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Rules for Stealing Stars by Corey Ann Haydu
Silly is used to feeling left out. Her three older sisters think she’s too little for most things—especially when it comes to dealing with their mother’s unpredictable moods and outbursts. But for Silly, that’s normal. She hardly remembers a time when Mom wasn’t drinking.
This summer, Silly is more alone than ever, and it feels like everyone around her is keeping secrets. Mom is sick all the time, Dad acts like everything’s fine when clearly it isn’t, and Silly’s sisters keep whispering and sneaking away to their rooms together, returning with signs that something mysterious is afoot, and giggling about jokes that Silly doesn’t understand.
When Silly is brought into her sisters’ world, the truth is more exciting than she ever imagined. The sisters have discovered a magical place that gives them what they truly need: an escape from the complications of their home life. But there are dark truths there, too. Silly hopes the magic will be the secret to saving their family, but she’s soon forced to wonder if it just might tear them apart.
This summer, Silly is more alone than ever, and it feels like everyone around her is keeping secrets. Mom is sick all the time, Dad acts like everything’s fine when clearly it isn’t, and Silly’s sisters keep whispering and sneaking away to their rooms together, returning with signs that something mysterious is afoot, and giggling about jokes that Silly doesn’t understand.
When Silly is brought into her sisters’ world, the truth is more exciting than she ever imagined. The sisters have discovered a magical place that gives them what they truly need: an escape from the complications of their home life. But there are dark truths there, too. Silly hopes the magic will be the secret to saving their family, but she’s soon forced to wonder if it just might tear them apart.
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First published September 29, 2015
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December 5, 2016
Silly can't remember a time when her mother wasn't drinking. She and her three older sisters hide from their alcoholic mother and aloof father in their closets - where magical worlds exists when the door is closed. Silly thinks the magic can save her family, but not all of the worlds in the closets are good and Silly soon fears the magic may tear the family apart.
Rules for Stealing Stars tackles some heavy subject matter:
This is the first time Mom hasn't protected me from herself, and it hurts, makes me sick a little, but also reminds me of losing my first baby tooth or learning to read or getting on the bus for the first time. I'm joining my sisters. I'm growing up. They can't deny it anymore.
Addiction and abuse are introduced in a manner that may be suitable for younger audiences. The world alcohol and alcoholic are not expressly used, but Mom usually has wine in her coffee mug, and though violence is never witnessed by the protagonist or described in the book, the aftermath - in the form of bruises - is often present. If anything, this book is a tool for initiating a dialogue with little ones about complex adult issues.
"Sometimes people are haunted. And ghosts aren't white things in sheets. They're the scary bits of the past that follow us around."
Where Silly's real world is filled with turmoil, the magical worlds inside her closet are imaginative realms with pink sand crystals, oceans made of blue feathers, and roses with black petals. Sometimes this lends itself to creative visualizations but, on occasion, what transpires in the closet is difficult to comprehend:
I reach my hand up to touch the beams [of light] as they shoot from the broken [egg] shell, and discover they have no texture to them. They make my fingers tingle, almost putting my hand to sleep, but not quite. It's the feeling of a sparkle. The sunbeams sparkle against my hand. I've never felt a sparkle before. I like it.
Rules for Stealing Stars dances a fine line between a real world story and a fairy tale. Though the pacing is slow, the subject matter is vital and the fundamental messages are of utmost importance:
The sky in the real world.
It is a watercolor. It is magical and strange. I guess I thought it was amazing that I could make the sky pink in my closet, forgetting that the real sky can make itself pink any day it wants.
And it's just as magical, when it's in the real world.
Rules for Stealing Stars tackles some heavy subject matter:
This is the first time Mom hasn't protected me from herself, and it hurts, makes me sick a little, but also reminds me of losing my first baby tooth or learning to read or getting on the bus for the first time. I'm joining my sisters. I'm growing up. They can't deny it anymore.
Addiction and abuse are introduced in a manner that may be suitable for younger audiences. The world alcohol and alcoholic are not expressly used, but Mom usually has wine in her coffee mug, and though violence is never witnessed by the protagonist or described in the book, the aftermath - in the form of bruises - is often present. If anything, this book is a tool for initiating a dialogue with little ones about complex adult issues.
"Sometimes people are haunted. And ghosts aren't white things in sheets. They're the scary bits of the past that follow us around."
Where Silly's real world is filled with turmoil, the magical worlds inside her closet are imaginative realms with pink sand crystals, oceans made of blue feathers, and roses with black petals. Sometimes this lends itself to creative visualizations but, on occasion, what transpires in the closet is difficult to comprehend:
I reach my hand up to touch the beams [of light] as they shoot from the broken [egg] shell, and discover they have no texture to them. They make my fingers tingle, almost putting my hand to sleep, but not quite. It's the feeling of a sparkle. The sunbeams sparkle against my hand. I've never felt a sparkle before. I like it.
Rules for Stealing Stars dances a fine line between a real world story and a fairy tale. Though the pacing is slow, the subject matter is vital and the fundamental messages are of utmost importance:
The sky in the real world.
It is a watercolor. It is magical and strange. I guess I thought it was amazing that I could make the sky pink in my closet, forgetting that the real sky can make itself pink any day it wants.
And it's just as magical, when it's in the real world.
September 28, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
“I shouldn’t be lonely when I have three sisters,”
This was a good middle-grade/YA story about 4 sisters and magic closets!
Silly was the youngest of 4, and her sisters always acted like she was a baby compared to them, and needed to be protected, even when she was only 3 years younger than her oldest sisters. I felt quite sorry for her in that her nickname was ‘Silly’ and her sisters tried to not include her in their secrets about the magic wardrobes.
The storyline in this was pretty good, and I liked the different things that the different closets did! I felt really sorry for Silly’s middle-sister Marla when it seemed like her mother was ignoring her, and I really liked the mystery over what had happened to the girls’ aunt, and whether or not one of the wardrobes was evil. I also liked the fairy-tale aspect of the story.
The ending to this was pretty good, and I was glad that things worked out with the 4 sisters and the evil closet!
7.5 out of 10
“I shouldn’t be lonely when I have three sisters,”
This was a good middle-grade/YA story about 4 sisters and magic closets!
Silly was the youngest of 4, and her sisters always acted like she was a baby compared to them, and needed to be protected, even when she was only 3 years younger than her oldest sisters. I felt quite sorry for her in that her nickname was ‘Silly’ and her sisters tried to not include her in their secrets about the magic wardrobes.
The storyline in this was pretty good, and I liked the different things that the different closets did! I felt really sorry for Silly’s middle-sister Marla when it seemed like her mother was ignoring her, and I really liked the mystery over what had happened to the girls’ aunt, and whether or not one of the wardrobes was evil. I also liked the fairy-tale aspect of the story.
The ending to this was pretty good, and I was glad that things worked out with the 4 sisters and the evil closet!
7.5 out of 10
September 27, 2015
***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato
This book is like a dream, a very sad and magical dream. Rules for Stealing Stars is a book about four sisters who are stuck in a heartbreaking situation but find a little bit of magic to make the situation a little more bearable.
This book is about a girl called Silly who learns a lot of important things over the course of a summer (I think? Time is not so well defined in the book.) This book is the story of four sisters who learn to come together and face a situation instead of dancing around it. It’s about learning to appreciate some of the good things in life when things get really tough. Most of all though, this book is about hope.
This was my first book by Corey Ann Haydu and I think it’s safe to say that I will be back for more. Rules for Stealing Stars is a well written book that will make you hurt.
Silly is the youngest sister so her family thinks she should be protected at all costs. From her mother’s outbursts, from all the bad things happening. She is used to feeling left out and being shooed away into a room while her sisters deal with the worst. So when her sisters finally let them into their magical world, Silly manages to find something that is her very own and helps her escape the situation in her house.
Unfortunately, this also leads to a lot of secret keeping. As some of you might know, secret keeping is not my thing but there was something about Silly’s innocence that just made me sad for her rather than mad. She was keeping secrets, not because she wanted to but because she had no idea how to tell them to her sisters. She has always felt left out so she wasn’t sure how to tell her sisters the things that mattered the most. Instead of speaking up, she hid. Over the course of the book, we get to see her come to the realization that she can count on her sisters in the end and that was beautiful.
The sisters are not as close as one would imagine given the situation but I liked that. They weren't just one entity but rather separate individuals with different personalities and different ways of approaching the situation they are in. Their relationship was realistically portrayed and I loved that in spite of all their differences, they loved each other at the end of the day.
My only problem with this otherwise amazing book arose from the magical aspects of the book. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed them but I tend to be a curious creature who just cannot do without answers. At first, the magic aspect was just the right amount that wouldn’t make me curious but would rather enhance my enjoyment but then there was this twist (of sorts) towards the end of the book that left me wanting more. I feel like there are just certain things you cannot drop on readers without giving actual explanations.
Overall though, this book was heartwarming, heartbreaking and a truly memorable read. I would definitely encourage you to pick up Silly’s story if you like reading books about hard times with a little bit of magic.
Note that I received an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review
This book is like a dream, a very sad and magical dream. Rules for Stealing Stars is a book about four sisters who are stuck in a heartbreaking situation but find a little bit of magic to make the situation a little more bearable.
This book is about a girl called Silly who learns a lot of important things over the course of a summer (I think? Time is not so well defined in the book.) This book is the story of four sisters who learn to come together and face a situation instead of dancing around it. It’s about learning to appreciate some of the good things in life when things get really tough. Most of all though, this book is about hope.
This was my first book by Corey Ann Haydu and I think it’s safe to say that I will be back for more. Rules for Stealing Stars is a well written book that will make you hurt.
Silly is the youngest sister so her family thinks she should be protected at all costs. From her mother’s outbursts, from all the bad things happening. She is used to feeling left out and being shooed away into a room while her sisters deal with the worst. So when her sisters finally let them into their magical world, Silly manages to find something that is her very own and helps her escape the situation in her house.
Unfortunately, this also leads to a lot of secret keeping. As some of you might know, secret keeping is not my thing but there was something about Silly’s innocence that just made me sad for her rather than mad. She was keeping secrets, not because she wanted to but because she had no idea how to tell them to her sisters. She has always felt left out so she wasn’t sure how to tell her sisters the things that mattered the most. Instead of speaking up, she hid. Over the course of the book, we get to see her come to the realization that she can count on her sisters in the end and that was beautiful.
The sisters are not as close as one would imagine given the situation but I liked that. They weren't just one entity but rather separate individuals with different personalities and different ways of approaching the situation they are in. Their relationship was realistically portrayed and I loved that in spite of all their differences, they loved each other at the end of the day.
My only problem with this otherwise amazing book arose from the magical aspects of the book. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed them but I tend to be a curious creature who just cannot do without answers. At first, the magic aspect was just the right amount that wouldn’t make me curious but would rather enhance my enjoyment but then there was this twist (of sorts) towards the end of the book that left me wanting more. I feel like there are just certain things you cannot drop on readers without giving actual explanations.
Overall though, this book was heartwarming, heartbreaking and a truly memorable read. I would definitely encourage you to pick up Silly’s story if you like reading books about hard times with a little bit of magic.
Note that I received an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review
June 9, 2015
www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com
I won this book in a Good Reads First Reads Giveaway.
This story is very sad, but it is a truth in the world today.
Priscilla (Silly), Marla & the twins Eleanor and Astrid are all sisters. Silly is the youngest and left out of things with her sisters. They think she is too young until this year they finally let her in on their magical world.
The story is of a beautiful place four sisters have to dream up for them to find their own peace. They live day to day walking on eggshells around their alcoholic mother. Their dad tries, but he doesn't seem to know how to help the situation. The mom has been sent to rehab many times, but it's still ongoing and no one is helping the kids cope so they find a way to cope for themselves.
It's a beautifully, sad story and I really loved it. The author wrote this in a very delicate way and I think incorporating the dream world for the sister is amazing.
I really appreciated the author's note at the beginning of the book telling a little about the story and her own issues.
I would like to thank the publisher for an ARC of this wonderful book.
I won this book in a Good Reads First Reads Giveaway.
This story is very sad, but it is a truth in the world today.
Priscilla (Silly), Marla & the twins Eleanor and Astrid are all sisters. Silly is the youngest and left out of things with her sisters. They think she is too young until this year they finally let her in on their magical world.
The story is of a beautiful place four sisters have to dream up for them to find their own peace. They live day to day walking on eggshells around their alcoholic mother. Their dad tries, but he doesn't seem to know how to help the situation. The mom has been sent to rehab many times, but it's still ongoing and no one is helping the kids cope so they find a way to cope for themselves.
It's a beautifully, sad story and I really loved it. The author wrote this in a very delicate way and I think incorporating the dream world for the sister is amazing.
I really appreciated the author's note at the beginning of the book telling a little about the story and her own issues.
I would like to thank the publisher for an ARC of this wonderful book.
February 7, 2016
Though I’ve read all of Haydu’s books, I really wasn’t sure what to expect from Rules for Stealing Stars. All of her other books (OCD Love Story, Life by Committee, Making Pretty) are YA and incredibly intense. Middle grade also isn’t generally my favorite thing, but, when I love them, they do tend to get pretty dark. Haydu’s talent shines bright in Rules for Stealing Stars, which is as intense as I would have expected.
Haydu novels hit at the pain, but Rules for Stealing Stars is less of a visceral sort of gutpunch. It’s sleepier and sadder, less in your face. Rules for a Stealing Stars is about a family falling apart because of grief, and the tone really fits the story perfectly. There’s something slow and contemplative about this book, even though I actually read it quickly. This may be my favorite Haydu book so far, writing-wise, because it’s truly beautiful in a simple way that fits the youthful narrator.
In some ways, Rules for a Stealing Stars is about Silly’s (short for Priscilla) mom, who has a drinking problem and some other ones less easily identifiable. Silly and her three older sisters, Eleanor and Astrid and Marla, all vary with their mother’s whims. A good day is one where their mom leaves the house and smiles; a bad day is when their mom gets angry or violent or they find her passed out somewhere. They’ve come to the house in New Hampshire, where they spend their summers, in an effort to help the mom through a bad patch, but it’s not working. As the mom gets worse, everyone in the family reacts with their own coping mechanisms, withdrawing from others.
Eleanor and Astrid have been doing something secret in their room, and they finally let Silly in on the secret: the closets are magical. With Eleanor’s closet, they can go into a diorama like Mary Poppins can go into a sidewalk drawing. The magical realism element draws on the Twelve Dancing Princesses and serves as a beautiful metaphor for running away from the hard stuff. The bits in the closets are stunningly done.
Rules for Stealing Stars is lovely, dreamy, and sad. Corey Ann Haydu’s got something special, and you should try her books if you haven’t already.
Haydu novels hit at the pain, but Rules for Stealing Stars is less of a visceral sort of gutpunch. It’s sleepier and sadder, less in your face. Rules for a Stealing Stars is about a family falling apart because of grief, and the tone really fits the story perfectly. There’s something slow and contemplative about this book, even though I actually read it quickly. This may be my favorite Haydu book so far, writing-wise, because it’s truly beautiful in a simple way that fits the youthful narrator.
In some ways, Rules for a Stealing Stars is about Silly’s (short for Priscilla) mom, who has a drinking problem and some other ones less easily identifiable. Silly and her three older sisters, Eleanor and Astrid and Marla, all vary with their mother’s whims. A good day is one where their mom leaves the house and smiles; a bad day is when their mom gets angry or violent or they find her passed out somewhere. They’ve come to the house in New Hampshire, where they spend their summers, in an effort to help the mom through a bad patch, but it’s not working. As the mom gets worse, everyone in the family reacts with their own coping mechanisms, withdrawing from others.
Eleanor and Astrid have been doing something secret in their room, and they finally let Silly in on the secret: the closets are magical. With Eleanor’s closet, they can go into a diorama like Mary Poppins can go into a sidewalk drawing. The magical realism element draws on the Twelve Dancing Princesses and serves as a beautiful metaphor for running away from the hard stuff. The bits in the closets are stunningly done.
Rules for Stealing Stars is lovely, dreamy, and sad. Corey Ann Haydu’s got something special, and you should try her books if you haven’t already.
November 24, 2015
A little bit of magic in the real world.
December 30, 2015
How bad can it be in a world where you only have to wait until night to see the sky glowing, telling you warmth can always, always poke through?This is one of the most beautiful, important books I've ever had the opportunity to read. After flipping the last page, I closed this book and held it to my chest for a few minutes, just thankful that it existed and that these words belong to me now.
Rules for Stealing Stars is an incredible story about sisters who use magic to escape their mother's illness, and how that escape can make them happier and even more sad all at the same time--how forgetting what's real isn't healing at all. Corey Ann Haydu deftly addresses difficult topics while making each character real and whole. Life isn't simple. Things aren't always happy or always sad. They can't be. Beauty and melancholy don't exist separately, but within each other; they're sisters. That's what this story strives to show--and it succeeds.
This story moved me and reflected so many shades of sadness and wonder I've lived myself. I'm glad this book exists, and I'm glad it can provide readers--young and old-with a small piece of magic in the real world.
February 28, 2015
Rules for Stealing Stars is a beautifully written novel about a disease that touches countless lives every day. I found it incredibly easy to relate to each sister in different ways. This book brought out a full range of emotions from joy to sadness.
October 19, 2017
I still don't know how to steal stars.
December 28, 2015
Silly is the youngest of four sisters. Her father is a professor and her mother stays home. Silly and her sisters have recently moved into what is normally their summer home. This is done in hopes that the new environment will lift their mother's mood: it doesn't.
Silly's mother is dealing with depression and her coping mechanism is drinking. Sill y'all father likes to brush over his wife's mental state, but his attempts at making things normal for his girls isn't working.
The older sisters have found a way to get away from their reality, but they exclude Silly initially. Once she is shown this new form of escapism, Silly is reluctant to stay in the real world.
This is definitely one that makes you suspend your disbelief when reading it. I didn't take it literally, but rather as a metaphor. These girls are dealing with something that is unknown and frightening, so it makes sense that they create an imaginary place that is magical and peaceful and euphoric.
I was expecting a different story, but I liked what I got.
Silly's mother is dealing with depression and her coping mechanism is drinking. Sill y'all father likes to brush over his wife's mental state, but his attempts at making things normal for his girls isn't working.
The older sisters have found a way to get away from their reality, but they exclude Silly initially. Once she is shown this new form of escapism, Silly is reluctant to stay in the real world.
This is definitely one that makes you suspend your disbelief when reading it. I didn't take it literally, but rather as a metaphor. These girls are dealing with something that is unknown and frightening, so it makes sense that they create an imaginary place that is magical and peaceful and euphoric.
I was expecting a different story, but I liked what I got.
December 3, 2015
FIRST THOUGHTS: I'm seriously blown away by Corey's middle grade debut novel. It just left me with a tremendous amount of warmth in my heart, hope in my soul, and so much love for these characters and their story. Make sure to keep this novel on your radar, folks!
March 23, 2018
This is a sweet story about a family dealing with alcoholism, death and grief. The notable thing is all the quotes from the main character, who is just eleven years old. Her observations of the world are so astute and honest.
3.5 stars rounded up.
3.5 stars rounded up.
April 18, 2017
Updated 4/28/16:
RULES FOR STEALING STARS by Corey Ann Haydu was one of my favorite books of 2015 & it was definitely my favorite middle grade book of the year. When Silly brought me into her world with her sisters, Astrid, Eleanor & Marla, I was immersed in their story. At the beginning of the novel, the girls have been moved into their large summer lake house with their mother and father, who believe the change in scenery will be the saving grace for their family. However, our narrator Silly (real name Priscilla) feels more out of place than ever. Her sisters never invite her into their secret games because they feel like she’s too young & immature to understand. Her mother has mood swings that frighten the girls on more than a few occasions & their father, who tries his best to take care of the girls when their mother is not well, is a bit clueless as to how to raise them. A professor of fairy tales, he constantly uses the classic stories as a way of teaching lessons but all four sisters are in a transition phase in their lives. They are on the brink of young adulthood, experiencing lost friendships, first boyfriends & their mother’s mental illness all at once. And all Silly wants to feel understood & included by her sisters, the only people she can truly connect with in this new town. Soon, Silly finds out that her sisters have been taking refuge in their magical closets, closets that bring their imaginations to life so that they can escape what’s going on their home. I’ve always loved stories about big, strange houses, especially summer houses. The eeriness within their home is no exception. As nervous as I was to enter this house with the girls, I wanted to be part of their sacred circle.
With hints of The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe & the beloved fairy tale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, Corey Ann Haydu introduces us to not only a world of magic & whimsy within the closets but also to the sisters that created it. What I loved most about the book is how she was able to create four distinct personalities in these sisters. Not one voice overlapped with the other, not even between the teenage twins, artistic Astrid & their unofficial leader, Eleanor. They all deal with their mother’s illness in different ways, sometimes through distraction, other times through the fiery determination to cure her.
Without giving away too much about what happens to the girls when they enter their mysterious world, I will say that this adventure is unlike any I’d ever read about. It’s sad. It’s heartbreaking. Some parents might think that it is too sad for young readers but I feel the exact opposite. Children, especially pre-teens, feel overwhelming sadness at home. They feel things deeply & need characters to relate to, who can help understand how to cope. And ultimately, this book is full of hope. Corey doesn’t hold back when she reminds us just how bad their living situation can be but she does a fantastic job of weaving realism with the fantastic, bringing just as much magic into the girls’ lives as there is uncertainty.
I would recommend this book to adults who have children dealing with anxiety and depression (or anyone dealing with it, frankly). I also feel like it’s a great story for sisters, fairy tale lovers & people who enjoy stories about summer & coming of age. It stayed with me long after I finished & I’m sure I’ll only keep singing its praises for a long time to come.
Perfect for fans of: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, Some Kind of Happiness by Claire Legrand (May 2016), The Truth About Twinkie Pie by Kat Yeh, When You Read Me by Rebecca Stead, Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu.
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This book was so wonderful. Definitely makes me want to read more middle grade again & is one of my favorites of the year. Review to come.
RULES FOR STEALING STARS by Corey Ann Haydu was one of my favorite books of 2015 & it was definitely my favorite middle grade book of the year. When Silly brought me into her world with her sisters, Astrid, Eleanor & Marla, I was immersed in their story. At the beginning of the novel, the girls have been moved into their large summer lake house with their mother and father, who believe the change in scenery will be the saving grace for their family. However, our narrator Silly (real name Priscilla) feels more out of place than ever. Her sisters never invite her into their secret games because they feel like she’s too young & immature to understand. Her mother has mood swings that frighten the girls on more than a few occasions & their father, who tries his best to take care of the girls when their mother is not well, is a bit clueless as to how to raise them. A professor of fairy tales, he constantly uses the classic stories as a way of teaching lessons but all four sisters are in a transition phase in their lives. They are on the brink of young adulthood, experiencing lost friendships, first boyfriends & their mother’s mental illness all at once. And all Silly wants to feel understood & included by her sisters, the only people she can truly connect with in this new town. Soon, Silly finds out that her sisters have been taking refuge in their magical closets, closets that bring their imaginations to life so that they can escape what’s going on their home. I’ve always loved stories about big, strange houses, especially summer houses. The eeriness within their home is no exception. As nervous as I was to enter this house with the girls, I wanted to be part of their sacred circle.
With hints of The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe & the beloved fairy tale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, Corey Ann Haydu introduces us to not only a world of magic & whimsy within the closets but also to the sisters that created it. What I loved most about the book is how she was able to create four distinct personalities in these sisters. Not one voice overlapped with the other, not even between the teenage twins, artistic Astrid & their unofficial leader, Eleanor. They all deal with their mother’s illness in different ways, sometimes through distraction, other times through the fiery determination to cure her.
Without giving away too much about what happens to the girls when they enter their mysterious world, I will say that this adventure is unlike any I’d ever read about. It’s sad. It’s heartbreaking. Some parents might think that it is too sad for young readers but I feel the exact opposite. Children, especially pre-teens, feel overwhelming sadness at home. They feel things deeply & need characters to relate to, who can help understand how to cope. And ultimately, this book is full of hope. Corey doesn’t hold back when she reminds us just how bad their living situation can be but she does a fantastic job of weaving realism with the fantastic, bringing just as much magic into the girls’ lives as there is uncertainty.
I would recommend this book to adults who have children dealing with anxiety and depression (or anyone dealing with it, frankly). I also feel like it’s a great story for sisters, fairy tale lovers & people who enjoy stories about summer & coming of age. It stayed with me long after I finished & I’m sure I’ll only keep singing its praises for a long time to come.
Perfect for fans of: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, Some Kind of Happiness by Claire Legrand (May 2016), The Truth About Twinkie Pie by Kat Yeh, When You Read Me by Rebecca Stead, Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu.
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This book was so wonderful. Definitely makes me want to read more middle grade again & is one of my favorites of the year. Review to come.
August 14, 2015
*I received a free ARC of Rules for Stealing Stars from Katherine Tegen Books via Edelweiss in exchange of an honest and unbiased review*
Rules for Stealing Stars is a poetic story about four young sisters, and how they, and their family, deal with the difficulties life sometimes throw our way. Beautifully written, with a lot of imagery and a fairy-tale like feel, it was a solid story that left me satisfied.
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
Rules for Stealing Stars is a poetic story about four young sisters, and how they, and their family, deal with the difficulties life sometimes throw our way. Beautifully written, with a lot of imagery and a fairy-tale like feel, it was a solid story that left me satisfied.
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
October 22, 2015
This book is absolutely stunning. Gorgeous, memorable, incredibly moving. Powerful - darkness illuminated by hope. Important.
I will be thinking about Silly and her sisters for a very long time. RULES FOR STEALING STARS is a story that sticks with you and takes up residence in a little corner of your heart. Corey Ann Haydu worked some magic of her own in writing this novel.
Everyone should read this book. LOVED.
I will be thinking about Silly and her sisters for a very long time. RULES FOR STEALING STARS is a story that sticks with you and takes up residence in a little corner of your heart. Corey Ann Haydu worked some magic of her own in writing this novel.
Everyone should read this book. LOVED.
October 18, 2016
This book is quite intense and deals with really hard topics. The characters are all realistically flawed as humans, and the way magic is woven in only heightens how real everything feels somehow. It is beautifully written, with turns of phrases that made me pause to savor the word choices. I loved the author's use of vivid details to capture a mood or situation. Most of all, I appreciated the hope that shines through the story despite the darkness.
Want to read
October 19, 2015So excited I won this book on Goodreads!
October 12, 2015
Put this in the hands of every child.
April 7, 2017
This is a really good book I felt like I was in the world with them.
February 22, 2016
Goodreads, Please note: I'm having issues with my reviews are only showing up under one format they should be linked/combined so I'm having to post them one under the format I read and one under the another format where the links aren't combined.
My copy has 321 pages, but entered 336 as this book page shows.
I Loved this book. I adored this book. It wasn't without its difficult topic, however for the kid in you as an adult or the kid in you because you're a kid, it's perfect. It touched on serious topics in such a unique & what's the word I'm looking for??....just a sweet way in which a young kid struggling can find hope in or an escape and feeling they're not alone if the synopsis resonates with them.
I know even as an adult it resonated with me for things present and past as well as things my own daughters have faced on a different level. It's a 'very' quick read and one I'd truly recommend for parents or a friend to gift for any child who may need this for going through the same or maybe even to help educate younger kids on understanding and helping their friends who may face such situations. It's a book that should breed compassion, understanding, Hope, light and Love in everyone who reads it.
I wish I had had a book like this when I was younger. I enjoyed and understood it as an adult and it would have been perfect as a child or very young, maybe tween age. I know I had
by the forever famous Judy Blume and please note that this cover of the Judy Blume book would not be the one I read from many, many, many, many years ago, but "Are You There God?" Will ALWAYS be remembered.
It's hard to remember how close or different
by Corey Ann Haydu is from Judy Blume, however it's sure to be one that sticks around and remembered as one that got us through those tough years and fondly remembered as one which everyone read.
This is told in a very sweet way and the names of the characters are mostly child like, but do know the essence of the story being child like doesn't mean it's without its lessons and remembering that the topic is one which should be read about, talked about and for some......a ray of hope about.
It's sisters and parents and the struggles and the escapes and helping each other and in my own heart, as I adore and breathe in the stars in the night sky every....single....night....in awe as though it were the first time looking at them, that there's a Special Kind Of Magic In The Stars The title of this book captured my Heart as did the story and I Hope it captures yours as well.
I was given a copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads Program and Harper Collins Childrens/Katherine Tegen Books and while a review is not expected it is my pleasure to share a little of my thoughts with anyone who may already have it shelved and in hopes others will shelve it as well. ~*Thank You Very Much*~
You're never too young or too old to enjoy and if you think you're too old......maybe reading this would be a wonderful way to capture some of the kid in you again. That's a ~*Magical*~ thought! Or read it to a child close to you who could use some tenderness, Hope and compassion in their life.
~*Happy Reading & Next chance you get, go outside, look up and feel the ~*Magic In The Stars*~ with that.....I know first hand....you'll never be alone. Just as the sisters found their own kinda magic!
My copy has 321 pages, but entered 336 as this book page shows.
I Loved this book. I adored this book. It wasn't without its difficult topic, however for the kid in you as an adult or the kid in you because you're a kid, it's perfect. It touched on serious topics in such a unique & what's the word I'm looking for??....just a sweet way in which a young kid struggling can find hope in or an escape and feeling they're not alone if the synopsis resonates with them.
I know even as an adult it resonated with me for things present and past as well as things my own daughters have faced on a different level. It's a 'very' quick read and one I'd truly recommend for parents or a friend to gift for any child who may need this for going through the same or maybe even to help educate younger kids on understanding and helping their friends who may face such situations. It's a book that should breed compassion, understanding, Hope, light and Love in everyone who reads it.
I wish I had had a book like this when I was younger. I enjoyed and understood it as an adult and it would have been perfect as a child or very young, maybe tween age. I know I had
by the forever famous Judy Blume and please note that this cover of the Judy Blume book would not be the one I read from many, many, many, many years ago, but "Are You There God?" Will ALWAYS be remembered. It's hard to remember how close or different
by Corey Ann Haydu is from Judy Blume, however it's sure to be one that sticks around and remembered as one that got us through those tough years and fondly remembered as one which everyone read. This is told in a very sweet way and the names of the characters are mostly child like, but do know the essence of the story being child like doesn't mean it's without its lessons and remembering that the topic is one which should be read about, talked about and for some......a ray of hope about.
It's sisters and parents and the struggles and the escapes and helping each other and in my own heart, as I adore and breathe in the stars in the night sky every....single....night....in awe as though it were the first time looking at them, that there's a Special Kind Of Magic In The Stars The title of this book captured my Heart as did the story and I Hope it captures yours as well.
I was given a copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads Program and Harper Collins Childrens/Katherine Tegen Books and while a review is not expected it is my pleasure to share a little of my thoughts with anyone who may already have it shelved and in hopes others will shelve it as well. ~*Thank You Very Much*~
You're never too young or too old to enjoy and if you think you're too old......maybe reading this would be a wonderful way to capture some of the kid in you again. That's a ~*Magical*~ thought! Or read it to a child close to you who could use some tenderness, Hope and compassion in their life.
~*Happy Reading & Next chance you get, go outside, look up and feel the ~*Magic In The Stars*~ with that.....I know first hand....you'll never be alone. Just as the sisters found their own kinda magic!
February 22, 2016
My copy has 321 pages, but entered 336 as this book page shows.
I Loved this book. I adored this book. It wasn't without its difficult topic, however for the kid in you as an adult or the kid in you because you're a kid, it's perfect. It touched on serious topics in such a unique & what's the word I'm looking for??....just a sweet way in which a young kid struggling can find hope in or an escape and feeling they're not alone if the synopsis resonates with them.
I know even as an adult it resonated with me for things present and past as well as things my own daughters have faced on a different level. It's a 'very' quick read and one I'd truly recommend for parents or a friend to gift for any child who may need this for going through the same or maybe even to help educate younger kids on understanding and helping their friends who may face such situations. It's a book that should breed compassion, understanding, Hope, light and Love in everyone who reads it.
I wish I had had a book like this when I was younger. I enjoyed and understood it as an adult and it would have been perfect as a child or very young, maybe tween age. I know I had
by the forever famous Judy Blume and please note that this cover of the Judy Blume book would not be the one I read from many, many, many, many years ago, but "Are You There God?" Will ALWAYS be remembered.
It's hard to remember how close or different
by Corey Ann Haydu is from Judy Blume, however it's sure to be one that sticks around and remembered as one that got us through those tough years and fondly remembered as one which everyone read.
This is told in a very sweet way and the names of the characters are mostly child like, but do know the essence of the story being child like doesn't mean it's without its lessons and remembering that the topic is one which should be read about, talked about and for some......a ray of hope about.
It's sisters and parents and the struggles and the escapes and helping each other and in my own heart, as I adore and breathe in the stars in the night sky every....single....night....in awe as though it were the first time looking at them, that there's a Special Kind Of Magic In The Stars The title of this book captured my Heart as did the story and I Hope it captures yours as well.
I was given a copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads Program and Harper Collins Childrens/Katherine Tegen Books and while a review is not expected it is my pleasure to share a little of my thoughts with anyone who may already have it shelved and in hopes others will shelve it as well. ~*Thank You Very Much*~
You're never too young or too old to enjoy and if you think you're too old......maybe reading this would be a wonderful way to capture some of the kid in you again. That's a ~*Magical*~ thought! Or read it to a child close to you who could use some tenderness, Hope and compassion in their life.
~*Happy Reading & Next chance you get, go outside, look up and feel the ~*Magic In The Stars*~ with that.....I know first hand....you'll never be alone. Just as the sisters found their own kinda magic!
I Loved this book. I adored this book. It wasn't without its difficult topic, however for the kid in you as an adult or the kid in you because you're a kid, it's perfect. It touched on serious topics in such a unique & what's the word I'm looking for??....just a sweet way in which a young kid struggling can find hope in or an escape and feeling they're not alone if the synopsis resonates with them.
I know even as an adult it resonated with me for things present and past as well as things my own daughters have faced on a different level. It's a 'very' quick read and one I'd truly recommend for parents or a friend to gift for any child who may need this for going through the same or maybe even to help educate younger kids on understanding and helping their friends who may face such situations. It's a book that should breed compassion, understanding, Hope, light and Love in everyone who reads it.
I wish I had had a book like this when I was younger. I enjoyed and understood it as an adult and it would have been perfect as a child or very young, maybe tween age. I know I had
by the forever famous Judy Blume and please note that this cover of the Judy Blume book would not be the one I read from many, many, many, many years ago, but "Are You There God?" Will ALWAYS be remembered. It's hard to remember how close or different
by Corey Ann Haydu is from Judy Blume, however it's sure to be one that sticks around and remembered as one that got us through those tough years and fondly remembered as one which everyone read. This is told in a very sweet way and the names of the characters are mostly child like, but do know the essence of the story being child like doesn't mean it's without its lessons and remembering that the topic is one which should be read about, talked about and for some......a ray of hope about.
It's sisters and parents and the struggles and the escapes and helping each other and in my own heart, as I adore and breathe in the stars in the night sky every....single....night....in awe as though it were the first time looking at them, that there's a Special Kind Of Magic In The Stars The title of this book captured my Heart as did the story and I Hope it captures yours as well.
I was given a copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads Program and Harper Collins Childrens/Katherine Tegen Books and while a review is not expected it is my pleasure to share a little of my thoughts with anyone who may already have it shelved and in hopes others will shelve it as well. ~*Thank You Very Much*~
You're never too young or too old to enjoy and if you think you're too old......maybe reading this would be a wonderful way to capture some of the kid in you again. That's a ~*Magical*~ thought! Or read it to a child close to you who could use some tenderness, Hope and compassion in their life.
~*Happy Reading & Next chance you get, go outside, look up and feel the ~*Magic In The Stars*~ with that.....I know first hand....you'll never be alone. Just as the sisters found their own kinda magic!
August 20, 2015
This is a middle grade novel but it deals with some pretty tough issues. Four sisters need to band together and decide what to do as they live with the reality of their mother's mental illness and a father who'd really prefer to pretend to them that nothing is going wrong. As the story escalates, so too do the magical elements that make things a little easier for the girls because their mother's illness is never explained to them, never defined, and they're left in a helpless, spiraling situation.
Silly is the youngest girl so she often feels left out and then angry that she's considered too childish whenever she wishes to join in on her sister's adventures. Of course, she doesn't realize that what the three older sisters are doing has magic to it until they finally let Silly in that inner circle. But is she ready to grow up, handle responsibility, and care for her sisters like they've been trying to protect her all these years?
I liked Rules for Stealing Stars because it wasn't perfect. As much as it talked about fairy tales, this isn't one; it's real life and that means things are imperfect, parents don't always have all of the answers, and no prince is going to come sweeping in to make everything okay. There is no magical cure for their mother. I also loved how through most of the story you're left to wonder at the magic contained in the girls' closets. Is it really there or all they all imagining it as a coping mechanism?
There were some things I didn't really care for. The writing didn't grasp me, though I think it will be great for younger readers who are just beginning to read about these situations where a parent is the one who might need extra help. The characters were confusing to me because they never seemed to stick to their own personality. I liked that the girls' relationship often felt like one real sisters would have, but they all flip-flopped around so much that it became frustrating.
I really would recommend this as a book for younger readers because they will start to ask questions about and get an understanding of what a mental illness is and how it affects the individual, as well as the rest of their family.
Silly is the youngest girl so she often feels left out and then angry that she's considered too childish whenever she wishes to join in on her sister's adventures. Of course, she doesn't realize that what the three older sisters are doing has magic to it until they finally let Silly in that inner circle. But is she ready to grow up, handle responsibility, and care for her sisters like they've been trying to protect her all these years?
I liked Rules for Stealing Stars because it wasn't perfect. As much as it talked about fairy tales, this isn't one; it's real life and that means things are imperfect, parents don't always have all of the answers, and no prince is going to come sweeping in to make everything okay. There is no magical cure for their mother. I also loved how through most of the story you're left to wonder at the magic contained in the girls' closets. Is it really there or all they all imagining it as a coping mechanism?
There were some things I didn't really care for. The writing didn't grasp me, though I think it will be great for younger readers who are just beginning to read about these situations where a parent is the one who might need extra help. The characters were confusing to me because they never seemed to stick to their own personality. I liked that the girls' relationship often felt like one real sisters would have, but they all flip-flopped around so much that it became frustrating.
I really would recommend this as a book for younger readers because they will start to ask questions about and get an understanding of what a mental illness is and how it affects the individual, as well as the rest of their family.
June 5, 2016
In a world filled with so much sadness, people need to find happiness in the simple things. For Silly, that happiness came from Stealing Stars.
Rules for Stealing Stars is the brilliant Middle Grade debut novel by Corey Ann Haydu, where we follow 4 sisters who find solace in their bedroom closets. Priscilla AKA 'Silly' is the youngest of the sisters and feels the loneliness that most children may feel when their siblings leave them out of most situations. While Silly's sisters go into their rooms to go "play", Silly is left out to be left alone with her alcoholic mother and distant father. What ensues is something so unexpected that I feel like it's best to not know what the story is about.
I have the highest praise for Corey Ann Haydu for incorporating very mature themes in a book that is aimed for ages 11 and up. Depression, subtle hints of alcoholism, and a broken home all come into play here. It is in no way over-the-top, nor will it make parents uncomfortable when their kids read this. For the most part at least. A lot of these subjects seem to be taboo with the younger audience, but if I were to be assigned a book to read in middle school, this would be at the top of the list.
If you're an older reader, like I am, you might find yourself trying to connect the dots throughout the story. There were so many possibilities that I created in my head that I set myself up for a bit of disappointment if it didn't follow through. I'll admit that all of my assumptions were wrong and there were no kinds of twists that I expected. Everything that happens, happens for a reason and it's so simple, yet it doesn't disappoint. Because it ties the main theme together perfectly.
That main theme is family. No matter what we go through as human beings, people should never feel alone when it comes to family. That doesn't even have to mean blood-relatives. It can honestly be anyone who has made you feel special and good as a person. Somebody who makes you feel loved. And this is what this story is all about. I could not ask for more.
Rules for Stealing Stars is the brilliant Middle Grade debut novel by Corey Ann Haydu, where we follow 4 sisters who find solace in their bedroom closets. Priscilla AKA 'Silly' is the youngest of the sisters and feels the loneliness that most children may feel when their siblings leave them out of most situations. While Silly's sisters go into their rooms to go "play", Silly is left out to be left alone with her alcoholic mother and distant father. What ensues is something so unexpected that I feel like it's best to not know what the story is about.
I have the highest praise for Corey Ann Haydu for incorporating very mature themes in a book that is aimed for ages 11 and up. Depression, subtle hints of alcoholism, and a broken home all come into play here. It is in no way over-the-top, nor will it make parents uncomfortable when their kids read this. For the most part at least. A lot of these subjects seem to be taboo with the younger audience, but if I were to be assigned a book to read in middle school, this would be at the top of the list.
If you're an older reader, like I am, you might find yourself trying to connect the dots throughout the story. There were so many possibilities that I created in my head that I set myself up for a bit of disappointment if it didn't follow through. I'll admit that all of my assumptions were wrong and there were no kinds of twists that I expected. Everything that happens, happens for a reason and it's so simple, yet it doesn't disappoint. Because it ties the main theme together perfectly.
That main theme is family. No matter what we go through as human beings, people should never feel alone when it comes to family. That doesn't even have to mean blood-relatives. It can honestly be anyone who has made you feel special and good as a person. Somebody who makes you feel loved. And this is what this story is all about. I could not ask for more.
October 2, 2015
Rules For Stealing Stars
By
Cory Ann Haydu
What it's all about...
This book is about a family of four sisters and their parents. Their mom is not always herself. Silly/Priscilla...the youngest daughter appears to tell most of this family's story. It is lovely and sweet and achingly heartbreakingly sad. Silly and her sisters watch their mom...the days when there is something other than coffee in her mug...are not good days for them. Their father is clueless. Silly feels ignored by her sisters...Astrid and Eleanor are the oldest sisters and they are twins. Marla is the youngest oldest and the strangest and most difficult sister. Silly feels that they are all hiding things from her especially when they all go into the closet in Astrid's room. That's where the first part of the magic happens. But when the sisters finally let Silly in...they realize where the magic actually comes from.
Why I wanted to read it...
I love books like this...realistic stories touched by a bit of magic and fantasy. The girls' parents were incredibly dysfunctional. The mother kept going away to get better and the father kept ignoring things. Pancakes don't always make everything better.
What made me truly enjoy this book...
Silly and what happened in the closets were my favorite things but the reality of Marla was important, too.
Why you should read it, too...
Young readers who might need a book like this are perfect candidates for this book. But...readers in general should enjoy this beautifully told story about a family that needs to be honest with each other and heal.
By
Cory Ann Haydu
What it's all about...
This book is about a family of four sisters and their parents. Their mom is not always herself. Silly/Priscilla...the youngest daughter appears to tell most of this family's story. It is lovely and sweet and achingly heartbreakingly sad. Silly and her sisters watch their mom...the days when there is something other than coffee in her mug...are not good days for them. Their father is clueless. Silly feels ignored by her sisters...Astrid and Eleanor are the oldest sisters and they are twins. Marla is the youngest oldest and the strangest and most difficult sister. Silly feels that they are all hiding things from her especially when they all go into the closet in Astrid's room. That's where the first part of the magic happens. But when the sisters finally let Silly in...they realize where the magic actually comes from.
Why I wanted to read it...
I love books like this...realistic stories touched by a bit of magic and fantasy. The girls' parents were incredibly dysfunctional. The mother kept going away to get better and the father kept ignoring things. Pancakes don't always make everything better.
What made me truly enjoy this book...
Silly and what happened in the closets were my favorite things but the reality of Marla was important, too.
Why you should read it, too...
Young readers who might need a book like this are perfect candidates for this book. But...readers in general should enjoy this beautifully told story about a family that needs to be honest with each other and heal.
January 8, 2016
One of the many benefits of booktalking books to fourth grade students often is when THEY tuck a book(s) in your hand, gaze imploringly into your eyes and beg you to read the book(s) they just LOVED. While you have your own leaning tower of books on deck, you set them aside in favor of capturing a little glimpse of your reader's head and heart. Rules for Stealing Stars is one such book. Thank you, dear student reader, for insisting that I read this one. You were right. Wow.
In the interest of fairness, though, I have to admit that I began it during the Christmas break and put it down for awhile. It was sad. I was angry at the mom and was confused about some of her erratic behavior. If I had only pushed further into the book, though, I would have been sucked into it like I was tonight when I finished reading it in one fell swoop.
Rules for Stealing Stars is about the true meaning of: love, forgiveness, family and wishing (or is that longing)? It's a quirky mix of realistic fiction, fantasy and fairy tale and it will make even the most seasoned reader question what is going on and revise their predictions a million times before the book is closed. I will be thinking about Silly and her three sisters, her starry-eyed view of the world and her parents who stumbled around in the pitch dark night of life for a long time.
Highly recommended
In the interest of fairness, though, I have to admit that I began it during the Christmas break and put it down for awhile. It was sad. I was angry at the mom and was confused about some of her erratic behavior. If I had only pushed further into the book, though, I would have been sucked into it like I was tonight when I finished reading it in one fell swoop.
Rules for Stealing Stars is about the true meaning of: love, forgiveness, family and wishing (or is that longing)? It's a quirky mix of realistic fiction, fantasy and fairy tale and it will make even the most seasoned reader question what is going on and revise their predictions a million times before the book is closed. I will be thinking about Silly and her three sisters, her starry-eyed view of the world and her parents who stumbled around in the pitch dark night of life for a long time.
Highly recommended
July 7, 2016
Some books make you laugh, others make you cry. Some books teach you about anything you want to learn, or send you to lands where you forget where you are and thus give you time to gather strength to go on with the real world. Some books grab you from the first page and you just don't want them to end. Every once in a while a book shocks you and you don't know how you feel about it. This is what happened to me with this middle grade book. I wanted to leave it, not finish it, but I couldn't. I kept on reading eventually to find meaning, depth, pain, and hope. I do know that it's not the best book I ever read (it's among them), but it is one book I will not forget.
Four girls have moved to New Hampshire with their parents. Dad is a professor specializing in fairy tales and mom is going through some very difficult times. It is through the narrator, 12, that we find out how their mother's problems with depression are affecting the family and how they react to it all. Nothing is told, everything is felt. There are magical closets, fantasy, perceptions of aloofness, joy, and hope.
Four girls have moved to New Hampshire with their parents. Dad is a professor specializing in fairy tales and mom is going through some very difficult times. It is through the narrator, 12, that we find out how their mother's problems with depression are affecting the family and how they react to it all. Nothing is told, everything is felt. There are magical closets, fantasy, perceptions of aloofness, joy, and hope.
March 12, 2017
So I definitely will be reading more middle grade novels by Corey Ann Haydu if she writes them! I very much enjoyed this story that was mainly focused on relationships between sisters in the face of family issues. Despite the differences between Silly and her sisters, I found that each of them were easy to connect with and quite unique. Although there are a lot of difficulties that the girls deal with throughout this tale, I still thought that Rules for Stealing Stars was really hopeful. Also, I absolutely adore the cover of this book!
March 1, 2020
I’m starting to notice a thread of unease running through Haydu’s books. In this one it is closer to sinister. MAJOR Coraline vibes from this one, which is not good for me. I added an extra star because it read fast and wasn’t boring, but I was able to put it away no problem at the absolute climax of the plot: not a good sign. This has added to my terror of “something in the closet”. Thanks very much, Corey Ann Haydu.
December 25, 2021
I thought the premise was interesting and the sisterly relationships were well done. The story felt a little slow at times and it was a bit unrealistic (even accounting for the fantasy elements.) The mother in this story was mentally ill and an alcoholic. She was abusive at times and couldn't be trusted to care for her daughters--in fact, they always had to try to care for her. The father wasn't much better. He was neglectful at times. Of course, he had some extenuating circumstances. The sisters fought with each other and supported each other and each dealt with the parental situation in their own unique ways.
That sentence made me so sad for poor Priscilla. She is used to doing without parents and her siblings have started leaving her out of their lives. She is terribly lonely in a house with 3 sisters.
This is so true. I remember growing up and seeing how everyone treated elderly or sick relatives. They started driving differently, speaking differently, using tones I never heard anywhere else, and being excessively cheerful. It's an interesting phenomenon and I thought it was described well here.
I loved the way the sisterly relationships were described here. The love/hate of them is very real.
The overarching theme of the book is how people try to run away from sadness. In the book, people run to other families, to magical closets, and to drink trying to escape sad things. The magical closets in the house are one way the sisters escape, but Priscilla notices her sister Eleanor has a different escape:
But Mom, who has spent her life running from sad things, doesn't want her girls to make the same mistakes she has.
It's a beautiful sentiment. Sad things exist, but you have to feel them and then make room in her heart for the happy things, too. That is an excellent message.
Astrid kisses my forehead, a thing that no one else ever does. That one gentle touch against my sunburned skin is enough.
I've stopped needing very much at all.
That sentence made me so sad for poor Priscilla. She is used to doing without parents and her siblings have started leaving her out of their lives. She is terribly lonely in a house with 3 sisters.
Her voice is overbright. She is smiling and eager. She's only ever this way around Mom. We are all different around Mom--exaggerated, desperate versions of ourselves.
This is so true. I remember growing up and seeing how everyone treated elderly or sick relatives. They started driving differently, speaking differently, using tones I never heard anywhere else, and being excessively cheerful. It's an interesting phenomenon and I thought it was described well here.
I'm desperate to be close to her and dying to hurt her the way she's hurting me, all at the same time.
I loved the way the sisterly relationships were described here. The love/hate of them is very real.
The overarching theme of the book is how people try to run away from sadness. In the book, people run to other families, to magical closets, and to drink trying to escape sad things. The magical closets in the house are one way the sisters escape, but Priscilla notices her sister Eleanor has a different escape:
I picture Eleanor with a cup of chocolate chip and her not-that-cute, not-that-secret boyfriend, and I think I get it. It's like a closet too. Being in love is probably a place that's far away from this place--sweeter and more romantic and her own.
But Mom, who has spent her life running from sad things, doesn't want her girls to make the same mistakes she has.
...you can't escape the very sad things. You can lose them for a little while, but they're fast and they'll eventually catch up. And you have to make room for the very beautiful and magic things. Whether they are hidden in closets or right out in the open, on the sparkly surface of the lake, or in the taste of pancakes and bacon on Sunday mornings.
It's a beautiful sentiment. Sad things exist, but you have to feel them and then make room in her heart for the happy things, too. That is an excellent message.
December 8, 2024
This middle grade story of four sisters dealing with neglect and the fact of their mother's grief, addiction, love and cruelty is told from the POV of the youngest, Silly (Priscilla). It blends the pain and solidity of existing in the real world and the pull and danger of the magical one. Silly, 11, and her sisters, Marla 12 and 14-year-old twins, Astrid and Eleanor, each fully fleshed characters, are trying to cope, sometimes by escaping into magical worlds that exist in their house's closets. Each closet has a different way that magic works. Silly seems to be able to affect the magic more than her sisters. But the danger becomes real when one of them decides the magic is better than the alternative. Their father, an expert in fairy tales, seems unable or unwilling to acknowledge their family being in crisis.
The writing takes the reader into the emotional heart of being children without the guidance of parents who act in their best interests as adults. It balances the intrigue of magical worlds against the struggles each of the sisters are facing. At times Silly is allied with one or more sister and other moments she is at odds, struggling with her own conflicted feelings about herself, her siblings, father, mother and the family as a whole. A lot is on the shoulders of the girls. The rawness is palpable.
The story does not gloss over tough topics of addiction, mental health and neglect but we are fully in Silly's skin, thoughts, actions and emotions as she navigates how to cope from her 11-year-old perspective. The secrets and truths are slowly revealed as the story unfolds. Ultimately she finds a solution toward healing, first with the help of her siblings and then their father, mother and friends outside. It is Silly who finally understands magic exists also in the real world.
The writing takes the reader into the emotional heart of being children without the guidance of parents who act in their best interests as adults. It balances the intrigue of magical worlds against the struggles each of the sisters are facing. At times Silly is allied with one or more sister and other moments she is at odds, struggling with her own conflicted feelings about herself, her siblings, father, mother and the family as a whole. A lot is on the shoulders of the girls. The rawness is palpable.
The story does not gloss over tough topics of addiction, mental health and neglect but we are fully in Silly's skin, thoughts, actions and emotions as she navigates how to cope from her 11-year-old perspective. The secrets and truths are slowly revealed as the story unfolds. Ultimately she finds a solution toward healing, first with the help of her siblings and then their father, mother and friends outside. It is Silly who finally understands magic exists also in the real world.
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