Why the Star Stands Still

Gives Light #4

by Rose Christo

Alternate Cover Edition for ASIN
B009VTI9HM.

"Your dad's Indian. Your mom's black. Why are you white?"

Skylar St. Clair's been getting questions like these all his life. Skylar's home is the Nettlebush Indian Reserve; his family, the hundreds of Plains Shoshone living there. Skylar can't help it if he better resembles his biological mother, a woman whose untimely death left him with more secrets than memories.

Skylar's father has been in federal prison for the past fifteen years. The summer of his release coincides with familial matters of a different nature: Skylar and his husband are trying to adopt a daughter.

Piecing together a fragmented family is no small task. All the patience in the world cannot contend with thirty-three years of reticence.

But love can.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance, LGBT, Disability, Queer

210 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 23, 2012

Reviews

[Noah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is this love? I don't feel the same, don't believe what this is could be given a name / I woke, you were there, tracing planets on my forehead (White – Odd Future feat. Frank Ocean).

Well, at this point in time I’ve now written a review for all the books in the Gives Light series so far. Pretty cool, huh? If these were essays you could even call it extensive! But the thing is, I don’t even treat any of this as reviewing because they're more like journal entries that are embarrassingly public. So I guess with that in mind, let’s go all in! Dear Diary, I just read the most amazing book called Why the Star Stands Still by Rose Christo! And even though I was a bit worried going into it because it's a major time skip from where we left off and I’ve always been the biggest hater of epilogues and books that otherwise feel like extended ones, my fears were quickly alleviated by the gorgeous writing, the soulful story, and the hard-hitting emotion put into this book. It really is the most wonderful feeling to be able to read another lovely book yet again, because damn, it’s been so long! Okay, I think that’s enough of this “diary” bit, because I don’t know if I could be so overly sappy for an entire review. I'd want to, but I just don't have the ability to go 100% adoration mode. But man, can you imagine if I wrote this whole thing in second person? That would be insufferable. Of course, I wasn’t lying or anything, I genuinely love this book and it’s been a minute since I’ve just sat down and devoured a novel in a couple sittings, and it wouldn’t be far from the truth to say that I’ve legit forgotten what it’s like to truly enjoy reading. Like, oh yeah, this is why I do this! That’s a nice thought, isn’t it? That even if you’ve read a string of the worst of the worst that the literary world has to offer, all it really takes to get your ass back into the swing of things is one good book. So yeah, the reason I've picked this series back up again after a year or so is that I’ve noticed a bit of controversy lately regarding an author going full Elizabeth Warren, going full Johnny Depp, going full Vanessa Hudgens, going full Taylor Lautner with it by pretending she’s Native American in order to sell a narrative. And to that I have to say… yet another pretendian walking around out there is sadly not something that surprises me.

I mean, look at how many examples off the cuff that I had up there (Oh yeah, there's also the guy who plays Sokka in that trash live-action adaption of Avatar: The Last Airbender), everybody out there is telling people they’re Native for what I can only assume is… clout? Look, I don’t speak with authority on most things, but as someone who is actually Native (I usually say Indian, but I don’t want people to think that I’m okay with them referring to me as such), I feel like I do have a few things to say on that matter. And yeah, I know my people are expected to be coddling teachers in situations like these, “You may have made a mistake by pretending, but I know your heart is in the right place and that someone should still tell this story” and all that, but I’m very much not a wholesome Native. Sorry, but this isn’t some Cowboys & Aliens, some Rusted Root “Oombayseeyou” bullshit, I’m not here to excuse any slight against my people, no matter if it’s something as small and seemingly insignificant as misrepresenting yourself as Native American. Like, was genocide not enough, now you’ve got these weirdos running around trying to steal our voice too? Tell our stories!? Fuck that. When does it end, is all I’m wondering. So yeah, while I’m used to it whenever stories like this crop up, it’s the same old thing yada yada, I guess it does still light the fire of righteous indignation within me and I have to say speak up every time. But this time around, rather than getting angry and shaking my fist at the audacity of weirdos, I instead poured all of my energy into reading a book that fills me with love and good-feeling. That’s how we got to Why the Star Stands Still, and man am I glad I’ve learned some different coping mechanisms because this book is absolutely singular in its beauty. If there were a pantheon of “the best books around” of which included are Ari & Dante, Song of Achilles, and Circe, then every book in this Gives Light series would be sitting right up there keeping them good company.

I know I’m usually too much of a “reference guy,” but I can honestly say that there’s no better compliment from me than comparing a book to the works of Madeline Miller and Benjamin Alire Sáenz. In other words, these books are just that good! So yeah, I suppose I should talk about the book now, huh? With Why the Star Stands Still, we again meet up with Skylar and Rafael decades after the previous novel and we learn that everybody’s grown now. Skylar and Raf are in for a busy year because of the imminent prison release of Sky’s dad and the fact that the two love bugs are trying to adopt a young troubled girl named Mickey. How cute, right? Well, if I’m completely honest (when am I not?), I usually don’t enjoy this level of domesticity in my queer stories where the couples grow old together and have kids or whatever because it often feels like the author is writing from a very specific lens that queer folks don't necessarily want to fit into. But this dynamic worked well for this novel in particular because Raf and Sky have always been about creating a family, a place to call home in each other, that it only makes sense that they would try to extend that generosity to the people that need it the most. Ah, you know what the key was? Rose Christo actually took the time to get us to care about Mickey and didn’t just use her as an extension of Skylar and Rafael’s story arc in the first three books by trying to prove their happiness with cheap writing gimmicks like “and they lived happily-ever-after in a big house and three kids.” Nah man, Mickey is her own character and is given the agency of her own arc that works in tandem with both Sky and Raf’s journey into becoming the fathers that she needs. It’s really quite beautiful, and this is coming from somebody who’s not particularly paternal! But outside of personal goals like creating a family, what these books are really about is community, and you feel that with every word. We've got to take care of each other, right?

“When did we grow up, Rafael?”
“We grew up?” Rafael murmured.
“Apparently.”
“I don’t remember that.”
“I know. It’s bizarre.”

I remember I used to send CDs to this Native guy up in Neah Bay, Washington because... well, what's better than sharing the gift of music? I’m the only person left in the 21st century who still owns all of my music, meaning I’m a big hit with old folks who also want to own their own music. It was a fun pen pal kind of thing like Dear Mr. Henshaw! Besides, back in the olden days you used to be able to make some good money by filling up people’s iPods. Um, not like I was charging my Native brother for a simple music exchange or anything. Let me burn you a CD! Oh yeah, I’m also a big fan of “dad rock” for no apparent reason and all you really need to know is that a lot of Natives love old school Rock & Roll. But yeah, I don’t know why I brought that up, but I guess it’s because the Gives Light series isn’t just another set of books to me, but rather it often feels like I’m seeing a piece of my soul reflected back at me whenever I’m picking up a new one. I’m always on some, “woah, that’s some real shit” type shit! Otherwise, I thought it was funny how this book acknowledged (many times) that Rafael is hot because it has felt like the narrative was just waiting to set the record straight for a while now. I mean, it’s not like any of that's important or anything, you know how I’m always going on and on about how looks don’t matter in novels and his appearance is barely ever brought up as it’s his personality that shines all throughout. But it’s a bit refreshing to have a Native person to be the object of affection seein gas outside of offensive “noble savage” or creepy “Pocahontas” stereotypes, Native Americans don’t often get to be the attractive one in stories. We always exist as these Obi-Wan, sexless beings that are only there as Force Ghosts in order to orbit around the Soyapo’s narrative, you know? I don’t really have a point here though, I’m just happy that Rafael can play this role without being written under a voyeuristic lens. This is why we have to be able to tell our own stories, because we get it right!

I’m kind of reminded of how the movie Sinners literally has two Michael B. Jordans walking around and for some unknown reason everybody was simping for some malnourished carton of milk. Pshh be for real. Nonetheless, the thing about Native stories is that the they're usually typecast as being all about mysticism and magical whatever whatever, but I’d say that the only fantastical element of Why the Star Stands Still is the fact that Rafael and Skylar could stay together for so long despite having vastly different tastes in music. I’m just saying, can you imagine being married to someone who listens to Tate McRae for seventeen whole years!? Couldn’t be me. You want to make jokes about Natives doing “funny dances,” yeah well, watch the choreo to “Revolving Door” and tell me she’s not summoning the Dahaka or some other kind of evil force. Anyway, I lost myself a bit there, because I do want to emphasize that this book really did put me in a good mood! It was really nice to see how Skylar and Rafael’s relationship has matured in the last seventeen years, because as we all know; the more things stay the same, the more they change. But tired clichés aside, I really did enjoy seeing them as people who knew each other completely and wholly. They can read each other’s mind! I’m stating the obvious here, but the moment their closeness finally clicked for me was during a scene where they’re simply sharing a bed. Hey, the closeness got to me! I mean, I guess the only alternative is them sleeping in parallel twin beds like Bert and Ernie, but it was a lovely moment because it’s such a simple and normal thing that they do now that would have probably been some big monumental scene if this book had taken place earlier in the timeline. But that’s what these books do best, take the day-to-day moments of everyday life and romanticize their mundanity. Take This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender for example, people didn’t like how nothing really happens throughout the novel to justify and epic love story, but in my opinion, the entire point of the book is to prove that there’s nothing more epic than finding a home in the arms of your loved ones.

It’s not a traditional example, but it’s still epic simply because of its quiet, contemplative tone. I remember when Crazy Rich Asians (oh yeah, I’m also Asian. I’m mixed race like Logic) came out, there were complaints that it didn’t represent the “real Asian experience” and the pushback to that claim was that there isn’t some all-encompassing lifestyle that can summarize each and every person’s experience. Sure, commonality brings us together, but diversity in our stories also helps bridge together a link of understanding and empathy. The thing about Natives is that we’re rarely even brought up in the conversations, but on the off chance that we are included in the narrative, we’re only really there to give out some fortune cookie cutter advice about respecting the land and nature or whatever the fuck, and it helps the audience feel real good about themselves because they’ve walked away from a movie feeling more in tune with energies and chakras and blah blah blah. I’m clearly mixing up cultures here, but that’s the point, it doesn’t really matter in these movies whether or not they’re espousing Native or Asian mysticism because the goal is the same; othering certain cultures and forcing us into “good little helper roles” rather than letting us be at the forefront of our own stories. So when you have an absolutely beautiful book series like Gives Light, a book series that portrays Natives as normal people living normal lives, I’d actually argue that calling them “thinly veiled history lessons” is actually pretty offensive. Besides, maybe it reads like a history lesson because the lesson didn’t fucking stick with a lot people. We'll stop talking about it when history stops repeating itself. Why the Star Stands Still isn’t a lesson, but rather an exploration of empathy that sneaks up on anybody who has the good fortune of stumbling into it. I started this review pretending like I was writing a love letter before quickly bailing on the idea, but the truth is that it never really stopped being one. Dear Diary, I’ve found a new favorite book and I can’t wait to tell you about it!

But I'll forget 23 like I forget 17, and I forget my first love like you forget a daydream / And what of all my wild friends and the times I've had with them? We'll all fade to gray soon, on the TV station.

[Trisha Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why the Stars Stand Still is the final book in the Gives Light series by Rose Christo. I am practically crying while I write this review. I was so sad when I realised this was the final book. It feels too soon. I don’t want this series to end. But I know it has to end somewhere and I am thoroughly impressed with how this book and the series as a whole has ended. This is definitely a series that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

We catch up with most of the characters again. Though there was one that was sadly missed by me. It was sad that Catherine wasn’t in the book. I was actually sad when I read about her dying. But I guess that’s a good thing because it shows how amazing this book really is. She was old, though, so it wasn’t the biggest surprise in the world. But it didn’t make the news any easier on me and I wanted to go back and read some of the first book again. I didn’t love her at first but when she was gone, I really did miss her. And I think it was the only thing I would have changed about this book.

Paul’s return also happened on-page in this book. It was nice seeing him back. His return was definitely needed and the fact it was on-page was even better. Of course, that’s just my opinion. But to see him start over again after a decade of being away from his family and friends, it was nice to see how he worked through the issues he had with being on the outside.

  “Cubby,” Dad said, and reached for me.

I felt like a child again. I put my arms around him; I hugged him as tightly as I knew how. His arms wrapped around me, arms that used to make me feel small, and safe. I could feel tremors in his arms. 

My father used to be a strong man.

With this book being set ten years after the last book ended, of course things were going to be different. Skylar was different. Rafael was different. Their relationship with each other and the people around them was different. Things had matured for them as a couple. They were married, trying to adopt a child. It was all very grown up. But the YA aspect still worked for them. In fact, I don’t know if I would have liked this book had the author written it as erotica. The couple aren’t really that type of couple in my mind.

Also, I found it nice that Skylar had gained a bit of weight in the ten years between this book and the last one. It was very realistic. Plus it showed that not all couples stay together because of looks. I’m not saying he was less attractive. But the weight didn’t seem to make a different to Rafael. He and Skylar were still very much the strong couple that adored each other as they were in St. Claire. Even during the tough times, which were mentioned a couple of times, they stayed together and never allowed something to tear them apart.

Then we had Mickey. She wasn’t what I would have pictured when I imagined them with a daughter. But that wasn’t a bad thing either. She was like Rafael to a degree, but she was a lot more blunt than he ever was, especially with Skylar and the way he looked. She was, however, very refreshing for the story and her anger brought me back to the old Rafael. In the end, I did come to realise she was the perfect daughter for them. She actually completed their family in a way I never thought she would. It was like they were meant to be her parents.

  “Wait,” Michaela said, screwing up her face. She turned on me. “Your dad’s Indian. Your mom’s black. Why are you white?” 

“Why?” I asked. “Why not?”

I can’t say much more about Skylar and Rafael as a couple, or people will get annoyed with hearing about them. But let’s just say I was thrilled with them here. They were still as lovely, adorable, and sweet as ever. And Rafael was still himself. He didn’t change much as he got older. He might have mellowed a small bit. But he still adored Skylar; he still understood what Skylar wanted. He just got older and a bit wiser.

So for the final time I will say I loved this book, the series, and the characters. If you ever want to read something beautiful and educating this would be the series to read. It’s magnificent and a wonderful read. Rose Christo has done wonders with this series and I can’t help but praise her work. I recommend this series to everyone and anyone. Even those who don’t like MM romance should give these ago.


My review of Why The Star Stands Still can also be found on Greedy Bug Book Reviews.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0 stars ...

(Re-read: Aug '25)

"In Shoshone," Dad said, "the word for 'friends' is the same word for 'family.' Nimaa."

Two-thirds through this saga and I love these people like they're my own family. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Annie led the way into the woods. Aubrey followed her, and Leon tagged after him while singing Rabbit Guts, a delightful little round dance ditty. Occasionally Leon lunged and swung his fists at the weeds standing on either side of the dirt road. Nicholas dragged his feet across the ground, his head bent, and mopped at the back of his neck. His hair's darker than his parents'; dark attracts sunlight. Poor kid must have been heating up. That's okay, I thought. He'll be nice and cool once we reach the grotto.

I looked around, and I realized more people had followed us than I'd initially accounted for. Dad and Racine, Dad's face unreadable, Racine's arm around his waist. Zeke and Holly walking side-by-side, Holly trying very hard not to smile. Reuben with his daughter Serafine, Serafine gabbing with Charity, Charity followed by Rosa, Rosa's shoulders wrapped safely in Gabriel's embrace. Peripherally I saw Lila and Joseph signing to one another a mile a minute, and Daisy and Isaac with their grumpy son Ryan and their bashful son Gideon; and I glanced over my shoulder and saw DeShawn struggling to catch up with Autumn Rose, and Jessica and Prairie Rose holding hands like innocent schoolgirls. They're still little girls in my eyes. But don't tell them I said that.

Friends ... family 🥰

[Gabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I loved this so much. The found family trope is perfectly executed, I would say. ♥️🥰
Rafael & Skylar as adults are so adorable 😍 and the secondary characters are just wonderful (Michaela, Zeke, just to name two of them 😂).

"Rafael," I said.

"Yeah?"

"You are the most wonderful person I've ever known."

It took him a moment to answer me--and when he did, I thought he sounded bashful.

"I'd better be," he said. "Because, you know.  That's what you deserve."

I smiled.  "Thank you."

[jessica ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the characters we know and love matured very well (expect Zeke of course lol), while still staying true to themselves, them growing up and having children didn’t feel at all out of place, despite the quick shift of 15 years from one book to the next.

But that bit at the end about Danny was so devastating, Rose Christo really knows how to hit you where it hurts!

[Ken W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome series!

I absolutely adore Skylar and Rafael! Their extended cast of friends and family are pretty great too! The Native American setting and customs are outstanding! The addition of Michaela was perfect! Five stars! Highly recommended!

[Sun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically a 200+ pg epilogue for the series.

Adult Skylar and adult Rafael...

The heartachingly lovely characters and story you've come to love & expect from Rose Christo...but w/o some of the charm, unfortunately.

Didn't feel genuine for me, yet still a must-read for those in love with the series...for no other reason but just to know how the story goes...

PS - an overweight and 'talking' Sklyar just...feels off for me. :( But I still heart my boys (now men) so much.

[melina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars: “A life of love is not a short one.”🩵

Sometimes, I guess you just have to complain about yourself, because suddenly I found myself finishing this book in a single day.🙃

And did I say the third book was sad? This one might top it.

It took me a little while to get into the story, which picks up 15 years after the previous book. And even though I could definitely see Rafael and Sky adopting a child, it still felt a little rushed. I think that’s because the time skip was a bit too long for my liking. A few major things that happened during that time are only touched upon briefly, and sadly, some storylines aren’t even really resolved by the end.

Nevertheless, the story was still lovely, heartbreaking, and healing all at once. There are only a handful of characters I’ve ever read who fit together as perfectly as Rafael and Sky. Their love just pours from the pages.

“It felt like my heart had found its second heartbeat.”🐋

And don’t even get me started on everyone who becomes part of their growing family. I’m REALLY sad that this is the end of their story, ugh.

I will definitely come back to these books because the book hangover they left me with is enormous. And even though I know there are some controversies surrounding the author, I still think writing books like these is a form of art. They contain so much wisdom and insight, and I’ll forever be grateful that they broadened my perspective.

“If we can die at any minute,” I said, “why are you wasting your life dreading it? Why don’t you just live while you have the chance?”

[Nik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't express how much I love this series. So much happens that makes it heart-breaking but it is so beautiful that Skylar and Rafael's story is nothing short of fantastic. And this book was definitely a great ending to a wonderful series.

This story picks up fifteen years after St. Clair ends, so Skylar and Rafael are men now. Married, living together, and as happy as they can be. All they're missing is a kid of their own. It was interesting to see everyone so much older, so mature with new lives. I found this one the funniest of the series. I was cracking up so much and it was great to finally meet more of Rafael's family members (who are hilarious!). I really liked how this one was able to have some connection with Sky's time in foster care. I adored Michaela, the little girl that Sky and Raf adopt, the troubles she puts them through but also the joy of finally having everything they've wanted. More than that, Sky's dad is finally out of prison and his transition into the real world was extremely sad but I loved the way it was handled.

I loved the fact that Skylar has a voice now but I also loved the fact that Skylar and Rafael's relationship has stayed so strong over the years even with everything they've gone through. It was also great to see Sky finally put on weight! He was always such a skinny thing! But it was awesome to see how much Rafael didn't mind that at all. Skylar is still his sarcastically funny self and Rafael is still a messy, grumpy guy. They are just so cute together I can't help but smile every time I think about them!

My only problems with the story is that I was sad we never actually got to see Rafael and Skylar go through their wedding nor get to see Rafael give Skylar his voice back. There's also the fact that Skylar had a second bout of cancer a few years before this story. It is not a major thing but I know I was really looking forward to seeing Skylar and Rafael getting married at least, seeing how a same-sex couple does such a thing in the Shoshane culture. I also really, really missed Sky's Granny! I loved that lady to pieces!

In the end, this is one of the best YA series I've ever read. I was taken on an emotional roller coaster through so many problems. The characters have so much depth that it is hard not to fall in love with them. The situations all of them have to go through is gut-wrenching but eye-opening, even after so many books and so many years between them. I know this is a series that I'll be able to reread over and over. It was a great experience to read about the journey that Skylar and Rafael go on and how their love withstood everything. So inspiring and an amazing series, even with its faults. Definitely recommended to everyone!!

[Bookwatcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well after the 3 previous book of the serie I was VERY interested in a sequel! Originally it was a trilogy so what a joy when the writer announce it would be one more... a FREEBIE.

Why the star stands still is perfect... 17 years after the last book and answering all the questions you may have after the third book.

Sky and Rafael are adults now married and trying to adopt a child. What can I say??? I love them again!!!! Adults or teenagers, they are amazing characters and perfect to a reader searching a romantic but not sappy couple.  It's a book for everyone (absolutely no sex scenes, so yeah EVERYONE, also young adults SHOULD read it... Yeah, not could but should!). 

Again there is some native American activism but it's much less than the third book, and it's again in the background of the story, not taking control of it (the reason I gave 3 stars to the previous book). 

Dear reader of this review, if you are thinking if you must of not buy the books I can just say one thing to convince you, a Shoshone saying: Sutummu tukummuinna*

*“I don't speak your language, and you don't speak mine. But I still understand you. I don't need to walk in your footsteps if I can see the footprints you left behind.”
Christo, Rose. “Why the Star Stands Still (Gives Light #4).”

Read it folks... See through Sky eyes, from an innocent teenager to an adult, his family, his tribe, his... Life.

5 stars to this book, and 5 stars to this serie

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to know where Skylar and Rafael end up. I liked where they did and I loved that Rafael became what he said he would and made good on his promise. Even though it was odd to read.

I adored Mickey; who else would be the perfect fit for a girl with a tragic past in foster care but Sky and Raf who could show her she was wanted and loved. Talk about taking the story full circle.

This was a nice way to wrap up the story and see everyone as they aged through the years. The boys were amazing and I loved how they "thanked" each other. *grins*

Sometimes I just wanted to meld into him and forget about the part of me that wasn't a part of him. God, it felt good to be a part of him. It felt like everything made sense for a moment, even the harshness of life, even the insanity. It felt like my heart had found its second heartbeat.

Everyone has a second heartbeat, you know. Ask any Shoshone. They say that the living earth has a pulse of its own, and if you listen very closely, you can hear it echoing in your heart.

But I say: Well, I have no room for the earth's pulse.

I'd rather have Rafael's.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It's not blood that makes us who we are," Dad said. "It's family. And it's not blood that makes us family. It's love." [Gives Light, #2]

This final volume is a testament to these words as Sky and Rafael get ready to welcome their adopted child and Sky's father Paul, who after 15 years in prison is finally being released.

Things aren't so simple as Sky comes to realize; Michaela (Mickey) Morales is a child that's suffered physically and emotionally. She hides her pain behind a brave front, something that reminds Sky of his husband Rafael when they first met. Sky and Rafael work together, love together to let Mickey know that she is wanted and that she can finally let go of her fear of being rejected and abandoned.

Sky's situation with Mickey might prove a little easier to handle than the one he faces with his dad. Paul Looks Over is a changed man after his stint in prison, Sky now sees a broken man whose wounds appear to deep to heal. Still suffering and blaming himself for the accidental death of his younger brother, he carries the pain of losing the woman he loved and was unfaithful to him to a serial killer who happened to be his best friend. A best friend he murdered when he enacted Blood Law and was the reason for his imprisonment.

Fearing the worst, Sky fights to make his father understand that nobody gets a perfect life. That there would have been no guarantees that things would have been different or even better if he and his mother had ever met and that the life they built and the family that they have now is worth living for.

This was a lovely conclusion to a wonderful series; you get to see how the younger generation has grown up-some already with children of their own, Sky comes face to face with a person from his past, sadly one of the characters doesn't have his happy ending. But the one thing that made me just beyond happy was Rafael and Sky-their love is still going strong, is never put into question, and their interactions with Mickey were just beautiful.

There's no doubt that we all have books or characters that we love, stories that fill us with wonder. Then there's that 'special' book that just makes you warm, the characters feel close to your heart. It stays with you and is the one that lifts you up, comforts you whenever you read it. This was such a series for me, I know that this will stay on the top of my reread list for a long time.

[Johnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skylar and Rafael are one of my favorite couples, probably in the top 5. Their love is so genuine.

This is a great series. It fills my heart knowing that in another part of world, being gay is considered a "gift". Thank you Rose Christo for making me feel special. This whole series was magical.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for books 1-4. Reviewed previously at BMBR.

My first question is...why have I not heard of Rose Christo before? How come this author isn't as well known as JK Rowling? Why is book one not a film. It would make the most amazing independent film. Just WHY??

Okay, so I'm reviewing the first four books of this series together, and then I'll review the fifth one separately. There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, I have only just found out about these books and literally read the series, so far, straight through. Secondly, they've been around for a while, but book five was released this month. And thirdly, the first four books are from Skylar's point of view and book five goes back to the beginning from Rafael's viewpoint.

So I'm going to try and leave the break down of each story to the blurbs and talk about what I loved about this series as a whole. And I did love it. I devoured it, have the worst book-hangover and could cry now I've finished with them.

Where to even start though. Okay, the Nettlebush Indian Reservation where the story takes place sounds so perfect, I want to live there and I HATE the heat. I have loved every second of learning about the culture, down to realising that Indian is not a racist term. I know I will be re-reading these and trying to understand more about this culture. I loved the ideals I was learning about and it seems, to me, so much better than the way in which we live here (in England). I love the gift culture. The communal meals. The schooling system....I really loved it all. Even the hunting, which I would hate to do, seems so much better than our way of breeding animals for food. Something about this culture just resonated with me. Would I be able to give up creature comforts I've grown up with? I really don't know, but it's definitely given me food for thought.

As well as the setting I loved the characters, particularly Skylar and Rafael the MC's. I want to say their voices were so clear...which is odd, seeing as Sky doesn't have a voice. The connection between these two was so electric, it really was as if they were part of each other, that they'd found the rest of themselves when they met. And this is with the fact that Raf's father is the cause of Sky's lack of vocal chords. That Raf's father was the one who killed Sky's mum. The connection between these two was just beautiful.

All the secondary characters were amazing too...and so real. With the set-up in this Indian reservation and the promotion of this culture through the story, it would have been so easy, so tempting to make the tribe members the good guys and westerners the bad guys, but this does not happen. I mean for a start Raf's dad is a serial killer. There is good and bad in all cultures shown. Everyone is human. It's not just about the characters and their actions, but the consequences of their actions both short and long reaching. It's about how the main characters strive to be better and how love helps them do this. I don't think there is a single character in this who didn't bring something to the story. I loved them all, my heart found a special place for Zeke though. I'd love to know more about him.

So the writing. Rose Christo writes some of the most beautiful sentences I have ever read. Wow, the imagery she uses is powerful, so perfect. The romance between Sky and Raf was gentle and amazing. It was love. Love from the inside out and it was refreshing to read about love without lust being an over-bearing component. So, so refreshing. The visuals Rose Christo painted with her words, of the land, of the history, of the character, of the beliefs, or the love....it was all perfect. I couldn't find a word out of place.

The books go from Skylar being sixteen to when he's an adult. Book four is set several years after the other three. Would I have liked one in the middle, one that showed the journey we know they took to get to the point they're at in book four. Of course I would, but not enough to moan about it or mark it down. The time jump was a shock for the first couple of pages...the story didn't lack for it though.
I've marked them all as five stars, because I read them all as one big book really. If I was nit-picking, one and two were my favourites, by a margin. I'm not marking them at less than perfect though because all the points above re the writing, characters and setting still count. The storyline may have an odd time jump in it, but I really can live with that.

I would recommend these books to everyone. From teens to adults. I know I'll read them again and again. I'm going to get the paperback versions - have you seen the beautiful covers? (St Clair is my favourite cover!!). I just hope you all love them as much as I do. What am I going to read now??

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful conclusion to a beautiful series of books. For anyone who thought the third book in the series was on the dark side, read this one. It jumps forward quite a few years in time and ties up many of the loose ends (and clears up the rather mysterious ending) from the third book. Not everything is rosy, but I finished the book with really good feelings (except for being sad the series is over).

Rose Christo's writing style maintained its, in my opinion, high level of excellence while the voice of the narrator has appropriately matured. The characters continue to be a joy to learn more about and an interesting new character is introduced.

There are a couple inconsistencies and an event (that occurs during the time between the third and fourth books) that seems improbable (although I am not a doctor or scientist so may be wrong), but that did not really detract from the story for me.

I am so glad I read this series and will be thinking about it for a while to come. Hard to believe this last book was free! I guess that goes along with the philosophy of the Shoshone people in the book. :-)

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was almost like a huge epilogue - 15 years after book 3. So many changes from youth to adulthood, people growing up but times and many situations still remaining the same.
I know this is a YA series and it's why I can only 4 star these beautiful books. I really miss the potential chemistry and intimacy of Sky & Raf, all this fading to black really dampens the depth of this relationship.
If you're interested in the Native American story and issues, this is a great book that really makes you consider all people's rights. Really lovely read ❤️

[Stefan Erasmus · Rating 5 out of 5]

:( :( :( lol! the final book :( what am I gonna do without Rafael and Skylar??? what an amazing series brought together in a beautiful finale. these 4 books will be 4 of my most cherished reads, ever. thank you Rose for publishing this adventure to captivate us and thanx to Bev for recommending it to me. I was hooked from.the first sentence and will definitely be reading them all again SOON! X X X X X

[*.Amaia.* BlackMagicRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Beautiful and sweet *.* and sad and unfair at the same time :(
Perfect way of ending this series. I loved it ❤ and I'm gonna miss them all, especially Rafael and Sky :)

[Mary Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow.
normally i would expect to get bored with reading about the same characters for too long, but i guess it doesn't work this way when it comes to Gives Light series:)
i didn't like this BIG time gap between St Clair and Why the Star stands still. i didn't like that that the oportunity to read about Rafael and Skylar's student years, about their first years living together was taken away from me. and because i feel like i really know them (i get attached to fictional characters easily) i hate that i couldn't read about their marriage, proposal, building their house and starting their life officially. it felt like one they i finished St.Clair and they were 17-18 and the next they i started Gives Light #4 and they are 30+, all adult and nothing was the same... that's what i didn't like about this book, that there is no more parts of the story i really, really like:(

other that this? it was as good as always. i am not a fan of kids myself but "seeing" Rafael and Sky with Michaela aka Mickey? yesss, absolutely adorable! and when it came to Noel? what kind of person does things like she did? horrible. i am glad this ended good. and i feel terribly sorry for Paul, for how depressed and lost he is, i hate him being so miserable. i hope he'll find happiness again.
i loved the stories about North Star, Coyote and Wolf. I hated how Skylar warned native american kids about kiddnaping their future kids/siblings/cousins. it really is impossible to imagine that things like that happen in our times. amd Danny.... Danny again....

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely end to a wonderful series. There are some elements of the book that will need willing suspension of disbelief, which at times was a little jarring a guess. But, I was happy to suspend! Out of the 4 books, this was not my favourite but I thoroughly enjoyed this glimpse into the future.

What is really wonderful about the story is seeing our protagonists all grown up, doing the daily and living. It was idyllic, lovely and had this wonderful warmth about it. Loved it. One of my favourites for this year and I highly recommend you read the series.

[Mel González · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In Shoshone , there's a saying: I don't speak your language, and you don't speak mine. But I still understand you. I don't need to walk in your footsteps if I can see the footprints you left behind."

WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME THIS IS THE LAST BOOK? I was prepared for a sixth book series and I got this book that's set 15 years after the other ones and that's the last one? I mean, I loved it and everything, I just wasn't prepared. When I got to the ending I actually thought "wow this feels like the ending of a series, I wonder what's going to happen in the other books" and then I looked it up and they're Rafael's POV which, YES PLEASE but at the same time, I'm so heartbroken. Anyway, this book, as all the other books in the series was delightful to read. Rose Christo's writing is everything I love about literature, with beautiful and in-depth descriptions, with complex characters that get better and better with time, who grow and change but their personalities are the same, as gorgeous, generous and kind as ever. I enjoyed seeing where these characters went in their lives so much. I was super invested in all of them, from Rafael and Sky to Annie, Aubrey, Zeke, Mary and even Bolto. I really didn't want this series to end and I'm still sad over it so sorry if I mention that a lot in my review.

I loved that Sky became a lawyer to change the laws against Native Americans and to fight the systemic and institutional oppression from the inside. I also enjoyed that we didn't only get to see their professional lives but that we got to see their fight to get to adopt Micky and how they became a family little by little. There were also a lot of sad moments in this book, like when we find out about Sky's grandma's death. I feel like she was a vital part of the other books and I felt the lack of her presence a lot. It broke my heart to hear about Danny's story as well and how the government failed him and his family. Paul's story was super hard to read as well and it called out the prison system and how it takes a lot out of the soul of a person, especially when someone was carrying as many terrible things as Paul did. I was wishing the entire time that nothing would happen to him because of his mental health and actually seeing him do better at the end made me incredibly happy. I just wished it would have been more therapy-positive. I get their bad history with it but at the same time I wished they would have worked through it more because that's the one things about these books that I felt it went unresolved. Sky's still touch repulsed except for Rafael and has a lot of issues carrying from that event and I needed to see him work through them.

There were a lot of beautiful moments as well, like seeing Rafael and Sky's relationship and how many things stayed the same but also how many things changed and grew with the years. It was extremely adorable. It just really bothered me that they can't say the word "sex". I mean I don't need any explicit content or anything but it felt unrealistic that two 30-something men couldn't talk about sex without euphemisms. I also didn't know why everyone was so obsessed with Sky's weight. I loved that we got to see him gaining weight because in the other books we see him as incredibly thin because of the circumstances of his life and his diseases and being fatter means he's healthier. I wished we could have had more body positivity though. As always, I absolutely adore them as a couple and as a community and I'm so happy we got this epilogue of their stories and that it ended in such a beautiful and happy way for everyone. This series is very simple but it also talks about complex emotions and personalities, nothing is completely good or completely bad. In the intersection of those things, you can find these stories and in this final one we got to see that in a deeper way and even though there were things that bothered me I just can't give it less than a five stars.

[Michael Bowler · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Why the Star Stands Still" is the fourth (and presumably final) volume in Rose Christo's "Gives Light" series. It jumps fifteen years into the future from volume three, which according to the timeline, puts the action in the year 2017. This is a huge jump for the reader to take the teen characters and leap forward in time that many years, and it's not an entirely successful transition. For starters, Skylar has his voice back (no spoilers here-that's on the third page) and it's disconcerting because it changes his character quite a bit. He's lost a lot of the intuitive expressiveness that made him so fascinating in the other three. The regaining of his voice is also just a throwaway plot point and not all that well developed, having happened six years before this story starts. He and Rafael are married (it would have been nice for the reader to have witnessed their wedding) and Rafael is a speech therapist, while Skylar is now a lawyer, and Dad has been in federal prison all this time. While Skylar tends to act more grown up (he always was a little too wise for his age anyway), Rafael talks and acts no differently than he did in high school. He's a college graduate and a professional, yet he talks like a teen. Having been to speech therapists over the years, his portrayal as one didn't make any sense to me. He wore hospital scrubs and Skylar would comment on how nasty they were lying around the house, like he was performing surgeries. At one point, he takes out some kid's tonsils! How? Only a surgeon can do that. A speech therapist helps kids (mostly) speak better. Which is the other issue - the two men want to adopt a child and when they finally get the little girl, Skylar, the lawyer, seems to know everything about how to parent while Rafael, who must by profession work with kids daily, is clueless. These are real-world issues that kept niggling at me because they distracted me from the heart and soul of the story. The other distracting thing is that the author, so wonderful at describing the scenery in flowery images, fails at identifying the current ages of all the characters. We can figure Rafael is 34 and Skylar 33 from their age in the last book, but the author wants us to recall the age of every child on the reserve and somehow do the math to calculate forward. In addition, she doesn't describe how most of them look as adults, and many still (like Rafael) act too much like kids. It's also hard to imagine any state agency licensing Zeke Owns Forty as a social worker, especially since he acts just like he did as a teenager.
Having said all this, I hated to see the book end because I love the characters so much. There are some amazing scenes between Skylar and his father as they finally talk about all the things they never could before. The relationship between Rafael and Skylar is very touching, especially how they gradually fall in love with the little girl they foster. The girl, Michaela, is well-written and acts very much like a foster child from a terrible background who is accustomed to not being wanted. Sadly, some characters have passed on over the years (including one very painful reveal near the end) and as much as I loved this book, I selfishly wish the author had written another, set between the third one and this book. It could have covered Skylar and Rafael graduating college, getting married, Skylar getting his voice back, and other pivotal moments that are barely mentioned here. Perhaps down the line Ms. Christo will revisit these characters and show us their lives as they age, maybe when Skylar and Rafael have grandchildren. Ah, one can hope . . . All in all, an amazing book series. Do yourself a favor and read them all!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything fit into place. This book was peace, I wanted to gling to it because it made me feel so happy, but all things end eventually. I know I will be reading this again one day. I cannot tell in words how much I loved these books, and seeing Sky and Rafael all grown up was so wonderful. And Skylar having a voice that Rafael gave to him!

And a new plus, Skylar being (like everyone kept telling him, bah), overweight, made me so happy too! It made him feel more real and even more likable, I didn't know I could like him more. And Mickey, my heart is bursting of joy!

Happiness and heart ache in book form, tears of joy and hurt, such a calm, serene feeling, so perfect.

[Lex · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a beautiful ending to the series. I was afraid at the beginning that the 15 skipped years and that Skyler isn’t mute anymore will go to the expense of the story, but my fears proved to be unfounded.

The book’s flaws are roughly the same as those I mentioned before at the previous volumes, plus here is this irritating phrase: “you can thank me”, aka: love making follows. Obviously the author wanted her book to stay in the YA genre, but it’s really annoying. I felt as if Raphael and Sky were children and not thirty-something adults. There are situations, especially at the beginning, when it’s funny and cute, but not every time!

And one other thing what actually bothered me in the previous books too but not this much: everything, but literally everything has been invented by the indians. The sign language, the hockey, the pizza, yada yada yada. I don’t want to call the author a liar, surely she has her sources, but I can’t stomach this yet.

But there are a lot of good things here too, like funny situations and teasing, so I smiled a lot. I loved it! I couldn’t follow who is with who or who is whose child, ‘cause there are too many characters. But it’s fine. I probably should have paid more attention to the supporting characters. But I still love all the characters, and it’s so good to see them grown up, changed, but in reality unchanged. :) It was heart-warming to read about that Rafael was true to his word and succeeded in giving back to Sky his voice. The fate of their relationship is overwhelming. And it applies to Mickey too. It’s a really small chance to find a kid who resembles this much to the adobtive parents, but it’s a good idea to read about.

I loved this book and I enjoyed reading it. But now I feel sad, because the author’s words turned very serious at the end. It doesn’t matter how many times the Native Americans fight against America, they will always loose. And nobody can do anything about it. They can keep going to court, keep begging, they can try over and over again, but eventually nothing will change. And it’s really sad.

[Saga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going into this book, I actually wasn't sure what to expect. I was slightly worried that I wouldn't love the "adult versions" of the characters as much as I had loved them as teenagers. But as soon as I started reading my small concern immediately turned out to be completely unnecessary - there's no need to doubt Rose Christo's writing talent for a moment, her language feels just as beautiful and effortless as ever.
It was truly a relief to see that the characters hadn't changed that much - they are pretty much the same, just a little bit older.

One of the highlights of the book is definetely to see Mickey's transition from being a rather distrustful girl to an integrated part of the family. Her presence eventually starts to feel just as natural as everyone else's; she fits into the family and Nettlebush perfectly.

To me, this book felt slightly more character-based than the rest of them did. There's no major plot, but I really didn't mind. I love seeing the character development that is done so skillfully.

The wonderful thing about the Gives Light series to me is that every page - every word - is a true pleasure to read, and reading this one was no exception. This is without a doubt my favourite book series ever. When I read it I can forget all about the world around me for a moment and it really feels like I'm in Nettlebush. All of the characters are so incredibly well-portrayed that they feel completely real. And especially the love between Sky and Rafael, which feels so genuine and radiant, you just can't doubt its strenght for a moment.

There's not a single thing that I would change in this book or in the rest of the Gives Light series.
Now I'm just looking forward to reading "Lending Light", hoping and believing that it'll be just as good as the rest of the series. It really feels like Rose Christo can't fail in her writing.

[Vero · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the fourth book in this series and I was a bit disappointed.
After all the drama and also developments in the previous installments, this felt more like a drawn out epilogue.
Besides adopting a girl and Sky's father coming out of prison, it is more an account of every day life. With some complaining about how tedious work is, how much he still loves his Rafael etc.
It was a nice telling, but didn't touch me in the same way then the other books. It was good that I waited some time to read this - had I started it right after the third installment, my rating would have been much lower.

[Aussie54 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this whole series very much. The five stars for this book is as much for the overall enjoyment of all four stories as it is for this story itself. The series is amazing; I've not read anything quite like it before.

I think "Why the Star Stands Still" (Gives Light, #4) was the most enjoyable for me, perhaps because many years have passed, and Skylar and Rafael have grown up and can express their feelings for each other a little more than in the first few books. I'm glad that the author chose to let us see how things worked out for the boys and their families and friends. It's a nice rounding off of their story.

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another 5 stars

Even though I enjoyed this installment just as much as the others, I did not like the way you are thrown 15 years into the future. So much of Skykar and Rafael's story was left out. All of the important areas were touched on but it was disappointing not getting the full story within the story. Regardless of all of that it is still a wonderful book and if you've read the previous ones you will understand what I mean. Maybe some day the missing parts will be released in their own book.

[Sara Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is something else. I don't usually read the synopsis of books by authors I know I like, so it this book threw me a bit in the beginning. It's not often you read a young adult series and suddenly it jumps FIFTEEN years, setting our heroes well into their thirties. But it is glorious. Too, too many authors leave their characters at 17. And you know what? The big part of life isn't your teens. It's not even the best part.
It feels sooo good to know that they're just as in love 15 years later. It just makes me feel... safe.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a surprise final novel to this fantastic series. The boys are all grown up, pillars of their community, married to one another with their own home, careers and family.
It's hard not to write a review without giving away all the surprises, so I won't. I'll only say, this final novel is a true revelation, a great way to finish Skylar and Rafael's story and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole, gentle series.