Aster's Good, Right Things

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Pub Date 1 Nov 2020 | Archive Date 8 Dec 2020

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Description

WINNER OF THE CBCA BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021 - YOUNGER READERS.

"I can’t let go of them – the good, right things—because if I do I’ll turn into a cloud and I’ll float away, and a storm will come and blow me to nothing." Aster attends a school for gifted kids, but she doesn’t think she’s special at all. If she was, her mother wouldn’t have left. Each day Aster must do a good, right thing—a challenge she sets herself, to make someone else’s life better. Nobody can know about her ‘things’, because then they won’t count. And if she doesn’t do them, she's sure everything will go wrong. Then she meets Xavier. He has his own kind of special missions to make life better. When they do these missions together, Aster feels free, but if she stops doing her good, right things will everything fall apart?

“Kate Gordon’s writing in ‘Aster’s Good, Right Things’ is at times so authentic that it makes you wince with the pain and anguish of it all, but ultimately wraps you up in immense beauty and goodness. I LOVE this book.” Megan Daley, author of Raising Readers
WINNER OF THE CBCA BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021 - YOUNGER READERS.

"I can’t let go of them – the good, right things—because if I do I’ll turn into a cloud and I’ll float away, and a storm will come and blow...

Advance Praise

Kate Gordon’s writing in Aster’s Good, Right Things is at times so authentic that it makes you wince with the pain and anguish of it all, but ultimately wraps you up in immense beauty and goodness. I LOVE this book.

- Megan Daley, Children's Books Daily

Kate Gordon’s writing in Aster’s Good, Right Things is at times so authentic that it makes you wince with the pain and anguish of it all, but ultimately wraps you up in immense beauty and goodness. I...


Marketing Plan

Physical ARC distribution

Press planned with author

Promotional copies for giveaways or prize packs are available from the publisher


Physical ARC distribution

Press planned with author

Promotional copies for giveaways or prize packs are available from the publisher



Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780648492573
PRICE A$16.99 (AUD)

Available on NetGalley

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Send to Kindle (EPUB)

Average rating from 31 members


Featured Reviews

This may be the best book I've read in 2020 (and I don't say that lightly -- I'm VERY stingy with my 5-star reviews).

Aster is an incredible, loving character who is reeling after her mother decided she didn't want to be part of their family anymore. The way she describes their interactions when Aster was younger leads me to believe her mother may be bipolar, but that's never discussed. Instead, her dad and aunt are revered as the loving adults in her life who *stayed* (though they have struggles of their own).

As both a mother and a grown-up child who was often neglected by my parents, I vacillated between crying for my childhood self and vowing to do better for my own children. This book will stay with me for a long time!

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Eleven year-old Aster has been having a terrible time since her mother left. She thinks that doing good deeds every day will keep people in her life. She's also so quiet that many of her classmates have never heard her speak before. In fact, the only creature she interacts with on school grounds is a tamed rabbit. To her astonishment, this rabbit has an owner - Xavier, a boy who doesn't attend her school, and has some mental health issues of his own.

I really love hard-hitting middle grade novels, and this is definitely one of them. Aster's relationship with her mother, shown in flashbacks, was abysmal. No matter how hard the girl tried, she was unable to get the approval and love that she craved. Instead, a lot of terrible things were internalized.

I don't want to give the impression that this is an altogether depressing read, however. Aster's dad and aunt are both loving, stable figures in Aster's life, and her friendship with Xavier is very special as well.

All the stars for this quiet, important novel. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

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This was a wonderfully tender novel for middle-grade readers. It may be a little young for my 8th graders, however, I feel it could be a valuable resource for opening up tough conversations with my other middle school colleagues. Aster herself feels like a real student I've know, her character is deep and vivid. The opportunities to relate character experiences to students' experiences are endless, opening doors for discussions of empathy, belonging, expression, and differing relationships.

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I would like to thank Kate Gordon, Riveted Press, and NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review of Aster's Good, Right Things. This book broke me to pieces and mended my fragile heart back together again in such a short amount of time. When the book was over, I did not want to say goodbye to the characters. It was a book that I wish I had when I was younger to give me support during the hard times.

Aster is dedicated to doing one good deed a day since her mother decided to leave her and her father. Kate Gordon paints a beautiful and harsh picture of what abandonment does to children. Aster struggles with her own identity and whether he mother left because she was not good enough. She suffers from trauma and anxiety but has a wonderful support system with her father and aunt. Young Aster believes that if she puts out enough good into the world, the world will return that favor. While Aster learns that that may not always be true, she does come to learn all the positives that can be found.

This middle grade novel was masterfully written, taking over a permanent residence in my head and my heart. I was cheering for Aster during every page. I will absolutely be ordering a physical copy of this book and encouraging others to do this well.

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🌿BOOK REVIEW🌿

Aster’s Good, Right Things by Kate Gordon

🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼/5

Aster attends a school for gifted children but she doesn’t feel special, and certainly not gifted. She tells herself that if she was then maybe her mother would have stayed. To cope with the “noise” in her head, Aster decides that every day she will do a good, right thing. This is something to make someone else’s day better but she can’t tell anyone else about this task otherwise her good, right things won’t count.

One day when she runs to the boundaries of the school grounds to visit a rabbit that she has befriended, she finds it actually has an owner. Xavier is in his fairy princess pyjamas and explains that he goes to school at home. As the two become closer he also confines that he goes to see the “man with x-ray eyes” and that he is often visited by a “black dog”.

Aster struggles at school especially because a girl called Indigo makes her life even more difficult. It soon becomes clear that Indigo has her own struggles and acting out was a coping mechanism. When Aster’s aunt (who is a foster parent) looks after Indigo, the two become closer.

Aster friends are a constant reminder that not everyone is okay all the time, and it is okay to have a bad day! It also highlights how every behaviour is a manifestation of a deeper emotion.

Although it is only Xaviers depression that is explicitly mentioned there are other mental illnesses hinted at during this book. Aster appears to be struggling with anxiety and OCD, while her mothers erratic behaviour mirrors bipolar disorder.

This is the kind of book I wish I had growing up, highlighting what mental illness is and it is also okay to not have the “perfect” family! This book left me really emotional and I am so glad I got the chance to read it!

I was kindly provided with an advanced copy via NetGalley.

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The writing in this book is so, so amazing. Like, I felt like it just blew me away in some moments. It’s the perfect blend of poetic and frank and achingly good.

This is one of those stories that breaks your heart and fills you with hope. The fallout of Aster’s relationship with her mom– the hurtful words that cut Aster so deeply– was heartbreaking. Watching Aster navigate her hurt and learn how to reach out in spite of it, and because of it, was such a powerful thing to read, though. I loved the way she developed a community of friends around her. It was like watching a flower come into bloom.

I loved Aster’s relationship with the rabbit and its owner, Xavier. I loved the way she showed kindness to Indigo even when she didn’t deserve it, because she could see beneath her prickly, angry exterior.

It’s possible that this is one of those books that wraps things up a bit too neatly for some people to believe, but I felt like the ending was perfect for me at this moment. I needed hope. I need to believe that sometimes, even against the odds, things just come out right.

I totally recommend this book. I think readers who enjoyed CATERPILLAR SUMMER by Gillian McDunn or HURRICANE SEASON by Nicole Melleby will love this story.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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