If you've been around my blog for awhile, it's no secret that I tend to gravitate towards YA contemporary that deals with tough subjects, especially books that deal with sexual assault and consent. Girl Made of Stars offers a unique perspective on the subject, since the main character is Mara, the twin sister of a boy who is accused of raping his at-the-time girlfriend, Hannah. . . who also happens to be one of Mara's closest friends. At the same time, Mara is dealing with a recent break-up with her girlfriend Charlie and being forced to reckon with her own trauma that she's kept a secret from everyone from years.

If the premise sounds complicated, that's because it is. Girl Made of Stars pulls no punches in how messy and complicated it allows the narrative to be. For such a short book, there's a lot going on, which is all the more impressive since so much of the conflict is internal, as Mara struggles with who to believe. Before, Mara would say that both her brother Owen and her friend Hannah were trustworthy--but now their stories are at odds with another. Mara's been brought up in a feminist household to believe women and runs a feminist group/newsletter at her school, but has to reckon with the fact that her parents are standing behind Owen one hundred percent.

While all this is happening, Mara and Charlie are trying to learn how to be best friends again if they're no longer dating. Mara is out as bisexual from the very beginning of the book, and Charlie, though she uses she/her pronouns and Mara refers to Charlie as her ex-girlfriend throughout the book, is genderqueer. Girl Made of Stars also touches briefly on the intersection between sexual assault and how victims often identify, which shows as Mara and her friends try to grapple with what's happened.

I have never read an Ashley Herring Blake book before, but I have immediate plans to go and read all of her backlist. Mara's internal thought process and struggle was so well-developed and written. Once I started reading this book, I was absolutely hooked even though the subject matter was so serious and it was tough to take at times. I rarely cry when reading, but I teared up multiple times while reading Girl Made of Stars.

While it's incredibly important to have books about sexual assault from the survivor's POV, Girl Made of Stars is also important for what it gives us--the look at how sexual violence not only affects the victim and the perpetrator but entire communities, friend groups, families, etc.  Girl Made of Stars is probably one of the best depictions of how victim-blaming comes about the culture that fosters it. This is a very important book and I'm still stunned at how wonderfully done it was.

I have a very marmite relationship with contemporary ya fiction; I either immediately love it or read the whole book thinking “bleurghk, this is so pretentious!”
I’m delighted to say this is the former, I could not stop reading it.
I became utterly invested in the lives of twins Mara and Owen. Their relationship, previously always strong through their incredible bond, is tested to breaking point when Hannah, Owen’s girlfriend and one of Mara’s best friends accuses Owen of rape.
The narration is through Mara so we do not witness the crime which was a very clever way of letting the reader see it from an outsiders point of view (as a judge and jury would as such) and therefore only being able to rely on both Owen and Hannah’s version of events.
Whilst all this is going on Mara is tackling a breakup with her bff & ex-gf, Charlie (who has her own issues going on).
It’s a tumultuous time and tempers are frayed as Mara is faced with the prospect of either supporting her friend or her brother- it’s an impossible choice to make and I really felt for her.
It’s an emotional book, it deals with quite a lot of issues but all are done so well that it didn’t feel like an “issues” book, it genuinely felt like this is a situation that could (and does) happen across high schools everywhere. 
The ending is satisfying in a weird way - lives are never going to be the same again for these characters and it’s not just oh well here’s a happy ending, it’s much more real and believable than that!
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who reads ya, it’s great for fans of Louise O’Neill and Holly Bourne.

A gripping, moving, and powerful tale of family, grief, coping, and amazingly written complex situations strong women find themselves in. This book was so beautifully written in all aspects, the actual lyrical writing style, the depth of character building, and the way that difficult topics were tackled.

This book was stunningly written. From the first sentence on it was just pure joy reading Ashley’s poetic writing style. The pieces of astronomy that was thrown in sporadically really helped add to the story, and were so interesting. This book really showed the way a rape accusation affects everyone involved not only the two people. It affects family relationships as well as friendships, especially when the accusation hits so close to home.

The character descriptions were excellent, I felt like I could see them and their personality from the moment they were introduced. I felt like hearing from both twins was very important throughout the novel. Mara was put in such an awful position, to believe her twin brother, or one of her best friends. She was torn, Hannah was being blamed and treated awful, while her brother was seen as this great person even after the accusation. I felt very connected to Mara, like her I suffer from severe panic attacks and PTSD. 

I feel like all the topics covered throughout the book were done with the utmost respect and sensitivity. There was a bit of a love triangle, so if that is a main selling point warned. I will say it is not the main focus by far, so please try not to let that deter you from reading this stunning novel. I feel that it focused way more on friendships and family relations. I absolutely adored this book and it will definitely be making my top reads list this year.

Loved it. It is exactly the book we need when talking about consent. There are other important discussions embedded in the book. It´s not out until Will be telling everyone I know to read it.

Mara and Owen are twins, and as such, share an extremely close bond. As they navigate High School dating, Owen starts dating Mara's best friend Hannah, while Mara comes out as bi-sexual, briefly dates Charlie and now has a difficult relationship with her ex-girlfriend.
When they all go to a party and the drink starts to flow, a lot happens in the blur. The following morning Mara finds out her beloved twin is accused of raping Hannah, leaving Mara torn between two of the most important people in her life. Instinctively feeling that her brother isn't telling the truth, Mara finds herself making some tough decisions, risking alienating her entire family. Owen continues to deny everything, receiving support from his gang at school and Hannah gets publicly shamed as she must me making it up. Mustn't she?
This is a great book that handles an incredibly sensitive topic with aplomb. Mara is an extremely sympathetic central character, and you can't help but imagine yourself in her horrendous situation and the decisions you would make in her shoes.
Some of the gender and sexuality themes were almost a distraction, as Blake doesn't always have enough time to really go deep on them, so they become marginal. However, that's my only criticism of this otherwise excellent book that navigates a challenging topic with a truly deft hand. An important book for teens.

Thank you to Ashley Herring Blake for writing such a powerful and important book. Rape is not easy to read about (and it shouldn’t be), but somehow the writing of this book made it somewhat manageable. The friendship between Mara, Charlie and Hannah is pure and the kind of friendship I love to see in books. I was so glad to see Hannah supported through what she went through. I love the way sexuality and gender were discussed in this book, I feel like it was really well done and made the book super accessible and diverse even though the main plot isn’t necessarily about sexual orientation and gender. The book also has a really fantastic portrayal of the need for consent. It needs to be known that consent can be withdrawn at anytime. Consent is also not the presence of a no but the absence of a yes. I really hope everyone reads this book, especially teens who are beginning to explore feminism, sexuality, gender identity and sex.

This main character of this book finds herself in an incredibly difficult situation - her twin brother Owen, who she adores, is accused of raping his girlfriend/her close friend, Hannah - so I was really intrigued as to how it would be dealt with here. Personally, I think it’s very well done: the book discusses topics like consent, victim blaming and rape within relationships in a really natural way, weaving the issues seamlessly into the story. It also doesn’t shy away from the complexity of what Mara is feeling. She wants to believe both Owen and Hannah, but also neither of them, and her confusion and the conflicting emotions around it is really effective - there were a few scenes that felt like a punch in the gut! I also really liked the bi and genderqueer rep, which both seemed really well done to me. In terms of style, it was a little too dialogue-heavy for my liking (though for the most part the dialogue is really good) and I thought some of Owen and Mara’s stars stories were a tad twee at times, but that’s just personal taste. Overall, a really good and important book that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

TW: rape, sexual assault
In the author’s note at the end of the book, Blake said something like “I hope this is the book you need. This was the book that I needed to write.” And for me, that’s so true, this book is beautiful piece of art that has insightful commentary on the rape culture in relation to our current political moment. But more than that, it’s the story of first love, teenage friendships, and getting comfterable with your sexuality.

So well done, this book blows open a raw hole, it was so intense that I was a loudly sobbing puddle for most the book, and at points had to take a break because it was hurting my brain in the best way. Be warned that this book will absolutely wreck your soul, and then provide you with that valuable sliver of hope that you’ll cling to after you close the last page.

My favorite characters (more like ICONIC Queens) were Hannah and Mara. They both banded together and truly supported each other as survivors in the best way that both of them needed. The way their interactions played out on page was just a testament to the emotional maturity that these teen girls had.

Also, I was over the moon to see that there was on-page nonbinary/genderqueer rep (MC’s best friend); and our MC herself was bisexual and there is an on page f/f relationship. Even though none of that was the focus, it meant the world to me to see myself represented directly as an enby. I definitely especially shed some tears for this.

Ashley Blake has a knack for writing realistic teens and their interaction. They text, call eachother and I dialogue is something that I could imagine saying to my friends. Nothing about the entangled emotions of humans is black and white, thing are always messy and complicated, which makes any story more compelling. Let this be known that this was an entirely character-based plotline there’s not much action, more deep explorations of society and flawed people.

Unlike many other books that this deal with this heavy topic, this one was unique as in that the alleged rapist is our MC’s twin brother, Oscr and most of the book Mara has to deal with the aftermath and fallout. Not only her, but all their friends and social circles, and really the rest of the school have to “pick sides” on who to believe and who to blame, which was a constant delicate but tough situation everyone had to deal with.

Mara as a character is one of the strongest people I’ve ever read. Yeah, she fell apart and had some big breakdowns when her personal life got too triggering. She’s also the lead editor of the Feminist Magazine, and I found the need to pick it up because the articles sounded so awesome. In the end I was so proud of her choices, and felt like she was one of my best friends. This book does that; makes you feel all the feels. And it’s worth it, you won’t regret picking this one up this spring.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own**

I freaking loved this book!! I finally had time to just sit down and read and I manged to read the majority of it in one sitting!! I definitely recommend!!

A very moving account of date rape and the aftermath.  Exploring the relationship of the twin brother/sister was so intriguing and sad... how do you move on after such a horrific event?  The characters each dealt with the issue in a realistic manner and sought out comfort where they could.  
A must read for any high school student.  Important and relevant.

Wow.

This book made me angry, made me want to burn the world to the ground, but it also found me, if that makes sense. Everyone knows someone with a story like Mara's or Hannah's, and that in itself makes me so angry I want to just scream. For some people, the person with the story is themselves. And this book is truly for them. 

I needed it so badly. I cried a lot. I was uncomfortable a lot. But it was perfect in it's telling of an imperfect system and complicated feelings. 

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars: I cannot speak as to how accurate the representation in this book is...other than the anxiety/panic attack rep, but there is bisexual and gender fluid representation in this book. I liked how Blake touched on subjects and I feel approached them in a real world way. They felt authentic. There was negative and positive in the representation, just as there was with the sexual assault and rape in the story. Not that Blake did right and wrong, but rather, in the story, characters respond to these themes in both negative and positive ways and I feel that is what made it feel authentic. I think the story and characters were very complex and fleshed out and I connected with them very easily. I connected with Mara and how she was pulled in 8 million different directions. I connected with every emotion she was feeling, even if I don't have a first person perspective of what she was actually going through. I read this book 7 months prior to its publication but I cannot wait to hear everyone talk about it. I think it is a very important book to have out there and hope that everyone loves it as much as I do. I docked a half star because I wasn't largely a fan of the ending and I felt that there wasn't closure to some things I would have liked closure to as a reader. I do think that Blake did that purposefully and it is 100% her prerogative to do so. It didn't upset me by any means, but I wish there would have been a teensy bit more.

I will share this full review on Goodreads and on my blog, Rocky Top Real Talk, a week prior to publication.

Unfortunately I’ve been unable to read this book, the file type is not compatible with my devices and unable to download. So sorry.

Thank you to Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group for providing me with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Author: Ashley Herring Blake  Release date: May 15th 2018  Genre:Young Adult  Themes:Sexual assault, romance, rape, feminism,sexuality, contemporary, LGBTQ+, family.

<i> It's changed me forever but changed doesn't have to mean broken
   
  Girl made of flesh and bone</i> *

Summary: When Mara McHale's brother,Owen is accused of raping his girlfriend,Hannah, Mara is torn between the truth and her family. As she struggles to define her relationship with ex-girlfriend Charlie, she must cope with her tormenting past and decide whether blood is truly thicker than water.

Wow. This book truly took me aback. At first, I was ready to dismiss it as some ultra-feminist essay-type thingy on rape culture and slut-shaming and boy, was I wrong. The story touches much more deeper issues about society that frankly, need addressing. The way the characters and the story are written feels like an extension of the author's soul and the issues she discusses throughout the book come across as a passion of hers. I would definitely recommend to everyone and would love to read more of Ms.Blake.  

Girl Made Of Stars deals with rape culture and victim-shaming and to be honest, it truly touched my heart. By letting Owen go scot-free, Blake brings to light, the countless cases where the abusers do not face criminal charges and teaches us that this is indeed a reality.Honestly, I didn't and still don't agree with Mara's stance of defiance of choosing to violate the school dress code but I do agree with the ideas behind it. That nothing a girl does or doesn't do could affect or encourage a rapist.Hannah and Mara's experiences were eye-openers and doors into the affects sexual abuse has on girls, especially young ones. The feminist aspect,I loved,loved,loved. Hannah,Mara and Charlie are three strong,brave girls with issues but they don't let that get to them.They stick together even when times are tough and they are honestly squad goals.

THE WRITING: Ashley Herring Blake has a poetical,fluent and jarring writing style which fits neatly with the subject matter.Definitely, beautiful writing.

Blake weaves a beautiful and memorable story about loss,love and moving on; one that has both enlightened me and gave me an insight into the sufferings of the abused. 2018 look like a promising
year filled with emotional books.Look forward to reading them.

See my other reviews on my blog: https://bookalert101.WordPress.com 

*The above quote(s) were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication*

I had a hard time with this galley.  It continually froze and then adobe digital would shut down.  Unfortunately, I was not able to read the book.

While I'm of the opinion that any book that challenges society's attitude to rape culture is a worthy addition to the literary world, if you read a lot of them you'll soon see how  they all start to look the same. The message they send is important, but it's always the same message from the same point of view. Girl Made of Stars stood out to me because it was from a perspective I don't think I've ever seen before. Mara's twin brother has been accused of raping one of her best friends. Mara's struggle of who to believe, how to come to terms with what you believe and what to do about it afterwards is one that had me asking "what on earth would I do in this situation?". Blake captures the nuances and conflicting emotions perfectly. Excellent read.

Mara and Owen are fraternal twins. They tell each other everything. Or so Mara thought. Owen may have committed sexual assault, inconceivable to Mara. But as pieces of information come out in the open, Mara questions her brother’s actions. Has she shared her life with a stranger?

Girl Made of Stars is not for the faint of heart. It deals with complex situations, and the conflicts that occur when someone you love is not who he appears to be. It’s easy to point fingers at strangers, and we judge celebrities and politicians whenever they’re accused of such acts — as they should be. But would you do it to someone you love? That’s what makes this novel so appealing — and uncomfortable. This is also a great LBGTQ book, for Mara is bisexual. The one downside is the lack of “blame the victim” backlash. Most girls and women don’t report sexual misconduct or assault. We must address this topic at all times — victim-blaming is alive and well, no two ways about it. Other than that, I enjoyed this book, and I give Girl Made of Stars four out of five mocha lattes. Café Girl Out. -- Café Girl Media