This middle grade is as beautiful and colorful as the cover suggests. I enjoyed it immensly. Even though I myself am not a huge fan of dream-based stories, this was a very thought-provocing, magical tale.

Fans of Kelly Barnhill, Claire Legrand, and Holly Black will escape with this sad, funny, and charming, fantasy adventure

First of all a big thank you to the author, publishers and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.

This was a quick and enjoyable read. I liked the plot. The cover is beautiful and I liked the characters. However I just couldn’t get into this. I found myself getting confused and not being able to lose myself in the story completely.

The relationship between the characters felt a little forced and rushed.

DNF 88%
This just was not for me. The writing was nice, but the rest felt a bit meh. I just did not enjoy it as much as i had hoped.

I received a free eARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a delightful and imaginative middle grade novel about music and grief.
Adi is a daydreamer and a storyteller who finds herself in foster care when her grandmother needs medical treatment. She makes friends with Rupe, and soon they both find themselves in a magical kingdom where dreams are mined. The worldbuilding was whimsical and magical, and the writing was lyrical and descriptive. This was an emotional book that explored Adi’s grief at the separation and loss of her grandmother.

A sweet and magical story. A good representation of what grief can do to someone. And also of what can be overcome if you so choose.

Started reading this book however I didn't mesh well with the writing, found it was very slow and only got 30% of the way through before DNF'ing. Just think it wasn't for me, don't think it was a bad book

I went into this book thinking that it was going to be a good read, even thought it is a middle grade book. I couldn’t connect with the characters and they seemed to be younger than they actually were.
I wanted to DNF this, but I decided that I wanted to see how it was going to end and it was disappointing as well. I also had a hard time understand what was even happening half the time. I didn’t want to write a review because I know its going to sound harsh, but I wanted to make one to let you all know my experience with it.

Beautiful, magical story. I loved the characters and the plot. This book will be enjoyed by middle grade kids who enjoy magic and stories. I could daydream this book's ideas forever! Wonderful read.

This book was mesmerising. I adored the musical theme, and the idea of learning the music of the stars.

A perfect read for all lovers of middle-grade, this book surrounds a girl called Adi, a daydreamer who loves to tell stories. This book deals with grief in a wonderfully respectable way. It is poetic, heartfelt and simply beautiful.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Adi is a daydreamer and she loves telling stories. She's placed in foster care while her grandmother gets medical care. However, she quickly makes a friend named Rupe and soon they find themselves in a magical kingdom where dreams are mined. This is a world with gems and music where dreams (and nightmares) have power and influence the "real" world.
Rupe is musically talented, Adi is not. However, it’ll take both their skills to defeat a growing darkness encroaching on their world as well as a hidden kingdom.

I loved the characters and worldbuilding, How Adi faces the grief of his grandmother’s loss, the poetic description, the characters were complex and individuals. But - there is one - the language is a little bit complex.

I would absolutely recommend this book to any middle grade reader

The Music the Stars Sang by TL Cervantes was a wonderful book and I'm so glad I read it!
In the book, Adi is a daydreamer and she loves telling stories, but when her Gran's health begins to take a toll, she's placed in foster care. However, she quickly makes a friend named Rupe and soon they find themselves in a magical kingdom where dreams are mined. Adi loves the kingdom, but she learns of a danger lurking about and that she might be the key to stopping it and saving the kingdom.
I loved the world in this story and the characters from the magical kingdom. The language was very descriptive and pulled me in immediately. The only issue I had with this book is that it was slightly confusing at times, but I'm willing to overlook that because overall I loved this book! My actualy rating is 4.6 stars out of 5. Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me with a copy of this book for an honest review!

Really good book, and it has what i was looking for in a fantasy novel, and this book delivers. The imagery is great and I really enjoyed reading this.

I read this as an ARC through Netgalley. Thank you to the publisher for this chance to read it early and give my honest opinion about the book.

The Music The Stars Sang is exactly the kind of book ten-year-old me would've loved. The great characters of Adi and Rupe, the wonder of the Sidereal kingdom, and the thread of the Shadows. The story is creative and while the first part seemed a little strange, it's all tied together later.

The only thing I didn't like was the character growth of Adi. It didn't seem like she changed a lot throughout the book besides learning what she is. For the younger audience, this wouldn't be as noticeable though.

The same thing could be said about the phrasing of certain bits. It seemed too grown-up. Some sentences referring back to older bits and making their connection less clear.

There is lots to like about this book and only a little part I didn't like, and I think most kids won't even notice. They're stuck in wonder by the beautiful world created by Cervantes.

Adi is like many kids, just trying to fit in. With only memories left to keep her close to her Gran, Adi escapes into nature to listen to the music of the stars. There she meets Rupe, and the two become fast friends. Rupe is musically talented, Adi is not. However, it’ll take both their skills to defeat a growing darkness encroaching on their world as well as a hidden kingdom of Dream Miners.

Adi goes through a lot of growth and learning, which is done beautifully. She’s struggling with the death of her Gran, and this book does a great job with Adi’s emotions and struggles to cope with her new reality. She loves the Sidereal Kingdom, but what about when it threatens her friends? There’s a great exploration of friendship and finding the light in the midst of darkness.

My one concern was the transitions. They weren’t always well described, and this led to some confusion. In one instance, two people are traveling on a boat; the next moment, one person is measuring the depth of the water with a tool. Where’d the measuring stick come from? He’d just ripped the boats off of trees, so then when did he fashion the measuring tool? Also, when Adi and Rupe are shrunk, that moment didn’t come across at all until the author outright stated what had happened. More use of physical sensations to explore the world would have helped (i.e., why did this hole we fell in get tremendously larger all of a sudden? Why is a leaf as big as a bed now? What did it feel like to shrink? Do any scents get stronger the smaller you are? Is it scary to be miniature sized?).

That being said, the book is full of charm and explored lyrically with an eye for musical appreciation. I loved how you don’t have to be good at music to discover music and have it be a part of your life, which is the case with Adi. Whereas Rupe is great at playing music, Adi explores a different manner of musical expression. All the characters are fun and nuanced enough to make each one stand out. World building is enchanting. I loved walking through the Sidereal Kingdom. I hope in the future there’s a return journey. Creative concept, well-written despite its few hiccups every now and again, with great themes that will resonate with readers middle grade into adulthood. Recommended!

Typically I enjoy fantasy stories, regardless if they are for adults or young adults. Sometimes books for kids or young adults end up being better than adult ones.

This had some aspects which appealed to me, but overall the story did not fully engage my attention.

The idea of Ari being a conductor of music from the stars was fine.
Sharing this connection with her recently deceased grandmother makes it even more special.
And, I appreciated the way the author shows the struggles Ari faces with her grief over losing her grandmother.

But, a connection to the characters just did not happen for me.
I can not imagine my 10-year-old son making it through the title.

Absolutely magical story for mid grade readers through adult with just the right amount of sadness, danger, adventure and wonder. TL Cervantes has created a magical world simple enough for children to step into that is beautifully fleshed out. Her writing style casts a spell sophisticated enough for children to feel as if they have been let in on a secret land right along with Adi, the young protagonist. As an adult I never felt as though I was reading a children’s book. I will be watching for more books to come!

4.5/5⭐️ to The Music the Stars Sang by TL Cervantes

Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for access to the ebook!!

This book was super magical and immersive from the first page! It follows Adi (our MC) and her friend Rupe as she is mourning her Grandmother. Part of this is her daydreaming, and on an outing the friends are whisked away to a magic world that somehow her Grandmother had a connection to. This is a world with gems and music where dreams (and nightmares) have power and influence the "real" world. Adi and Rupe find that they were summoned to this world because it is currently in grave danger, and they are the only ones who can help save it.

Overall, this book was so amazing, beautiful, and perfect for middle grade readers who are looking for a magical read, but aren't quite ready for YA. The language is immersive and complex, and will give a great challenge for younger readers. It is a great example of how creativity combined with lyrical, descriptive writer can capture a reader and immerse them in a new world. What I will say, and the reason I didn't give this book a full 5 stars, is that the book starts off immediately with the imagery to set the scene before the plot starts, but that resulted in me feeling a bit lost. Because there wasn't necessarily a plot line to ground me from the very beginning, it took me quite a few pages to get fully pulled into the story and connect with the book.

Aside from my initial issues with the introduction, the rest of book was absolutely wonderful! I was taken on a magical, wild ride where I was laughing, cheering, and scared along with the characters. The characterization was another strong element of this book from our main characters to the supporting cast. Each character was distinct, complex, and purposely contributed to the overall message and atmosphere of the book. Our main villian felt super scary, and I appreciated how there felt like the main charcters had pretty high stakes to overcome before saving the world. Especially true with Adi, the characters showed developent and growth as a result of their shenanigans and adventures. Middle grade readers have amazing heros to look up to and learn from!

If you are or know a middle-grade reader who loves magic and finding new worlds, I would definitely recommend The Music the Stars Sang!

I received an electronic ARC from BooksGoSocial through NetGalley.
Adi has to come to terms with life and grief and survival after her grandmother's death and being placed in foster care. Cervantes tips the story into the magical as Adi and her friend, Rupe, enter a magical place that is both beautiful and dark. Middle grade read about choices and healing.

I really wanted to like this book. The cover is beautiful, and the storyline sounded like something I would typically enjoy. However, I was mostly just confused, having to reread parts in order to figure out what was going on. I typically love SFF books, but parts of this book just didn't make sense to me. Some middle-schoolers will likely really love the fantasy world in which Adi and her friend Rupe find themselves, but I can definitely see some struggling and not sticking with it.