DNF. I couldn't connect with this book at all and found it really hard to get into. I had high hopes for this, which is a shame.

I was pretty excited about reading LOST STARS as it seemed to promise the intense, deep, and meaningful contemporary YA's that I enjoy reading. I was expecting something with a similar tone to EVERY LAST WORD. Sadly, I got something that definitely didn't measure up. It wasn't terrible, but it was just okay at best.

LOST STARS brings you Carrie, a teen who is still grieving the loss of her sister to suicide. Following her death, she rebels and acts out. She starts hanging out with the wrong crowd and comes home late (if at all) drinks, and smokes weed. At his wits end, her father forces her to work at a summer work camp. The job ends up helping her a lot and so does Dean -- a temporary neighbor she encounters that helps to pull her out of her destructive cycle of behavior.

Honestly, I just didn't really feel for Carrie, probably because I didn't like her much. I don't know why. It wasn't her behavior necessarily, as I've read plenty of YA's with self-destructive characters that I have loved -- GIRL IN PIECES, to name one-- but her character and the book just missed the mark for me. I think this lacked substantial character development, for one.

Some people might really enjoy this book. It just wasn't for me. I would recommend reading the full sample to help determine if it's for you.

Sadly I didn't login in time to download the title before it was archived. Looked so good too!

Beautiful book about a teen who struggles with a dark secret on top of multiple hardships. The book really captured my attention from the get go, I was dying to learn what happened to Carrie as her story unfolded. You really fall in love with the main character and her support group. I couldn't put the book down - I just wanted to be there with her to help her on her journey and make sure she was okay. Great read! I highly recommend it.

Nice read and easy to follow story line. Look forward to reading more from this author