The Music the Stars Sang

I am so impressed with this book.

***Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for providing me a free copy in exchange for a honest review***

Wonderful book with lots of imagery. It is so easy to feel the emotions of the character in the book.

There are beautiful lyrical moments in this novel that will appeal to the artist inside. Adi’s sense of grief over her grandmother is a poignant theme throughout. It comes off as genuine, not forced. The dialogue flows naturally. Character motivations are clear. The world she created is a literary piece of art. It’s beautiful, vibrant, and stays with you after you’ve finished the book.

At the same time, this novel jumps between a literary work and a piece of genre fantasy fiction. You might ask what’s the difference? Literary pieces have a certain way of describing characters and settings based upon wordplay, vocabulary, analogies, etc… Genre fiction is a plot-driven adventure. The Music the Stars Sang alternates between the two. It embellishes moments of grief, sensory, and emotion, but then tries to drive the plot forward with an action, such as good old-fashioned wolf chase. There were times where I found this difficult to follow. When I would get excited about the plot and ready to see what was lying around the next bend, I found myself lost in a poetic description that felt out of place. For some readers, this will be a difficult novel to follow.

This unique take on grief whisks readers to a completely original world. Each character has a depth that is rare in the middle grade genre. They are multi-faceted, believable, and well-written. The world is colorful and vibrant. Adi’s journey through her grief of her grandmother's passing is literally a struggle of survival - and a struggle of hope.

Middle grade readers are sure to delight in the world of the Sidereal Kingdom. They’ll be entranced by the dream gems and the flowers. There will be moments where younger readers will feel lost in the plot or the world’s literary descriptions. But the creative plot and colorful characters more than make up the difference. This story is sure to stick around long after you are done with it.

The Music the Stars Sang is the story of Adi and Rupe, two brilliant characters that find each other by chance when Adi is placed with a foster family while her grandmother gets medical care. The author uses music-oriented imagery to describe the beauty and the dangers of the world throughout the narrative. After Adi's grandmother passes away, she is thrown into a bout of grief that is gut wrenching and something that middle grade readers may have similarly experienced. Readers are introduced to a 'getaway' world called The Sidereal Kingdom when Adi and Rupe venture out.

This world is filled with memorable characters, beautiful descriptions of sounds, smells, and sights. This is a surreal world designed to be an escape and what a wonderful escape this is! I loved the characters and worldbuilding, along with the wonderful tendrils of music threaded through the story.

Books in and of themselves are used as an escape from reality, which is a coping mechanism that is used by many people. Personally, I use books to escape periodically into a new world or a world that is familiar and safe. Weaving the musical elements through the narrative is also a beautiful note that lends itself to this coping mechanism. Particularly when I was around 10-13, I listened to music in order to cope with various things. I love this idea for middle grade readers and reading about Adi's story of working through her grief is particularly relevant and timely for readers.

I would absolutely recommend this book to any middle grade reader or parent interested in books such as this. Adi will hold a special place in my heart from now on. I will be purchasing a copy of this book for my son to read when he is a little bit more skilled at reading. I am going to look into other works by T. L. Cervantes, who has a beautiful and engaging writing style! I am so glad that I was approved for this book, it has been a joy to read and review!

The Music the Stars Sang is available now and I would encourage you to purchase from your favorite retailer!

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing a galley copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This story is mesmerizing and magical. It follows Adi from her relationship with her grandmother and her stories to the magical world. She experiences profound loss and confusion and she needs to use her talents to find a pathway. It’s well written but I think it’s more of a young adult book. It can get confusing and intense. But for lovers of fantasy, this story is worth a read.

This book called out to the artist in me. The lyrical way of speaking was just beautiful, created such magnificent scenery.
The main theme of this book, from what I took of it, was grief. Adi is dealing with the passing of her grandmother and is discovering how to live on without her.
This would be an absolutely fantastic middle-grade book for those younger generations who may just be experiencing grief for the first time. The sense of hope given in such a poetic way and the will to continue on without that loved person in your life.

*Arc supplied*

Please note that these are only my personal opinions and are not a reflection on the author or anyone who loves this book.

This was magical & lots of fun to read. I wish I had this whimsical tale of shadows, music and adventure as I was growing up. Beautiful!

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.