The Stranger and the Star

by L.N. Clarke

A shooting star is no fairy godparent.

The matter-manipulating alien who answers June’s wish for love is seeking contestants for an interstellar escape room through which it hopes to study emotion. Per the agreement, if she can beat five others in a series of tarot-themed fantasy trials, the star will attempt to grant her wish. However, if she fails to escape, it will keep her to study indefinitely.

There are worse fates than living in a magical world, and June is confident in her puzzle-solving skills—until she realizes she’s given the star incentive to fail her by wagering her freedom.

Luck evades her at every turn and the only contestant with any compassion, a handsome stranger with no memories, may not be a contestant at all. There are signs he’s as fake as the trials—just another of the star’s manipulations.

Too bad June is falling for him and he won’t survive without her help.

321 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 28, 2026

About the author

L. N. CLARKE is a video game production director by day and word nerd by night. In the past, she designed comic books and studied computer science. She loves strange old books, antique lockpicks, and pen and paper cryptography. She lives in the Eastern U.S. with her equally nerdy spouse, cool kid, a dog, a cat, and a flock of chickens.

Reviews

[⊹₊⟡⋆Mandy Darling⊹₊⟡⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars

I received an ARC of The Stranger & The Star from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Listen. I was not prepared for how much I would love this book.

Going in, I was mildly nervous because it’s YA and I haven’t read a YA romance in… a long time. But once I got a few chapters in? Game over. I inhaled this book in roughly 24 hours and canceled all productivity plans in the process.

The best way I can describe this story is if Critical Role and Squid Game had a baby (without the gory violence), raised it on emotional damage, and then handed it to me personally to ruin my life. It’s wildly creative, completely immersive, and genuinely unlike anything else I’ve read. The cast of characters is a delightful group of misfits, including the NPCs. Yes, I am emotionally attached to an NPC. Long live Jeffrey! 🧡

The romance? Absolutely immaculate. A soft, aching slow burn with a payoff that hurt in the best way. I cried. I don’t cry easily at books, but this one got me. I’m also not usually a sci-fi girlie, but this story handled those elements so well that I never once felt lost or overwhelmed.

My one gripe: the main character occasionally felt a bit immature. I was this close to yelling, “Girl, please move on,” every time she brought up her early-book crush long after meeting Sol. But to be fair, this is YA, and teenage me would’ve been doing the exact same thing. Still, minor annoyance aside, it didn’t stop me from being completely obsessed.

And Sol. SOL. He is officially inducted into my personal Best Book Boy Hall of Fame. If I had read this in high school, he would’ve absolutely been fighting Edward Cullen and Peeta Mellark for the top spot, and honestly? He might’ve won.

If you want a fresh, imaginative story with a lovable cast, emotional depth, and a romance that will grab you by the heart and refuse to let go, I highly recommend The Stranger & The Star. Especially if you’re in a reading slump. This book is a reset button. ✨

[Galatée · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride ! A mesmerizing story about a neurodivergent girl who wants to know about love and is confronted with alien trials.
I was a bit afraid when I realized the main character was quite young but it brought me back to my young years, learning about first love as a quirky teen and all.
The trials mechanisms are nerdy and witty.
I loved how well the neurodivergent mind is depicted without being cliché.
And the ending is spot on ! It tackles various issues beautifully and gives a « stellar » conclusion for the main characters.

I would love to see an illustrated version, a video game adaptation and even a movie !

Thanks to the author and NetGalley !

[Tonje Lien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for providing me an ARC of this book! 😊

This was like a little Pinochio vibe and then into Alice in wonderland vibes mixed with games and trials, and I absolutely loved it!

So June is a regular, typical insecure teenager who's trying to find her place in this world. She has a best friend, Alex, who is pretty supportive but also a no BS kind of friend. And I could tell the author is funny because I got a good laugh several times during this. Alex, when describing Junes crush:

"He's like an orange cat in a tight T-shirt, sharing one brain cell with his friends."

I have had orange cats and maybe that's also why I found this line to be incredibly funny!

June thinks that love is a difficult and complicated subject and wishes to just understand love and to know when her feelings are real and then a shooting star comes her way. This is where I had the Pinochio vibes until it became a space alien and it was in this moment I knew I had no freaking clue what to expect next! 😅

The space alien, or Star going forward, offer her a trial to get her wish but understands, from reading books (obviously), that the rules can be tricky in negotiating terms. She can join and gain her wish but she can also not escape and loose and be stuck with the star forever.

June takes the plunge and meets a Pangolin, Lemur, mostly naked man, a ghost in a suit and a mysterious boy everyone calls scarecrow. Then the adventure begins where June learns about friendship, resilience and love during the trials ahead.

I could tell the author must be into gaming, both computer games and board games due to some elements during the trials, comments from characters and also because June refers to other people/creatures in the trials as NPCs (non playing character). So if you like those things this book is fun to read with all the references to it!

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Stranger and the Star by L. N. Clarke
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)
The Stranger and the Star was a fun YA adventure featuring a diverse cast and a unique premise centered around tarot cards. A group of strangers must complete a series of trials for the chance to have one wish granted—and they quickly learn that neither themselves nor others can be fully trusted.
Sol and June partner up as they move through each trial, gradually realizing how much they need to rely on one another. Armed with nothing but a bag of June’s assorted “junk,” they search for keys, pass through multiple doors, and face a variety of challenges, all while trying to avoid being trapped in the trials forever. Their competitors are ruthless and cruel, seemingly targeting Sol without much explanation. As the characters learn more about themselves and question what—and who—can truly be trusted, the story takes readers on a fast-paced and imaginative journey.
I was especially intrigued by the alien characters; this was actually the first book I’ve read that featured aliens, and I enjoyed that aspect a lot. As a young adult reader, I can definitely see the appeal of the trial-based structure and the tarot card elements, though I do wish there had been a glossary explaining the meanings of the cards. I also felt the book leaned more toward a juvenile chapter book than YA—particularly when a character declares love after just one night.
Overall, those elements are why I ultimately landed at 3 stars. A creative and engaging read, but one that didn’t fully hit the mark for me.

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ✨

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book at first as I’m not a huge YA fan, but the premise was too interesting to pass up. I ended up adoring this story! A truly unique, interesting, funny and incredibly well written tale with an instantly relatable FMC.

While the world building was a little hard to get into at times, the banter between characters (some lovable, others hate-able) kept the story moving and the challenges fleshed out each characters’s unique background. Where I typically would roll my eyes, I found myself rooting enthusiastically for Sol and June’s super cute and very cleverly developed romance.

I would absolutely join Sol and June on another adventure through time and space if given the chance. Bravo to L.N. Clarke on an outstanding and one-of-a-kind story!

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Stranger and the Star is a cute alien/human romantic adventure. June, the FMC appears to be a neurodiverse older teen who wishes on a star to learn about love. The star is actually an alien life form and he grants the wish by way of a wager and an intergalactic competition. June finds herself on an asteroid competing with five other beings from different worlds., each hoping to get their wishes granted. This book is squeaky clean and could easily be appropriate for middle grades on up. There are some mild scenes of peril and some kissing.

I received a free advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

[Lecia Kade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This odd little story felt so much like adventure and home at once.

As a blue and purple haired Neurodivergent myself, I found so much of myself in these pages.

I cried when I finished the book not because I was sad but because I felt cozy and contented, nestled into the world that was created.

Admittedly this book was a little young in terms of what I normally read but that didn't lessen my enjoyment one bit. I was enthralled waiting to see how it ended and never wanting it to end.

Genuinely so enjoyable I recommended it to my therapist and I will definitely be getting a physical copy when I can afford it!

I received this as an e-ARC through netgalley!

[Misty Calloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an Arc from NetGalley. This is my honest opinion. This is probably the best book I have read in awhile. The main character June is so relatable. She made me feel like a teenager again with all the anxiety and lack of confidence that adolescence brings. I really hope author plans to continue this story. I would love to find out what happens next, not only for June, but the rest of the characters as well. I definitely recommend this book.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really enjoyable. I liked the characters and the world building was beautiful. The pacing was slow and it was kind of confusing. If you like Heavenily Bodies, you would like this book. This book feels magical as well.

[Emma]

Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Yeah, no, I had to DNF one chapter in. No hate! This just reads like a middle grade book and I, unfortunately, have not read middle grade since I was like 13.

[Keziah · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars | This book says it’s YA but is definitely more middle grade/ juvenile fiction. Besides that it’s a fun, sci fi book. I enjoyed the trials and the ending but the FMC was cringe and literally fell in love in one night ????

[Gulendam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biggest thanks NetGalley for ARC of this book.

I don’t know how to start.
I was scared at the first time because when the star came in i thought maybe i was wrong for sending a request but it was beyond my thinking.
Loved it every minute of it.