Great book! True-to-life, on a topic that only people who’ve walked in Aster’s shoes would understand. Melody Carlson’s telling of the story really is both believable and makes you think. Fast read with a note of spirituality wove in. ( )

I'm older than the target audience for this book but I have enjoyed other Melody Carlson books. If you're a reader, it can be read fairly quickly.

I could identify a bit with the main character, Aster. She seems to possess a maturity beyond her years in some ways (taking care of her younger sister for one) and also in feeling the need to help others. At 17, she's been responsible for the care of her younger sister, Lily, for quite a few years, but now she's wanting to have a life of her own where she doesn't always have to have Lily tagging along with her.
Aster seems to blame this for the loss of her best friend Katie as well as for other things in her life. I do think Aster deserves to have a life of her own in addition to helping to take care of her sister, but I don't admire the way she goes about obtaining it. Apparently some of Aster's "help" has come in either the form of enabling or in the form of manipulation to get Lily to do what needs to be done. Once Aster and her mom start working together, the situation improves--I think because each can point out areas that need work with the other and they agree to rules with each other that allow them to not let Lily divide them.

Aster also is so infatuated with BMOC Owen that she ignores the warnings of her friend Crystal as well as other warning signs (though to be fair, I didn't pick up on whatever those were supposed to be until he went back on a promise he made to Aster).

God is mentioned in this book but not as much as I expected. It wasn't a central point as it was in a similar book I read years ago called "Sincerely, Kari". There are many opportunities where Carlson could have injected a bit more without it becoming preachy or spoiling the plot.

Still there are some good themes:
-Help, but don't let yourself be taken advantage of
-Sometimes you need to take care of yourself so that you can take care of others
-Don't be fooled by the outside. Make sure the other person's character is good as well as their looks.
-Don't settle for someone who doesn't respect you and who doesn't treat you well. ( )

Surprisingly enjoyable and believable - not the usual style of Carlson but rewarding none-the-less. I wish this was part of a series - there are so few books out there that deal with characters who have mentally challenged siblings (Riding the Bus with my Sister comes to mind). Aster is one of the most engaging characters I've come across in a while and I was sorry to see the book end. ( )

As far as teen fiction goes, even including other books and series from Melody Carlson herself, this is the absolute best book that I have ever had the experience to be exposed to. It is just fabulous and if I could afford it, I would buy every single teenage girl I know a copy for keeps. Aster is "just another girl". She is 17 years old, middle child of two sisters, and about to start her senior year. Normal right? Then throw in that her older sister is beyond materialistic, her dad is a no-show, and her mom a work-a-holic. Still fairly normal, just slightly rough on the edges. Then if one also considers that her younger sister is hitting her teenage years will the body to prove it, but the mentality of a five year old left over from a birth complication and the fact that she is her full responsibility makes things even a little more difficult. Being a teenager can be hard. I know that I would never want to go back to be seventeen. That is just an area in my life that I did not enjoy. Reading this book, I am inspired. I can see the scenes and easily visualize that situations. Aster is surrounded by the teenagers that seem to have never made a mistake and she is also surrounded by those that seem to make mistakes on purpose. Everything that occurs in her story is something that any girl could find herself involved in. A part of myself feels very influenced by Aster, knowing that if she can survive such a thing, then my issues really might be manageable as well. I highly recommend that parents and teenage girls step into Aster's life and spend a couple days understanding what it is like to be "just another girl". ( )

As far as teen fiction goes, even including other books and series from Melody Carlson herself, this is the absolute best book that I have ever had the experience to be exposed to. It is just fabulous and if I could afford it, I would buy every single teenage girl I know a copy for keeps. Aster is "just another girl". She is 17 years old, middle child of two sisters, and about to start her senior year. Normal right? Then throw in that her older sister is beyond materialistic, her dad is a no-show, and her mom a work-a-holic. Still fairly normal, just slightly rough on the edges. Then if one also considers that her younger sister is hitting her teenage years will the body to prove it, but the mentality of a five year old left over from a birth complication and the fact that she is her full responsibility makes things even a little more difficult. Being a teenager can be hard. I know that I would never want to go back to be seventeen. That is just an area in my life that I did not enjoy. Reading this book, I am inspired. I can see the scenes and easily visualize that situations. Aster is surrounded by the teenagers that seem to have never made a mistake and she is also surrounded by those that seem to make mistakes on purpose. Everything that occurs in her story is something that any girl could find herself involved in. A part of myself feels very influenced by Aster, knowing that if she can survive such a thing, then my issues really might be manageable as well. I highly recommend that parents and teenage girls step into Aster's life and spend a couple days understanding what it is like to be "just another girl". ( )