Review- Where The Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

Goodreads Summary:

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

Trish Doller writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true.

REVIEW:

I have been in love with author Trish Doller's debut novel, Something Like Normal since I read it. It's a book I find my thoughts going to a lot of times and it's easily one of my most favourite Young Adult novels. I was absolutely excited to know that the author will be writing a new book, the title of which is as pretty as it's cover. I am a sucker for anything that has stars and shine in it. Add to it my liking for Trish Doller's pretty writing and I couldn't wait until Where The Stars Still Shine came out. I was lucky enough to win a personalised arc of the book from the author. Imagine that gorgeous cover adorning my shelf! But my impatience made me grab and read the ecopy once the book came out. 
I would hate to say that I have mixed feelings about the book because in my head, I know pretty well what my feelings towards it are and they aren't very pretty. I did not hate the book. I liked it enough I'd say, just not as much as I would have loved to like it. I had decided to read this book objectively without comparing it to Something Like Normal or avoiding, as far as possible, to not read it as a Trish Doller book. More than feeling disappointed that I didn't like the story, I actually feel sad that maybe somewhere, I failed to connect with and understand it. 
From page one itself, while I did get the whole horror and tragedy surrounding the protagonist Callie's existence, I didn't quite understand why it was such a big deal in the first place. I totally get why she is the way she is, but I had a  very hard time understanding why she lied when she knew she was lying and feeling bad about it. While I get that she had no one to explain relationships to her, I despised how she treated her relationships with boys and even her new best friend. I had serious problems in establishing any sort of connect with Callie. I felt bad for everything she was made to go through, but I didn't really have that respect for her to actually feel it with her. 
While there were many issues I had with the protagonist, I really adored many other characters in the story. While Callie's past- which is becoming very similar in many novels these days- wasn't exactly heart breaking, it was portrayed in a manner that makes you want to hope for a better future for her. And while the story in itself wasn't very extraordinary, author Trish Doller's writing made it pretty in it's own way. 
I really wish I had loved the book as much as I am in love with it's title and cover but you can't love everything. I will still read anything Trish Doller writes. 

RATING: