Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah Book Review

Years ago, I read Where the Forest Meets the Stars for the first time. It is the debut novel of Glendy Vanderah. Since reading it for the first time, I have read many other books and forgot most of the book sans the main plot. I did remember it was a sad book that ended on a happy note.

Earlier this year, I found my copy of Where the Forest Meets the Stars and decided to reread it. I was hoping to remember what made me think it is a sad book and the parts of the plot I forgot. Once I finished reading it, I wanted to write a book review about it. Lately I have been reading and writing a lot of book reviews about young adult novels that are either for future post or the posts have already published. This book is very different than the young adult novels, so it is a nice break from all the teenager themed novels I’ve been reading!

The blurb for the book on Amazon is…

After the loss of her mother and her own battle with breast cancer, Joanna Teale returns to her graduate research on nesting birds in rural Illinois, determined to prove that her recent hardships have not broken her. She throws herself into her work from dusk to dawn, until her solitary routine is disrupted by the appearance of a mysterious child who shows up at her cabin barefoot and covered in bruises.

The girl calls herself Ursa, and she claims to have been sent from the stars to witness five miracles. With concerns about the child’s home situation, Jo reluctantly agrees to let her stay―just until she learns more about Ursa’s past.

Jo enlists the help of her reclusive neighbor, Gabriel Nash, to solve the mystery of the charming child. But the more time they spend together, the more questions they have. How does a young girl not only read but understand Shakespeare? Why do good things keep happening in her presence? And why aren’t Jo and Gabe checking the missing children’s website anymore?

Though the three have formed an incredible bond, they know difficult choices must be made. As the summer nears an end and Ursa gets closer to her fifth miracle, her dangerous past closes in. When it finally catches up to them, all of their painful secrets will be forced into the open, and their fates will be left to the stars.

First, I would like to just say my memory didn’t fail me. The book is indeed a sad book, but it does end on a happy note. It felt a little close to think it would end on a happy note, but it does!

Despite the fact I think it is a sad book, I still like it. Even though it is not one of my most favorite books I ever read, it is still a really well written book. The story does not sit still, but the pacing is consistent and keeps the reader’s interest. It is detailed enough to know what is going on, but it does not dwell on anything unnecessary to the story. Also, the way the book ends, like I already mentioned, made me feel like it may not end on a happy note, but it does. The ending also makes sense and ties all the lose ends in the book’s plot, leaving nothing to assumption and completes the story without lingering questions.

The characters are quite complicated. Ursa is very complicated and mysterious, but Jo and Gabriel are also very complicated, adding to the overall mystery of what is going on in the novel and why Ursa showed up. Jo and Gabriel’s back stories are also sad, but their push to heal and become whole after their painful pasts is both logical and naturally fits into the story.

The story does have some curse words in it and Jo and Gabriel have a budding romantic relationship that includes sleeping at Jo’s home at night. The scenes about what happens in the bedroom are closed door, but it is clear what is going to happen and what happened after the door closed.

Overall, I like the story and give it a 4.5 stars out of 5 stars. Even though the story contains scenes and deals with very intense topics, I think it did a good job of discussing them and not fixating on them. Instead, the mystery of Ursa’s appearance in Jo’s life is the focus of the story. I don’t think it would be a good book for a young teenager to read (It’s probably too intense for them.) but it would be great for an adult to read. I would rate it to five stars, but I’m not a fan of any sort of romance scenes like the one in this book at all.

That’s all for now! Thank you for reading!