I'm glad I read this at a time when we can't fly! My friend described this as 'Netflixy' and I totally agree - not only did it tick all the boxes for a good road-trip book, but it also was very difficult to put it down! Like I said, as someone who hasn't flown much and will likely have to fly long-haul in the future for work, I found these aspects a bit stressful but it definitely made for a good, complex story. Certain parts of the story felt a little overly-dramatic/unrealistic in terms of reacitons but I did really enjoy reading this.

I stuttered with this one, it took a few goes before I read the whole thing. I couldn't quite get used to the narrators voice.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

a beautiful story of the choices we have to make and the true impact they can have on those around us. a truly heartbreaking story of losing time and gaining love that i couldn’t story reading !

Please note that this book is not for me - I have read the book, However I had to DNF and because i do not like to give negative reviews I will not review this book fully - there is no specific reason for not liking this book. I found it a struggle to read and did not enjoy trying to force myself to read this book.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for the opportunity to read this book

Air’s brother is supposed to be flying into the USA for her sister’s grand wedding. But he’s not the most responsible person to rely on. And that’s when one of the flights coming from London goes missing. Christopher’s dad is a pilot and he’s at the airport waiting for him to celebrate the eclipse together. Air needs to get from DC to Nashville in order to get to the wedding on time, and that’s when she agrees to take Christopher part way, and the epic road trip adventure begins.

There are not enough words to describe how beautiful this book is. It features tragedy, humour, and some moments full of joy. You will go through all the emotions. And prepare to cry – I cried through the entire last 20% of this book.

I did find our main character, Air, a little annoying at times. There are certain actions she takes which made me want to jump in and shake her. And as the situation unfolds, it makes sense, even though I’d still slap her around the face. The only other thing about Air that annoyed me was the several snide comments of her sister’s choice to marry and have children in her early 20s. Air is determined to be an astronaut and she knows the cost is being lonely, but surely she should respect her sisters wishes?

The ending – oh boy. Good luck. The last 20% is the most turbulent twenty percent of this book you will go through. And it’s not easy. It was done in a really beautiful way, with character arcs from even a super minor character. Considering Christopher lost everything – the only parent in his life – in that missing airplane, I was terrified for him. Where would he go? What would he do when he finishes school in England? Can he even make it back to England? He’s a paper-folding, giant glasses wearing, Cinnamon Roll and must be protected at all costs.

I went in rather sceptical and ended up coming out giving it 4 stars. Air made me so mad at times I was ready to throw my phone, but we need those anger inducing times. The way everything through the book unfolds shows the crazy nature of life, how we react to grief and hard news, and the way unlikely friendships are formed in the toughest of times.

This was quite slow most of the book and it didn't make me feel anything. But I liked the characters and the last quarter or so was really good and emotional. Wish the rest of the book was like that.

As far as the stars is a beautifully written book about friendship, love and family in the wake of a tragedy.
The story centres around the road trip Air and Christopher take- Air trying to make it back to find her brother before her sisters wedding and Christopher going to meet his mom for the first time. I loved the subtle building of their friendship and the possible hint of romance between them. My only slight complaint was that at times the road trip felt like it was dragging when I really wanted the story to move on.
Overall a lovely, emotional read, I’ll be looking up other books from the author!

This was another one of those books I read without knowing anything about. I knew the genre, and I'd seen the cover, but that was it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it this way, and so I'll try not to spoil anything for potential readers.
The book is narrated by a teenage girl called Air, who is on her way to pick her brother Jude up from the airport. Their sister is about to get married, but Jude tends to mess things up so Air is trying to figure out where exactly he is. Their mother is getting worried about them turning up late, but Air is sure that it will work out - Jude always fixes things just in time.
When at the airport, Air meets Christopher. He's waiting for his dad, who's flight has been delayed. But then news comes in of the plane being missing, so Air decides to drive Christopher to his mum's. The problem is, he hasn't seen her for years.
Amongst all the confusion and stress and grief, Air and Christopher (and Jude's dog) begin to enjoy each other's company. They take several pit-stops along the road, despite the urgency of the situation, and actually find themselves having fun.
The end of the novel was fantastic, full of emotion. It was resolved beautifully with the epilogue. However, I did have a few issues throughout the majority of the book. Firstly, I found it to be a bit repetitious. Air went over the same thoughts several times, which made sense in some cases as she was anxious and scared, but happened a little too much for my liking. I also found her to be a little too dramatic; for example, when Christopher finally told her about his dad, she got incredibly upset. I don't really understand why. It wasn't Christopher's fault. It didn't change anything. If anything, she should have felt more sympathetic for him.
I also noticed quite a few typos and missing words, but that may just have been because I have a review copy and not the final publication.
Overall, I'm giving this 4 stars. The ending really made the book for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this in exchange for a honest review.

A YA novel about love, guilt, loss, family and friendship. When a plane crash pushes Air & Christopher together they embark on a journey together hundreds of miles across the country, the story follows their adventure along the way, you struggle to see them handle their emotions and you find yourself praying for survivors. This book took me by surprise.

The story jumps right in as you read about a plane crash, tension builds with Air waiting in the airport to find the flight delayed, and airport staff not revealing any information.
Beautifully written you feel all of her stress and tension to find out if her brother was actually on the plane, he should be heading to Nashville not DC, you go through all the motions with her,

The more you read, and learn all about Blake’s character the more you question if he actually got on the plane.

As the story stars to unravel the twist made me gasp.
A brilliant story, that pulls at your heartstrings.

I absolutely loved this book. It took me on a journey with every page I read! I fell in love with both Air and Ev and through the amazing writing I feel like I knew them. They found one another in the hardest and saddest of circumstances but opened their hearts and minds, each a stranger, and fell in love. This story reiterated for me that sometimes you can talk to a stranger more openly than family or friends, and without judgement. There were ups and downs, fun and sadness etched on the pages of this beautiful story 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I’d like to thank HQ and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘As Far As The Stars’ by Virginia MacGregor in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

As Air waits for her brother Blake to arrive on the flight from Heathrow to Dulles DC she sees Christopher sitting alone making intricate models from scraps of paper. As news arrives that the plane they’ve both been waiting for is missing Air is convinced Blake is on a different flight. After offering Christopher a lift they both drive across America to Nashville where Air has a wedding waiting for her.

‘As Far As The Stars’ is a beautifully written novel about two teenagers who’ve only just met and how they get involved in each other’s lives after losing the people they love the most. Although classed as YA I thoroughly enjoyed it despite being a senior citizen, proof that an exceptional story written by a talented author can be read by any reader of any age. As Air and Christopher continued their journey I became so involved in their lives that towards the final chapters I was in tears and needed tissues on a number of occasions. I’m sorry I’ve come to the end as I wanted to know how Air and Christopher got on in the future. Thank you, Virginia MacGregor, for writing yet another wonderful story.

I started this book with no expectations at all and was completely taken by surprise.

This book was beautifully written. There were moments of extreme calmness then I'd remember what exactly what the novel was about. Some parts made me laugh and then I would think about the main characters, so young and what they were having to cope with. "As Far as the Stars" was totally gripping, dealing with the subject of death so tactfully and considerately. This was such an emotional and realistic read and one that I highly recommend. Rating: five stars.

I hope to read more from Virginia Macgregor in the future.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from HQ via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I enjoyed this! I rated it 3.5 and rounded that down to 3 as I found Air to be an incredibly annoying character who acted really badly and wasn't redeemed by the end of the story (if anything, she got worse). A lot of potential here and would've been 4* if Air wasn't so annoying

I had the good fortune to meet Virginia Macgregor a couple of years ago, so when an email about her latest novel pinged into my inbox, I got very excited.

As Far as the Stars is a little gem of a book, which follows Air and Christopher as they travel from Washington DC to Nashville, after meeting by chance when a plane that potentially had people close to them on board goes missing. Shy, quiet Christopher and determined, organised Air connect on many levels as they undertake their roadtrip in a mustard-yellow Buick and yet the subject that connects them most immediately is set aside and carefully avoided.

I’m far too old now to be the target market for YA books, and yet I was so drawn to Christopher and Air as they drew the best parts of each other out, even when they were in conflict.

As a book, As Far as the Stars is an interesting examination of grief and how we as humans deal with things that are beyond our comprehension. It deals with misplaced guilt, loyalty and the pressure that we put on our young people to constantly excel and do big things and, at the heart of it, there are two very different teenagers with very different families who manage to forge a bond in the worst of circumstances.

Needless to say, I loved this book as it’s so beautifully and carefully written – it has such an emotional impact without ever seeming cloying or cliched, even though for most of the book, it’s just these two characters undertaking their physical and emotional journey. It’s highly recommended from me.

Although the premise has great pick up appeal & there was some good writing along the way, mostly it felt overlong & repetitive with characters who failed to convince. As such the romance felt flat. Not for me.

This book is about more than family and friendships and trying to do the right thing. It is about fallibility and guilt and realising that what you decide, who you are and what you want to be is not set in stone. You don't have to subscribe to other people's notions of what your place and position are, and, if you do, you have the right to change your mind.

Choices - this book is also about the choices we make, or don't make, or are forced into the position of making. And sometimes, you need to just forgive yourself for the mistakes.

It was sad and inviting and hopeful. The characters aren't perfect, but they're positive.

This book was completely different from a lot of the books I read and it was a refreshing change for me. A road trip book, very effective in setting the distress and lack of control of the characters in this. I can’t discuss much more other than the MC is trying to get her brother back when he goes on the wrong plane ahead of a family wedding, anymore and I’d spoil it. Well written, great emotive characters and you really do share their emotions and panic. Completely different, a great fresh read from the normal YA offerings

Sometimes there are books that can create an emotional bridge between the reader and the story. It’s not the same as being completely enamoured by characters, a plot or experiencing empathy and a rush of emotions for certain elements of a story. It’s the kind of bridge that connects words and heart.

The story is about two young people who become connected forever when a plane goes missing with their loved ones on board. Air thinks there has been a mix-up and Christopher isn’t willing to speak about his own truth just yet.

Air takes Christopher on a road trip of sorts. In a way she is revisiting places she has been with her brother in the hope he will either be there waiting or hoping she will be able to feel him while she is there. Air keeps that sliver of hope alive for herself and for the readers. Perhaps it isn’t beyond the realms of all possibilities that Blake could pop up somewhere along the route – he definitely got on a different plane, right?

I’m not sure if I can capture exactly why this story evoked such a visceral reaction in me, perhaps because I can understand the need to hold on to hope, even when the truth is that all hope is lost. It’s a curious part of human nature, the part of us which needs unequivocal proof before accepting certain things. This is especially the case when it comes to death. It’s often not enough to hear or read the words, sometimes we need to see and feel for it to be accepted as real.

Macgregor shows the similarities between two young people dealing with grief and the differences between the two of them. The result is a canvas bag full of emotional turmoil waiting to implode as they navigate the depths of their loss, and also as the reader waits for the external explosion. The finality of acknowledgement as it pours over the characters like a heavy spring rain shower.

This is a contemporary read, and although it comes under the genre of YA it is a read for all ages, because it is something everyone can relate to in some way, eventually. I loved the subtlety and softness of the approach to the topic of grief.

Road trip books are always strange for me; they're almost all set in a America, and I have only a very hazy idea of America's geography, so I never really know if the trip described is long, short, difficult or anything else. This one, though, very effectively conveys the sort of numb panic that sets in when there's literally nothing to do but keep moving forward. I did get a little confused about the timing...I was sure several days had passed in the car, but then someone comments that it all happened two days ago, but it can't have been that long. I was probably thrown off by the fact that the characters are sleeping at odd times and driving over date lines a couple of times.