What do you think?
Rate this book
Lies We Tell About the Stars
A gorgeous debut about friendship, grief, and new beginnings set in near-future San Francisco in the aftermath of a catastrophic earthquake and on the cusp of the first human mission to Mars.
Celeste Muldoon is alone when the Big One finally hits, because, for the first time ever, her best friend stood her up after school. Nicky and Celeste share a birthday, matching tattoos, an obsession with the upcoming Mars mission, and pretty much everything else. So why did he ghost her on the day she needed him most?
As the quake’s death toll rises and days pass, Nicky and Celeste’s parents fear the worst. But Celeste doesn’t buy it. He couldn’t be dead. Nicky’d spent their senior year selling essays to rich kids and was about to get caught. He’d told Celeste about his plan to vanish, to reinvent himself and escape the disaster he’d created. The quake would be perfect cover.
But she can’t convince anyone that he could still be alive. Only Meo, a mysterious stranger who was somehow mixed up with Nicky, seems to believe, but Celeste has every reason to distrust him—even if her heart races whenever Meo shows up.
When Celeste finds Nicky’s notebook, it sends her and Meo on a quest across the broken city, up the coast through towns sheltering quake refugees, and eventually all the way to Florida, where the mission to Mars is about to lift off.
Celeste Muldoon is alone when the Big One finally hits, because, for the first time ever, her best friend stood her up after school. Nicky and Celeste share a birthday, matching tattoos, an obsession with the upcoming Mars mission, and pretty much everything else. So why did he ghost her on the day she needed him most?
As the quake’s death toll rises and days pass, Nicky and Celeste’s parents fear the worst. But Celeste doesn’t buy it. He couldn’t be dead. Nicky’d spent their senior year selling essays to rich kids and was about to get caught. He’d told Celeste about his plan to vanish, to reinvent himself and escape the disaster he’d created. The quake would be perfect cover.
But she can’t convince anyone that he could still be alive. Only Meo, a mysterious stranger who was somehow mixed up with Nicky, seems to believe, but Celeste has every reason to distrust him—even if her heart races whenever Meo shows up.
When Celeste finds Nicky’s notebook, it sends her and Meo on a quest across the broken city, up the coast through towns sheltering quake refugees, and eventually all the way to Florida, where the mission to Mars is about to lift off.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published March 3, 2026
19 people are currently reading
4810 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
Read
December 15, 2025I received a free copy of, Lies We Tell About the Stars, by Susie Nadler, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Celeste lives in California when a big earthquake is felt, and people are killed. I could not get int this book at all. I could not take the f word, being used over and over, it ruined the story for me.
Read
February 11, 2026I read this book in one sitting. I didn’t expect to, but somehow it kept pulling me back to it. Nicky goes missing after an earthquake, but his best friend suspects he’s run away and she’s the only one who keeps trying to find him. On top of that, we get a good glimpse of teenage grief, loss, and recovery. So good!
January 3, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me have an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I liked the way this was written. Celeste’s thoughts and the scenery, it was all very vivid. It sucked me in. It was so easy to read.
It was interesting to be set after an earthquake. It felt very apocalyptic even if they weren’t in constant threat. The space theme was really cool too! My dad is an astronomer so it is fun to see people love space so much.
The plot was a little lacking in areas though. It was a little slow moving at times. It took more than halfway for her to really start looking for Nicky. I was still engaged in the book and was never really bored, but I wish it was a faster pace.
I loved how Nicky haunted the narrative. Especially how he showed up to Celeste throughout the book.
Celeste wasn’t always a very good friend and was very selfish most of the book. It was hard to root for her personally. I was more so along the ride of her trying to find Nicky. Everyone who was ever nice to her, she had a moment or more where she would treat them poorly. There was even a line where she said she felt good being mean to someone, which was very unlikeable.
Sort of written like a YA book, but has some parts not suited for a younger audience. It had sexual content and swearing. Nothing too extreme, but it was in there.
I wish this book was only about Celeste trying to find Nicky with no romance whatsoever. I had no feelings toward them being together. It was extremely instalust. Meo was a cool character, especially when he was more mysterious, but he slowly became bland and just someone Celeste was obsessed with for no real reason. They just started immediately hooking up which threw me off. It’s fine if people want to do that, but the author tried to make it seem like she liked him romantically and there was no real build up to that. She barely knew him. Their conflict didn’t bother me at all either, because I had no reason to root for their relationship.
Ian and Mimi needed to be in it more. Mimi was an icon and I was glad she was there for Celeste. Ian was just a fun character, even if he was barely in it for two pages. Every time he was there I smiled.
I loved the opening line of the book and I loved the callback to it at the end.
This was a really cool concept in theory, and it was really interesting to see Nicky and her dynamic from afar. Even though it was a little bit of a tell not show how close of friends they are, I thought it was a pretty good balance of still understanding their friendship, even though we mostly saw it in flashbacks.
Nicky was such a fascinating character, and he deserved better!! Celeste wasn’t the best friend to him, going back to her being selfish. He was clearly struggling and she didn’t really take the time to try and see if he was okay. Sure he talked about running away, but she gave him a lot of space or snapped at him when things got rough. Slight spoiler: but I couldn’t believe the scene where she didn’t defend him when the class was making fun of him. It was such a horrible thing to do. I am glad Nicky got away from her. I felt so bad for him there.
I can’t really say if I’d recommend this one. It was an easy enough read that I flew through it, but I wish a lot of things were different. Not anything super meaningful plot wise, but a good character study, even if I didn’t care about Celeste and only was really there for Nicky.
I liked the way this was written. Celeste’s thoughts and the scenery, it was all very vivid. It sucked me in. It was so easy to read.
It was interesting to be set after an earthquake. It felt very apocalyptic even if they weren’t in constant threat. The space theme was really cool too! My dad is an astronomer so it is fun to see people love space so much.
The plot was a little lacking in areas though. It was a little slow moving at times. It took more than halfway for her to really start looking for Nicky. I was still engaged in the book and was never really bored, but I wish it was a faster pace.
I loved how Nicky haunted the narrative. Especially how he showed up to Celeste throughout the book.
Celeste wasn’t always a very good friend and was very selfish most of the book. It was hard to root for her personally. I was more so along the ride of her trying to find Nicky. Everyone who was ever nice to her, she had a moment or more where she would treat them poorly. There was even a line where she said she felt good being mean to someone, which was very unlikeable.
Sort of written like a YA book, but has some parts not suited for a younger audience. It had sexual content and swearing. Nothing too extreme, but it was in there.
I wish this book was only about Celeste trying to find Nicky with no romance whatsoever. I had no feelings toward them being together. It was extremely instalust. Meo was a cool character, especially when he was more mysterious, but he slowly became bland and just someone Celeste was obsessed with for no real reason. They just started immediately hooking up which threw me off. It’s fine if people want to do that, but the author tried to make it seem like she liked him romantically and there was no real build up to that. She barely knew him. Their conflict didn’t bother me at all either, because I had no reason to root for their relationship.
Ian and Mimi needed to be in it more. Mimi was an icon and I was glad she was there for Celeste. Ian was just a fun character, even if he was barely in it for two pages. Every time he was there I smiled.
I loved the opening line of the book and I loved the callback to it at the end.
This was a really cool concept in theory, and it was really interesting to see Nicky and her dynamic from afar. Even though it was a little bit of a tell not show how close of friends they are, I thought it was a pretty good balance of still understanding their friendship, even though we mostly saw it in flashbacks.
Nicky was such a fascinating character, and he deserved better!! Celeste wasn’t the best friend to him, going back to her being selfish. He was clearly struggling and she didn’t really take the time to try and see if he was okay. Sure he talked about running away, but she gave him a lot of space or snapped at him when things got rough. Slight spoiler: but I couldn’t believe the scene where she didn’t defend him when the class was making fun of him. It was such a horrible thing to do. I am glad Nicky got away from her. I felt so bad for him there.
I can’t really say if I’d recommend this one. It was an easy enough read that I flew through it, but I wish a lot of things were different. Not anything super meaningful plot wise, but a good character study, even if I didn’t care about Celeste and only was really there for Nicky.
November 26, 2025
3.5 stars
Disclaimer #1 I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley (thank you) but my opinions are my own.
Disclaimer#2 I am not the target age group for this book so that colors my thoughts a bit.
Lies We Tell About the Stars is really more than one story happening simultaneously. It deals with the aftermath of a future earthquake in San Francisco but it also deals with the shaking of a friendship that happens at the same time. It covers themes like loss, betrayal, grief, and discovering who you really are.
The book is told from the point of view of Celeste, a high school senior with diabetes, dealing with the confusion, loss of her best friend, and fear of change in the midst of chaos following the earthquake. My comments are deliberately vague so I don't spoil anyone. The journey is as important as the ending.
The good
The plot was entertaining enough to keep me reading. The characters learned and grew so you related to them even when you didn't entirely like them. The journey to acceptance was well written. The problems were addressed in a mostly believable manner and the author handled heavy difficult topics like death, grief, addiction, and contemplated suicide with sensitivity.
The less good
The writing was sometimes repetitive, but not surprising since hurting people can get stuck in a victim cycle. Celeste is rather whiny and selfish at times (understandable but a bit overdone at times). The parents were quite flawed and the parent child relationships of the major characters were odd in places. The actions of some of the characters were at times extreme but considering most were teenagers, again understandable, as of the author's major points is that desperation can make you do stupid stuff. The science was a bit squishy and over-simplified, the plot pushed the limits of believability in spots, the ending a little too neat (again, not surprising in a teen book but be aware if that sort of thing bothers you). The formatting and grammar still needed some cleaning up but that will likely be caught before publication.
Conclusion
Lies We Tell About the Stars is a solid debut novel. It will resonate with teens and young adults. Space geeks will also like it (with the squishy science caveat). As a "not-teen" it appealed less to me. I like the parallel of exploring the stars with finding yourself and facing the future.
Best of luck to Susie Nadler with the release.
Disclaimer #1 I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley (thank you) but my opinions are my own.
Disclaimer#2 I am not the target age group for this book so that colors my thoughts a bit.
Lies We Tell About the Stars is really more than one story happening simultaneously. It deals with the aftermath of a future earthquake in San Francisco but it also deals with the shaking of a friendship that happens at the same time. It covers themes like loss, betrayal, grief, and discovering who you really are.
The book is told from the point of view of Celeste, a high school senior with diabetes, dealing with the confusion, loss of her best friend, and fear of change in the midst of chaos following the earthquake. My comments are deliberately vague so I don't spoil anyone. The journey is as important as the ending.
The good
The plot was entertaining enough to keep me reading. The characters learned and grew so you related to them even when you didn't entirely like them. The journey to acceptance was well written. The problems were addressed in a mostly believable manner and the author handled heavy difficult topics like death, grief, addiction, and contemplated suicide with sensitivity.
The less good
The writing was sometimes repetitive, but not surprising since hurting people can get stuck in a victim cycle. Celeste is rather whiny and selfish at times (understandable but a bit overdone at times). The parents were quite flawed and the parent child relationships of the major characters were odd in places. The actions of some of the characters were at times extreme but considering most were teenagers, again understandable, as of the author's major points is that desperation can make you do stupid stuff. The science was a bit squishy and over-simplified, the plot pushed the limits of believability in spots, the ending a little too neat (again, not surprising in a teen book but be aware if that sort of thing bothers you). The formatting and grammar still needed some cleaning up but that will likely be caught before publication.
Conclusion
Lies We Tell About the Stars is a solid debut novel. It will resonate with teens and young adults. Space geeks will also like it (with the squishy science caveat). As a "not-teen" it appealed less to me. I like the parallel of exploring the stars with finding yourself and facing the future.
Best of luck to Susie Nadler with the release.
July 9, 2025
What happens when the BIG ONE finally hits? This is a mostly internal, melancholy novel. It's a story of a girl who tries to find her missing friend, but doesn't find him until she finds herself. It's beautifully written, although frustrating in some parts because the protagonist is both incredibly brilliant and also terrible naive. It does require a healthy amount of suspension of disbelief, although so does real life, sometimes, when people think differently than we do/would.
March 15, 2026
How far would you go to find a missing friend when your own body is working against you?
In Lies We Tell About the Stars, by Susie Nadler, Celeste is a teenager navigating the extreme challenges of Type 1 diabetes. Her condition requires constant insulin injections to prevent her from passing out, and she relies heavily on her emotional support dog to alert her to medical emergencies. Despite her physical fragility and her refusal to use an implanted monitor, Celeste makes it her mission to find Nicky—her "twinsie" best friend who vanished during the chaos of a devastating earthquake.
While everyone else believes Nicky perished in the disaster, Celeste clings to the hope that he used the destruction as a cover to leave on his own accord.
Their bond is centered on a shared love for the celestial skies and a long-held promise: to witness the first human launch to Mars together. It is this hope for a reunion that drives Celeste across the country, but as the launch date approaches, the question remains whether either of them can truly fulfill that promise.
This is a poignant YA coming-of-age story centered on friendship. However, I found myself wishing for a more immersive atmosphere. While the story is set in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco, the "environmental challenges" felt secondary; at times, it seemed as if life simply carried on as usual despite the catastrophe. A more rugged, high-stakes setting would have made Celeste’s dangerous journey feel even more alluring for me.
Perfect for readers who prioritize emotional depth over high-action survival."
***I received this advance reading copy from Dutton Books for Young Readers via NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.***
In Lies We Tell About the Stars, by Susie Nadler, Celeste is a teenager navigating the extreme challenges of Type 1 diabetes. Her condition requires constant insulin injections to prevent her from passing out, and she relies heavily on her emotional support dog to alert her to medical emergencies. Despite her physical fragility and her refusal to use an implanted monitor, Celeste makes it her mission to find Nicky—her "twinsie" best friend who vanished during the chaos of a devastating earthquake.
While everyone else believes Nicky perished in the disaster, Celeste clings to the hope that he used the destruction as a cover to leave on his own accord.
Their bond is centered on a shared love for the celestial skies and a long-held promise: to witness the first human launch to Mars together. It is this hope for a reunion that drives Celeste across the country, but as the launch date approaches, the question remains whether either of them can truly fulfill that promise.
This is a poignant YA coming-of-age story centered on friendship. However, I found myself wishing for a more immersive atmosphere. While the story is set in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco, the "environmental challenges" felt secondary; at times, it seemed as if life simply carried on as usual despite the catastrophe. A more rugged, high-stakes setting would have made Celeste’s dangerous journey feel even more alluring for me.
Perfect for readers who prioritize emotional depth over high-action survival."
***I received this advance reading copy from Dutton Books for Young Readers via NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.***
March 11, 2026
Celeste and Nicky were friends from early childhood, close as twins, with clearly established ideas for what they would do after graduating from high school: MIT, NASA; they are both crazy about space exploration, though the original plan to become astronauts has been suspended because of Celeste’s diabetes diagnosis. When a big earthquake strikes and everyone believes Nicky to be dead, Celeste is the only person who continues searching for him.
This was a good book that explores some of the ideas already common in YA fiction about the senior year of high school: the need to figure out what you want from your life outside of the expectations set by society, parents, and friends. So Celeste’s search for Nicky would be merely a plot-focused adventure rather than a proper coming-of-age story if it didn’t turn into her search for herself pretty soon. There is also some useful questioning of one’s socioeconomic privilege included, as well as valuable representation of chronic illness and disability.
4.5 stars.
I read this as an ARC provided through NetGalley (thanks to the publisher, etc.), but the book has already been out in the wild since last week. The opinion above is my own.
This was a good book that explores some of the ideas already common in YA fiction about the senior year of high school: the need to figure out what you want from your life outside of the expectations set by society, parents, and friends. So Celeste’s search for Nicky would be merely a plot-focused adventure rather than a proper coming-of-age story if it didn’t turn into her search for herself pretty soon. There is also some useful questioning of one’s socioeconomic privilege included, as well as valuable representation of chronic illness and disability.
4.5 stars.
I read this as an ARC provided through NetGalley (thanks to the publisher, etc.), but the book has already been out in the wild since last week. The opinion above is my own.
March 20, 2026
Beautiful, complex characters that brought me back to how it feels to be a teenager. The earthquake and space exploration backdrops were excellent focal points with just the right amount of winking at the cheesiness of the metaphors. Felt very adult for YA but if I was a YA I think I'd appreciate that!
December 9, 2025
A ya story about finding oneself amongst life's trials. while our fmc doesn't have a typical teen lifestyle book is very relatable. A natural disaster, an Mia best friend while dealing with diabetes and high school drama our mc learns who she can depend on and gains her independence.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Rating: 4* of five
The Publisher Says: A gorgeous debut about friendship, grief, and new beginnings set in near-future San Francisco in the aftermath of a catastrophic earthquake and on the cusp of the first human mission to Mars.
Celeste Muldoon is alone when the Big One finally hits, because, for the first time ever, her best friend stood her up after school. Nicky and Celeste share a birthday, matching tattoos, an obsession with the upcoming Mars mission, and pretty much everything else. So why did he ghost her on the day she needed him most?
As the quake’s death toll rises and days pass, Nicky and Celeste’s parents fear the worst. But Celeste doesn’t buy it. He couldn’t be dead. Nicky’d spent their senior year selling essays to rich kids and was about to get caught. He’d told Celeste about his plan to vanish, to reinvent himself and escape the disaster he’d created. The quake would be perfect cover.
But she can’t convince anyone that he could still be alive. Only Meo, a mysterious stranger who was somehow mixed up with Nicky, seems to believe, but Celeste has every reason to distrust him—even if her heart races whenever Meo shows up.
When Celeste finds Nicky’s notebook, it sends her and Meo on a quest across the broken city, up the coast through towns sheltering quake refugees, and eventually all the way to Florida, where the mission to Mars is about to lift off.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Celeste is a spoiled, solipsistic brat, the kind of kid my mother called a typical teenager...utterly sure she is the center, the reason, the ultimate source of others' feelings and actions. How dreary, right parents? Here we go again.
Only partially true. We do spend a bit more time with Celeste taking a widespread tragedy more personally than is ever justified. What drags Celeste into the larger world of adulthood is her determination to make the world give her a reason that she has to experience the horror that is loss and grief. There is, in other words, hope for her yet.
That's the adult reward for reading the story. I put on my YA hat for the rest of the review.
Structurally it's a quest novel that follows the hero's journey, so it taps into the pull this story always exerts. Celeste is shown as the hero to some advantage because she has strong self-confidence, and learns through adversity to trust that she is able and willing to make her own way. She learns, again through adversity, that acting out her negative feelings about others is a losing game. Her spirit-guide, Nicky, is not explored in depth; he is a ghost of some power, whose interactions with Celeste read to me as fantasy but could easily be interpreted as "from beyond" by less jaded readers. Meo, in the here and now, is uninteresting to me; he serves Celeste's desires and offers her companionship on terms that solidify her understanding of boundaries.
I'd like to shoutout the prose, in particular the resonance of the phrasemaking that permeates the story. There's a smart kid out there who will twig to how this style is chosen to do a specific emotional thing that isn't overbearingly, ham-handedly guiding you to Feel This Now. (Spoiler Stasi look away: Keep the first line in your head while reading the end.)
I would give this to an ordinary fifteen-year-old without hesitation. Not really so comfortable to hand to younger people than that, the independence and boundary-setting are just a bit more...mature...than their social development. But for that grand or nibling just getting to the "I want I yearn I long for" age, it can offer some guidance on that journey. It's always best to do this teaching by storytelling.
The Publisher Says: A gorgeous debut about friendship, grief, and new beginnings set in near-future San Francisco in the aftermath of a catastrophic earthquake and on the cusp of the first human mission to Mars.
Celeste Muldoon is alone when the Big One finally hits, because, for the first time ever, her best friend stood her up after school. Nicky and Celeste share a birthday, matching tattoos, an obsession with the upcoming Mars mission, and pretty much everything else. So why did he ghost her on the day she needed him most?
As the quake’s death toll rises and days pass, Nicky and Celeste’s parents fear the worst. But Celeste doesn’t buy it. He couldn’t be dead. Nicky’d spent their senior year selling essays to rich kids and was about to get caught. He’d told Celeste about his plan to vanish, to reinvent himself and escape the disaster he’d created. The quake would be perfect cover.
But she can’t convince anyone that he could still be alive. Only Meo, a mysterious stranger who was somehow mixed up with Nicky, seems to believe, but Celeste has every reason to distrust him—even if her heart races whenever Meo shows up.
When Celeste finds Nicky’s notebook, it sends her and Meo on a quest across the broken city, up the coast through towns sheltering quake refugees, and eventually all the way to Florida, where the mission to Mars is about to lift off.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: Celeste is a spoiled, solipsistic brat, the kind of kid my mother called a typical teenager...utterly sure she is the center, the reason, the ultimate source of others' feelings and actions. How dreary, right parents? Here we go again.
Only partially true. We do spend a bit more time with Celeste taking a widespread tragedy more personally than is ever justified. What drags Celeste into the larger world of adulthood is her determination to make the world give her a reason that she has to experience the horror that is loss and grief. There is, in other words, hope for her yet.
That's the adult reward for reading the story. I put on my YA hat for the rest of the review.
Structurally it's a quest novel that follows the hero's journey, so it taps into the pull this story always exerts. Celeste is shown as the hero to some advantage because she has strong self-confidence, and learns through adversity to trust that she is able and willing to make her own way. She learns, again through adversity, that acting out her negative feelings about others is a losing game. Her spirit-guide, Nicky, is not explored in depth; he is a ghost of some power, whose interactions with Celeste read to me as fantasy but could easily be interpreted as "from beyond" by less jaded readers. Meo, in the here and now, is uninteresting to me; he serves Celeste's desires and offers her companionship on terms that solidify her understanding of boundaries.
I'd like to shoutout the prose, in particular the resonance of the phrasemaking that permeates the story. There's a smart kid out there who will twig to how this style is chosen to do a specific emotional thing that isn't overbearingly, ham-handedly guiding you to Feel This Now. (Spoiler Stasi look away: Keep the first line in your head while reading the end.)
I would give this to an ordinary fifteen-year-old without hesitation. Not really so comfortable to hand to younger people than that, the independence and boundary-setting are just a bit more...mature...than their social development. But for that grand or nibling just getting to the "I want I yearn I long for" age, it can offer some guidance on that journey. It's always best to do this teaching by storytelling.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was the kind of hidden gem that reminds me why I review ARCs. I don't know if I would have heard of it, if I weren't scrolling through upcoming releases on NetGalley. And It would have been a loss.
LWTAtS is apparently Nadler's debut. I wouldn't have known if her bio didn't say so. Her prose is beautiful, and she has such a warm, raw, honest way with her characters' emotions. Everyone depicted in this book feels very real, and very easy to love. As I read, I came to care so, so much about Celeste, and as a result, I was on tenterhooks to make sure she'd come out okay.
In many ways, the writing reminded me of Nina LaCour's (that's a high compliment.) Additionally, I felt like Nadler's story managed to accomplish what I thought Becky Chambers's Record of a Spaceborn Few set up and failed to deliver on. We see a protagonist and a community recovering from a massively traumatic event, without ever losing the gentle, humanistic lens that feels very in line with Chambers's writing.
I wonder how long Nadler's been working on this book. Its release feels oddly timely, with the California fires last year.
In addition to her characters, Nadler also did a terrific job of making me fall in love with San Francisco again. I've only ever visited once, back when I was in high school, and honestly what I saw was tourist o'clock. But it still left enough of an impression that San Francisco became one of the cities I might have happily uprooted myself from the East Coast for. (Ironically, I'm from Boston, where Celeste and Nicky once dreamed of moving to attend MIT.) Nadler made me yearn for the Bay Area again, especially when she described the area where Mimi (Celeste's grandmother) lives. Sadly, SF ain't getting any cheaper these days, even compared to Boston!
What else... While I'm not diabetic myself, Nadler's portrayal of Celeste's diabetes and the way it affected her life felt very authentic to me, adding difficulty without melodrama or (ironically enough) sugar coating. It also meant that we got Ursa, who is wonderful and precious and everyone should have one!
If I had to pick a flaw in this book, I thought that Celeste's relationship with Meo felt much weaker than her other, platonic, relationships. It wasn't instalove, per se, but only because Nadler's really good at portraying that volatile teenage longing, as well as tying in the speed of their relationship development with Celeste's less than ideal trauma coping. I also kind of didn't want her to forgive him in the end, but getting to stay in touch with his awesome family made it feel more worth it, and there's just enough bittersweetness in the wrap up that the whole thing didn't wind up feeling trite. In contrast, I loved, loved, loved everything about Celeste's friendship with Nicky, and the way Nadler developed it through flashbacks, even when the actual Nicky had to stay off-page.
I grinned, I misted up a little, I grinned some more. And now, all that's left is to look forward to whatever Nadler writes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for Young Readers for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.
LWTAtS is apparently Nadler's debut. I wouldn't have known if her bio didn't say so. Her prose is beautiful, and she has such a warm, raw, honest way with her characters' emotions. Everyone depicted in this book feels very real, and very easy to love. As I read, I came to care so, so much about Celeste, and as a result, I was on tenterhooks to make sure she'd come out okay.
In many ways, the writing reminded me of Nina LaCour's (that's a high compliment.) Additionally, I felt like Nadler's story managed to accomplish what I thought Becky Chambers's Record of a Spaceborn Few set up and failed to deliver on. We see a protagonist and a community recovering from a massively traumatic event, without ever losing the gentle, humanistic lens that feels very in line with Chambers's writing.
I wonder how long Nadler's been working on this book. Its release feels oddly timely, with the California fires last year.
In addition to her characters, Nadler also did a terrific job of making me fall in love with San Francisco again. I've only ever visited once, back when I was in high school, and honestly what I saw was tourist o'clock. But it still left enough of an impression that San Francisco became one of the cities I might have happily uprooted myself from the East Coast for. (Ironically, I'm from Boston, where Celeste and Nicky once dreamed of moving to attend MIT.) Nadler made me yearn for the Bay Area again, especially when she described the area where Mimi (Celeste's grandmother) lives. Sadly, SF ain't getting any cheaper these days, even compared to Boston!
What else... While I'm not diabetic myself, Nadler's portrayal of Celeste's diabetes and the way it affected her life felt very authentic to me, adding difficulty without melodrama or (ironically enough) sugar coating. It also meant that we got Ursa, who is wonderful and precious and everyone should have one!
If I had to pick a flaw in this book, I thought that Celeste's relationship with Meo felt much weaker than her other, platonic, relationships. It wasn't instalove, per se, but only because Nadler's really good at portraying that volatile teenage longing, as well as tying in the speed of their relationship development with Celeste's less than ideal trauma coping. I also kind of didn't want her to forgive him in the end, but getting to stay in touch with his awesome family made it feel more worth it, and there's just enough bittersweetness in the wrap up that the whole thing didn't wind up feeling trite. In contrast, I loved, loved, loved everything about Celeste's friendship with Nicky, and the way Nadler developed it through flashbacks, even when the actual Nicky had to stay off-page.
I grinned, I misted up a little, I grinned some more. And now, all that's left is to look forward to whatever Nadler writes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for Young Readers for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.
March 9, 2026
Okay, when the synopsis talked about "near future" and "space missions" and "the BIG earthquake", I kind of thought this story was going to be a little more... survival adjacent? And it isn't, which is fine! Only, if you thought that too, unthink it, because it doesn't honestly have a lot to do with those things. Like, yes, Nicky went missing during the earthquake, and Celeste needs to work through her anxiety about said earthquake. And the whole space angle is just "stuff Celeste and Nicky both enjoy" and actually has not a ton to do with anything. This is not necessarily bad! Just something to be aware of.
The crux of the story is really Celeste coming of age, and her trying to figure out what her life will look like, both with and without Nicky. Celeste really doesn't know who she is, and losing Nicky feels like a piece of herself, part of her identity even, is missing. She is desperate to make her family and friends (and Nicky's family, too) believe that he is still out there, because she feels like he is, but they kind of feel like she's just being dramatic and prolonging the grieving process. Obviously, she's a kid, and she makes some pretty messy choices. She also has some questionable thought processes, but again, she's a kid, and that growth is part of the story, which I found very lovely. There's a romance, which for me was neither good or bad- just sort of there. Didn't mind it, didn't think it added a ton either. I did enjoy the overall themes of the story, and think a lot of young folks would relate to the concepts: loss, grief, not feeling heard, and having to discover yourself and what you want outside of the wishes of others.
Bottom Line: A sweet story about loss and overcoming major catastrophe to find out who you really are deep down.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
The crux of the story is really Celeste coming of age, and her trying to figure out what her life will look like, both with and without Nicky. Celeste really doesn't know who she is, and losing Nicky feels like a piece of herself, part of her identity even, is missing. She is desperate to make her family and friends (and Nicky's family, too) believe that he is still out there, because she feels like he is, but they kind of feel like she's just being dramatic and prolonging the grieving process. Obviously, she's a kid, and she makes some pretty messy choices. She also has some questionable thought processes, but again, she's a kid, and that growth is part of the story, which I found very lovely. There's a romance, which for me was neither good or bad- just sort of there. Didn't mind it, didn't think it added a ton either. I did enjoy the overall themes of the story, and think a lot of young folks would relate to the concepts: loss, grief, not feeling heard, and having to discover yourself and what you want outside of the wishes of others.
Bottom Line: A sweet story about loss and overcoming major catastrophe to find out who you really are deep down.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
March 8, 2026
Celeste and Nicky have been friends for most of their lives, sharing a birthday and a love of space exploration. But things have been different with Nicky lately, as the mounting pressure of college—and paying for it—grows with each passing day. When a terrible earthquake fractures their San Francisco home, time seems to stop, and Nicky is nowhere to be found. Convinced Nicky is alive, Celeste searches for evidence, only to discover sides to her best friend that she never knew as she attempts to reckon with the truth behind his disappearance. This thoughtful young adult novel details the process of grief in a unique way. Celeste is at the heart of the story, and though the narrative unfolds from her perspective, it is done at a distance in the third person. Lengthy chapters and descriptive phrasing amplify the emotional components of the novel, punctuated by strong language at relevant moments. Because the book is focused primarily on the search for truth, it moves at a slower pace at the beginning before gaining momentum with each new discovery Celeste makes. Alternating between Celeste’s past before the earthquake and her present afterward, the narrative offers readers insight into the events that led to where Celeste finds herself today, coupled with a better understanding of who Nicky is and how important he is to Celeste’s life. Supportive peers and adults are present in Celeste’s orbit, but her journey is primarily an independent one, resonant as she attempts to find Nicky while uncovering realities about herself along the way. Weighty and thoughtful, this book is a good fit for readers who appreciate emotional storytelling and the complexity of grief in all its forms. This is a good addition to contemporary fiction collections for mature young adult readers.
March 29, 2026
"Celeste Muldoon is alone when the Big One finally hits, because, for the first time ever, her best friend stood her up after school. Nicky and Celeste share a birthday, matching tattoos, an obsession with the upcoming Mars mission, and pretty much everything else. So why did he ghost her on the day she needed him most?
"As the quake’s death toll rises and days pass, Nicky and Celeste’s parents fear the worst. But Celeste doesn’t buy it. He couldn’t be dead. Nicky’d spent their senior year selling essays to rich kids and was about to get caught. He’d told Celeste about his plan to vanish, to reinvent himself and escape the disaster he’d created. The quake would be perfect cover.
"But she can’t convince anyone that he could still be alive. Only Meo, a mysterious stranger who was somehow mixed up with Nicky, seems to believe, but Celeste has every reason to distrust him—even if her heart races whenever Meo shows up.
"When Celeste finds Nicky’s notebook, it sends her and Meo on a quest across the broken city, up the coast through towns sheltering quake refugees, and eventually all the way to Florida, where the mission to Mars is about to lift off."
This is a transformative books showcased as "young adult" but clearly suitable for ALL adults, including old ones like me. Nadler is a consummate writer and researcher. The details jump off the page to grab the reader (me) and make her shake her head in recognition. She is especially adept at capturing teens in all of their glory. Highly recommended.
"As the quake’s death toll rises and days pass, Nicky and Celeste’s parents fear the worst. But Celeste doesn’t buy it. He couldn’t be dead. Nicky’d spent their senior year selling essays to rich kids and was about to get caught. He’d told Celeste about his plan to vanish, to reinvent himself and escape the disaster he’d created. The quake would be perfect cover.
"But she can’t convince anyone that he could still be alive. Only Meo, a mysterious stranger who was somehow mixed up with Nicky, seems to believe, but Celeste has every reason to distrust him—even if her heart races whenever Meo shows up.
"When Celeste finds Nicky’s notebook, it sends her and Meo on a quest across the broken city, up the coast through towns sheltering quake refugees, and eventually all the way to Florida, where the mission to Mars is about to lift off."
This is a transformative books showcased as "young adult" but clearly suitable for ALL adults, including old ones like me. Nadler is a consummate writer and researcher. The details jump off the page to grab the reader (me) and make her shake her head in recognition. She is especially adept at capturing teens in all of their glory. Highly recommended.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Lies We Tell Ourselves About the Stars follows Celeste after a catastrophic earthquake destroys her life as she knows it. The death toll is high and the city is destroyed, but worst of all, her best friend is missing. Celeste finds his notebook and sets off across the city searching for Nicky. No matter what, she’s going to find it, whatever it takes.
I enjoyed this one! The concept was super intriguing and I enjoyed the intensity of everything after the earthquake hits. Thing did slow down a bit after that, but I found the mystery of where Nicky went was captivating. There’s great discussions of friendship, grief, and new beginnings. I really enjoyed the way the author handled everything. And I really enjoyed her writing style! Everything was very vivid in my mind.
Celeste was an interesting main character. She’s got a lot of flaws and doesn’t always make the best decisions, but I enjoyed reading from her perspective. There is a romance in this one, and it’s cute, but I would’ve preferred it without I think. Nicky was really fascinating as a character. I did enjoy where things ended—it was definitely satisfying.
Thank you to Penguin Teen CA and Netgalley for the arc!
I enjoyed this one! The concept was super intriguing and I enjoyed the intensity of everything after the earthquake hits. Thing did slow down a bit after that, but I found the mystery of where Nicky went was captivating. There’s great discussions of friendship, grief, and new beginnings. I really enjoyed the way the author handled everything. And I really enjoyed her writing style! Everything was very vivid in my mind.
Celeste was an interesting main character. She’s got a lot of flaws and doesn’t always make the best decisions, but I enjoyed reading from her perspective. There is a romance in this one, and it’s cute, but I would’ve preferred it without I think. Nicky was really fascinating as a character. I did enjoy where things ended—it was definitely satisfying.
Thank you to Penguin Teen CA and Netgalley for the arc!
March 12, 2026
The constellations are really just lies we tell ourselves about the stars, pretending at a closeness that wasn't ever there.
High school senior Celeste searches for clues to her friend's disappearance after an earthquake hits their hometown. Nicky and Celeste shared a birthday, a plan for the future, and a passion for space, but Celeste's search reveals fault lines their friendship she never suspected.
Lies We Tell About the Stars is geekily poetic, full of angsty space metaphors. The story is bookended by two fictional but realistically-depicted events: a major San Francisco earthquake and a manned mission to Mars. But despite the large-scale drama that unfolds on the pages, the story is really about grief, betrayal, and acceptance.
And it's astounding. I couldn't stop turning pages and I never wanted to reach the end.
Content warnings: Drug use, a runaway teenager, a diabetic who isn't always careful about her blood sugar. An elderly relative in declining health and (on-page but unnamed) homeless teenagers. Also the decimation of a major city in an earthquake.
[I received a complimentary ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. Opinions are my own.]
High school senior Celeste searches for clues to her friend's disappearance after an earthquake hits their hometown. Nicky and Celeste shared a birthday, a plan for the future, and a passion for space, but Celeste's search reveals fault lines their friendship she never suspected.
Lies We Tell About the Stars is geekily poetic, full of angsty space metaphors. The story is bookended by two fictional but realistically-depicted events: a major San Francisco earthquake and a manned mission to Mars. But despite the large-scale drama that unfolds on the pages, the story is really about grief, betrayal, and acceptance.
And it's astounding. I couldn't stop turning pages and I never wanted to reach the end.
Content warnings: Drug use, a runaway teenager, a diabetic who isn't always careful about her blood sugar. An elderly relative in declining health and (on-page but unnamed) homeless teenagers. Also the decimation of a major city in an earthquake.
[I received a complimentary ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. Opinions are my own.]
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Lies We Tell About The Stars by Susie Nadler ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Susie is off to a great start with her debut novel.
Celeste and Nicky have a rocky friendship, but a friendship none the less. But her world is turned upside down when he is missing.
Nicky is missing among others, after a catastrophic earthquake destroys the city. The death toll is heartbreaking. The words on the pages of this book are so real, that you feel and see everything through Celeste's POV.
Why only 4 stars ... The book gives ya vibes but it's not suitable for young readers. Sexual content as well as swearing. A lot of swearing. Still it's a great book and recommend readers 18+ read it. Pre-order it today for a March 3rd release date.
Thank you NetGalley and Dutton Books for the advanced copy for my honest review and these opinions are my own.
Susie is off to a great start with her debut novel.
Celeste and Nicky have a rocky friendship, but a friendship none the less. But her world is turned upside down when he is missing.
Nicky is missing among others, after a catastrophic earthquake destroys the city. The death toll is heartbreaking. The words on the pages of this book are so real, that you feel and see everything through Celeste's POV.
Why only 4 stars ... The book gives ya vibes but it's not suitable for young readers. Sexual content as well as swearing. A lot of swearing. Still it's a great book and recommend readers 18+ read it. Pre-order it today for a March 3rd release date.
Thank you NetGalley and Dutton Books for the advanced copy for my honest review and these opinions are my own.
March 9, 2026
Celeste and Nicky were best friends sharing everything from their birthday to their dream of going to space. When the Big One hits in California, Nicky is nowhere to be found. Celeste knew Nicky was in trouble before the earthquake, but she can't imagine he would just abandon her when tragedy hits. Nicky's family and friends are convinced he was lost in the earthquake, but Celeste knows he's still out there somewhere and she will stop at nothing to find him.
The post-earthquake setting of this book was unique and kept me engaged. The plot felt a little scattered, but in general the story was worth reading. It reads like a YA book, which is not my age group. So while it felt a little young for me, I think it would be perfect for a YA reader.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Dutton Books for Young Readers for the ARC of Lies We Tell About the Stars.
The post-earthquake setting of this book was unique and kept me engaged. The plot felt a little scattered, but in general the story was worth reading. It reads like a YA book, which is not my age group. So while it felt a little young for me, I think it would be perfect for a YA reader.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Dutton Books for Young Readers for the ARC of Lies We Tell About the Stars.
March 29, 2026
"Celeste Muldoon is alone when the Big One finally hits, because, for the first time ever, her best friend stood her up after school. Nicky and Celeste share a birthday, matching tattoos, an obsession with the upcoming Mars mission, and pretty much everything else. So why did he ghost her on the day she needed him most?
"As the quake’s death toll rises and days pass, Nicky and Celeste’s parents fear the worst. But Celeste doesn’t buy it. He couldn’t be dead. Nicky’d spent their senior year selling essays to rich kids and was about to get caught. He’d told Celeste about his plan to vanish, to reinvent himself and escape the disaster he’d created. The quake would be perfect cover.
"But she can’t convince anyone that he could still be alive. Only Meo, a mysterious stranger who was somehow mixed up with Nicky, seems to believe, but Celeste has every reason to distrust him—even if her heart races whenever Meo shows up.
"When Celeste finds Nicky’s notebook, it sends her and Meo on a quest across the broken city, up the coast through towns sheltering quake refugees, and eventually all the way to Florida, where the mission to Mars is about to lift off."
This is a transformative books showcased as "young adult" but clearly suitable for ALL adults, including old ones like me. Nadler is a consummate writer and researcher. The details jump off the page to grab the reader (me) and make her shake her head in recognition. She is especially adept at capturing teens in all of their glory. Highly recommended.
"As the quake’s death toll rises and days pass, Nicky and Celeste’s parents fear the worst. But Celeste doesn’t buy it. He couldn’t be dead. Nicky’d spent their senior year selling essays to rich kids and was about to get caught. He’d told Celeste about his plan to vanish, to reinvent himself and escape the disaster he’d created. The quake would be perfect cover.
"But she can’t convince anyone that he could still be alive. Only Meo, a mysterious stranger who was somehow mixed up with Nicky, seems to believe, but Celeste has every reason to distrust him—even if her heart races whenever Meo shows up.
"When Celeste finds Nicky’s notebook, it sends her and Meo on a quest across the broken city, up the coast through towns sheltering quake refugees, and eventually all the way to Florida, where the mission to Mars is about to lift off."
This is a transformative books showcased as "young adult" but clearly suitable for ALL adults, including old ones like me. Nadler is a consummate writer and researcher. The details jump off the page to grab the reader (me) and make her shake her head in recognition. She is especially adept at capturing teens in all of their glory. Highly recommended.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Celeste and Nicky are best friends who share everything: a birthday, matching tattoos, and an obsession with the upcoming mission to Mars. When Nicky gets into trouble at school, he confides in Celeste that he’s planning to leave town. Before she can change his mind, a massive earthquake strikes, and Nicky disappears. Everyone assumes he perished in the disaster, but Celeste isn’t convinced. Knowing he had been planning to run away, she sets out to uncover the truth and find him. This compelling YA novel explores the depths of friendship and the complexities of grief, ultimately delivering a satisfying and heartfelt conclusion. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced reader’s copy.
March 4, 2026
I did not finish this book. The writing was decent, not the best but definitely not the worst. Nothing in the story really gripped my attention. I wasn't as invested in the characters as I should have been. They were not likeable, and they didn't feel complex enough to fill a whole book with their problems. The pacing dragged, and I found myself constantly wondering when the story would pick up steam. The earthquake and its aftermath held my attention for a while, but the real conflict is the interpersonal relationship between the protagonist and her friend. Honestly, I did not care what happened to either of them, so I quit at page 50.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this title.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this title.
March 3, 2026
A solid 3 stars—this was fine, but I wanted more out of it.
The writing felt a tad stream of thoughts without much plot, dialogue, or anything actually happening. Lies We Tell About The Stars is supposed to take place in San Francisco, but it actually read as though it could’ve taken place anywhere else. Celeste, our main character, was a little in her head too much, the book was mostly her thoughts and how she felt about everything….but again without much happening.
However, I did appreciate that this took place after a major earthquake, it was an interesting plot point. I just wish there were more to the story.
The writing felt a tad stream of thoughts without much plot, dialogue, or anything actually happening. Lies We Tell About The Stars is supposed to take place in San Francisco, but it actually read as though it could’ve taken place anywhere else. Celeste, our main character, was a little in her head too much, the book was mostly her thoughts and how she felt about everything….but again without much happening.
However, I did appreciate that this took place after a major earthquake, it was an interesting plot point. I just wish there were more to the story.
February 20, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC for review. This young adult story follows Celeste after a huge earthquake has hit San Francisco. Her best friend Nicky is missing and everyone believes he has passed, but she just knows that he’s not gone, and she goes on an adventure searching for him. Along the way, she meets Meo, and he is also connected to Nicky in some way, as they continue searching. All of this is happening, at the same time that she should be applying for college. This story shares about grief and overcoming obstacles. I did cry a little bit.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A devastating earthquake hits San Francisco. Celeste, a diabetic high school senior, survives, and life slowly returns to normal for most people; however, her best friend hasn't been seen since the earthquake. Eventually, he is declared deceased, but Celeste doesn't give up hope that he is still alive. This book had a decent plot, but it fell into some common young adult literature tropes. ARC courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley.
March 5, 2026
I got an arc of this book thinking I would enjoy it but I am a firm believer that YA books should have excessive swearing or any sexual content. This book has both. It is disappointing when as an adult I try not to read all of that and this is being marketed as YA (12-18). I get it has younger characters but I just couldn't get past all the swearing and casually talking about "phone sex" on day 2 (chapter 2).
March 9, 2026
When I started the book I was super excited. I love a good natural disaster book and thought this seemed pretty promising. It started off really good, I loved the main character Celeste and really fell for her and the second half was a slog. By that time I didn’t care if we find out what happens to Nicky, Celeste’s BFF.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If you're looking for a near-dystopian modern-apocalyptic journey of self-discovery and determination, this is your book.
Celeste will be one of those characters you can't stop thinking about. Her despair and determination to find the one person she thought she'd never lose drives this story, much the same way John Green's Paper Towns was driven by Q.
Celeste will be one of those characters you can't stop thinking about. Her despair and determination to find the one person she thought she'd never lose drives this story, much the same way John Green's Paper Towns was driven by Q.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I was immediately intrigued by the blurb for Lies We Tell About the Stars. I think that the plot is really strong. But I am not sure if this was the book for me. I had some struggles with the pacing. I also just couldn't connect with the story overall.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
great and really effective book about a best friend who goes missing after a devastating earthquake in California. the plotting is good. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.
March 3, 2026
The more I sit with this book, the more I enjoy it. The characters are all so messy in such normal ways that anyone can relate to them.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews