Ashley Herring Blake

Girl Made of Stars

Mara and Owen are as close as twins can get, so when Mara s friend Hannah accuses Owen of rape, Mara doesn't know what to think. Can her brother really be guilty of such a violent act? Torn between her family and her sense of right and wrong, Mara feels lost, and it doesn t help that things are strained with her ex-girlfriend, Charlie.

Girl made of stars

Megan

Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake is a book about so many different things. First and foremost, it’s about a girl, Mara, and her twin brother, Owen. Owen is accused of rape by Mara’s best friend, Hannah. Most of the book is spent with Mara, who doesn’t know what or who to believe. On one hand, she wants to believe that her brother wouldn’t do such a thing. On the other hand, she would never dismiss someone’s serious accusations, especially not her best friend’s. Mara is in charge of a club called Empower. She writes articles about victims and helps to empower others to use their voice. It seems absurd to dismiss Hannah’s claims just because the person she’s accusing is Owen.

READ MY FULL REVIEW AT ABOUT MAGAZINE: http://about-online.com/books/book-re...

Sarah Sammis

Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake is about fraternal twins and the aftermath of a rape accusation. Mara and Owen join their friends to party at the lake. That involves underage drinking and coupling. Afterwards, though, Owen's girlfriend claims he raped her. He swears it was consensual. Mara feels torn in half.

CCCC33 siblings uhoria blue highway

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2019/comm...

Lindy

With deep disappointment, I must announce that the YA hype machine is at it again.

Here's the description for Girl Made of Stars:
Mara and Owen are as close as twins can get, so when Mara’s friend Hannah accuses Owen of rape, Mara doesn't know what to think. Can her brother really be guilty of such a violent act? Torn between her family and her sense of right and wrong, Mara feels lost, and it doesn’t help that things are strained with her ex-girlfriend, Charlie. As Mara, Hannah, and Charlie come together in the aftermath of this terrible crime, Mara must face a trauma from her own past and decide where Charlie fits into her future. With sensitivity and openness, this timely novel confronts the difficult questions surrounding consent, victim blaming, and sexual assault.

In order for a book like this to make a convincing emotional impact, the characters must be complex and carefully developed. This is not the case here; every character is one or two dimensional to the point it's hard for me to get a sense of any of them having inner lives. Owen is presented as a sexist bro-y jerk from the get-go; the only reason the rape accusations appear to be shocking is because Mara, the narrator, tells us as much. Mara never does anything morally questionable that betrays her own feminist principles, deciding to believe Hannah's version of events and disavowing her brother immediately. Hannah is a non-entity, which is disturbing in the broader social context (which the author is clearly aware of and calls out in the text) where victims of rape are ignored in order to focus on the lives of perpetrators. Charlie speaks in paragraphs to educate the readers about nonbinary gender identities. As Owen's best friend, Alex's storyline had potential, but it needed about three times the development it got. The adults came from the YA cardboard cutout printing factory. It's all very after school special.

Teeeeeesha

A heartfelt tale of a girl trying to find the truth when her twin brother is accused of raping her bestfriend. This book Emphasises on the privilege a man's word has on violence against women.

Lacy W

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: May 15, 2018
Rating: 4 stars
ARC, Library or Own: Library

First Thoughts
Well. Everybody was right. Why I waited so long to read this book, I have no idea. This book is absolutely heartbreaking in every single way and all I want to do is cry. I haven’t felt that horrible pain in my chest since I read Achilles (which btw: I am still recovering from!) There was just so much PAIN! There also anger. Anger at the entire messed up system where the victims are blamed for their assault. I wanted to punch a wall, I was so dang mad! Seriously, why do we live in such a world where that happens??

Characters
This book shines in character diversity and development. The main character, Mara, is bisexual and it’s clearly stated on the page, which I don’t see often. There is Charlie, who is genderqueer, and Alex, who is Korean American. It was just so great to see diversity and see how natural it was. Honestly, why can’t every book be like that? It’s not hard.

I liked Mara. The situation she was put in was impossible. I felt for her and my heart bled for her. Plus having to deal with her trauma, I could see how it took a huge toll on her mental health. She was imperfect but also perfect. I’m not a teenager anymore but i felt like i could relate to her. She grew at the novel progressed and made huge strides in overcoming the obstacles presented to her. Nothing but respect for my little cinnamon roll.

Plot
What a deep and troubling plot. Honestly, it was really troubling. Because this type of thing happens every single day to thousands of victims, both men and women. It was executed so well! It really made you stop and think about what you would do in that situation. I tried to place myself in Mara’s shoes, to understand her choices, but it was hard. 

The plot was actually a great topic about victim shaming and the rape culture that continues to exist, despite all the progress we have made. All the time, it seems, that victims of sexual assault are blamed for what happened to them. That should NEVER EVER EVER be the case. It’s disgusting and it makes me sick to my stomach. I hope everybody out there that has experienced some sort of assault know that it is not their fault nor will it ever be. 

Trigger Warnings
The trigger warnings are quite extensive: rape, underage drinking, homophobia, victim shaming, slut shaming, racism, assault and sexual assault (graphic scene)
This book deals with a lot of hard topics. While it’s an excellent book, I wouldn’t recommend reading it if you aren’t in the right mindset. Practice self care and make sure your health comes first. 

Final Thoughts
So I know that this was a short review but sometimes short is good. If there is something to take away from this, it is that this book is incredibly important. It discusses topics that are absolutely important and need to be discussed. I 100% recommend this book to every single soul that reads my reviews.

brianna

welp... feel like pure shit. gonna go lie down for a while now

Izza

5 stars | Ashley Herring Blake is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. It was beautiful. Hard to read at times (I got so angry and sad), but beautiful <3 and important.

Emelie

2,5owls. 


The topic wasn't discussed enough.. and I didn't really care about all the parts with Charlie. Overall it was a lot more not about the topic, than the actual topic which bothered me!

Fátima

For you. You are worth the telling.


Descubrí este libro gracias a Clau, de Clau Reads Books. Estuvo entre sus libros favoritos del año y por lo general confío mucho en sus recomendaciones. Sin mencionar que este es un tema muy importante para mí, aunque no sabría explicarles por qué, ni siquiera yo lo tengo claro... simplemente es una causa que me mueve. Es ese tema que te toca, te provoca algo. Para unos son los derechos de los animales, por ejemplo, para otros la conservación del medio ambiente, la educación..., para mí es esto. Así que sabía que tendría que leerlo tarde o temprano. Y aquí estamos.

Nos cuenta lo difícil que es aceptar cuando alguien cercano a ti es acusado. Cómo la visión de alguien puede cambiar tan rápido, tan fácil. Yo solía tener un profesor que decía: "no es lo mismo llamarla que verla venir" que significa algo así como que es fácil decir que reaccionarías de una forma ante una situación pero llegado el momento no sabes cómo reaccionarás realmente. En este caso, el hermano de Hannah es acusado de violación por una de sus mejores amigas. Ella se encuentra en una posición difícil puesto que los conoce a ambos, los ama a ambos. Sabe que su amiga no mentiría pero ¿cómo puede pensar que su hermano, al que conoce desde el vientre, fue capaz de hacer algo así? Durante todo el libro sufrimos la misma ansiedad y confusión de Hannah, sin saber muy bien cómo reaccionará al final.

Emotions collide—relief that maybe the state won't press charges, because then we can all move on from this sooner than later. And then I hate myself for that thought, because if you separate the person who did this to Hannah from my family, I'd be calling for his blood.
*
I'm a distraction, he'll say. Boys will be boys, he'll say. If I'm a nice girl, I should know better, he'll say.
*
"It's us against the world, Mara," Hannah said one time. "If we're not on each other's side, who will be?"
*
 Those articles are what I want to say—the words I can say, because I'm too scared and small to say other words. The right words.
*
"Because when they thought the stars were sticking to her, really all the loneliness and sadness were falling off. The stars were underneath".
*
For other girls, maybe it's makeup or a sport or having sex or not having sex or writing or music or kicking ass in school or wearing your hair so it looks like the sun's unruly rays. I think every girl has a thing or two, tiny details in her life that say This is me. I'm done hiding. I'm done feeling ashamed.
*
I know that one day, you will be men who listen, who champion, and who ask.
*
This is the book that reminded me that despite a system and a culture that is perpetually against us, that lets our oppressors go free, that disbelieved our words, there is hope. There is love. There is comfort. There is healing. 
There is life after abuse. A good life. It's not an easy one. It's not the same one we had before. But it is still ours. And nothing and no one will take it from us. We are worth the telling. We are worth the fight. We are worth a good life and love after.

** spoiler alert **
           Una palabra para explicar este libro sería: complicado.


  “This. This is why I never said anything. Because no one ever believes the girl.”


A ver, todavía no sé muy bien cómo me siento en cuanto a esta lectura, porque creo que ningún aspecto de esta historia es fácil, y la autora logró hacer que conectara con Mara de una manera sin igual, y por momentos sentí el dolor de su debate interno: creerle a su amiga, hannah; o creerle a su hermano gemelo, owen. En cualquier de esos dos casos, terminaría por no creerle a alguno de ellos, y de ahí procedía aquel dolor.

Antes de echar todo el chisme de este libro, tengo que decir que no entendí muy bien el propósito de la autora a la hora de plantear y construir esta historia; y aunque me leí su nota, todavía no entiendo el por qué de ese final, o porque dejó tan ambigua la historia de hannah. Y en parte entiendo que los sistemas de justicia son un asco, que no sirven para nada, que la victima siempre tendrá la culpa, y el abusador seguirá por el mundo como si nada o sin perder ningún privilegio, y claramente no son solo victimas sino sobrevivientes, que se merecen seguir viviendo su vida lo mejor que pueden etc etc etc pero... ¿no les genera impotencia? ¿un nudo insoportable en la garganta? ¿una rabia desenfrenada? que la autora haya salido con ese discurso, pero al final owen siguió como si nada y que nunca dijera la verdad, ni tomara responsabilidad de sus acciones; y que le profesor de mara sencillamente siguiera trabajando con niños y ganando premios por su trabajo. Y ENTIENDO QUE LA VIDA REAL ES ASÍ O PEOR. pero... siento que la autora pudo haber hecho un mejor trabajo en esa parte.

Y más porque... todavía me parece inconcebible, que una familia, o más específico: un par de padres. protegan a su hijo (que es un violador) y le crean ciegamente, teniendo a una hija que fue ABUSADA. o sea... menos mal que la autora cortó la historia ahí, porque cómo la madre no le creyera o la culpara por lo que pasó, terminaría siendo la hater número uno de esta historia.

Ahora... regresando a la historia:

tenía una gran confusión cuando empecé este libro, porque pensaba que la amiga que terminaría en esa situación, sería Charlie y no Hannah. así que entre tantas sorpresas, la que me dejó loquita, fue saber que Charlie y Mara eran ex-novias.

Además, el personaje de Charlie me pareció interesante. Primero, porque creo que no había leído un personaje no binario hasta el momento, y también me gustó su transfondo, donde explica que teme decepcionar a sus padres porque no es la "hija que deseaban" y que básicamente sentía toda esa presión porque sus padres tardaron mucho en tener hijos etc etc etc, y también me agradó ese de que dijera que por los momentos le funcionaba los pronombres femeninos, pero que sentía más propios los "elle" (lenguaje inclusivo)... mis disculpas si lo expliqué fatal, tengo cero conocimiento de las terminologías o del tema en general

Quitando eso... ahora hablemos de Mara. No soy fan de la gente que es de Geminis (en el libro hay mucha charla sobre los signos zodiacales), pero conecté muy bien con ella y por momentos sentí su dolor. Para comenzar, eso de quedar en medio de su mejor amiga y su hermano me pareció un montón, porque ella decía que si él que hubiese hecho todo eso, fuese un desconocido, ella sería la primera para ir tras su cabeza y hacer justicia; pero cómo se trataba de su hermano, se encontraba muchas veces en negación, buscando excusas o explicaciones, y debatiendose sobre su inocencia. Pero si nos fijamos en su lenguaje corporal (por así decirlo), Mara siempre estuvo clara que su hermano era culpable, pero el problema era aceptar esa verdad y vivir con el hecho de que nada sería igual.

Algo que me pareció curioso, es que Mara dice que nunca vio señales de que Owen pudiese hacer algo así, porque siempre había sido respetuoso, nunca lo escuchó hablar mal de una mujer, no era violento ni se metía en peleas, etc. pero uno como lector puede ver al principio del libro, una escena donde mara dice que "Owen cuando bebe alcohol, se comporta como un idiota de fraternidad" y ahí empezaron a sonar mis alarmas.

Otra cosa que me dejó sin palabras, fue que toda esta situación, sacó a la superficie la historia de Mara y aquel profesor. O sea, qué horrible era de por sí toda la situación, para que Mara no solo tuviera que lidiar el peso de su historia, sino también tener que ver a su hermano en la situación dónde él era el abusador y le quitó la decisión a alguien más sobre su cuerpo, y tuviera que soportar cómo todos culpaban a la victima, y defendían al violador. Así que admiro que a pesar de todo, ella haya sido capaz de contar su historia, aunque comenzara solo con sus amigas, porque hasta yo hubiera quedado sin ganas de contarle a los padres, cuando andaban tan "patria, socialismo, o muerte" con el hijo.

Además, qué descaro el de owen, para estarle preguntando de aquí para allá a Mara si le creía o no, y tener la desfachates de ENOJARSE porque su gemela no le creía. o sea ???? amigo tienes mierda en el cerebro, porque hasta él mismo estaba claro de lo que había hecho, porque sino no se hubiera dejado golpear por mara ni se hubiera puesto a llorar en su cara

Ahora hablemos de Hannah, que entre todas las cosas que puedo decir al respecto o sobre ella, la que más me indignó es que le hayan quitado la opción de denunciar o no (porque todo el mundo tomó la decisión por ella y nadie se detuvo a preguntar qué pensaba, porque al final de todo, la victima misma es la que decide cómo proceder), y que aunque sus padres hayan hecho todo lo posible para presentar el caso, haya sido el propio juez el que haya dicho que no había pruebas suficientes o que no era posible (tanto ver la ley y el orden para olvidar todas las terminologías en este momento), y que no iban a proceder con los cargos. una maldita indignación que otras personas decidan sobre la veracidad de los hechos, y que jueguen con todo el sistema de justicia. 

en fin... luego de todo eso, todavía no sé qué pensar de este libro, pero bueno... al menos lo saqué de mi tbr.

Flavia Louise

El libro más poderoso que leerás en tu vida, por la autora de Cómo pedir un deseo. Incluso las chicas hechas de estrellas son prisioneras. Las atrapan por las muñecas, las intercambian como objetos. No se las escucha. No se les cree. No valen la pena a menos que tengan algo para ofrecer. Incluso las chicas hechas de estrellas a veces creen esas mentiras...

Hecha de estrellas

Beca 

Reseña Hecha de Estrellas by Ashley Herring Blake 🌌 

~𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒐 𝒚 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒐. 𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒂 𝒚 𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏̃𝒐. 𝑨𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒐 𝒚 𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒐. ~ 

⚠️Trigger Warning: v1olac1ón, abuso

Esta historia me llegó hasta lo más profundo de mi corazón. Me marcó de la manera que pocos libros lo han hecho.  
Este libro lo compré por todas las reseñas buenas que leí en el transcurso del 2021. Tenía curiosidad por saber cómo una autora trataba temas tan delicados como la v1olac1ón y el abuso. Pienso que todo el mundo debería leer esta historia, porque te muestra la realidad, lo que generalmente le ocurre a la mayoría de las mujeres cuando se animan a contar su historia. 

La protagonista, y también otros personajes femeninos, me hicieron reflexionar mucho. Cada palabra y cada diálogo de este libro me dejó una enseñanza. 

En el libro no hay un final feliz, no todo queda resuelto en su totalidad. La autora dijo que el objetivo de este libro es dejar el recordatorio: "A pesar de el sistema y de la cultura que está siempre en nuestra contra, que deja libre a nuestros opresores, que no cree nuestras palabras, hay esperanza. Hay amor. Hay consuelo. Hay sanación. " 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) 

~R.A.

Caroline Lewicki

This book made me feel so many things. I've often wondered what it feels like to be the family member of someone who could do horrible things and I don't know if "Girl Made of Stars" is how everyone feels, but it certainly encompasses so many of the feelings I'm sure people have. Mara struggles to love and hate her twin brother at the same time and Blake paints a beautiful scene of how difficult that is. If you're looking for a different perspective on sexual assault, this is definitely one to pick up.

Camila 

I feel wrong rating this book with 2 stars because the subject matter is really important, but I do feel that a lot of what could have been really great about this book wasn't as good as it could be, and there were many things that really had no sense being in this story.
I also know that I'm on the unpopular side of opinions, but still, I did feel like this didn't reach the potential it had.

vania vela

Honestly, this book seems incredible to me. The book touches on topics such as rape, abuse, and sexuality, which are not easy for many to read. This book was beautifully written and the story was excellent in my opinion. This is a must-read book. It shows the doubts and realities that millions live after revealing that they are victims of sexual abuse and I could not help but feel a roller coaster of emotions with each event that occurred in the plot. Just wow.

mia.

trigger warnings: (view spoiler)[rape, sexual assault, pedophilia, panic attacks, anxiety and victim blaming  (hide spoiler)]

Stephanie Midolo

"What he did is black and white, yeah, but dealing with it isn't."

Esmee hogeboom

i really loved this story and these characters. They were so strong!

Juliette Raven 

This is a hard but very important read!
To all the SURVIVORS out there we BELIEVE you!

Sophie Elaina 

This book is truly fantastic! Its such an important, relevant and heart-breaking read, and the author wrote it in both a beautiful and shockingly real way. It's seriously one of the best books I’ve ever read! I'm going to try my hardest to do it justice in this review, but honestly I don't know if that's even possible because there aren't enough words that exist to describe my feelings towards it.

The book follows Mara; one half of Mara and Owen, inseparable twins that have always been close. So when Hannah one of Mara's closest friends accuses Owen of rape, Mara is torn on who to believe out of two people she loves and has always trusted. Split between being loyal to her family and her own sense of truth she begins to feel overwhelmingly lost. Making the trauma from her own past come rolling back, she must face her the past and look to her future. She begins seeking comfort in her brother's best friend Alex and her ex-girlfriend Charlie hoping to make sense of her own feelings and everything that she has lost.

“Even girls made of stars are captives, bound at the wrists and traded like property. Even girls made of stars aren’t asked, aren’t believed, aren’t considered worth the effort unless they can offer something in return.
Even girls made of stars buy into those lies sometimes.”

This book confronts many difficult topics, including questions surrounding consent, victim blaming, and sexual assault. And while being sensitive to the subject matter the author managed to broach it in a very open way that didn't shy away from things that need to be questioned more in society.

"I never got it before, you know? All the stories I've heard other women tell about how much shame there is in being the one it happens to. But there is. There's this weight of responsibility, of... god, I don't know. Of just existing."

Along with the very heavy topics the book is an own voices novel with bisexual representation. And there is also a genderqueer love interest. Which were both excellent to see since I haven't seen nearly enough of this kind of representation in young adult literature. I was very happy to see how amazingly diverse the novel was and how well written each individual character was. Even though I can't relate on a personal level to this specific story, I do find it very exciting to see more and more diversity and the fact that no matter who you are there are books out there with characters going through the same things as me or you. There are even side plot lines in this book exploring anxiety, ptsd, panic attacks, depression, sexism, biphobia, homophobia and bullying. And it was great to see these things brought to light and addressed, however if you do find sensitive subject matter triggering I would keep in mind that the topics aren't brought up in a subtle way. 

"Owen has always been loud and kind of crude with his friends, but that's not who he is with me. With me, he's a boy made of stars, soft and light and safe. He always has been."

There wasn't much in terms of romance, since the main character had recently broken up with her girlfriend just prior to the beginning of the novel. But the overall character development was extremely well done. And the relationships and friendships in general were very original and honestly not the usual type of thing you see in young adult contemporary. 

"Some parts of me are gone. Some others have come alive, woken by the need to fight, to matter, to be heard. Some parts are wary, others angry, others heartbroken. But I'm still me. I'm still moving."

Overall this book was wonderful and I can't get passed how amazingly well done the novel is. I will definitely be looking into Ashley Herring Blake's past and future works. And I highly recommend you pick up this book, it's a read you don't want to miss. The subjects that are brought to light are so relevant and it's important we keep fighting to change the norm and support this kind of development when it comes to literature. The truth is, that this kind of literature is a ground breaking step in the right direction. If you couldn't already tell, the thing I loved most about this was the representation, but I need to mention it one more time because it is honestly outstanding, and there is even more things that I've not brought up for spoiler reasons. But first and foremost this is a story about survival, the ways in which people deal with trauma, and the endurance of heart-breaking truths.

THANK YOU SO MUCH to Netgalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group, and Ashley Herring Blake for giving me the chance to read this stunning book in exchange for an honest review.

For more reviews + bookish content, check out my blog: https://www.sophieelaina.com/

Mollee Clingenpeel

This book was a lot. Amazing. And awful. And heart wrenching. And emotional. And it was just a lot. I can tell this book will stay with me forever and will always end up meaning so much to me.

Emily

This was incredible. I was expecting it to be amazing, but I don’t think I was quite prepared for how impactful and important this book is.

Girl Made of Stars dares to ask the question that everyone dreads thinking about. How would you handle someone in your family if they raped someone? Could you ever see them the same way?
Even if you couldn’t, could you still love them? Would still loving them be wrong?

Ashley Herring Blake answers these questions in this masterpiece of a book through the character of Mara as she figures things out. 

Along with all of the important messages and themes in this book, Blake also created an incredibly likable cast of characters.

Alex is my absolute favorite; a great friend and guy overall. He takes absolutely everyone’s feelings into account before performing any actions. He also knows how and when to stand up for what is right. 

Another beautiful thing about this book is the writing, and the way that the author introduces settings. She is able to describe places by creating a very specific feeling, allowing the reader to reminisce comforting memories.

 “Hannah lives in a big white house with a huge wraparound porch. It pretty much begs you to drink sweet tea at twilight while your feet dangle off the green-painted bench swing and fireflies flicker through the hazy air.” 

I was also thoroughly impressed by the emotion that Blake so easily woven into each and every scene.

 “I smile at him, but my thoughts are with Charlie and Hannah and me earlier today, how there was a sort of beauty in the three of us huddled and crying on Hannah’s bed, holding one another together. A sort of beauty, but also a sort of ugliness because of why we were there, who I was there for. Because of the  undoing  I felt going on somewhere underneath my skin, like a constellation being split apart.”  

I also must acknowledge the great LGBTQ+ rep in it!!! The main character is a bi girl who is dating a non binary person who uses she/her pronouns but is still learning more about her gender identity. 

And now, of course, comes the most important part of this book. The incredible story it tells. The message it sends to powerful girls all around the world. It tells a story that is not perfect or fair because the world is not perfect nor fair. 

It tells the story, not of a girl made of stars, but of a girl much stronger. One made of flesh and bone.

 “‘You took her choices from her.’ I go on, ‘her body, power. You took her ability to trust, her ability to be with a guy, maybe for years. And do you see what’s happening? Do you see how strong she’s been at school, despite all that? You’re not going to ruin her. I won’t let you. She won’t let you.’”

Alexis 

5/5 stars 

*triggers for mention of rape*

WOW! I did not expect anything from this book. It had been recommended on so many book tube channel so i try not to set the bar high. This book was amazing and heartbreaking. Every anxiety regard her feelings between her friends and family i felt with such emotion and really sympathized with her. The ending to this book.... it was perfect. I Would definitely recommend this book.

Rebeca 

4.5 stars!!! 

So good and so worth the read. Definitely a book everyone should consider reading, it's important. Would recommend.

Girl Made of Stars

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