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Shooting Stars
Egan Tucker is fifteen and has been in hiding his entire life.
He has never known television, the Internet or even electricity.
He has never seen hot and cold running water or a flush toilet.
His food comes from the forest or the stream, not from a supermarket.
The boundaries of his world are the hills that surround the tiny valley he calls home.
But Egan's life is about to change.
Forced to leave his home, he must venture out into a world that is unlike anything he has ever known.
He is not ready for this world.
And the world is not ready for Egan.
He has never known television, the Internet or even electricity.
He has never seen hot and cold running water or a flush toilet.
His food comes from the forest or the stream, not from a supermarket.
The boundaries of his world are the hills that surround the tiny valley he calls home.
But Egan's life is about to change.
Forced to leave his home, he must venture out into a world that is unlike anything he has ever known.
He is not ready for this world.
And the world is not ready for Egan.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
20 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
November 7, 2016
A wonderful story in a New Zealand setting that will appeal to young adults. Egan and his Mother, Moma have survived hiding in the bush for 15 years until events force Egan to join society including time living with street kids on the streets of Auckland. Egan is an innocent, decent young man who follows the code of honour his mother taught him and becomes a celebrity. However this does not save him from family violence.
October 7, 2016
Couldn't put this book down. Great for YA and adults - a good message on how to live life. A strong main character, Egan, living with his mum, hiding in the forest for 15 years. He then goes to the city and has to cope with all of the new experiences that brings.
March 30, 2020
A very unexpected ending! I liked the premise of this and it was action packed. 2 reasons I didn’t give it 5 stars - it seemed a bit far fetched and also there was no info about the dog in the end :(
March 12, 2020
Shooting Stars is an AMAZING book. It's set around Auckland and is about 15 year old Egan Tucker, who has been living with his mother in the bush all his life. But then something happens that forces him to leave for the city and venture out into a world he knows nothing about. He also lives by a code that helps him make decisions. This book is so good!
June 24, 2020
Most modern epistolary novels for tweens and teens veer towards a collection of email exchanges or even sms text messages to relay story plot and character reaction. Shooting Stars is a refreshing step back into genuine epistolary storytelling through the use of diary entries with one remarkable point of difference; our main character has never met another person his age, in his entire life.
Egan Tucker is fifteen. He is a teenager of rugged burly appearance, can smell danger (literally) from a mile away and can slaughter and butcher a wild boar in less time than than it takes to fry bacon. Egan likes to dance in the rain - naked. He moves without shoes and his best mate is a dog, named Jack who'll bite your arm off if you mess with his toy bunny. Their's is a wild, carefree existence, deep in the heart of a tiny bush valley hidden from civilization. No TV. No internet. No other human interaction...except for Moma, Egan's fearless and indomitable mother.
Through Egan's daily diary entries, we gain a visual idea of where he lives and ultimately why he is there. Egan loves to write. Diary entries are dispersed with wistful wish lists, illustrations, maps and, thanks to his mother's supply of library books for him to read and learn from, stories. Stories that tell of a past Egan is too young to recall and a future he hopes to discover when he one day leaves the forest for the 'outside world'.
Egan's stories are wholesome and sincere yet assume the tone and direction of the writers he reads and admires; Ernst Hemingway, Steinbeck for instance. His whole existence is influenced by his immediate surroundings, the weather, the wildlife, his mother and his approximation of the world from his books. Oddly, it's the utopia-type existence we 'outsiders' often aspire to and promise ourselves will make us better humans; refuse, reuse, recycle, have less to live more kind of thing. Yet there is a very real sinister reason Egan's mother has hidden him away in the woods for all these years and she knows she can't relinquish their safe hold until he reaches adulthood.
Egan's diarized descriptions of his day to day life begin in short pragmatic bursts but being his own worst critic, soon spill into more detailed accounts of his feelings and reflections. We begin to connect glimpses of his past with a kind of dread about his future. I mean, leaving Nirvana for the chaos of civilization can't be a wise life choice, can it? Seems Egan is about to find out, a little sooner than he and his Moma had hoped.
Shooting Stars is a sensitively curated collection of snapshots that hum with the sort of high-wire tension that makes you forget to exhale, all brilliantly pieced together to ultimately reveal Egan's bigger picture. The fact that we the readers, see it just pages before Egan does only augments the suspense. Secreted between the lines of Egan's personal and fictional tales are dozens of uglier issues that grab readers by the throat; domestic abuse, homelessness, societal disparities to name a few.
Yet it is not all bleakness and gloom. Egan's natural voice zings with humour and guileless naivete. His self-assurance, tenacity and even vulnerabilities galvanize our own emotional resilience. But perhaps his most affecting characteristic is his unyielding refusal to ignore his moma's Code of Honour; a humble collection of 31 inspiring 'how to live your life right' codes that harness the essence of humanity and how to best survive it. These maxims are scattered throughout Egan's entries as emotional reminders and salves for when times toughen beyond bruising point. They may not be earth-shatteringly new but what makes any principal more powerful - unbreakable - is when it is believed. Egan believes in these codes and his life with his heart and soul which makes him nothing short of angelic, the sort of person you wish you had more time to get to know better.
Shooting Stars is a young adult experience that younger teens and mature tweens will also find engrossing. It's a thrilling odyssey from wilderness to (New Zealand) city streets which is at once familiar and disturbingly alien. It's a study of the human character and what it looks like from behind a number of faces, a story that both haunts and charms. A must read.
Egan Tucker is fifteen. He is a teenager of rugged burly appearance, can smell danger (literally) from a mile away and can slaughter and butcher a wild boar in less time than than it takes to fry bacon. Egan likes to dance in the rain - naked. He moves without shoes and his best mate is a dog, named Jack who'll bite your arm off if you mess with his toy bunny. Their's is a wild, carefree existence, deep in the heart of a tiny bush valley hidden from civilization. No TV. No internet. No other human interaction...except for Moma, Egan's fearless and indomitable mother.
Through Egan's daily diary entries, we gain a visual idea of where he lives and ultimately why he is there. Egan loves to write. Diary entries are dispersed with wistful wish lists, illustrations, maps and, thanks to his mother's supply of library books for him to read and learn from, stories. Stories that tell of a past Egan is too young to recall and a future he hopes to discover when he one day leaves the forest for the 'outside world'.
Egan's stories are wholesome and sincere yet assume the tone and direction of the writers he reads and admires; Ernst Hemingway, Steinbeck for instance. His whole existence is influenced by his immediate surroundings, the weather, the wildlife, his mother and his approximation of the world from his books. Oddly, it's the utopia-type existence we 'outsiders' often aspire to and promise ourselves will make us better humans; refuse, reuse, recycle, have less to live more kind of thing. Yet there is a very real sinister reason Egan's mother has hidden him away in the woods for all these years and she knows she can't relinquish their safe hold until he reaches adulthood.
Egan's diarized descriptions of his day to day life begin in short pragmatic bursts but being his own worst critic, soon spill into more detailed accounts of his feelings and reflections. We begin to connect glimpses of his past with a kind of dread about his future. I mean, leaving Nirvana for the chaos of civilization can't be a wise life choice, can it? Seems Egan is about to find out, a little sooner than he and his Moma had hoped.
Shooting Stars is a sensitively curated collection of snapshots that hum with the sort of high-wire tension that makes you forget to exhale, all brilliantly pieced together to ultimately reveal Egan's bigger picture. The fact that we the readers, see it just pages before Egan does only augments the suspense. Secreted between the lines of Egan's personal and fictional tales are dozens of uglier issues that grab readers by the throat; domestic abuse, homelessness, societal disparities to name a few.
Yet it is not all bleakness and gloom. Egan's natural voice zings with humour and guileless naivete. His self-assurance, tenacity and even vulnerabilities galvanize our own emotional resilience. But perhaps his most affecting characteristic is his unyielding refusal to ignore his moma's Code of Honour; a humble collection of 31 inspiring 'how to live your life right' codes that harness the essence of humanity and how to best survive it. These maxims are scattered throughout Egan's entries as emotional reminders and salves for when times toughen beyond bruising point. They may not be earth-shatteringly new but what makes any principal more powerful - unbreakable - is when it is believed. Egan believes in these codes and his life with his heart and soul which makes him nothing short of angelic, the sort of person you wish you had more time to get to know better.
Shooting Stars is a young adult experience that younger teens and mature tweens will also find engrossing. It's a thrilling odyssey from wilderness to (New Zealand) city streets which is at once familiar and disturbingly alien. It's a study of the human character and what it looks like from behind a number of faces, a story that both haunts and charms. A must read.
May 11, 2019
This book was really amazing. I loved the detail and they way the story was told.
Egan is 15 and he has been hiding with his mum his entire life. Things that you may be used to living with such as Tv and the internet, Egan has never used before. Egan and his mum have their routine until one day...
Egan is 15 and he has been hiding with his mum his entire life. Things that you may be used to living with such as Tv and the internet, Egan has never used before. Egan and his mum have their routine until one day...
October 13, 2017
11/10. This book flipping made me cry. It's definitely one of the BEST books I've ever read. Such a sweet book. I love how it's set mostly in Auckland which makes the book seem even more realistic. Man, this book really opens your eyes and makes you realise what the world has become. Egan lives by a code. Everyone should follow this code. If everyone did, the world would be peaceful. If you haven't read this book, you're living your life wrong. This book has literally changed my way of thinking.
February 19, 2018
I loved this book, but the ending was sad. It had unanswered questions throughout the book, but it was clear who was right and who was wrong at the end. I highly recommend this to everyone.
March 13, 2019
Omg this book just broke my heart. A boy who I fell in love with slowly charmed by his innocence but he was wise in other ways. The development of this story was fantastic always wanting to read more
April 19, 2017
I'll be honest, I never expected to like this book. I chose it for my all boy 10+ book club because it seemed like a good adventure story that I knew they would get their teeth into. But it didn't seem like my kind of thing. For starters I hate any form of camping, so that aspect certainly held no appeal.
But as the book progressed I found myself choosing to pick it up. Wanting to see what happened next to Egan and Jack the dog. There were several twists and turns that I didn't expect and as as hokey as it may have been, I loved the moral compass Ethan's Moma equiped him with. I really hope that when kids are reading "Shooting Stars" they are inspired to be better people.
The ending moved me. It was unexpected, especially for middle fiction. Yet it fit. It worked and I closed the novel satisfied. I highly recommend this across the board. I think the plot and the multiple mediums used (diary entries, story, police report, court transcripts, drawings) will appeal to most readers.
"Shooting Stars" is a book packed with action and a lot of heart. Oh and extra kudos for the title appearing early on.
L-J
Three Four Knock on the Door
Independent Children's Bookshop
UPDATE: The book club boys loved it.
But as the book progressed I found myself choosing to pick it up. Wanting to see what happened next to Egan and Jack the dog. There were several twists and turns that I didn't expect and as as hokey as it may have been, I loved the moral compass Ethan's Moma equiped him with. I really hope that when kids are reading "Shooting Stars" they are inspired to be better people.
The ending moved me. It was unexpected, especially for middle fiction. Yet it fit. It worked and I closed the novel satisfied. I highly recommend this across the board. I think the plot and the multiple mediums used (diary entries, story, police report, court transcripts, drawings) will appeal to most readers.
"Shooting Stars" is a book packed with action and a lot of heart. Oh and extra kudos for the title appearing early on.
L-J
Three Four Knock on the Door
Independent Children's Bookshop
UPDATE: The book club boys loved it.
November 20, 2016
One of the BEST reads of 2016! I devoured this in two days (and it would have been one if I hadn't had the whanau visiting most of yesterday). It will not be enough for me to read this book - it is something I need to own. Quintessentially Kiwi but with a universal message. Written in an eclectic style with a mix of diary, short story, poetry and transcripts it vividly created a host of different environments and posed moral dilemmas that kept me thinking and turning the page. The action was not forgotten either as the pace was maintained throughout. Hats off Mr Falkner.
December 26, 2017
This was a fast-paced, unique book. Think the self-help version of “Hatchet”. I gave it to two 11-year old boys and they both loved it. Upper MG/younger YA, it deals with themes of domestic violence in an interesting way. Funny that my book club thought some parts were unrealistic, eg learning to read via Classics found at the corner store. I thought this was plausible since often the only books that end up at the second-hand shop are the difficult classics no one wants to read.
February 23, 2017
Falkner has written a truly gripping story that is essential reading. It contains pathos, joy, hope and despair, leading us on a rollercoaster of emotion which we only survive by hanging on to 'the rules' for dear life. One of the best YA books I've read in a long time, and set to be my Book of the Year, I suspect. Egan will stay with me for a long time. He lived #2, and taught us #10.
February 2, 2017
Loved this book. Probably my favourite Brian Falkner read so far.
It is gripping from the start, and the story is never predictable - you have to keep reading right until the end!
It is gripping from the start, and the story is never predictable - you have to keep reading right until the end!
October 6, 2021
This is an outstanding YA novel. I read it because I’m going to teach it to my Year 10 class and I can’t wait to share it with them. Told in epistolary style through diary entries, transcripts and stories, the story follows Egan, a fifteen year old boy who has grown up living in the New Zealand bush. For most of his life, the only person he knows is his mother, Moma, who instills in him a code of ethics to live by. Egan learns about the world from books and Moma’s stories - but when she doesn’t come back from a rare trip to town, Egan has to venture out into the world with only his code to guide him.
Egan is at times a naive but never unreliable narrator. The characters he meets are well-drawn and believable, and all were touched by Egan and his code. I really enjoyed spending time with him in his story. No spoilers, but have tissues handy when you’re getting close to the end.
Egan is at times a naive but never unreliable narrator. The characters he meets are well-drawn and believable, and all were touched by Egan and his code. I really enjoyed spending time with him in his story. No spoilers, but have tissues handy when you’re getting close to the end.
December 27, 2018
This is young adult fiction and I really liked it. Great story and tight writing. I grew to love the characters and the situation. It reminds me strongly of the film Leave nO Trace which came out this year.
March 21, 2017
If a reviewer can have their best book of the year, this is mine.
Shooting Stars is written largely in diary form over a four-month period by Egan, a teenager who has lived an isolated life in the Coromandel forest with only his mother and his dog for company. One day he meets a deer culler, JT, and they become good friends. When Egan’s mother does not return from a trip to replenish supplies, JT is no longer there to help.
With only a limited knowledge of the outside world, but with Moma’s Code of Honour to live by, Egan heads to Auckland to search for her and JT. He sleeps rough, becomes involved in fights with streetkids, befriends one group, eventually is found, and goes to live with his father. His story becomes a news sensation.
Where relevant, each diary entry ends with an explanation of one of his mother’s Codes: a Thought for the Day, A Word of the Day, Book I am Reading, Things I am Afraid Of (or No Longer Afraid Of). Through these the reader learns more of Egan’s character. Only 15, he is a thoughtful and resourceful boy whose love for, and belief in, his mother is challenged. His other great loves – the bush and books – sustain him, as does his growing awareness of the impact his mother’s Code is having on most of the people he meets.
While Egan appears naïve to some, his steadfastness in the face of adversity wins over all but the most cynical and hardhearted. For readers who have not discovered Brian Falkner before, this book is an excellent introduction. He has upended the adage that stories with a moral should not spell these out for the reader. Instead, the 30 Points of Moma’s Code of Honour are central.
This is a teenage story that could well become a classic, a personal and classroom favourite. A tragic ending can be turned into something uplifting, leaving the reader with plenty to ponder, plenty to discuss.
Reviewed by Chris Wright (Bookrapt)
Shooting Stars is written largely in diary form over a four-month period by Egan, a teenager who has lived an isolated life in the Coromandel forest with only his mother and his dog for company. One day he meets a deer culler, JT, and they become good friends. When Egan’s mother does not return from a trip to replenish supplies, JT is no longer there to help.
With only a limited knowledge of the outside world, but with Moma’s Code of Honour to live by, Egan heads to Auckland to search for her and JT. He sleeps rough, becomes involved in fights with streetkids, befriends one group, eventually is found, and goes to live with his father. His story becomes a news sensation.
Where relevant, each diary entry ends with an explanation of one of his mother’s Codes: a Thought for the Day, A Word of the Day, Book I am Reading, Things I am Afraid Of (or No Longer Afraid Of). Through these the reader learns more of Egan’s character. Only 15, he is a thoughtful and resourceful boy whose love for, and belief in, his mother is challenged. His other great loves – the bush and books – sustain him, as does his growing awareness of the impact his mother’s Code is having on most of the people he meets.
While Egan appears naïve to some, his steadfastness in the face of adversity wins over all but the most cynical and hardhearted. For readers who have not discovered Brian Falkner before, this book is an excellent introduction. He has upended the adage that stories with a moral should not spell these out for the reader. Instead, the 30 Points of Moma’s Code of Honour are central.
This is a teenage story that could well become a classic, a personal and classroom favourite. A tragic ending can be turned into something uplifting, leaving the reader with plenty to ponder, plenty to discuss.
Reviewed by Chris Wright (Bookrapt)
August 12, 2022
I. Am. Bawling. Tears.
Honestly I got this for English and I didn't think I would be interested in this book this actually exceeded my expectations. I love the pacing of this story, it kept me on my toes like I could not stop reading. I wouldn't even realize that I would read like 60 pages. So so good, the story is exceptional. And I totally love the style of books, like its a diary entry and at the end wow.
And his rules Egan and it all came together at the end phenomenal.
I would say that I would love to what happened but how the book set up where there is no diary entry bc of the circumstances makes this book all the better .
I love the writing it's makes me actually think that I am reading Egan, I am Egan.
I DEVOURED this book such a good book
And IT NOW MAKES SENSE ABOUT THE INTRODUCTION
Honestly I got this for English and I didn't think I would be interested in this book this actually exceeded my expectations. I love the pacing of this story, it kept me on my toes like I could not stop reading. I wouldn't even realize that I would read like 60 pages. So so good, the story is exceptional. And I totally love the style of books, like its a diary entry and at the end wow.
And his rules Egan and it all came together at the end phenomenal.
I would say that I would love to what happened but how the book set up where there is no diary entry bc of the circumstances makes this book all the better .
I love the writing it's makes me actually think that I am reading Egan, I am Egan.
I DEVOURED this book such a good book
And IT NOW MAKES SENSE ABOUT THE INTRODUCTION
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April 14, 2022When I got to the end of this book, I felt horrified. I felt a tight knot in the back of my throat because the ending is not what i expected. I really didnt expect Egan to die, I thought he would thrive but I was clearly wrong. “In your life you will meet shooting stars. '' this quote suits the book because of its purpuse. A sttoting star perfectly describes Egan looking and wanting to learn about the world. Since he was in the middle of the forest or ‘nowhere’ as he would have described it, he wanted to explore everything and everywhere. A shooting star is the perfect title.
My opinion of this book is extrememly high, i love how the author wrote this book keeping us entertained in every page to come. Turning a new page was making my heart beat faster each time, it felt intense. I didnt relate to this book but i didnt need to to enjoy it. The book spoke about a broken family although i am lucky to have a family like the one i have, i couldnt imagine anyone else. This book makes me grateful for my life and the way I was raised and with the people I was raised with too.
My opinion of this book is extrememly high, i love how the author wrote this book keeping us entertained in every page to come. Turning a new page was making my heart beat faster each time, it felt intense. I didnt relate to this book but i didnt need to to enjoy it. The book spoke about a broken family although i am lucky to have a family like the one i have, i couldnt imagine anyone else. This book makes me grateful for my life and the way I was raised and with the people I was raised with too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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June 13, 2024YA
This was highly recommended for reluctant readers on a NZ English teachers’ page, so I thought I’d check it out for my year 10 class. It definitely kept my interest. It was pretty fast paced and exciting. I was scared for the protagonist. I worried about Moma.
There are some tough themes in here too, though. Domestic violence, drugs, sexual abuse. These are all from the point of view of a 15-year old, which softened it a bit, but still pretty rough.
I was inspired by Egan’s Code, and how he lived by his principles no matter what. This was a very positive message for anyone, young or old.
This was highly recommended for reluctant readers on a NZ English teachers’ page, so I thought I’d check it out for my year 10 class. It definitely kept my interest. It was pretty fast paced and exciting. I was scared for the protagonist. I worried about Moma.
There are some tough themes in here too, though. Domestic violence, drugs, sexual abuse. These are all from the point of view of a 15-year old, which softened it a bit, but still pretty rough.
I was inspired by Egan’s Code, and how he lived by his principles no matter what. This was a very positive message for anyone, young or old.
March 21, 2025
This book was honestly one of the best I have ever read. My English teacher made us study it and I really enjoyed how suspenseful it was. However, there are a couple problems. It ihas quite a few sexual references. Also, I think the book should have a trigger Warning on the back because of depictions of child abuse and, as someone who has been through that, it was difficult to read. However, the plot is good and will have you crying for hours over the sad ending. (No joke. I was crying for like half an hour after because it was so sad)
August 15, 2025
I was forced to read this book in English. I HATED this book. The whole story seemed rushed and unfinished. The writing style was simple and lacked basic descriptive language, but the themes in this book (SPOILER ALERT) like abuse, sexual assault, and murder were for much older kids. AND ALSO, can we talk about how Egans' perverse obsession with boobs was insane and uncalled for? He over sexualized every woman he met, and I found that DISGUSTING. All I have to say is this book was a horrible read. DON'T READ IT, all the good reviews must be bots
July 3, 2020
A incredible plot in a New Zealand setting that will have an a appeal to teenagers. Egan and his Moma(Mother) have lived in hiding for 15 years until certain events happen and force Egan to join the rest of society including time with street kids in the city of Auckland. Egan is an innocent,naive, young man with family values who follows and listens to his mother. Egan's father left him at a very young age before he left used to abuse Egan. However this does not save him from family violence.
September 3, 2023
this book sucked so bad. DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVE ANY TASTE. I was forced to read this for English and it was an excruciating experience. I was especially disgusted by the scene where the main character, Egan, was having a farting contest with JT. Brian Falkner also projected his weird fantasies into this novel by talking about women's boobs for an unhealthy amount. This was absolutely terrible and I would not recommend it.
August 1, 2019
I've thought about this overnight and I have to say that I'm not entirely convinced that I still have to give the book five stars though, because it was so well told.
March 21, 2023
Pretty nice book overall. I like the writing style and the plot. There are also some content not suitable for young children but otherwise is a good book. 4 stars.
April 13, 2021
I will be recommending this book to all our students. I have great respect for this author and his stories, always have.
Highly recommended to students Y9+ (ages 13 and older). There are some very troubling moments in this story, so no younger.
Highly recommended to students Y9+ (ages 13 and older). There are some very troubling moments in this story, so no younger.
November 8, 2022
A moving book that tells the story of Egan Tucker, a 15 year old boy who had grown up in Complete isolation in the coromandel forests of NZ. It is a story of a mother’s love for her child and the lessons she taught him of how to treat others. A great book.
June 29, 2017
What an amazing book. I'd recommend this book to read. It gives the reader so much more than a story. A code for life.
July 20, 2017
A great read for young teenage boys. Even I enjoyed reading the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews