelweiss 💛
June 22, 2021
A young half-star half-mortal woman, a gorgeous setting among the clouds, music that plays on one's heartstrings, emotionally complex familial relationships, inspiration from the nakshatras of Hindu cosmology, and lush narration through a lyrical writing.
Sheetal, the daughter of a a human dad and a star mother, has always pushed down the heavenly part of her by either dying the silver hair strands or attempting to ignore the starsong that flows to and through her. But when the dye and the ignorance can't keep her away from the truth of being a star's daughter, from letting her sparks flow, she unintentionally harms her father and the solution is among the clouds.
As someone caught between the two possibilities of existing—in the heavens or on the Earth—Sheetal makes decisions out of desperation and love. Her flawed personality makes her realistic, relatable, and easy to understand. She's new to the family high above this world and new to being so open, so true, so herself as a star. Consequently, the discoveries she make, the secrets that are unravelled, and the ancestry she had no knowledge of are surprising and highly influence her portrayal as someone filled with uncertainty.
The setting is one of beauty, charm, and magic. Especially with immortals roaming around in fashionable pieces & flawless skin. Whether it's the hallways lined with intricate designs on the walls or a hall full of mirrors that can help you see anything or anyone on Earth, the svarglok—a heavenly world in Hindu cosmology—is a place you want to roam in all day.
From the best friend, Minal, who always has Sheetal's back and sprinkles humour everywhere to the love interest, Dev, who is a soft boy, the side characters have distinct personalities you simply cannot not love. The friendship is proven right at the gates of heaven and the romantic attachment is build on an already existing bloom of feelings. The rest of the side characters, including those who are competing against Sheetal in the high-stakes celestial competition, have enough to contribute and are worth remembering at the end of it all.
The new-found familial relationships have an understandable dual effect—the pure happiness of connecting with those who share your bloodline as well as the undeniable insecurity & constant questioning of what family really is. The mother-daughter connection is very well explored through Sheetal's broken heart after being abandoned getting fixed again. Similarly, the father-daughter love is excellent too—and personally, my absolute favourite.
Right off the bat, Sheetal's starsong—an astral melody that travels across the sky and through a star's heart—and Dev singing a Kishore Kumar song in a party, the music is beautifully integrated in the story. Along the same lines, seeing words like dilruba, bansuri, bhajan, and gandharva can impress the ownvoices readers very much.
The culture is perfectly depicted through food references like samosa, naan, bhajia, aloo mattar, dal and rasmalai or through literal translations like dikri, bhai, nani, nana, and chhokri—my personal favourite since this was the first time I ever saw a word my mom uses to angrily acknowledge me. *heart explodes with love* The inspiration from Hindu mythology is also seamlessly incorporated through the essence of nakshatras and mention of deities as well as customs like pressing vermilion and a grain of raw rice on the forehead in blessing.
➵ finally finished reading this and it gave me so much in terms of cultural representation and mythological inspiration that I'm filled with happiness. also, dev is that soft boy you can easily love and minal is ball of sunshine, and sheetal really is a ~star~ rtc.
➵ starting this! i'm here for the inspiration from hindu mythology, cheering this gorgeous beauty on the cover during the celestial competition, some romantic drama, and shine+shimmer because half-star half-mortal.
↣ consider reading this review over on my blog.
A young woman is struck to live the part of her she has kept hidden as a secret for so long.
Sheetal, the daughter of a a human dad and a star mother, has always pushed down the heavenly part of her by either dying the silver hair strands or attempting to ignore the starsong that flows to and through her. But when the dye and the ignorance can't keep her away from the truth of being a star's daughter, from letting her sparks flow, she unintentionally harms her father and the solution is among the clouds.
As someone caught between the two possibilities of existing—in the heavens or on the Earth—Sheetal makes decisions out of desperation and love. Her flawed personality makes her realistic, relatable, and easy to understand. She's new to the family high above this world and new to being so open, so true, so herself as a star. Consequently, the discoveries she make, the secrets that are unravelled, and the ancestry she had no knowledge of are surprising and highly influence her portrayal as someone filled with uncertainty.
The celestial court is sparkling and the shimmer of svarglok is hypnotic.
The setting is one of beauty, charm, and magic. Especially with immortals roaming around in fashionable pieces & flawless skin. Whether it's the hallways lined with intricate designs on the walls or a hall full of mirrors that can help you see anything or anyone on Earth, the svarglok—a heavenly world in Hindu cosmology—is a place you want to roam in all day.
A supporting cast that shine individually and relationships that are complex.
From the best friend, Minal, who always has Sheetal's back and sprinkles humour everywhere to the love interest, Dev, who is a soft boy, the side characters have distinct personalities you simply cannot not love. The friendship is proven right at the gates of heaven and the romantic attachment is build on an already existing bloom of feelings. The rest of the side characters, including those who are competing against Sheetal in the high-stakes celestial competition, have enough to contribute and are worth remembering at the end of it all.
The new-found familial relationships have an understandable dual effect—the pure happiness of connecting with those who share your bloodline as well as the undeniable insecurity & constant questioning of what family really is. The mother-daughter connection is very well explored through Sheetal's broken heart after being abandoned getting fixed again. Similarly, the father-daughter love is excellent too—and personally, my absolute favourite.
The Indian culture, the Hindu mythology & the ownvoices brilliance: food, music, and world.
Right off the bat, Sheetal's starsong—an astral melody that travels across the sky and through a star's heart—and Dev singing a Kishore Kumar song in a party, the music is beautifully integrated in the story. Along the same lines, seeing words like dilruba, bansuri, bhajan, and gandharva can impress the ownvoices readers very much.
The culture is perfectly depicted through food references like samosa, naan, bhajia, aloo mattar, dal and rasmalai or through literal translations like dikri, bhai, nani, nana, and chhokri—my personal favourite since this was the first time I ever saw a word my mom uses to angrily acknowledge me. *heart explodes with love* The inspiration from Hindu mythology is also seamlessly incorporated through the essence of nakshatras and mention of deities as well as customs like pressing vermilion and a grain of raw rice on the forehead in blessing.
Overall, a definite recommendation for those who enjoy standalone with fast-paced mythology-inspired fantasy plot and lush writing that makes you want to be lost in the shine of a star.
➵ finally finished reading this and it gave me so much in terms of cultural representation and mythological inspiration that I'm filled with happiness. also, dev is that soft boy you can easily love and minal is ball of sunshine, and sheetal really is a ~star~ rtc.
↣ digital copy received via hov for a blog tour!
➵ starting this! i'm here for the inspiration from hindu mythology, cheering this gorgeous beauty on the cover during the celestial competition, some romantic drama, and shine+shimmer because half-star half-mortal.
May 24, 2021
“Be humble, for you are made of earth. Be noble, for you are made of stars.”
This was a cute YA fantasy. A bit too romancy for me - but I enjoyed the magical elements.
3.5 ⭐️
So our main character Sheetal is half star. Her mother left her and her father when she was young in order to return to her world.
When Sheetal’s father falls ill she decides to visit her starry family to see if they can help him.
I liked the magic, the fantasy parts were lovely and whimsical. I didn’t like the family politics much or her on/off relationship with Dev.
Overall I’d say this was a nice debut, and I am interested to see what the author does next.
***********************
Library copy available for pick up
💃💃💃
This was a cute YA fantasy. A bit too romancy for me - but I enjoyed the magical elements.
3.5 ⭐️
So our main character Sheetal is half star. Her mother left her and her father when she was young in order to return to her world.
When Sheetal’s father falls ill she decides to visit her starry family to see if they can help him.
I liked the magic, the fantasy parts were lovely and whimsical. I didn’t like the family politics much or her on/off relationship with Dev.
Overall I’d say this was a nice debut, and I am interested to see what the author does next.
***********************
Library copy available for pick up
💃💃💃
Want to read
January 8, 2020This is honestly one of most beautiful covers I've ever seen in my entire life and, even if I wasn't so stoked by the entire premise of this story, you can bet your ass I'd still buy it just to frame this cover like a damn piece of art 😍
September 3, 2020
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book for review. This in no way influences my opinion of the book.
This is such a delight of a book!
Inspired by Hindu mythology, this is a fantasy centred around a wondrous celestial court full of lavish light and star fire. It's bright, colourful, and full of art, quite literally inspiring the world through its beauty. I loved seeing the appreciation for art in this, and not just your usual types either - puppeteering and embroidery were just a couple of the art forms featured in this book. It really was a dazzling world to delve into, a talent competition at its very core.
Because of the competition element, I did find myself quite literally swooped into the book. It all moved pretty quickly, and I have to admit I wanted a moment or two to appreciate the world building before being launched into competition territory. Sheetal arrives at the celestial court and is immediately ushered into training for a competition - though we don't see much of this either, instead opting to remain inside her head as she roiled through conflicting emotions. I think a finer balance could've benefited the book, but I can't say it was a detriment to it. The fast paced only meant I was quite literally swept off my feet.
I adore how strong both familial ties and friendship were. While there is a romantic element to the story, this by no means overshadows any of the other established relationships in the book, as is often the case. Instead, the importance of such bonds is emphasised and so inarguable that it really made Sheetal's hyperawareness of her "in-between" status evident. And, gladly, none of the relationship types had to be given up for another. Family and romance and friendship all stayed strong. Though I can't say I was on board with the romance - I feel like the tension between them could've been more thoroughly explored as the reconciliation scene was brief after pages of brooding - it was nice to see an already semi-established romance for once, made especially interesting with the backstory it came with.
I really do think this book adds something amazing to the YA fantasy genre. It's bright, unique, and wonderful to read. As a fan of mythology inspired fantasy and all the celestial goodness, I'd highly recommend this one to many!
This is such a delight of a book!
Inspired by Hindu mythology, this is a fantasy centred around a wondrous celestial court full of lavish light and star fire. It's bright, colourful, and full of art, quite literally inspiring the world through its beauty. I loved seeing the appreciation for art in this, and not just your usual types either - puppeteering and embroidery were just a couple of the art forms featured in this book. It really was a dazzling world to delve into, a talent competition at its very core.
Because of the competition element, I did find myself quite literally swooped into the book. It all moved pretty quickly, and I have to admit I wanted a moment or two to appreciate the world building before being launched into competition territory. Sheetal arrives at the celestial court and is immediately ushered into training for a competition - though we don't see much of this either, instead opting to remain inside her head as she roiled through conflicting emotions. I think a finer balance could've benefited the book, but I can't say it was a detriment to it. The fast paced only meant I was quite literally swept off my feet.
I adore how strong both familial ties and friendship were. While there is a romantic element to the story, this by no means overshadows any of the other established relationships in the book, as is often the case. Instead, the importance of such bonds is emphasised and so inarguable that it really made Sheetal's hyperawareness of her "in-between" status evident. And, gladly, none of the relationship types had to be given up for another. Family and romance and friendship all stayed strong. Though I can't say I was on board with the romance - I feel like the tension between them could've been more thoroughly explored as the reconciliation scene was brief after pages of brooding - it was nice to see an already semi-established romance for once, made especially interesting with the backstory it came with.
I really do think this book adds something amazing to the YA fantasy genre. It's bright, unique, and wonderful to read. As a fan of mythology inspired fantasy and all the celestial goodness, I'd highly recommend this one to many!
October 26, 2021
~ 2.5 stars ~
I think this book was okay?
There was nothing necessarily wrong with it, but I could not connect with anything in it. The characters fell flat, the plot fell flat. Everything was just kind of underwhelming. I also was not a fan of the writing style unfortunately. I had trouble looking past the writing especially. Sometimes the writing style can truly be a make or break for me.
But it is always great to see own voices books. This has South Asian representation and it is inspired by Hindu mythology, and that was super neat.
And this was not terrible in any way, there were a few silver linings here and there. It just wasn't the book for me. I wish I would have had a better experience with this book, because for one, the cover is STUNNING, but that was not the case.
Overall, it was an interesting concept, but ultimately, Star Daughter did not deliver.
Big thanks to Bhavya for buddy reading this with me! (I'll make sure to link her review when it is written for anyone interested in knowing more about the representation, since it is not my place to comment on it.)
I think this book was okay?
There was nothing necessarily wrong with it, but I could not connect with anything in it. The characters fell flat, the plot fell flat. Everything was just kind of underwhelming. I also was not a fan of the writing style unfortunately. I had trouble looking past the writing especially. Sometimes the writing style can truly be a make or break for me.
But it is always great to see own voices books. This has South Asian representation and it is inspired by Hindu mythology, and that was super neat.
And this was not terrible in any way, there were a few silver linings here and there. It just wasn't the book for me. I wish I would have had a better experience with this book, because for one, the cover is STUNNING, but that was not the case.
Overall, it was an interesting concept, but ultimately, Star Daughter did not deliver.
Big thanks to Bhavya for buddy reading this with me! (I'll make sure to link her review when it is written for anyone interested in knowing more about the representation, since it is not my place to comment on it.)
August 20, 2021
2.75 stars
While this book was an easy read, I think it will be mostly forgettable for me. The pacing was off at times and I found the book also struggled a bit to land on its themes. The world felt lush at times and under-developed at others. The antagonists felt flat and predictable. I did enjoy the folklore and mythology aspects but overall, this will fade in my memory fairly quickly.
While this book was an easy read, I think it will be mostly forgettable for me. The pacing was off at times and I found the book also struggled a bit to land on its themes. The world felt lush at times and under-developed at others. The antagonists felt flat and predictable. I did enjoy the folklore and mythology aspects but overall, this will fade in my memory fairly quickly.
December 12, 2020
☆ 4 / 5 ☆
The content of this book is even more beautiful than its cover.
Star Daughter follows Sheetal, a half-star half-human teenager, as she has to drop her act of normalcy to save her father. All her life she’s had to hide her identity as a half-star but she now has to embrace that side of her. When she arrives at the Celestial Court, she is thrown into a competition as a representative for her family and she learns more than she ever has before about the stars, about their powers but also the shadows in their history.
Throughout this book Sheetal can feel her body change and becoming more and more of a star. This reflects her inner struggle with her identity, feeling like too much to only be a “normal” human and feeling stifled in a life of pretending she is lesser, but also feeling insecure when pitted against the beauty and magical standards of other stars, feeling like she is not enough.
Sheetal doesn’t only grapple with her identity but also with her relationship with her family. She still resents her mother for leaving her, she is slowly getting to know her grandparents and their place, her place, in the world of the stars while being pushed into doing something she doesn’t think she really wants. Ultimately it is her loyalty and love for her father that drives her forward and keeps her going and it is an interesting contrast between the two sides of her family. She also has a complicated relationship with her paternal aunt who has been raising her by her father’s side since her mother left. Seeing Sheetal harbouring contradicting feelings for her family was so interesting to see and felt realistic and important.
Through it all, what connects her the most to her family and that part of herself is music. Stars can hear astral music, being able to express their emotions and connect through it. Families can be in tune to present a united front, or express their concerns. It brought such a beautiful background to the story with sweeping descriptions. Sheetal has always expressed herself and her emotions through music and this only takes it to the next level for her, basking in the glow of stars, despite the stress of the competition.
The competition aspect of the book is actually pretty minimal and the actual event itself happens pretty late in the story. There is a lot of preparation time and Sheetal just exploring and discovering this new world for herself and the people that live in it. I also do feel like there were new things thrown in there where my mind was wandering and I wasn’t paying as much attention so they threw me off a little. It does all wrap up pretty straightforwardly and in a satisfying manner.
The competition also brought talks about how stars inspire humans with their art, be it writing, acting or singing, but also with their scientific discoveries. It was an interesting discussion of the arts and their importance, on the eternal recognition people seek, on how we can find inspiration but also on the entitlement some can feel, taking without permission, mutilating other people and cultures for their own benefit. Another aspect is that star blood itself can provide inspiration and we get to see a character actually becoming addicted to the blood and I think that was powerfully done.
In a sea of morally dubious characters we have Minal, Sheetal’s best friend. She accompanies her on her quest and their friendship was really sweet and it felt realistic. I really enjoyed the scenes between the two of them and the dynamic that they shared. I do have to say I wasn’t invested in the main romantic plot of the story. I do feel that it was used thoughtfully and with cleverness to highlight the themes of this book and propel the narrative forward but the relationship itself didn’t do much on the romance side of things.
The writing of this book is beautiful and all the descriptions, of music, of the setting, of food, were stunning. It all felt very immersive and I was awed by all the details of this world building and the decadence of the Celestial Court.
Everything about this book was wonderful and it brought on so many important and heartfelt discussions, be it on art and family and identity, really thoughtfully, and weaved it all in pretty seamlessly in the world of the stars. The plot itself wasn’t perfect but it didn’t really matter to me when this story was so beautiful.
Youtube ☆ Twitter
Buddy read with Melanie ♡
The content of this book is even more beautiful than its cover.
Star Daughter follows Sheetal, a half-star half-human teenager, as she has to drop her act of normalcy to save her father. All her life she’s had to hide her identity as a half-star but she now has to embrace that side of her. When she arrives at the Celestial Court, she is thrown into a competition as a representative for her family and she learns more than she ever has before about the stars, about their powers but also the shadows in their history.
Throughout this book Sheetal can feel her body change and becoming more and more of a star. This reflects her inner struggle with her identity, feeling like too much to only be a “normal” human and feeling stifled in a life of pretending she is lesser, but also feeling insecure when pitted against the beauty and magical standards of other stars, feeling like she is not enough.
Sheetal doesn’t only grapple with her identity but also with her relationship with her family. She still resents her mother for leaving her, she is slowly getting to know her grandparents and their place, her place, in the world of the stars while being pushed into doing something she doesn’t think she really wants. Ultimately it is her loyalty and love for her father that drives her forward and keeps her going and it is an interesting contrast between the two sides of her family. She also has a complicated relationship with her paternal aunt who has been raising her by her father’s side since her mother left. Seeing Sheetal harbouring contradicting feelings for her family was so interesting to see and felt realistic and important.
Through it all, what connects her the most to her family and that part of herself is music. Stars can hear astral music, being able to express their emotions and connect through it. Families can be in tune to present a united front, or express their concerns. It brought such a beautiful background to the story with sweeping descriptions. Sheetal has always expressed herself and her emotions through music and this only takes it to the next level for her, basking in the glow of stars, despite the stress of the competition.
The competition aspect of the book is actually pretty minimal and the actual event itself happens pretty late in the story. There is a lot of preparation time and Sheetal just exploring and discovering this new world for herself and the people that live in it. I also do feel like there were new things thrown in there where my mind was wandering and I wasn’t paying as much attention so they threw me off a little. It does all wrap up pretty straightforwardly and in a satisfying manner.
The competition also brought talks about how stars inspire humans with their art, be it writing, acting or singing, but also with their scientific discoveries. It was an interesting discussion of the arts and their importance, on the eternal recognition people seek, on how we can find inspiration but also on the entitlement some can feel, taking without permission, mutilating other people and cultures for their own benefit. Another aspect is that star blood itself can provide inspiration and we get to see a character actually becoming addicted to the blood and I think that was powerfully done.
In a sea of morally dubious characters we have Minal, Sheetal’s best friend. She accompanies her on her quest and their friendship was really sweet and it felt realistic. I really enjoyed the scenes between the two of them and the dynamic that they shared. I do have to say I wasn’t invested in the main romantic plot of the story. I do feel that it was used thoughtfully and with cleverness to highlight the themes of this book and propel the narrative forward but the relationship itself didn’t do much on the romance side of things.
The writing of this book is beautiful and all the descriptions, of music, of the setting, of food, were stunning. It all felt very immersive and I was awed by all the details of this world building and the decadence of the Celestial Court.
Everything about this book was wonderful and it brought on so many important and heartfelt discussions, be it on art and family and identity, really thoughtfully, and weaved it all in pretty seamlessly in the world of the stars. The plot itself wasn’t perfect but it didn’t really matter to me when this story was so beautiful.
Youtube ☆ Twitter
Buddy read with Melanie ♡
September 26, 2020
Meet Sheetal, a teenage girl who is a half-star. Being raised by her father, Sheetal has a normal teenage life with an incredible best friend named Minal and her sweet boyfriend Dev, but the call of the stars is getting stronger every day. Finally, something happens to her father that makes her decide to go to the Starry Court and meet her mother again. There she will have to forcefully take part in a competition in order to save her father's life.
First, that cover deserves a gazillion stars. This book contains a lush, creative worldbuilding, interesting premise, and absolutely beautiful female friendship, and a thousand stars lovely prose.
I was captivated by the descriptions of the delicious food and wonderful music and descriptions of the starry court and their residents, it evoked very ethereal imagery. I also really enjoyed that for once, we don't have a villainous parental figure but instead, a supportive mother and incredible father.
I enjoyed most of the supporting characters especially Minal. And the Hindu mythology-inspiration was flawless. All the settings were just amazing, especially loved the night-market.
However, I failed to connect with Sheetal. She behaved a little bit too much like a Justin Bieber Fan regarding her boyfriend. I kept rolling my eyes waiting so, so much more of her and she just never...delivered. Sometimes I felt like Sheetal was no more than thirteen years old and that she was the heroine of a middle-grade novel.
Also, I couldn't feel the spark between her and Dev. This was one of the biggest problems in the book for me, as I'm a super fan of the trope they represented. I felt zero chemistry between them. none, nada. To me, Dev was one dimensional and honestly, I could not understand why they "loved" each other so much (hormones I guess?), and then all their conflicts were just too pointless and used as a plot device. Dev was cute and sweet but there was absolutely nothing in him to grant him depth or make him remarkable. He was just another YA character: a very forgettable one. His cousin basically stole him the spotlight as "morally gray" as he was, was definitely more interesting at first, then his cousin also went downhill. I was not 100% invested in any character and that was ultimately, the problem of this novel for me: they did not make me feel strong emotions or any kind of attachment.
The pacing was also not good: disjointed the whole story and did not allow the story to transition softly into something more. It just did not flow well and I kept losing the focus, it was not able to hold my attention.
IMO, this novel would have worked better if it was historical fantasy instead of contemporary. You'll probably enjoy this if you like Hindu mythology.
Nevertheless, I hope to read more books from the author in the future, her writing-style is so, so beautiful.
ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review (Thank you!)
First, that cover deserves a gazillion stars. This book contains a lush, creative worldbuilding, interesting premise, and absolutely beautiful female friendship, and a thousand stars lovely prose.
I was captivated by the descriptions of the delicious food and wonderful music and descriptions of the starry court and their residents, it evoked very ethereal imagery. I also really enjoyed that for once, we don't have a villainous parental figure but instead, a supportive mother and incredible father.
I enjoyed most of the supporting characters especially Minal. And the Hindu mythology-inspiration was flawless. All the settings were just amazing, especially loved the night-market.
However, I failed to connect with Sheetal. She behaved a little bit too much like a Justin Bieber Fan regarding her boyfriend. I kept rolling my eyes waiting so, so much more of her and she just never...delivered. Sometimes I felt like Sheetal was no more than thirteen years old and that she was the heroine of a middle-grade novel.
Also, I couldn't feel the spark between her and Dev. This was one of the biggest problems in the book for me, as I'm a super fan of the trope they represented. I felt zero chemistry between them. none, nada. To me, Dev was one dimensional and honestly, I could not understand why they "loved" each other so much (hormones I guess?), and then all their conflicts were just too pointless and used as a plot device. Dev was cute and sweet but there was absolutely nothing in him to grant him depth or make him remarkable. He was just another YA character: a very forgettable one. His cousin basically stole him the spotlight as "morally gray" as he was, was definitely more interesting at first, then his cousin also went downhill. I was not 100% invested in any character and that was ultimately, the problem of this novel for me: they did not make me feel strong emotions or any kind of attachment.
The pacing was also not good: disjointed the whole story and did not allow the story to transition softly into something more. It just did not flow well and I kept losing the focus, it was not able to hold my attention.
IMO, this novel would have worked better if it was historical fantasy instead of contemporary. You'll probably enjoy this if you like Hindu mythology.
Nevertheless, I hope to read more books from the author in the future, her writing-style is so, so beautiful.
ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review (Thank you!)
May 3, 2019
EDIT:
I have read this multiple times now and it gets more gorgeous each time. How is that possible? Each time I read it, I find new moments and lines to love. Honestly, it's a gorgeous story about what it means to be human, the brilliance and pain of it, with magic and music and heart, so much heart, and how destinies do not define you, you define your destiny. I JUST REALLY LOVE IT, OKAY? I can't wait to have my physical copy when it comes out next year.
I was lucky enough to read an early draft of this and I have to say it's one of the most magical things I've ever read. The prose is lyrical and mesmerizing. The characters rendered with heart and a strange, vulnerable honesty that makes it really easy to relate to and understand them on an all too human level. AND THE STAR COURT IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND INTERESTING AND MUSICAL. I love love love it. I can't wait for everyone to get to experience this brilliant, thrumming, song of a book. You're all in for such a treat.
I have read this multiple times now and it gets more gorgeous each time. How is that possible? Each time I read it, I find new moments and lines to love. Honestly, it's a gorgeous story about what it means to be human, the brilliance and pain of it, with magic and music and heart, so much heart, and how destinies do not define you, you define your destiny. I JUST REALLY LOVE IT, OKAY? I can't wait to have my physical copy when it comes out next year.
I was lucky enough to read an early draft of this and I have to say it's one of the most magical things I've ever read. The prose is lyrical and mesmerizing. The characters rendered with heart and a strange, vulnerable honesty that makes it really easy to relate to and understand them on an all too human level. AND THE STAR COURT IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND INTERESTING AND MUSICAL. I love love love it. I can't wait for everyone to get to experience this brilliant, thrumming, song of a book. You're all in for such a treat.
August 25, 2020
Star Rating: —> 3.5-4 Stars
pure magic
*RTC*
Buddy Read with my Darceyyyyyy 🤍
______________
You had me at Star and Hindu Mythology! Ah, & Neil Gaiman!
Give me some shiny things and a downpour of mythology, and I’m here for it- all the time, every time. A girl likes what she likes. 🤷🏼♀️
pure magic
*RTC*
Buddy Read with my Darceyyyyyy 🤍
______________
You had me at Star and Hindu Mythology! Ah, & Neil Gaiman!
Give me some shiny things and a downpour of mythology, and I’m here for it- all the time, every time. A girl likes what she likes. 🤷🏼♀️
August 15, 2020
I couldn't describe to you the excitement I felt when I mashed up my love for that cover with the realization that this was a STARDUST-inspired fantasy set alongside Hindu mythology. Except that I was, y'know, excited. But maybe my expectations were just too high?
Right off the bat I struggled a bit with the hyper-focus on Sheetal's preoccupation with her sorta-boyfriend but as things transitioned out of the contemporary, leaving the boy problems behind, and into the fantasy? I was transfixed. The writing was a little offbalance at times, either incredibly flowery with lovely turns of phrase, or none of that at all — making the random switches back to the purple a little hard to gel with, but whatever. We were in some star kingdom in the sky with a competition, an inheritance of power, and it was all going pretty well.
Until it wasn't.
I'm sad to say the events and conflicts that cropped up along Sheetal's journey felt very humdrum and constantly pulled me away from the unique and interesting moments I did enjoy. The villains were pretty one dimentional. Occasionally I felt some scenes felt a little jumbled, people appearing and disappearing inconsistently (which, I mean, this is an ARC, that could be fixed before publication). But I also found some repetition just really wasn't helping me lose myself in story — flame in her core, tingling in her palms, shimmering hair, etc.
This definitely reads like a debut but there are some lovely shining bits that make me think this is going to be an author to watch. I enjoyed what she took from her insipration of Gaiman's story and how she built on it, changed it, and made it very original. I really liked some of her prose. I loved the mythology and the culture of the setting. But I found some of the conflicts very typically YA, a little tired, and didn't enjoy –any of — the characters.
So this is obviously a disapointment, because I was so excited for this, but again, I hope to love her next release.
** I received an ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
Right off the bat I struggled a bit with the hyper-focus on Sheetal's preoccupation with her sorta-boyfriend but as things transitioned out of the contemporary, leaving the boy problems behind, and into the fantasy? I was transfixed. The writing was a little offbalance at times, either incredibly flowery with lovely turns of phrase, or none of that at all — making the random switches back to the purple a little hard to gel with, but whatever. We were in some star kingdom in the sky with a competition, an inheritance of power, and it was all going pretty well.
Until it wasn't.
I'm sad to say the events and conflicts that cropped up along Sheetal's journey felt very humdrum and constantly pulled me away from the unique and interesting moments I did enjoy. The villains were pretty one dimentional. Occasionally I felt some scenes felt a little jumbled, people appearing and disappearing inconsistently (which, I mean, this is an ARC, that could be fixed before publication). But I also found some repetition just really wasn't helping me lose myself in story — flame in her core, tingling in her palms, shimmering hair, etc.
This definitely reads like a debut but there are some lovely shining bits that make me think this is going to be an author to watch. I enjoyed what she took from her insipration of Gaiman's story and how she built on it, changed it, and made it very original. I really liked some of her prose. I loved the mythology and the culture of the setting. But I found some of the conflicts very typically YA, a little tired, and didn't enjoy –any of — the characters.
So this is obviously a disapointment, because I was so excited for this, but again, I hope to love her next release.
** I received an ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
Shelved as 'consideration'
December 29, 2019If this book is even a fraction as beautiful as this cover- I'm not ready.
September 22, 2020
CWs: parental abandonment, anxiety, panic attack, brief domestic abuse scene
Rep: ownvoices Indian-American MC + side characters, desi culture, Hindu mythology-inspired fantasy, sapphic prominent side character, mlm minor characters
════ ⋆★⋆ ════
I'd like to forget this ever happened :) but I also want to purge it from my soul so here we are.
Okay, it's not so bad honestly. Even though this book was clearly very much not for me, there are still a couple of things I liked so let's start with that.
What I Liked:
🌟 I loved the Hindu cosmology aspects surrounding the star people - the starry court, the nakshatras, the heavenly realm of svargalok - it was all so fascinating for me and I ended up researching quite a bit on Hindu astrology as well.
🌟 The writing was so beautiful and lyrical - sometimes it got a bit much but mostly the descriptions were lovely to read, especially the scenes in the Night Market. The setting is really vibrant and imaginative!
🌟 The desi culture was absolutely spot on! I'm not Indian-American so I can't 100% speak on everything here but Indian and Pakistani cultures overlap a lot so there were many familiar things that I loved seeing - the obvious ones being the food, the clothes, the occasional Bollywood reference (plus I call my maternal grandparents Nani and Nana too). But even apart from that, the way the characters interacted and the way the family dynamics worked were so true to desi culture.
What Didn't Work for Me:
⭐ The characters - I didn't connect with a single character here. Sheetal just felt like such a reactive protagonist to me. I wouldn't call her passive but it felt like her actions and behavior were all in service of the plot rather than being a natural extension of her personality. The side characters were all one-dimensional and forgettable.
⭐ The relationships - there are some really intriguing relationships introduced here! Sheetal and Minal, Sheetal and her mother Charumati, Sheetal and her nani - sadly, none were given the depth or page time they desperately needed.
⭐ The plot - despite what the blurb leads you to think, the stakes are so low???? Once Sheetal reaches the court, it becomes quickly obvious that her dad will be okay by the end - like there's no way her mom and Nani would actually let him die - and that basically kills all the tension the author tries to build. The whole celestial tournament bit sounded so cool but turned out to be one of the most boring things I've ever read. The "court intrigue" (if that's what it was supposed to be) was just a bunch of people doing the kind of childish petty shit to each other that had me rolling my eyes. WAY too much page time given to a party scene that was completely pointless!!! Also, the big dramatic reveal that happens towards the end turned out to have no real bearing on the plot or the characters and I was all ????? tf was the point of all that.
⭐ The romance - I hate it thanks. Dev was an infuriating character and his actions were forgiven waaay too easily. Yes, Sheetal stands her ground in front of him but I HATED how every time she saw him or talked to him, ALL she could think about was how badly she wanted to touch or kiss him like girl why 😭😭😭 Not only was it super annoying to read, it made their relationship appear quite superficial. And it made it obvious that Dev's horrible behavior would be forgiven as soon as the story deemed it convenient.
I wanted to like this novel SO badly! It was one of my most hyped releases of the year - especially with that gorgeous cover! - but I can't look past how utterly bored to tears I was and how I didn't feel emotionally connected to anything that happened with the characters or the plot.
Still, this novel received fairly positive reactions from Indian reviewers so I'll link a few reviews down below:
📌 Anandi's review
📌 Krisha's review
📌 Mis's review
Rep: ownvoices Indian-American MC + side characters, desi culture, Hindu mythology-inspired fantasy, sapphic prominent side character, mlm minor characters
════ ⋆★⋆ ════
I'd like to forget this ever happened :) but I also want to purge it from my soul so here we are.
Okay, it's not so bad honestly. Even though this book was clearly very much not for me, there are still a couple of things I liked so let's start with that.
What I Liked:
🌟 I loved the Hindu cosmology aspects surrounding the star people - the starry court, the nakshatras, the heavenly realm of svargalok - it was all so fascinating for me and I ended up researching quite a bit on Hindu astrology as well.
🌟 The writing was so beautiful and lyrical - sometimes it got a bit much but mostly the descriptions were lovely to read, especially the scenes in the Night Market. The setting is really vibrant and imaginative!
🌟 The desi culture was absolutely spot on! I'm not Indian-American so I can't 100% speak on everything here but Indian and Pakistani cultures overlap a lot so there were many familiar things that I loved seeing - the obvious ones being the food, the clothes, the occasional Bollywood reference (plus I call my maternal grandparents Nani and Nana too). But even apart from that, the way the characters interacted and the way the family dynamics worked were so true to desi culture.
What Didn't Work for Me:
⭐ The characters - I didn't connect with a single character here. Sheetal just felt like such a reactive protagonist to me. I wouldn't call her passive but it felt like her actions and behavior were all in service of the plot rather than being a natural extension of her personality. The side characters were all one-dimensional and forgettable.
⭐ The relationships - there are some really intriguing relationships introduced here! Sheetal and Minal, Sheetal and her mother Charumati, Sheetal and her nani - sadly, none were given the depth or page time they desperately needed.
⭐ The plot - despite what the blurb leads you to think, the stakes are so low???? Once Sheetal reaches the court, it becomes quickly obvious that her dad will be okay by the end - like there's no way her mom and Nani would actually let him die - and that basically kills all the tension the author tries to build. The whole celestial tournament bit sounded so cool but turned out to be one of the most boring things I've ever read. The "court intrigue" (if that's what it was supposed to be) was just a bunch of people doing the kind of childish petty shit to each other that had me rolling my eyes. WAY too much page time given to a party scene that was completely pointless!!! Also, the big dramatic reveal that happens towards the end turned out to have no real bearing on the plot or the characters and I was all ????? tf was the point of all that.
⭐ The romance - I hate it thanks. Dev was an infuriating character and his actions were forgiven waaay too easily. Yes, Sheetal stands her ground in front of him but I HATED how every time she saw him or talked to him, ALL she could think about was how badly she wanted to touch or kiss him like girl why 😭😭😭 Not only was it super annoying to read, it made their relationship appear quite superficial. And it made it obvious that Dev's horrible behavior would be forgiven as soon as the story deemed it convenient.
I wanted to like this novel SO badly! It was one of my most hyped releases of the year - especially with that gorgeous cover! - but I can't look past how utterly bored to tears I was and how I didn't feel emotionally connected to anything that happened with the characters or the plot.
Still, this novel received fairly positive reactions from Indian reviewers so I'll link a few reviews down below:
📌 Anandi's review
📌 Krisha's review
📌 Mis's review
October 31, 2021
buddy read with dear Erica and Rushali from
bookmarked group!
~2.5 star~
This book is very lush and inspiring in hindu myth and has a lyrical writing. Unfortunately it didn’t work out as it should for me.
I neither hate nor liked Sheetal. It’s possible because she felt a little uncertain of herself, which is the point of this book.most of the side characters feel underdeveloped. Minal, Sheetal’s best friend, seems to be quickly forgotten once Sheetal makes it to the starry court. She has such a sweet and fun personality, it was sad to see her barely resurface in the story from time to time. Dev, Sheetal’s boyfriend, also seems to fade into the background as the story progresses, which is unfortunate because his character background was one of the most intriguing and his interactions with Sheetal were adorable.
The romantic aspect of this story was weird to me, because while I thought it was cute, there was something a little bothering and most the time it went out of control like there’s no romance between the characters.
something that I wished were a little more fleshed out was the competition for succession. I was excited because it seemed like it was going to be this very intense thing, but to be honest it fell a little flat for me. This is my personal opinion, and I’d love to discuss it if you think differently! The other part of it was that there wasn’t a very defined antagonist. It mostly works, but there were moments where I think the story would have been enhanced if things were clearly defined.
Overall, an interesting concept, but ultimately, Star Daughter did not deliver.
bookmarked group!
~2.5 star~
This book is very lush and inspiring in hindu myth and has a lyrical writing. Unfortunately it didn’t work out as it should for me.
I neither hate nor liked Sheetal. It’s possible because she felt a little uncertain of herself, which is the point of this book.most of the side characters feel underdeveloped. Minal, Sheetal’s best friend, seems to be quickly forgotten once Sheetal makes it to the starry court. She has such a sweet and fun personality, it was sad to see her barely resurface in the story from time to time. Dev, Sheetal’s boyfriend, also seems to fade into the background as the story progresses, which is unfortunate because his character background was one of the most intriguing and his interactions with Sheetal were adorable.
The romantic aspect of this story was weird to me, because while I thought it was cute, there was something a little bothering and most the time it went out of control like there’s no romance between the characters.
something that I wished were a little more fleshed out was the competition for succession. I was excited because it seemed like it was going to be this very intense thing, but to be honest it fell a little flat for me. This is my personal opinion, and I’d love to discuss it if you think differently! The other part of it was that there wasn’t a very defined antagonist. It mostly works, but there were moments where I think the story would have been enhanced if things were clearly defined.
Overall, an interesting concept, but ultimately, Star Daughter did not deliver.
November 13, 2020
Hence the title, this story is about a girl that is half star, half human. A creative trope that I have yet to see. And I believe that is saying quite a bit, considering I have over 900 books on my tbr.
The synopsis spoils plenty of the book, and I will not carry on in doing so.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
This book was good. A fair statement to make, however there is room for growth. I feel like if I wasn’t familiar with desi culture (not to say I am an expert, nor am I desi) it would come up short for me. The book acts as if you should already know a lot of things, and doesn’t take time to really explain how the stars work, and the mythological aspect of it.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
The writing was very whimsical and it really made this seem like a story worthy of the constellations in the sky, the very stardust that resides in Sheetal’s veins. It puts you in an unbreakable trance. A spell that is only remedied by finishing this story, with a slow close of the book as you sit and think about what has happened.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
For some reason, I felt as though there was something missing. Something more than could have been added. So much potential that could have been released to make this story even better.
It is, after all, a story of a girl through her journey to reconcile her connection with the stars. To heal her father. To make up for the lost years she felt so forgotten. So abandoned. And finally a spark happens and all of this information comes rushing toward her, completely spinning her world out of control.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Now, aside from the plot, I would just like to talk about how wonderful it was reading this book. Just because of the aesthetics. The cover was gorgeous, as basically everyone is commenting on. I have the fairyloot edition and the book was simply glittering. Literally. It is such a gorgeous cover, and when I felt as if I was in a dream-like state while reading it, it just made the experience so much more wonderful.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Back to our regularly scheduled program instead of praise for this beauty of a book.
Sheetal’s recollections of her mother sound deeply personal, a soft whisper spoken just close enough for you alone to hear. Something precious to be kept in a safe, locked away with only the most remarkable memories.
The ending was so unexpectedly amazing and powerful in more ways than I can explain. In one song Sheetal was able to encase so much emotional distress and wonderful starsong. Anyways apart from that, the ending left me reeling from shock.
This book is filled with ethereal descriptions of gorgeous silks and sari’s, glistening stars and magic beyond belief. I feel as though the plot could have been a more central aspect of the story, however it was still interesting and filled to the brim with Hindu mythology.
3.5 stars ✨
The synopsis spoils plenty of the book, and I will not carry on in doing so.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
This book was good. A fair statement to make, however there is room for growth. I feel like if I wasn’t familiar with desi culture (not to say I am an expert, nor am I desi) it would come up short for me. The book acts as if you should already know a lot of things, and doesn’t take time to really explain how the stars work, and the mythological aspect of it.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
The writing was very whimsical and it really made this seem like a story worthy of the constellations in the sky, the very stardust that resides in Sheetal’s veins. It puts you in an unbreakable trance. A spell that is only remedied by finishing this story, with a slow close of the book as you sit and think about what has happened.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
For some reason, I felt as though there was something missing. Something more than could have been added. So much potential that could have been released to make this story even better.
It is, after all, a story of a girl through her journey to reconcile her connection with the stars. To heal her father. To make up for the lost years she felt so forgotten. So abandoned. And finally a spark happens and all of this information comes rushing toward her, completely spinning her world out of control.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Now, aside from the plot, I would just like to talk about how wonderful it was reading this book. Just because of the aesthetics. The cover was gorgeous, as basically everyone is commenting on. I have the fairyloot edition and the book was simply glittering. Literally. It is such a gorgeous cover, and when I felt as if I was in a dream-like state while reading it, it just made the experience so much more wonderful.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Back to our regularly scheduled program instead of praise for this beauty of a book.
Sheetal’s recollections of her mother sound deeply personal, a soft whisper spoken just close enough for you alone to hear. Something precious to be kept in a safe, locked away with only the most remarkable memories.
The ending was so unexpectedly amazing and powerful in more ways than I can explain. In one song Sheetal was able to encase so much emotional distress and wonderful starsong. Anyways apart from that, the ending left me reeling from shock.
This book is filled with ethereal descriptions of gorgeous silks and sari’s, glistening stars and magic beyond belief. I feel as though the plot could have been a more central aspect of the story, however it was still interesting and filled to the brim with Hindu mythology.
3.5 stars ✨
August 19, 2020
Star Daughter was a lyrical read interwoven with Hindu mythology that will reel you in and hold you in a starry embrace until the very last page.
Content Warnings: absent parent, critically ill parent, hospitalization, panic attack, person held captive and tortured
Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Sheetal Mistry was a girl caught between two worlds- half human, half star. Her mother was a star who went back to the sky when Sheetal was young, leaving her with her father. All her life, Sheetal had to hide who she was and lay low with her shimmering silver hair died black and her starsong held in. Until one day, after an accident with her starfire that hospitalized her father, Sheetal had to ascend to the sky and participate in a celestial competition to save him.
I loved how Sheetal gradually made her own place in both her worlds where she could be herself without fear. Her grief, pain and sense of abandonment was palpable and raw. She had to deal with the pressure and self-doubt of so much relying on one performance in what was basically a celestial talent show and I felt so worried and nervous for her. I loved how Thakrar contrasted Sheetal dealing with average teenager problems and high stakes magical dilemmas all in a short time span.
The side characters were really likeable too. Sheetal's best friend Minal was a ray of sunshine- I loved their supportive friendship- and although I was annoyed at him at first Dev grew on me. Sheetal's relationships with her family, especially her father and mother, were well fleshed out and given time to develop.
Star Daughter was a novel bursting at its seams with magic. The ethereal stars with their silver blood and hair, inspiring humans to create heartfelt works of art. The bustling Night Market which seemed so wondrous I wish it was real. It was a story full of whimsy and possible impossibilities that captivated my imagination.
I'm not an ownvoices reviewer for this book so it's not my place to discuss the representation but it was a pleasure to learn about Hindu mythology and the nakshatras. I loved the author's note at the start where she explained the inspirations behind the book (one of them being Neil Gaiman's Stardust), her love for fantasy and how she wrote the story about a magical desi Hindu girl that she had always wished to read.
The book explored the themes of legacy, identity and how it's important to own our mistakes and flaws as much as our accomplishments. I was going to give it 4.5 stars until the last few chapters where some of the plot twists made little sense to me and were confusing. Overall however, Star Daughter was an enjoyable, standalone novel that I would highly recommend to all fans of low fantasy!
Thank you to HarperTeen for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Content Warnings: absent parent, critically ill parent, hospitalization, panic attack, person held captive and tortured
Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Sheetal Mistry was a girl caught between two worlds- half human, half star. Her mother was a star who went back to the sky when Sheetal was young, leaving her with her father. All her life, Sheetal had to hide who she was and lay low with her shimmering silver hair died black and her starsong held in. Until one day, after an accident with her starfire that hospitalized her father, Sheetal had to ascend to the sky and participate in a celestial competition to save him.
I loved how Sheetal gradually made her own place in both her worlds where she could be herself without fear. Her grief, pain and sense of abandonment was palpable and raw. She had to deal with the pressure and self-doubt of so much relying on one performance in what was basically a celestial talent show and I felt so worried and nervous for her. I loved how Thakrar contrasted Sheetal dealing with average teenager problems and high stakes magical dilemmas all in a short time span.
The side characters were really likeable too. Sheetal's best friend Minal was a ray of sunshine- I loved their supportive friendship- and although I was annoyed at him at first Dev grew on me. Sheetal's relationships with her family, especially her father and mother, were well fleshed out and given time to develop.
Star Daughter was a novel bursting at its seams with magic. The ethereal stars with their silver blood and hair, inspiring humans to create heartfelt works of art. The bustling Night Market which seemed so wondrous I wish it was real. It was a story full of whimsy and possible impossibilities that captivated my imagination.
I'm not an ownvoices reviewer for this book so it's not my place to discuss the representation but it was a pleasure to learn about Hindu mythology and the nakshatras. I loved the author's note at the start where she explained the inspirations behind the book (one of them being Neil Gaiman's Stardust), her love for fantasy and how she wrote the story about a magical desi Hindu girl that she had always wished to read.
The book explored the themes of legacy, identity and how it's important to own our mistakes and flaws as much as our accomplishments. I was going to give it 4.5 stars until the last few chapters where some of the plot twists made little sense to me and were confusing. Overall however, Star Daughter was an enjoyable, standalone novel that I would highly recommend to all fans of low fantasy!
Thank you to HarperTeen for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
August 11, 2020
A magical debut full of wonder, wit, myths, and adventure. Reading Thakrar's words is like swimming through the most beautiful imagination - every page is a delight.
October 24, 2020
This book is great, especially because of the hindu mythology, which makes it even better.
the mythology -
for the longest time, especially when I was younger, I couldn't find a book I could relate to in terms of my religion and my nationality. As a girl who reads in english, the most common language for books to be printed in, I didn't find a lot of books that I could relate to, like hey, this character is just like me. She goes through the same struggles as I do in terms of religion and nationality. It just wasn't there, and the ones that were there I couldn't relate to very much. I was as different as those protagonists as day and night. So, of course, I got used to reading about the white characters who I couldn't relate with at all. Lately, ever since I joined Goodreads, I learned about so many books, including books about girl protagonists similar to me. So I tried them out, and I had mixed reactions. Not a single one, though, was particularly interesting for me.
There was the Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi. Yes, the writing was beautiful. Yes, maybe I read it too fast online and didn't properly enjoy it. But I was disappointed by it. After that book, I couldn't find another like it. Until Star Daughter.
The Star-Touched Queen's mythology was too complicated and unknown for me. As a Hindu myself, and someone who had parents who told her all about her religion, I knew quite a lot about our mythology. Yet, I had never heard of any of the mythology in that book. I couldn't have fun with the book or relate to it as I hoped I did.
But Star Daughter has the element of the mythology I'm looking for. It's beautiful and bold. The stories I heard as a little kid that I still remember were there, but there was also more for me to learn about the lush and rich-in-knowledge world. I knew about certain things, like Indralok and Surya. I didn't know some things, like about the stars. It was so fun to rediscover what I love about Hindu mythology.
writing -
I don't use this lightly at all because I am VERY picky about writing, but the writing in this book was absolutely stunning. Drop dead gorgeous. The words you'd use to describe a supermodel, honestly. The writing was so descriptive and beautiful, and it seriously gave me serious wanderlust to go somewhere beautiful instead of sitting on the couch :)
It should get an award, honestly. I love the writing so much in this book; only if more fantasy books could be written like this lol
characters -
The characters in this book are amazing, but maybe the only part where I felt the book was normal and not-that-standing-out in was the characters. I liked Sheetal and all, but she could be extremely selfish at times, but I overlook that for a lot of characters, so it's okay. Dev wasn't very interesting of a love interest either, but my favorite characters in the whole book were definitely the stars! They ranged from hilarious to creepy to interesting, and I appreciate how they were shown in the story and beautifully interwoven in it.
Also this is kind of off topic but throughout the whole book I felt there was something going on between Sheetal's mom (the star) and her foi (aunt) because they kept mentioning each other when the other wasn't there, so *sips tea even though Aarushi knows this will never happen*.
world-building -
yes, along with the mythology the world was my favorite part of the book! Indralok was so stunning, and the descriptions gave me serious wanderlust, really. It's masterfully created and left me wanting more and to go visit everywhere Sheetal goes, because it sounds so dreamy and interesting. This book also has contemporary elements mixed in with the fantasy, and it's so easily and smoothly mixed in with the fantasy. Most of the time contemporary and fantasy mixed can end in VERY bad results, but this was quite the opposite, really. Some of the new ideas in the fantasy portion very were creative, in my opinion, and very original in those matters, like the stars and humans backstories.
ending -
Aarushi's now gonna give y'all an unwanted break and now talk about the ending in a spoiler-free way.
Essentially, I loved the ending a bunch. It ended the book on an unexpected note, tying up a lot of ribbons but leaving a lot unanswered as this book is, sadly, a standalone (which you weirdly don't see very much at all in fantasy). Some of the characters got proper endings, some didn't. But I really liked Sheetal's ending, and that's all really matters to me in the end lol :)
plotline -
I felt the plot was amazing for most of the book, but the one (very small) bone I have to pick with the book is the pacing. One thing I CANNOT stand in books is uneven pacing, because it ruins the effect for me, personally. The pacing wasn't terrible in this book and it wasn't perfect either; it was only okay...
but all this aside, but I did like the actual plot a lot. It was exciting and super fun and really kept me on my toes. I finished most of the book within a day, so that says a lot about how I couldn't keep my hands off of it!!
representation and relationships -
great representation! Of course, all of these people are brown as it wasn't explicitly stated if any of the stars were anything other than brown, because this is Hindu mythology, but I'm not sure. I don't really know how to go about the representation in this book, but the relationships were great! Our MC's best friend is a lesbian and we do see a lot of that relationship in that book, so I do love how the author is including characters of all sexualities! The other relationships (not romantic) were so realistic as well. For example, Sheetal and her parents or Sheetal and her grandparents, or Dev and Jeet, or Sheetal and Mital(I can go on but I will not to spare you). You get the idea. Realistic and relatable.
overall review -
This book was my stunning debut into Thakrar's writing, and I don't think it could have been any better. It hit all my expectations I had preset for this book, and it was so great. The only request I have of Shveta Thakrar at this point is to write more books like this because this book was so beautiful and amazing to experience.
5 stars! off to read another book so I won't spend the rest of the week pondering about what will happen to the characters after this book because, wow, that ending! In the beginning I thought maybe the book wouldn't live up to the expectations I had for it, but it totally exceeded those!
also this is really putting me in the right mindset and festival-ly mood as we're right in the middle of the festival season :)
the mythology -
for the longest time, especially when I was younger, I couldn't find a book I could relate to in terms of my religion and my nationality. As a girl who reads in english, the most common language for books to be printed in, I didn't find a lot of books that I could relate to, like hey, this character is just like me. She goes through the same struggles as I do in terms of religion and nationality. It just wasn't there, and the ones that were there I couldn't relate to very much. I was as different as those protagonists as day and night. So, of course, I got used to reading about the white characters who I couldn't relate with at all. Lately, ever since I joined Goodreads, I learned about so many books, including books about girl protagonists similar to me. So I tried them out, and I had mixed reactions. Not a single one, though, was particularly interesting for me.
There was the Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi. Yes, the writing was beautiful. Yes, maybe I read it too fast online and didn't properly enjoy it. But I was disappointed by it. After that book, I couldn't find another like it. Until Star Daughter.
The Star-Touched Queen's mythology was too complicated and unknown for me. As a Hindu myself, and someone who had parents who told her all about her religion, I knew quite a lot about our mythology. Yet, I had never heard of any of the mythology in that book. I couldn't have fun with the book or relate to it as I hoped I did.
But Star Daughter has the element of the mythology I'm looking for. It's beautiful and bold. The stories I heard as a little kid that I still remember were there, but there was also more for me to learn about the lush and rich-in-knowledge world. I knew about certain things, like Indralok and Surya. I didn't know some things, like about the stars. It was so fun to rediscover what I love about Hindu mythology.
writing -
I don't use this lightly at all because I am VERY picky about writing, but the writing in this book was absolutely stunning. Drop dead gorgeous. The words you'd use to describe a supermodel, honestly. The writing was so descriptive and beautiful, and it seriously gave me serious wanderlust to go somewhere beautiful instead of sitting on the couch :)
It should get an award, honestly. I love the writing so much in this book; only if more fantasy books could be written like this lol
characters -
The characters in this book are amazing, but maybe the only part where I felt the book was normal and not-that-standing-out in was the characters. I liked Sheetal and all, but she could be extremely selfish at times, but I overlook that for a lot of characters, so it's okay. Dev wasn't very interesting of a love interest either, but my favorite characters in the whole book were definitely the stars! They ranged from hilarious to creepy to interesting, and I appreciate how they were shown in the story and beautifully interwoven in it.
Also this is kind of off topic but throughout the whole book I felt there was something going on between Sheetal's mom (the star) and her foi (aunt) because they kept mentioning each other when the other wasn't there, so *sips tea even though Aarushi knows this will never happen*.
world-building -
yes, along with the mythology the world was my favorite part of the book! Indralok was so stunning, and the descriptions gave me serious wanderlust, really. It's masterfully created and left me wanting more and to go visit everywhere Sheetal goes, because it sounds so dreamy and interesting. This book also has contemporary elements mixed in with the fantasy, and it's so easily and smoothly mixed in with the fantasy. Most of the time contemporary and fantasy mixed can end in VERY bad results, but this was quite the opposite, really. Some of the new ideas in the fantasy portion very were creative, in my opinion, and very original in those matters, like the stars and humans backstories.
ending -
Aarushi's now gonna give y'all an unwanted break and now talk about the ending in a spoiler-free way.
Essentially, I loved the ending a bunch. It ended the book on an unexpected note, tying up a lot of ribbons but leaving a lot unanswered as this book is, sadly, a standalone (which you weirdly don't see very much at all in fantasy). Some of the characters got proper endings, some didn't. But I really liked Sheetal's ending, and that's all really matters to me in the end lol :)
plotline -
I felt the plot was amazing for most of the book, but the one (very small) bone I have to pick with the book is the pacing. One thing I CANNOT stand in books is uneven pacing, because it ruins the effect for me, personally. The pacing wasn't terrible in this book and it wasn't perfect either; it was only okay...
but all this aside, but I did like the actual plot a lot. It was exciting and super fun and really kept me on my toes. I finished most of the book within a day, so that says a lot about how I couldn't keep my hands off of it!!
representation and relationships -
great representation! Of course, all of these people are brown as it wasn't explicitly stated if any of the stars were anything other than brown, because this is Hindu mythology, but I'm not sure. I don't really know how to go about the representation in this book, but the relationships were great! Our MC's best friend is a lesbian and we do see a lot of that relationship in that book, so I do love how the author is including characters of all sexualities! The other relationships (not romantic) were so realistic as well. For example, Sheetal and her parents or Sheetal and her grandparents, or Dev and Jeet, or Sheetal and Mital(I can go on but I will not to spare you). You get the idea. Realistic and relatable.
overall review -
This book was my stunning debut into Thakrar's writing, and I don't think it could have been any better. It hit all my expectations I had preset for this book, and it was so great. The only request I have of Shveta Thakrar at this point is to write more books like this because this book was so beautiful and amazing to experience.
5 stars! off to read another book so I won't spend the rest of the week pondering about what will happen to the characters after this book because, wow, that ending! In the beginning I thought maybe the book wouldn't live up to the expectations I had for it, but it totally exceeded those!
also this is really putting me in the right mindset and festival-ly mood as we're right in the middle of the festival season :)
March 3, 2022
TWO STARS
!Minor Spoilers!
ugh, it has a gorgeous cover with a gorgeous girl and gorgeous writing, yet, my mood while reading was the exact opposite of gorgeous. It was fugly.
This book had so much potential, the premise felt so original and amazing, but it was executed in such a flat, emotionless, disney-channel-"original"-movie way> There was no spark, no intensity, no longing. I hated most of the characters.
So to sum up the premise of the book is that there is a desi woman named Sheetal whose. actually half star-people-weird-celestial-creature-or-whatever. And basically their having another season for the star version of Rupaul drag race up in the heaven, where these rich "otherworldy" stars live, and each house needs like a draggirl or whatever, not really a drag girl but you get me, who has to perform a talentor whatever in front of the king rupaul and queen rupaul. And Sheetals mother, who I absolutely despise, is like "yo daughter, I know I abandoned that flat ass, but Imma finna need you to come back up hereand show off your STTTTAAAARRRR"
but when Sheetal actually uses her free will to say no her mothers like, "yo, that's how you wanna play?" and uses her weird star powers to make sheetal come up against her will. Oh not to mention, Sheetal almost killed her father with her star problems because she had a break up with her sorta boyfriend and the only way to get a star's blood to heal him is to be in the competition.
5/5 mother, making her daughter abandon her actual world and threatening to let her father die if she doesn't show herself off to a million powerful overdramatic star people. Oh not to mention using her weird star song to control her own daughter.
But don't worry guys, the mother missed her every day, and her father too. So why doesn't she give a vial of her blood to help the man she missed being away from?
Because she's a star who despises mortals. Oh, and she also wants to help them by putting them all under her weird mind control thing, and opening up the gates of her world.
Sorry lady, but removing people's free will isn't exactly helping, and being human means sometimes you can't be perfect. Oh and sheetal also loves this mind-controlling plan because she's half star, and all stars are perfect.
But she's also half human and misses her home and doesn't want to be up here. but she also loves the heaven wolrd where star p[eople is and doesn't want to leave. Oh not to mention someone literally offered a deal to give a vial of their blood to her father in exchange for her withdrawing from the competitition. But Sheetal doesn't take the deal, because she loves the star people, and somehow forgot her father is dying because she had break up problems.
Oh not to mention,she tells the boy she "broke up with" it's his fault her father is on a hospital bed. Because using your fire powers to harm your innocent and vulnerable father because you had boy problems with a man you barely knew is totally reasonable.
I did like the writing, it was very beautiful, just like the cover.
The worldbuilding was beautiful, but confusing. it wasn't necessarily explained, but rather dumped into the first 50 pages. Which is a shame because it had no important role in the book.
Probably my biggest disappointment!!!!
------------------------------------------
Ugh, looks like this star doesn't shine at all. It was funny in my head, okay, I'm bad at jokes!!!
Review to come
!Minor Spoilers!
ugh, it has a gorgeous cover with a gorgeous girl and gorgeous writing, yet, my mood while reading was the exact opposite of gorgeous. It was fugly.
This book had so much potential, the premise felt so original and amazing, but it was executed in such a flat, emotionless, disney-channel-"original"-movie way> There was no spark, no intensity, no longing. I hated most of the characters.
So to sum up the premise of the book is that there is a desi woman named Sheetal whose. actually half star-people-weird-celestial-creature-or-whatever. And basically their having another season for the star version of Rupaul drag race up in the heaven, where these rich "otherworldy" stars live, and each house needs like a draggirl or whatever, not really a drag girl but you get me, who has to perform a talentor whatever in front of the king rupaul and queen rupaul. And Sheetals mother, who I absolutely despise, is like "yo daughter, I know I abandoned that flat ass, but Imma finna need you to come back up hereand show off your STTTTAAAARRRR"
but when Sheetal actually uses her free will to say no her mothers like, "yo, that's how you wanna play?" and uses her weird star powers to make sheetal come up against her will. Oh not to mention, Sheetal almost killed her father with her star problems because she had a break up with her sorta boyfriend and the only way to get a star's blood to heal him is to be in the competition.
5/5 mother, making her daughter abandon her actual world and threatening to let her father die if she doesn't show herself off to a million powerful overdramatic star people. Oh not to mention using her weird star song to control her own daughter.
But don't worry guys, the mother missed her every day, and her father too. So why doesn't she give a vial of her blood to help the man she missed being away from?
Because she's a star who despises mortals. Oh, and she also wants to help them by putting them all under her weird mind control thing, and opening up the gates of her world.
Sorry lady, but removing people's free will isn't exactly helping, and being human means sometimes you can't be perfect. Oh and sheetal also loves this mind-controlling plan because she's half star, and all stars are perfect.
But she's also half human and misses her home and doesn't want to be up here. but she also loves the heaven wolrd where star p[eople is and doesn't want to leave. Oh not to mention someone literally offered a deal to give a vial of their blood to her father in exchange for her withdrawing from the competitition. But Sheetal doesn't take the deal, because she loves the star people, and somehow forgot her father is dying because she had break up problems.
Oh not to mention,she tells the boy she "broke up with" it's his fault her father is on a hospital bed. Because using your fire powers to harm your innocent and vulnerable father because you had boy problems with a man you barely knew is totally reasonable.
I did like the writing, it was very beautiful, just like the cover.
The worldbuilding was beautiful, but confusing. it wasn't necessarily explained, but rather dumped into the first 50 pages. Which is a shame because it had no important role in the book.
Probably my biggest disappointment!!!!
------------------------------------------
Ugh, looks like this star doesn't shine at all. It was funny in my head, okay, I'm bad at jokes!!!
Review to come
January 24, 2021
This book can be described in two words: boring, and disappointing.
My entire experience of this book was me chanting to myself "Finish it, finish it, finish it, finish it". Which is really sad because I was really excited about this book and it sounded SO promising!
Me every time I opened the book:
A half-star, half-human named Sheetal accidentally burns her human dad and only pure star blood can save him so she answers the "call to the sky" to find help for her dad in her celestial family. BUT they require her to be their champion in a competition between houses to see who rules the heavens next. Plus I knew there were a lot of Hindu myths in the book so I was excited about that.
SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD
1) Hindu culture (not being explained)
Here is the thing about the Hindu myths/references/culture, nothing was explained. I am not Hindu so I didn't already have the knowledge of Hindu myths so when there were a bunch of references and stories about the Hindu culture I didn't understand any of it. Other reviewers, who are Hindu, have really enjoyed the Hindu representation in this book but I am sorry to say that I wasn't able to.
2) Journaling
The main character Sheetla has a journal but it is only mentioned in the book when it is easy for the author to include her entries. Other than her entries and the two mentions of her journal being near her we don't hear about her writing in her journal, thinking about her journal, or mentioning her journal. There are only 3 journal entries in the entire book. (I say either include more or don't include any at all)
3) The characters and the relationships
I felt absolutely no connection to the characters and in turn, had NO interest in the relationships. The main relationship actually just frustrated me the entire time because she was SO attracted to him and then he was mad at her for . In this book, Sheetal brings her best friend with her and she develops a relationship with one of the servants. I thought it was cute how she was smitten by the servant (female as well) and I liked that rep. But I wasn't really interested in any of the characters and the only person I liked was this girl named because she was extremely dedicated to her family even if she was a bit rude. Not to mention the fact that her grandparents banned her entire star "family" from giving her blood to save her father.
4) Writing/Plot
This book DRAGGED more than RuPaul. There were some pretty unnecessary scenes and I only kept reading this book because 1. I wanted to finish it because I got it for Christmas 2. I wanted to know if the . The writing was pretty basic and there were minimal descriptions of anything so I was pretty confused when reading some chapters. There could've been a LOT more world-building.
5) The ending
What a cheap way to end this book. Seriously? You had to end it like THAT? (aka the ending is so.. boring)
So yeah. I am now sad. See you guys in the next one! (1/23/2021- OMG THIS IS MY 100TH REVIEW!! oo this is exciting!)
My entire experience of this book was me chanting to myself "Finish it, finish it, finish it, finish it". Which is really sad because I was really excited about this book and it sounded SO promising!
Me every time I opened the book:
A half-star, half-human named Sheetal accidentally burns her human dad and only pure star blood can save him so she answers the "call to the sky" to find help for her dad in her celestial family. BUT they require her to be their champion in a competition between houses to see who rules the heavens next. Plus I knew there were a lot of Hindu myths in the book so I was excited about that.
SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD
1) Hindu culture (not being explained)
Here is the thing about the Hindu myths/references/culture, nothing was explained. I am not Hindu so I didn't already have the knowledge of Hindu myths so when there were a bunch of references and stories about the Hindu culture I didn't understand any of it. Other reviewers, who are Hindu, have really enjoyed the Hindu representation in this book but I am sorry to say that I wasn't able to.
2) Journaling
The main character Sheetla has a journal but it is only mentioned in the book when it is easy for the author to include her entries. Other than her entries and the two mentions of her journal being near her we don't hear about her writing in her journal, thinking about her journal, or mentioning her journal. There are only 3 journal entries in the entire book. (I say either include more or don't include any at all)
3) The characters and the relationships
I felt absolutely no connection to the characters and in turn, had NO interest in the relationships. The main relationship actually just frustrated me the entire time because she was SO attracted to him and then he was mad at her for . In this book, Sheetal brings her best friend with her and she develops a relationship with one of the servants. I thought it was cute how she was smitten by the servant (female as well) and I liked that rep. But I wasn't really interested in any of the characters and the only person I liked was this girl named because she was extremely dedicated to her family even if she was a bit rude. Not to mention the fact that her grandparents banned her entire star "family" from giving her blood to save her father.
4) Writing/Plot
This book DRAGGED more than RuPaul. There were some pretty unnecessary scenes and I only kept reading this book because 1. I wanted to finish it because I got it for Christmas 2. I wanted to know if the . The writing was pretty basic and there were minimal descriptions of anything so I was pretty confused when reading some chapters. There could've been a LOT more world-building.
5) The ending
What a cheap way to end this book. Seriously? You had to end it like THAT? (aka the ending is so.. boring)
So yeah. I am now sad. See you guys in the next one! (1/23/2021- OMG THIS IS MY 100TH REVIEW!! oo this is exciting!)
December 20, 2020
I absolutely loved the concept of this one, I think the execution was a little lacking though. The idea of following the daughter of a star as she discovers her true self and takes part in a competition where she represents her family’s house sounded so unique and interesting. Just the idea, however, was not enough to make me love it. This book felt like it was on the younger side of YA so I might have enjoyed this more if it was released a few years earlier and I could have read it in high school.
The world building was done well and I really liked that there was a big focus on music. I think that music magic is always a cool aspect that I see few books utilizing in their magic system. What I was most excited for in this book was the competition portion, but I was unfortunately let down here. It was such a short part of the book of felt very rushed. It didn’t have a lot of detail and seemed brushed over when about 75% of the book was all leading up to that competition.
I wasn’t a big fan of the writing style. It felt like it was trying to be lyrical but it didn’t quite make it there. I found the descriptions to be really repetitive and it kind of took me out of the story sometimes.
I definitely appreciated the diversity and the Hindu myth that was written about. I liked being about to learn more about the desi culture which I was pretty unfamiliar with up until reading this book.
Star Daughter was a fast read but it wasn’t super gripping. I was never really invested in it but I liked the idea as a whole.
The world building was done well and I really liked that there was a big focus on music. I think that music magic is always a cool aspect that I see few books utilizing in their magic system. What I was most excited for in this book was the competition portion, but I was unfortunately let down here. It was such a short part of the book of felt very rushed. It didn’t have a lot of detail and seemed brushed over when about 75% of the book was all leading up to that competition.
I wasn’t a big fan of the writing style. It felt like it was trying to be lyrical but it didn’t quite make it there. I found the descriptions to be really repetitive and it kind of took me out of the story sometimes.
I definitely appreciated the diversity and the Hindu myth that was written about. I liked being about to learn more about the desi culture which I was pretty unfamiliar with up until reading this book.
Star Daughter was a fast read but it wasn’t super gripping. I was never really invested in it but I liked the idea as a whole.
August 18, 2020
3.5/5 ⭐️
Thank you so much to HarperCollins for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion!
First of all, I would like to take a second to appreciate the sheer beauty of this cover. I'm a major cover-buyer and I was already interested in this book without knowing what it was about in the first time just because of it. Then, I would also like to say that this is a very promising debut novel, lyrically written with Hindu mythology. It is sadly not a mythology I am familiar with, but I truly appreciated everything I read in this novel and it made me curious to know more about it and to educate myself on it. I was truly transported into another world while reading, so that was truly a magical experience. Everything from the descriptions of the world, of the food and of the general ambiance surrounding the characters made me travel with the characters. It was truly a magical adventure.
I however had troubles connecting with the main character Sheetal. I thought her reactions to her boyfriend were sometimes a little bit strange and overexaggerated for someone her age. Even Dev himself felt one dimensional at times and I failed to be really invested with both him and Sheetal, not only as a couple but also as their own. Sheetal was really acting as if her life depended solely on him and it was not to my own taste.
To conclude, this is a fantastic and promising debut which makes me really impatient to read more from this author!
My Bookstagram
Thank you so much to HarperCollins for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion!
First of all, I would like to take a second to appreciate the sheer beauty of this cover. I'm a major cover-buyer and I was already interested in this book without knowing what it was about in the first time just because of it. Then, I would also like to say that this is a very promising debut novel, lyrically written with Hindu mythology. It is sadly not a mythology I am familiar with, but I truly appreciated everything I read in this novel and it made me curious to know more about it and to educate myself on it. I was truly transported into another world while reading, so that was truly a magical experience. Everything from the descriptions of the world, of the food and of the general ambiance surrounding the characters made me travel with the characters. It was truly a magical adventure.
I however had troubles connecting with the main character Sheetal. I thought her reactions to her boyfriend were sometimes a little bit strange and overexaggerated for someone her age. Even Dev himself felt one dimensional at times and I failed to be really invested with both him and Sheetal, not only as a couple but also as their own. Sheetal was really acting as if her life depended solely on him and it was not to my own taste.
To conclude, this is a fantastic and promising debut which makes me really impatient to read more from this author!
My Bookstagram
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