The Girl with Stars in her Hair

by Alexes Razevich

A cursed daughter. A stolen son. Time is running out. When her brother is kidnapped, Cassie Goodlight is determined to save him-even if it means learning the magic that nearly destroyed her mother. But how can she beat a shape-shifting sea goblin that taunts her at every turn? Cassie must find a way before a year is up or her brother will be lost forever. And just who, or what, is the handsome stranger who keeps turning up in her life? You'll love the twist and turns in this tale of supernatural mystery and magic. Perfect for fans of The Paper Magician and Miss Peregrine's.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Fairy Tales, Magical Realism, Romance, Retellings

228 pages, Paperback

First published August 2, 2017

About the author

Alexes Razevich grew up in Orange County, California and San Francisco. She attended California State University San Francisco, earning a degree in creative writing. She is a former editor for Electronic Engineering Times and freelance writer. Her work has appeared in The Easy Reader, (winner, fiction contest) Ceramics Monthly, Rolling Stone, and several electronics industry specific publications.

Reviews

[✨ Gramy ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

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The Girl with Stars in Her Hair is available through the Kindle Unlimited program with Amazon.

The description of this book sounded very intriguing and promised entertainment that includes myth, lore, and magic I am totally open to the concept of magic. In my opinion, these enticements were only vaguely included.

To borrow a thought from another reviewer:
"The nuances of magic really just aren't there."

Most of the reviews indicate a completely different take on the book than I did. For me, the story was slow-moving, bland, and mundane. Trudging on . . . I kept hoping that something would spark and bring the story to life for me prior to the conclusion. I desperately wanted to like this book but was only able to grasp small bits of interest. The first thing I think of when I think of this book is that I had to force myself to do to actually get through it. It is never a good feeling when you are left with so many questions unanswered. Basically, I was disappointed in this book. There is very little entertainment value, at least from my perspective.

My favorite pieces of literary fiction contain storylines that produce feelings of joy, achievement, and humor. This publication failed to provide any of those feelings for me. I would have appreciated more definition in terms of the magic, the significance of the stars in her hair, and the legends behind the characters.

This story is categorized for teens and young adults. But even for that age group, I would rate it as juvenile, underdeveloped, and witless. The main character was apathetically passive, at least throughout most of the book, amiably following the lead of those around her. There was next to no chemistry between the characters, including family members. The progression of the story was prolonged extensively.

This book is a clean, standalone fantasy with a H.E.A. that has an extraordinary cover. I like some parts of it and the rest of it, not so much.

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forever confused.

Pretty sure Cassie Goodlight if my favorite person ever - this week. She's easily lovable when you first meet her. I also like how it was about irish legends because I'm irish - yup, that's mostly it. Sike ! - I just liked how it wasn't your typical fae book because it introduced other legends like, a sea-based goblin, witches, and selkies throughout.

The Girl with Stars in her Hair was a pretty quick read but that could be due to the fact that I had nothing else to do but read books this weekend. So I just ate up as much information that I could until I fell asleep or had to wrap presents.

Now I liked this book but it also left me a shit ton of questions. A lot of things just didn't make sense to me, like: why did the goblin save her dad to begin with? How could Cassie learn magic when she said she couldn't to begin with? ALSO, why the hell did Cassie and her mom end up being back when they first started?!? It just kind of seemed really lame in my eyes and made me a little sad.

I wish I got more excitement from this book. I also wish it didn't start off so slow. I hate that I have so many questions after reading this book. I guess I just expected more from this book.

It's cruel to have such an amazing cover on this book and just be left feeling "meh" after reading it.

[Jessica Mae · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice, quick fantasy escape. I loved the writing style, and the overall vibe reminded me of the "Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them" movies since it's set in the 1920's. I didn't find myself too attached to the characters, but maybe that's just me. The story was fairly original and enjoyable, and it's an easy read. :)

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: The Girl with Stars in Her Hair
Author: Alexes Razevich
Publisher: Razor Street Publishing
ISBN: 0996089241
Buy Link: https://www.alexesrazevich.com/
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
A cursed daughter. A stolen son. Time is running out. When her brother is kidnapped, Cassie Goodlight is determined to save him-even if it means learning the magic that nearly destroyed her mother. But how can she beat a shape-shifting sea goblin that taunts her at every turn? Cassie must find a way before a year is up or her brother will be lost forever. And just who, or what, is the handsome stranger who keeps turning up in her life? You'll love the twist and turns in this tale of supernatural mystery and magic. Perfect for fans of The Paper Magician and Miss Peregrine's.

Total Score: 5/5

Summary:
Received for an honest review.

This story wove together myth, lore, and magic into a timeless and riveting plot. Cassie's life changed the night a man arrived at their home telling them he could heal her father. He did save him, but the cost was beyond anything they could have imagined. The visitor was not who or what he claimed he was placing their family in danger before and when he returned to receive his payment by taking her little brother. Thus began Cassie and her mothers search that led them to accept magical creatures and magic itself to overcome the evil that was stalking their family. This is one story that I will never forget.

[Ksandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Stars

This is a mythology based novel that is rich in imaginative wording. Cassie has to find her brother that was stolen by a goblin and she only has a year to do it.

I found that this book began a little slowly, but once the pivotal kidnapping happened, it was amazing. It was steeped in variations of Irish legends; not the classic fae ones either. We read about a sea based goblin-a gremhahn- along with selkies.

I found this story rich in imagery, especially since it is set in the 1920s. So readers need to be surrounded by this world that they have never experienced.

Cassie was a strong willed heroine. Though she was unsure of herself on more than one occasion, it was due to her being thrust into this magical world that for 18 years she didn't know existed. But she also didn't let her insecurities get to her. Or when they were about to, she would take a leap of faith and trust those around her.

It was interesting to try to figure out the twists that would happen in this novel. I will admit that at some moments I thought one thing would lead to a completely path than it actually did. This novel kept me on my toes, which was fantastic.

Highly recommend this novel.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Tale

I like a good mystery, and one that has magic, folklore, and a heroine wonderful. I was immediately interested in Cassie, and followed her brave struggle to bring her family home. And, the enigmatic Pax, well you will have to delve into this book and enjoy the ride. First class book!

[Mimi 'Pans' Herondale · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Sheila Vaden · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun adventure! I’m not huge into fantasy, but I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

[Karen Voitik · Rating 3 out of 5]

>Book Review – The Girl with Stars in her Hair

> This book is a standalone fantasy with an HEA. This story reads like an old-fashioned fairy tale. A strange doctor saves Cassie’s father from the deadly flu and takes her little brother as payment. There are witches, goblins, and selkies throughout this story. A witch tells Cassie that she is destined to find her brother. Cassie asks the witch to teach her magic and the witch replies that magic cannot be taught. The rest of the story has the witch trying to teach Cassie spells to overtake the goblin.

>The basic plot was a good one, but the way the story flowed was flawed in that too many scenes didn’t flow one from the other. The journey Cassie and her mother make to find the brother started out promising. There was an interesting piece of magical equipment leading them, but when the goblin was approached the scene was anticlimactic. Cassie and her mother ended up being lead back to where they first started, which negated the whole excitement of the journey.

>The story has so many unanswered questions pivotal to the plot of the story. Why did the goblin save the father in the first place? How did the Pax learn about Cassie? How could Cassie learn magic when the witch said she couldn’t? The story tried to be paranormal, but just didn’t make any sense. The side plot regarding Cassie’s dad hitting her mother and taking a mistress never fit in with the story and was just odd.

>I am a reviewer for Romance Authors that Rock. This book is appropriate for a young adult (16+) audience. I am giving the story 3 stars. The story did not flow and didn’t make any sense. The stars put in Cassie’s hair only really supported the title of the book, but did nothing to further the story.

[BP34 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A supernatural tale of magic and mystery featuring Cassie Goodlight as the girl who must save her brother. Magic is what almost killed her mother, but learning it is the only chance to help her brother. He was taken by a man that came to their house as payment for healing her father. The story is set in a California beach town in the 1920's. This book will grab your attention and keep it. It's a page turner for sure with lots of suspense and surprises. Well written with captivating characters. I received an arc of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.

[Robin Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a difficult book to read unless you are open to the idea of magic, spells, finders and seagoblins. I needed to go back a few times until I understood the curses and their meanings. This is also a love story with Pax as the hero and Cassies stars falling from her hair so the with the curse is broken, she and Pax were able to be a couple. I gave it four stars only because of this being the first time I have ever read one of Alexes books.

[M.K. Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a genre I would normally read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the flow of the narrative, which despite the urgency of Cassie's task, was gentle and coaxing. There were a few issues where I would have liked a little more information, but not enough to affect the enjoyment of reading this tale.

[Dylan Cortez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Warning, there are spoilers in this review. This review is actually 2.5 stars.

First, let me tell the reader of this review that this book was very well on its way to having 4 stars, maybe even a 4.5. I loved the pacing of the book, and thought that up until the 80% mark, the story progressed pretty naturally. I liked the concept, and while Cassie seemed like she was more or less along for the ride, I was okay with it. The last 20% of the book nearly ruined it, and I thought that difficult to do.

For those who would like the plot of the book, Cassie is a 19 year old young woman in a story that starts in 1915, in Hermosa Beach, California. Four years prior, Cassie's father was struck with a terrible fever, and cured by a Dr. Gremhahn. Four years later, Dr. Gremhahn demands payment, and steals Cassie's younger brother Jimmy. For the rest of the book, Cassie and her mother, with the help of a magic "finder woman" named Diana, go on a journey to rescue Jimmy from Dr. Gremhahn.

About halfway through the book, Cassie is gifted a starfish pendant by Diana, who has agreed to train her in magic to help her against the gremhahn. This starfish is nearly never referenced in the rest of the novel, except for around 80% of the way through, when it suddenly becomes a Deus Ex Machina contraption. There is simply no lore behind the pendant, meaning that the fact that it does what it does makes no sense to the reader. One thing I may have given it a pass for was the way it shoots a beam of light to set fire to the gremhahn, killing it nearly instantly. That gives me throwbacks to sort of Hero Prevails stories like Sailor Moon, where the main character is as powerful as they need to be to kill the enemy in one shot.

This is where we get more of the weakness of the novel: the ending. For several chapters, Diana explains that to break the curses that the gremhahn brought upon each member of Cassie's family, it requires three people. Three. Distinct. People. In the penultimate chapter of this book, the starfish pendant suddenly gives Cassie all the power she needs to break the curses on everyone, including herself, something she was told more than three times that she needed three magically inclined people to help with. She describes it as reading words she had never read, as if they appear in her mind. This is the epitome of an easy out, narratively. I just feel that if the book was maybe 50, or even 30 pages longer, this may not have occured. Either that, or Razevich didn't know just how to tie everything in together (which is something I struggle with myself, as a writer).

The last chapter is another that screws with me. We know that Cassie gets her "Happily Ever After", and that Pax is now suddenly a selkie. Well, not suddenly. It's obvious throughout all of Pax's interactions that he's heavily connected to the ocean, even going so far as to say "the ocean is my home" when Cassie puts him under a binding truth spell temporarily. I, for one, had thought that this would mean that Pax was either the gremhahn in disguise or a servant of the gremhahn, so the fact that Pax is a selkie threw me for a loop.

One last thing that irked me about the novel was that Cassie didn't seem aggressive. She was very passive in her interactions, doing little more than changing her clothes to show that she'd actually done something for herself. Most, if not all, of her interactions are led by the other person. There's also the struggle with Cassie being practically unable to press people for information. If I were 19 again, and I were with a boy who said that the ocean was his home, without any indication of that being idiomatic or metaphorical, I would have at least said "What do you mean?", especially if he were under a truth spell that I had cast on him during that time!

Had that specific interaction gone differently, the entire final chapter of the book would have been pointless, or could have been changed to something that solidified the relationship between the two, with something besides "I'm a professor studying mythology and you're a mage". Honestly, there was little chemistry there. The only things we got about Pax was that he's a professor, and that he's attractive, and in the last chapter, we learn that he's a selkie. Other than Cassie being told in a vision that "the seals are [her] friend", there is practically no reason for the two of them to be as close and as intimate as they are.

All in all, I felt that there was just too little information given in the novel. The nuances of magic really just aren't there. It almost seems that there are no concrete rules, save for the fact that people either have magic or they don't. The romance is thrust in there, with little information about Pax as a person. I feel that these issues could have been eradicated, had the novel just been slightly longer and let the author work them out herself.

As an ending note, I would like to talk about what I felt Alexes Razevich did well in the novel. I loved the pacing, up until the final confrontation with the gremhahn. I loved how Cassie grows up, and how Razevich shows her growth in the clothes that Cassie is wearing. It's symbolic, and it's pretty effective... if the rest of the book lives up to that level of writing.

[Ashley Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexes Razevich tells an interesting story about a young woman in the 20s who discovers magic. Cassie’s father (who is a doctor) returns home from the war and is ill with the Spanish flu. While caring for him, Cassie and her mother are visited by a Dr Gremhahn who claims to be able to cure her father which he does. However 4 years later he returns for his payment, Cassie’s younger brother, Jimmy. After Jimmy’s disappearance, the family falls apart and Cassie and her mother embark on a journey to bring him home using the magic they didn’t know they had.

I found this book to be really interesting. I wish we could have learnt more about Pax as he was just this mysterious handsome guy who seemed to know too much about the gremhahn and selkies. And although it’s obvious to us early on that he isn’t human I would have liked to hear more about the stories he told or more of his personal experiences with the gremhahn once he told Cassie what he was. It was also great to see the women in this story being bolder and having more confidence than what was expected of them in this time.

[Jessica Behrens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this a 3.4 star rating. Overall the story was good however it was a bit slow for me and repetitive at times. I also felt a bit confused about the stars as they were only mentioned a couple times throughout her journey and I had expected them to be more prevalent due to them being in the name of the book. I couldn't quite connect to any of the characters and found myself checking often to see how much I had left to read. I would suggest this book to someone who is looking for a slow paced old fashioned style fantasy read.

[Tribetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent quick read

I choose this rating because overall it is a good story. It took me a little bit to really immerse myself in the plot, but once I really got into it, difficult to stop. Story is on the short side, which is a little negative because I felt that the story was just starting to get good by the time the book was over. I would like a little more between the two romantic leads too. Nice read for a mini vacation or when traveling.

[Connie Ayala · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was curious with this novel at first but absolutely loved it. It is a bit of a slow start but the adventure that this novel takes you on just builds up from there. I love that this book takes place in my hometown almost a hundred years ago. I really bonded with Cassie; the places she visits and her daily activities were pretty much my childhood growing up. If you are curious about reading this novel I say go for it.

[Kathie Frobe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely

Amazes Razevich writes lovely prose that draws you into a story that should never end. The reality of the story leads me to long to journey with Cassie into her future.
This is a story of familial love, a love that stands fast through sickness, pain, tragedy and death. A story of magic and beauty and joy.

[Laura Shank · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up. This was a pleasant story to read. Oftentimes the dialogue was a bit stilted and the choices characters made were a bit odd, but it did go along with the almost dreamy, enchanted state that the characters were in, so maybe that was intentional. If you want a story with enchantments and selkies, this one could be for you!

[Wendy Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enthralled.
Ten stars! I'm always eagerly awaiting the next release from Alexes Razevich as she is a master story-weaver. This magic story enthralled me from the opening line to the last and I most highly recommend 'The Girl With Stars In Her Hair'.

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little different

A little different. Not terrible, but not terrific either. My main question.... Why does the sea goblin kidnap children??? We never find out, just for fun, I guess!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stars,Selkies and Curses

A really nice story. Great characters! Cassies baby brother is taken by a sea goblin and she's determined to do anything to get him back. A good solid read.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely

This is a step above a retold fairytale because of the original use of the fairytale memes. I highly recommend it. Thanks for a great read Ms. Razevich. Even better is was a free kindle read. I'll be reading more by this author.

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great summer read! Perfect fantasy for a beach trip.

I truly enjoy fantasy and Razevich doesn't disappoint with this magical thrilling tale. We also have this book in our middle school library and it is a huge hit.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

For family's sake

I was recommended this book by one of my aunts I was very close to. She introduced me to the world of fantasy literature and we shared a love of books and swapped them often. This is one we never got a chance to discuss together.

[Kim F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, I was blown away with the story, I could not put it down. Wonderfully written. I can't wait to read more.

[Nancy Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. Haven't read fantasy in a while and found this engaging. will look for more books by this author.

[PJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Extremely slow and boring. Could not hold my attention and I ended up skimming passages to get to the point of the book. Couldn’t really get invested in the characters. Not my cup of tea.

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe a little too imaginative, somehow seemed far fetched even though they had magic?

[Devyn DeGraw · Rating 4 out of 5]

👏

I enjoyed reading this story very much. Lovely bit of magic for everyone to find fun in. Very lovely indeed.