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We Are the Stars
‘Unlike anything I have ever read before. I can't wait to give this book to everyone I love. Read it.' HUGH JACKMAN
Gina Chick, the inaugural winner of Alone Australia, tells the story of her extraordinary, indomitable life in one of the most powerful, moving memoirs you will ever listen to.
From day one of her wildly unconventional childhood, Gina Chick blazed her own trail, which led her to dance through the hidden world of 90's Sydney nightlife into the arms of a conman. She fled to the wilderness to find healing, began a wondrous love affair with the deepest lessons life—and death—can offer, and found that all the answers are written in the wisdom of the body and the whirling silence of stars.
If you're ready to get lost in jungles, wander into wolf-dens, sing with storms, rescue orphaned animals, dive to the depths, dance 'til your knees wobble, fall in love, find yourself by losing it all, and most of all be real; this book is for you.
We Are the Stars is a magic carpet ride through the exquisite mystery of the human heart. You've never read anything like it.
"I am a storm wrapped in skin", writes Gina Chick in this book full of bliss, sorrow, earth and stars. I love Gina's courage, her strength and her joy. Above all I admire the life force that guides her through the worst of times to emerge on the other side of that dark river with a truly rare perspicacity. A wild, creaturely memoir that shows us how to really live.' CHARLOTTE WOOD, author of Stone Yard Devotional
'Want to know what it's like to spend time with someone so funny and wise and so brutally honest that your jaw is permanently on the floor and your heart is singing? This memoir quite simply broke me open. Her powerful poetic mixture of truth, humour, hard-fought wisdom and unblinking authenticity radiates from every page.' HUGH JACKMAN
‘Gina's eyes are wolf, her limbs the trees, her heart a moon, her mind the sea. We Are the Stars is an exhilarating story of a life uncontained and it will travel with me forever … an excellent manual for making a friend of life's intrepid roads and the wisdom that ensues. Let her words churn you up and inspire you to admire your deepest sorrows, laugh when you shouldn't and above all, make a god of curiosity.' POH LING YEOW
‘There's nobody like Gina Chick and this book pulses with her intelligence, authenticity and vulnerability, but most of all, with her passionate love of life.' LEIGH SALES, author of Any Ordinary Day
‘A book like a huge wave of saltwater; raw and real and true. Chick has gathered a whole life's worth of lessons, recorded them here with honesty, and the result is a completely unique philosophy of life. It wrecked me and woke me the fuck up.' BRI LEE, author of Eggshell Skull
‘We Are the Stars is as much a force of nature as Gina Chick herself. In staring unflinchingly into the cruellest of losses, this book is wise, fierce and unexpectedly life-affirming.' BENJAMIN LAW, author of The Family Law
PLEASE When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
Gina Chick, the inaugural winner of Alone Australia, tells the story of her extraordinary, indomitable life in one of the most powerful, moving memoirs you will ever listen to.
From day one of her wildly unconventional childhood, Gina Chick blazed her own trail, which led her to dance through the hidden world of 90's Sydney nightlife into the arms of a conman. She fled to the wilderness to find healing, began a wondrous love affair with the deepest lessons life—and death—can offer, and found that all the answers are written in the wisdom of the body and the whirling silence of stars.
If you're ready to get lost in jungles, wander into wolf-dens, sing with storms, rescue orphaned animals, dive to the depths, dance 'til your knees wobble, fall in love, find yourself by losing it all, and most of all be real; this book is for you.
We Are the Stars is a magic carpet ride through the exquisite mystery of the human heart. You've never read anything like it.
"I am a storm wrapped in skin", writes Gina Chick in this book full of bliss, sorrow, earth and stars. I love Gina's courage, her strength and her joy. Above all I admire the life force that guides her through the worst of times to emerge on the other side of that dark river with a truly rare perspicacity. A wild, creaturely memoir that shows us how to really live.' CHARLOTTE WOOD, author of Stone Yard Devotional
'Want to know what it's like to spend time with someone so funny and wise and so brutally honest that your jaw is permanently on the floor and your heart is singing? This memoir quite simply broke me open. Her powerful poetic mixture of truth, humour, hard-fought wisdom and unblinking authenticity radiates from every page.' HUGH JACKMAN
‘Gina's eyes are wolf, her limbs the trees, her heart a moon, her mind the sea. We Are the Stars is an exhilarating story of a life uncontained and it will travel with me forever … an excellent manual for making a friend of life's intrepid roads and the wisdom that ensues. Let her words churn you up and inspire you to admire your deepest sorrows, laugh when you shouldn't and above all, make a god of curiosity.' POH LING YEOW
‘There's nobody like Gina Chick and this book pulses with her intelligence, authenticity and vulnerability, but most of all, with her passionate love of life.' LEIGH SALES, author of Any Ordinary Day
‘A book like a huge wave of saltwater; raw and real and true. Chick has gathered a whole life's worth of lessons, recorded them here with honesty, and the result is a completely unique philosophy of life. It wrecked me and woke me the fuck up.' BRI LEE, author of Eggshell Skull
‘We Are the Stars is as much a force of nature as Gina Chick herself. In staring unflinchingly into the cruellest of losses, this book is wise, fierce and unexpectedly life-affirming.' BENJAMIN LAW, author of The Family Law
PLEASE When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
17 pages, Audible Audio
Published October 4, 2024
363 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
October 10, 2024
We Are the Stars is a truly life affirming memoir, it breaks your heart into a million pieces and then stitches it all back
together again.
Gina Chick’s storytelling is warm and authentic, her writing style visceral and poetic. Throughout, she shows her astonishing ability to call on inner strength to find her way through the worst of times, drawing on her strong sense of self and powerful connection to the natural world.
This memoir is a celebration of the human experience, our connections to each other and our place in this big universe.
together again.
Gina Chick’s storytelling is warm and authentic, her writing style visceral and poetic. Throughout, she shows her astonishing ability to call on inner strength to find her way through the worst of times, drawing on her strong sense of self and powerful connection to the natural world.
This memoir is a celebration of the human experience, our connections to each other and our place in this big universe.
March 19, 2025
I had never heard of Gina Chick or that in 2022 she was one of ten contestants on the TV survival show Alone Australia and it was set in the wilderness of Tasmania.
Gina had an unconventional childhood, her parents Suzanne and Doug were high school teachers and they lived with their three daughters Gina, Kristie and Danni in Jervis Bay, New South Wales and here the girls spend a lot of time outdoors and exploring the beach and Gina rescued animals.
Gina struggled at school, she didn’t fit in and her mum always told her she would find her people and she did when she went to university and made friends one of them being Hugh Jackman. During the 1990’s Gina partied hard and she loved to dance, she dabbled in many things, she loved both men and women and after having her heart broken and she decided to attend a survival school in New Jersey.
Here she meets Lee Trew, despite the age gap they fell in love and together they explored many things, including living a hunter and gatherer lifestyle and rewilding. Gina battled many demons, including being in debt, drug use, illnesses, loss and a tragic death.
With Gina you navigate jungles, where she howls like a wolf, dances in the rain, gets dirty and never wears shoes. We Are the Stars is a memoir that will teach you about life and what really matters, like we are not all the same and how boring would it be if we were and how to pick yourself up and keep going and don’t hold your emotions in and scream out loud if it makes you feel better.
Five stars from me, Gina Chick is an amazing and inspirational woman and her memoir is as unique as she is and never change Gina and keep on dancing and find peace and solace in the stars.
Gina had an unconventional childhood, her parents Suzanne and Doug were high school teachers and they lived with their three daughters Gina, Kristie and Danni in Jervis Bay, New South Wales and here the girls spend a lot of time outdoors and exploring the beach and Gina rescued animals.
Gina struggled at school, she didn’t fit in and her mum always told her she would find her people and she did when she went to university and made friends one of them being Hugh Jackman. During the 1990’s Gina partied hard and she loved to dance, she dabbled in many things, she loved both men and women and after having her heart broken and she decided to attend a survival school in New Jersey.
Here she meets Lee Trew, despite the age gap they fell in love and together they explored many things, including living a hunter and gatherer lifestyle and rewilding. Gina battled many demons, including being in debt, drug use, illnesses, loss and a tragic death.
With Gina you navigate jungles, where she howls like a wolf, dances in the rain, gets dirty and never wears shoes. We Are the Stars is a memoir that will teach you about life and what really matters, like we are not all the same and how boring would it be if we were and how to pick yourself up and keep going and don’t hold your emotions in and scream out loud if it makes you feel better.
Five stars from me, Gina Chick is an amazing and inspirational woman and her memoir is as unique as she is and never change Gina and keep on dancing and find peace and solace in the stars.
January 3, 2025
Gina Chick is, among other things, the first winner of the Australian Alone reality show. She is the second woman and the oldest to win across all Alone incarnations.
I detest reality shows, but I watched Australian Story on ABC where Gina was featured; I found her intriguing and interesting. So upon noticing the newly released memoir, I wanted to check it out, not expecting much, on account of my prejudice against reality TV participants.
I was impressed with the writing from the very beginning, so much so, I had to check if a ghostwriter had written it.
I discovered early on Gina's or Gigi's love of books. It turns out that she's got good genes as well - her grandmother, whom she never met, was Charmian Clift, the first female columnist in Australia, and an essayist. Gina's mother was given up for adoption; she only discovered when the laws changed who her mother was, too late, as Charmian was dead. That is another interesting life story, put in a memoir by Gina's mum - Searching for Charmian.
Gina's life involved many false starts, changes and deviations, trials and tribulations, failed relationships, and many different jobs and interests. She's an Amazonian, who's been put through the ringer. I'll leave it at that.
As the ABC show said, Gina Chick is a force of nature, who's a glorious, luscious writer. Here's hoping that the writing of this memoir rekindled her love of writing and she decides to write fiction.
I hope this makes it to other countries, as it's a fantastic memoir.
If this quickly penned review piqued your interest, you can check her website here: https://www.ginachick.com
I detest reality shows, but I watched Australian Story on ABC where Gina was featured; I found her intriguing and interesting. So upon noticing the newly released memoir, I wanted to check it out, not expecting much, on account of my prejudice against reality TV participants.
I was impressed with the writing from the very beginning, so much so, I had to check if a ghostwriter had written it.
I discovered early on Gina's or Gigi's love of books. It turns out that she's got good genes as well - her grandmother, whom she never met, was Charmian Clift, the first female columnist in Australia, and an essayist. Gina's mother was given up for adoption; she only discovered when the laws changed who her mother was, too late, as Charmian was dead. That is another interesting life story, put in a memoir by Gina's mum - Searching for Charmian.
Gina's life involved many false starts, changes and deviations, trials and tribulations, failed relationships, and many different jobs and interests. She's an Amazonian, who's been put through the ringer. I'll leave it at that.
As the ABC show said, Gina Chick is a force of nature, who's a glorious, luscious writer. Here's hoping that the writing of this memoir rekindled her love of writing and she decides to write fiction.
I hope this makes it to other countries, as it's a fantastic memoir.
If this quickly penned review piqued your interest, you can check her website here: https://www.ginachick.com
October 14, 2024
Listened to the audiobook which was stunning, Chick herself singing and weaving her magic with her own voice. I related to so much of Chicks story. Crazy how much. So grateful that she has found the words and shared them with us. This oneness.
December 13, 2024
Yes, this book is lovely, a story of resilience and healing, but i as much as I love Gina, I felt like it was an ode to her brilliance rather than all aspects to her personality.
The parts where she reflected upon her own short comings was extremely brief, rather repetitively emphasising moments where her friends complemented her brilliance, and the "letting go" story arc was without much resistant.
In the end i am a little confused. I couldnt quite fully connect with her through her prose as it felt like a glossy vaneer at certain points, however, at other times it had me soaring over the trees.
The parts where she reflected upon her own short comings was extremely brief, rather repetitively emphasising moments where her friends complemented her brilliance, and the "letting go" story arc was without much resistant.
In the end i am a little confused. I couldnt quite fully connect with her through her prose as it felt like a glossy vaneer at certain points, however, at other times it had me soaring over the trees.
October 20, 2024
Phenomenal story of her life.
I've been a big fan girl since I watched her kill it on Alone Australia S1.
I was in awe of her connected-ness to nature and just how at peace she was going through the experience and showing how strong women are and, more importantly how middle age women are a force to be reckoned with and women don't lose their value with age - a very sad societal belief that's shoved in our faces through media etc
So naturally, I was keen to read her book to see how she came to be this amazing human I saw on Alone.
I confess that some of the writing went over my head at times - poetry is not my strong suite or favourite medium, and she writes beautifully and has woven many different literary techniques into this memoire including songs, stories and poetic prose. I loved the stories and the lessons of her life.
Her story has helped me be more comfortable with endings, knowing they happen to create new beginnings. Thank you Gina for teaching me that lesson 🙏
I've been a big fan girl since I watched her kill it on Alone Australia S1.
I was in awe of her connected-ness to nature and just how at peace she was going through the experience and showing how strong women are and, more importantly how middle age women are a force to be reckoned with and women don't lose their value with age - a very sad societal belief that's shoved in our faces through media etc
So naturally, I was keen to read her book to see how she came to be this amazing human I saw on Alone.
I confess that some of the writing went over my head at times - poetry is not my strong suite or favourite medium, and she writes beautifully and has woven many different literary techniques into this memoire including songs, stories and poetic prose. I loved the stories and the lessons of her life.
Her story has helped me be more comfortable with endings, knowing they happen to create new beginnings. Thank you Gina for teaching me that lesson 🙏
September 4, 2025
Two stars seems rough but boy this was a struggle. I was engaged at the start, then it was just too long and needed some major editing. For example, nothing happened in The Year of 34 chapter apart from Gina discovering why she liked massaging people after all. I wasn’t that invested in her motivations for this level of minutiae.
The writing was far too flowery and trying to be too much like poetry, which felt padded out with metaphors and adjectives. The worst example of this was ‘the voiceless voice…’.
That said the chapters around her beautiful daughter and the grief at her death were incredibly moving and made me publicly cry on the train. Having heard Gina’s story while watching her on Alone Australia, I knew this was coming but it still hit like a truck and left me devastated for her.
Unfortunately the book overall was about 200 pages too long and ended with a whimper rather than a bang. Readers can save themselves some time and just watch her season of Alone to get an idea of who she is and what she’s about.
The writing was far too flowery and trying to be too much like poetry, which felt padded out with metaphors and adjectives. The worst example of this was ‘the voiceless voice…’.
That said the chapters around her beautiful daughter and the grief at her death were incredibly moving and made me publicly cry on the train. Having heard Gina’s story while watching her on Alone Australia, I knew this was coming but it still hit like a truck and left me devastated for her.
Unfortunately the book overall was about 200 pages too long and ended with a whimper rather than a bang. Readers can save themselves some time and just watch her season of Alone to get an idea of who she is and what she’s about.
May 14, 2025
‘Gi, she says, when you were waiting to come into the body, the angel at the gate stopped you with his clipboard and asked what experienced you wanted to have in this life. You just said “Tick every box” ‘
WOW!!!!! This book is everything. Gina’s memory recall and ability to paint the most VIVID pictures in the readers imagination made this a truly wonderful book to read. Following her life from early childhood and into her 50’s, it is undeniably heartbreaking at times *cannot stress this enough* but her beliefs around the tragedies that strike us in life, the power of nature and letting the body feel, are such a gift.
I FUCKING LOVE YOU GINA CHICK!!!!!!!!!!! That is all!!!
WOW!!!!! This book is everything. Gina’s memory recall and ability to paint the most VIVID pictures in the readers imagination made this a truly wonderful book to read. Following her life from early childhood and into her 50’s, it is undeniably heartbreaking at times *cannot stress this enough* but her beliefs around the tragedies that strike us in life, the power of nature and letting the body feel, are such a gift.
I FUCKING LOVE YOU GINA CHICK!!!!!!!!!!! That is all!!!
October 12, 2024
It’s tricky not to give this a 5 star rating because Gina is amazing and her story is so moving and beautiful. However for me it was a solid 3.5 star read, I enjoyed it and connected to her story.
Reading about growing up in Australia felt like a homecoming. Gina’s connection with nature, attunement to self discovery in adolescence, her pain and disconnection from self right through to her rediscovery and reconnection is a story we all know so well as we return home to ourselves and to our true nature.
Gina’s capacity for love, pain and her resilience was inspiring. A unique and strong woman, I learned a lot from reading this.
Reading about growing up in Australia felt like a homecoming. Gina’s connection with nature, attunement to self discovery in adolescence, her pain and disconnection from self right through to her rediscovery and reconnection is a story we all know so well as we return home to ourselves and to our true nature.
Gina’s capacity for love, pain and her resilience was inspiring. A unique and strong woman, I learned a lot from reading this.
January 15, 2025
Raw and beautifully written autobiography. I thought the last 100 pages dragged on a bit but otherwise had me weeping.
December 30, 2024
A beautiful memoir that makes me think, there's no one way to live a life. I know Gina from Australia's first season of 'Alone' but this memoir delves deep into her life, the mistakes she's made, the things that were thrown at her, and her persistence and positivity that makes her who she is.
I was lucky enough to meet Gina when she came into the bookstore for a signing, and she's just as awesome as you'd expect.
If you're into lives lived differently, written poetically, this is one for you.
I was lucky enough to meet Gina when she came into the bookstore for a signing, and she's just as awesome as you'd expect.
If you're into lives lived differently, written poetically, this is one for you.
October 5, 2024
I loved this book. Gina writes from her heart and soul. Her voice is so honest and authentic, not afraid to share her inner world as well as her interaction with the outer world, in all its cruel, uplifting and challenging forms.
Her incredible connection to nature and the Earth is profound. Her ability to seek ways of healing from the many wounds life has inflicted is inspirational. The story of her love and then loss of her daughter is heartbreaking, yet her journey into and through her grief, an important lesson for us all.
Gina’s writing is raw and yet poetic, vivid and descriptive. For a woman who has always been seen as too weird or too big, her story resonates with those of us who have often felt like we didn’t fit in, didn’t quite belong.
Thank you for enriching us with your story.
Her incredible connection to nature and the Earth is profound. Her ability to seek ways of healing from the many wounds life has inflicted is inspirational. The story of her love and then loss of her daughter is heartbreaking, yet her journey into and through her grief, an important lesson for us all.
Gina’s writing is raw and yet poetic, vivid and descriptive. For a woman who has always been seen as too weird or too big, her story resonates with those of us who have often felt like we didn’t fit in, didn’t quite belong.
Thank you for enriching us with your story.
November 5, 2024
A profound and incredible read - it felt like every dance under the sun. A poem, an odyssey, a raw and earthy encounter. An out of space adventure.
I cannot recommend this book enough - it will change you. It will challenge you. It will shatter you and then, like creating a mosaic; it will place the pieces back … piece by piece and star by star.
I cannot recommend this book enough - it will change you. It will challenge you. It will shatter you and then, like creating a mosaic; it will place the pieces back … piece by piece and star by star.
May 3, 2025
Wow, what an interesting woman and what a life so far! I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by Gina herself and loved it. I laughed and I cried and learned lots.
Updated to say that it took a while but I got Gina to visit Tamworth Library for an author talk and we had 200 attendees who all loved her story!
Updated to say that it took a while but I got Gina to visit Tamworth Library for an author talk and we had 200 attendees who all loved her story!
November 20, 2024
I was expecting a little glimpse into the life of my favourite Alone survivor. Gina’s poetically written memoir is actually her heart and soul ripped out and laid bare. Deep, meaningful, a little weird but breathtakingly beautiful. Stunning.
January 13, 2025
Love you Gina Chick
January 3, 2026
“A life lived awake is the best drug there is”
October 15, 2024
As a fan of the possum-coat wearing Gina in the TV series of Alone, I was keen to know her back story. Through the show we learnt of her connection to the earth, bush survival skills and heartbreak in having lost her daughter at the age of three to cancer.
Gina shared nothing about her experience in the Tasmanian wilderness, but revealed a love of books, a depth of life experience and profound wisdom. Her writing style was quite unlike anything I’d read before…
‘Sometimes books understand us better than people. I think this book will understand you very well.’
And when reflecting on The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling,
‘I like it already, if it’s a book about jungles. It smells like old people. I get that familiar feeling: the world is full of hidden doors and I’m fumbling smooth handles too big for my little hands.’
Warning. The book will take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride. But it’s a journey I will come back to because of the way it touched me heart.
Gina shared nothing about her experience in the Tasmanian wilderness, but revealed a love of books, a depth of life experience and profound wisdom. Her writing style was quite unlike anything I’d read before…
‘Sometimes books understand us better than people. I think this book will understand you very well.’
And when reflecting on The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling,
‘I like it already, if it’s a book about jungles. It smells like old people. I get that familiar feeling: the world is full of hidden doors and I’m fumbling smooth handles too big for my little hands.’
Warning. The book will take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride. But it’s a journey I will come back to because of the way it touched me heart.
October 12, 2024
Reading this book took me on most incredible journey. Each experience recounted, as though I was living it myself, with such clarity and piercingly beautiful honesty. The circle of life in all its colours, woven from her words.
October 26, 2024
first heard of gina through watching her on alone australia- fab memoir, in awe of her mindset around so much hardship she has experienced
January 7, 2025
I enjoyed some parts of this book more than others. It got a little too mystical in places but is still an interesting life story that is well told.
May 6, 2025
Great themes, content and life! I found it a little challenging to stay engaged for parts. Loved the first and last third! Left inspired.
Read
July 5, 2025Miss Gina you are a very special woman thank you for this I loved it
September 18, 2025
Yep. We Are the Stars get all of my stars! This book radiates outward the pureness of Joy, sea and saltwater breezes, sand soaked in sweat from dancing, stale smoke from hard-core party nights, cocoa at Christmas at the Chick’s, butterfly kisses from Blaise, devastating pain that takes your breath away, and through it all Gina’s play-hard, work-hard ethics surrendering it all to love and the land, Mother Earth and Universe. And so much more! She definitely had a story to tell and I’m so grateful she told it. Her writing is beautiful, her ability to write with such imagery is fascinating. I hope she keeps writing!!
October 19, 2025
The first 1/3 was slow. It then picked up. Lovely perspective of life shared in this book.
August 13, 2025
This was a deeply inspiring read that paints a stunning picture of a person so completely at one with nature that she seems to be made of it. It left me with a single, powerful thought: when I grow up I want to be Gina Chick, though I'm sure she'd hate the thought of someone saying that.
December 4, 2024
We Are the Stars: A Misfit’s Story of Love, Connection and the Glorious Power of Letting Go by Gina Chick
Gina Chick, the inaugural winner of Alone Australia, delivers one of the most powerful and moving memoirs I have ever read in 'We Are the Stars". From the outset, Gina’s story is a testament to resilience, self-discovery, and the extraordinary strength of the human spirit.
The memoir takes readers through Gina’s unconventional childhood, a whirlwind journey through Sydney’s vibrant ’90s nightlife, and into the wilderness, where she found healing and rediscovered herself. Along the way, her poetic and visceral storytelling shines, weaving tales of heartbreak, healing, and the profound wisdom found in both nature and the stars. Gina’s connection to the natural world and her ability to draw strength from it during life’s darkest moments are inspiring.
One of the most impactful aspects of this book is Gina’s honesty and authenticity. Whether she is rescuing orphaned animals, singing with storms, or reflecting on her deepest heartbreaks, Gina’s voice is warm and deeply human. Her narrative surrounding the loss of her three-year-old daughter to cancer is both heart-wrenching and dignified, demonstrating a resilience few can match.
Gina’s passion for books resonated with me personally—her love for the written word is infectious and even made me feel like she might love books more than I do!
Having admired Gina since watching her win Alone Australia, I had the opportunity to attend her book launch earlier this November with my stepdaughter and her sister. Listening to Gina speak in person was a highlight, as she delivered powerful messages that struck a chord with all of us. Key takeaways included:
• Even if you feel like you don’t fit in during your youth, you will eventually find your people.
• If she could tell her younger self anything, it would be that everything works out in the end.
• Young people should recognize that they don’t know everything and should trust in the wisdom of their older, supportive network.
These lessons, paired with her mental toughness and ability to embrace the beauty in life despite immense loss, make Gina an incredible role model.
However, while We Are the Stars captivated me, it fell short in its conclusion. The memoir does not cover Gina’s time on Alone Australia, the very show that brought her into the public eye and likely spurred interest in her story. This omission leaves the narrative feeling incomplete. I wanted to know how she discovered the show, her experience with the selection process, and her reflections on surviving in the Tasmanian wilderness. These unanswered questions are a missed opportunity to tie her life story to the event that showcased her remarkable resilience and connection to the natural world.
Despite this, Gina Chick’s We Are the Stars remains an extraordinary memoir that celebrates the beauty of being real, of finding strength in vulnerability, and of letting go. It’s a book I wholeheartedly recommend, even if the final chapter left me wanting more.
Gina Chick, the inaugural winner of Alone Australia, delivers one of the most powerful and moving memoirs I have ever read in 'We Are the Stars". From the outset, Gina’s story is a testament to resilience, self-discovery, and the extraordinary strength of the human spirit.
The memoir takes readers through Gina’s unconventional childhood, a whirlwind journey through Sydney’s vibrant ’90s nightlife, and into the wilderness, where she found healing and rediscovered herself. Along the way, her poetic and visceral storytelling shines, weaving tales of heartbreak, healing, and the profound wisdom found in both nature and the stars. Gina’s connection to the natural world and her ability to draw strength from it during life’s darkest moments are inspiring.
One of the most impactful aspects of this book is Gina’s honesty and authenticity. Whether she is rescuing orphaned animals, singing with storms, or reflecting on her deepest heartbreaks, Gina’s voice is warm and deeply human. Her narrative surrounding the loss of her three-year-old daughter to cancer is both heart-wrenching and dignified, demonstrating a resilience few can match.
Gina’s passion for books resonated with me personally—her love for the written word is infectious and even made me feel like she might love books more than I do!
Having admired Gina since watching her win Alone Australia, I had the opportunity to attend her book launch earlier this November with my stepdaughter and her sister. Listening to Gina speak in person was a highlight, as she delivered powerful messages that struck a chord with all of us. Key takeaways included:
• Even if you feel like you don’t fit in during your youth, you will eventually find your people.
• If she could tell her younger self anything, it would be that everything works out in the end.
• Young people should recognize that they don’t know everything and should trust in the wisdom of their older, supportive network.
These lessons, paired with her mental toughness and ability to embrace the beauty in life despite immense loss, make Gina an incredible role model.
However, while We Are the Stars captivated me, it fell short in its conclusion. The memoir does not cover Gina’s time on Alone Australia, the very show that brought her into the public eye and likely spurred interest in her story. This omission leaves the narrative feeling incomplete. I wanted to know how she discovered the show, her experience with the selection process, and her reflections on surviving in the Tasmanian wilderness. These unanswered questions are a missed opportunity to tie her life story to the event that showcased her remarkable resilience and connection to the natural world.
Despite this, Gina Chick’s We Are the Stars remains an extraordinary memoir that celebrates the beauty of being real, of finding strength in vulnerability, and of letting go. It’s a book I wholeheartedly recommend, even if the final chapter left me wanting more.
October 13, 2024
This book is incredible, thank you, Gina for being so open and generous with sharing your life's journey. I laughed, cried, felt my heart break and be put back together. Thank you x
October 10, 2024
Gina’s book is heartfelt, heart warming and heart breaking all at the same time. The book is written in first person at different stages of Gina’s life, allowing readers to connect with their own experiences and themselves. What a beautiful debut novel from Gina.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews