19 November, 2016

REVIEW: NAMING THE STARS by Susan Koefod

Title: Naming the Stars
Author: Fred Holmes
Series: -
Genres: Middle Grade
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Source: Ebook
Pages: 170

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SYNOPSIS: 16-year-old Mary-Louise comes home from swimming lessons one day to find she is absent from family photographs, her bedroom has turned into a linen closet, and all of her possessions have disappeared. More troubling, her family goes on as if she never existed. The only person in town who can actually see her is a boy she calls Fish, a YMCA swimming instructor, but Fish is hiding from a troubled past and the person he sees is entirely different from who she thought she was.
The girl he sees is entirely different from the insecure, unattractive girl Mary-Louise thinks of herself. The teens discover the photo of a spirited, beautiful young woman photographed many years before—Pearl—who exactly resembles the girl Fish sees. The truth about Pearl’s identity is the key to discovering why Mary-Louise has disappeared and why Fish left home, but his fears of being discovered are preventing him from helping Mary-Louise, after all, no one can see or hear her.
This coming-of-age story explores the important and often fragile connection between the roles we play in others’ lives—as siblings, children, friends, and partners—and the unique identity we must find in ourselves.
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Didn't really have any expectations set up... I was surprised by how short the book was.


THE WORLD: Our normal world with some sort of paranormal or extrasensory twist to it.

CHARACTERS: The main character is Mary-Louise Moura, a sixteen year old girl who struggles to swim (apparently she's very bad at it) and has some confidence issues with her appearance since she think she's ugly and has a near uni-brow... one day Mary-Louise finds out that suddenly nobody can see her or hear her at all and her previous existence has been erased completely... as her parents don't remember her at all and for them they only had a son, ever... (Her little brother makes an appearance in the end and becomes important. He's a cutie.)
There is only one guy who can see her and talk to her called "Fish". None of them know why he can see Mary but together they have to find out what happened. Meanwhile Mary discovers that her appearance has changed as well to one of a lady who lived 100 years ago. 

LOVE: There is no love.

PLUS: The story was interesting and I was always wondering why the heck she metamorphed into a lady who lived 100 years ago and why Fish could see her. The book is really short so it didn't take long to find out.

I also liked how neither of the characters was hot or pretty. They were very average in looks, good people but had their flaws as well. Kudos because not everyone has to be pretty. Self-esteem is important and you can love yourself whether others consider you hot or not.

MINUS: However, I didn't really get the why in the end. I'm still confused as to why she "changed" I mean what was the purpose? Learn a lesson? I'm puzzled.

OVERALL: 3 stars. As a short story it wasn't bad and the plot was entertaining enough, however the shortness also made it a bit flat and incomplete at times.



What did you guys think about NAMING THE STARS?