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Stars Like Us
From the winner of the Ampersand Prize comes this smart, swoony LGBTQ YA novel about a teenage band on the way to the top – so long as they can hold it together.
Liliana’s hitting all the wrong notes. She’s a sixteen-year-old exchange student with a secret crush on Carter, her new band’s smoking hot guitarist – but she’s also got a girlfriend back home.
So when she writes a song about him and it lands the band a record deal, she quickly realises she’s in hot water.
Soon, Liliana will have to choose – between an alluring boy and the girl she left behind, between love and lust, and between the fame that beckons and staying true to the music that’s in her heart.
With shades of hit TV series Nashville, the musical passion of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and the band drama of Fleetwood Mac, this brilliant own-voices YA debut is perfect for music lovers everywhere.
Liliana’s hitting all the wrong notes. She’s a sixteen-year-old exchange student with a secret crush on Carter, her new band’s smoking hot guitarist – but she’s also got a girlfriend back home.
So when she writes a song about him and it lands the band a record deal, she quickly realises she’s in hot water.
Soon, Liliana will have to choose – between an alluring boy and the girl she left behind, between love and lust, and between the fame that beckons and staying true to the music that’s in her heart.
With shades of hit TV series Nashville, the musical passion of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and the band drama of Fleetwood Mac, this brilliant own-voices YA debut is perfect for music lovers everywhere.
307 pages, Paperback
Published July 8, 2020
5 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
September 1, 2020
this was so shit lmao
June 21, 2021
*4.7/5 I'm very tempted to give this five stars though...
I liked that they didn't try to redeem the "villains"/the person that hurt the main character.
This fit a very niche section of YA books that I love; the band/record deal/music industry/coming of age/romance. (Very specific lol) and I really enjoyed it. I loved the commentary on fame and how it effects people. I also enjoyed how most of the book was them doing press and not actually performing which some band members liked and others hated.
Sam was my favourite character, and I was very sad when he left the band, but I understood that choice and I'm glad the author gave Liliana and Sam some closure.
My favourite scene was that one where Sam is trying to warn Liliana about Carter but she won't listen and they start yelling and then they end up calling each other their best friends and then make up and it's adorable.
Anyway, I really liked it. Obviously. Lol. I have no idea if this review makes sense or if it's all just nonsensical ramblings. Idk.
I liked that they didn't try to redeem the "villains"/the person that hurt the main character.
This fit a very niche section of YA books that I love; the band/record deal/music industry/coming of age/romance. (Very specific lol) and I really enjoyed it. I loved the commentary on fame and how it effects people. I also enjoyed how most of the book was them doing press and not actually performing which some band members liked and others hated.
Sam was my favourite character, and I was very sad when he left the band, but I understood that choice and I'm glad the author gave Liliana and Sam some closure.
My favourite scene was that one where Sam is trying to warn Liliana about Carter but she won't listen and they start yelling and then they end up calling each other their best friends and then make up and it's adorable.
Anyway, I really liked it. Obviously. Lol. I have no idea if this review makes sense or if it's all just nonsensical ramblings. Idk.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2020
I received a proof copy of this book from Hardie Grant via my work - this doesn't colour my opinion or my review in any way. STARS LIKE US was marketed for fans of Leah on the Offbeat, Red, White & Royal Blue, and Heartstopper: Volume One, so I knew it was my type of book!
Liliana is a sixteen-year-old Australian girl on a scholarship at a prestigious music college in London. After she's asked to audition for Lady Stardust, a secret band that's forbidden by the rules of her scholarship, she meets Carter, Richie and Sam who change her life forever. Even though she has a girlfriend back home in Sydney, Liliana starts to fall for Carter, and writes a song about him. Lady Stardust use Liliana's song for their entry into a Battle of the Bands competition, and win. On the cusp of superstardom, and a flight back to Sydney booked for 12 hours time, Liliana is forced to choose between her life back home with her friends and potentially ex-girlfriend, and her love and passion for music.
So, a super fun story about rock and roll with a queer Australian main character? Sign me the HELL up!! What I thought was going to be a cute coming of age / love story about a girl conflicted between her girlfriend back home and her hot new bandmate, all in a high school context, ended up being so much more than that. STARS LIKE US highlights discussions of obsession and fame, the pitfalls of the music industry and music labels that take marketing too far, and the importance of having a found family. I really loved the separation Liliana created between her authentic self, and the 'character' of Lily, created for her as a band marketing tool. And the songs -- all I want out of life right now is to listen to King Cutie because it sounds like it absolutely SLAPS.
Altogether, I really loved STARS LIKE US. I'm also really excited to be interviewing Frances over on my blog - you should check it out when the interview goes up in the first week of July!
Liliana is a sixteen-year-old Australian girl on a scholarship at a prestigious music college in London. After she's asked to audition for Lady Stardust, a secret band that's forbidden by the rules of her scholarship, she meets Carter, Richie and Sam who change her life forever. Even though she has a girlfriend back home in Sydney, Liliana starts to fall for Carter, and writes a song about him. Lady Stardust use Liliana's song for their entry into a Battle of the Bands competition, and win. On the cusp of superstardom, and a flight back to Sydney booked for 12 hours time, Liliana is forced to choose between her life back home with her friends and potentially ex-girlfriend, and her love and passion for music.
So, a super fun story about rock and roll with a queer Australian main character? Sign me the HELL up!! What I thought was going to be a cute coming of age / love story about a girl conflicted between her girlfriend back home and her hot new bandmate, all in a high school context, ended up being so much more than that. STARS LIKE US highlights discussions of obsession and fame, the pitfalls of the music industry and music labels that take marketing too far, and the importance of having a found family. I really loved the separation Liliana created between her authentic self, and the 'character' of Lily, created for her as a band marketing tool. And the songs -- all I want out of life right now is to listen to King Cutie because it sounds like it absolutely SLAPS.
Altogether, I really loved STARS LIKE US. I'm also really excited to be interviewing Frances over on my blog - you should check it out when the interview goes up in the first week of July!
May 20, 2021
The start of this book was slow and i actually stopped reading for 2 weeks (reading a few other books) before picking it back up.
The whole book was so frustrating, i’m so angry. I hate teenage boys even more now!
I did like the plot through! I feel bad for Liliana because she’s 16 and damn was she played hard.
I did like a lot of aspects to this, i really wanna go write a song now :p
3/5⭐️
The whole book was so frustrating, i’m so angry. I hate teenage boys even more now!
I did like the plot through! I feel bad for Liliana because she’s 16 and damn was she played hard.
I did like a lot of aspects to this, i really wanna go write a song now :p
3/5⭐️
July 24, 2020
Thank you so much to Hardie Grant Egmont for providing me with a copy of Stars Like Us, in exchange for an honest review!
Liliana is so excited to have been accepted in to a music academy in the UK, even though she does have to leave her girlfriend, Ellie, behind in Australia. When she’s asked to audition for a band, she knows it could jeopardise her place at the academy, but the offer is just so tempting. When a song she writes suddenly rockets them to stardom, she finds fame isn’t all she dreamed of and between managers that want to change the way she dresses to strategical fake relationships, Liliana might be in over her head.
I devoured this book. The relationship between the characters held just the right amount of drama, friendship and secrets to make them entertaining. Liliana was no perfect angel and watching her realistic struggles made for a brilliant story. Carter is a fairly typical, charismatic bad boy – in the music game for the parties and as many groupies as he can find. Sam, Ritchie and Tish were also great characters and surprisingly three dimensional for side acts.
Stars Like Us is one of those books that will take you right out of a reading slump. It is so much fun and the story just has an effortless feel to it. It’s the type of book I feel will appeal to teenagers and adults alike. I loved the multiple musical references and quotes at the beginning of each chapter too. I’d absolutely recommend this one for lovers of music and fun, addictive contemporaries!
Liliana is so excited to have been accepted in to a music academy in the UK, even though she does have to leave her girlfriend, Ellie, behind in Australia. When she’s asked to audition for a band, she knows it could jeopardise her place at the academy, but the offer is just so tempting. When a song she writes suddenly rockets them to stardom, she finds fame isn’t all she dreamed of and between managers that want to change the way she dresses to strategical fake relationships, Liliana might be in over her head.
I devoured this book. The relationship between the characters held just the right amount of drama, friendship and secrets to make them entertaining. Liliana was no perfect angel and watching her realistic struggles made for a brilliant story. Carter is a fairly typical, charismatic bad boy – in the music game for the parties and as many groupies as he can find. Sam, Ritchie and Tish were also great characters and surprisingly three dimensional for side acts.
Stars Like Us is one of those books that will take you right out of a reading slump. It is so much fun and the story just has an effortless feel to it. It’s the type of book I feel will appeal to teenagers and adults alike. I loved the multiple musical references and quotes at the beginning of each chapter too. I’d absolutely recommend this one for lovers of music and fun, addictive contemporaries!
March 13, 2021
Feels like a half-finished draft.
The more I think about it, the more "meh" this book seems. It feels half-finished because there was very little lead-in or payoff to anything. Relationships started, then fizzled. Big revelations were made, and followed up by a single scene of confrontation before the book just... ended.
I haven't heard of any plans for a sequel, but I think this book would honestly need one in order to be worth reading. It doesn't work as a standalone. It had so little substance that the entire plot could blow away in the breeze.
None of the characters were memorable, and the majority of them were either cardboard cutouts or downright horrible people. Carter is the world's biggest douchebag, Ellie was a limp plot device, Phoenix never did anything, and Lily was infuriating in her flip-flopping between her three love interests. The only person I even remotely liked was Sam.
The fame aspects also felt very shallow, and there wasn't a lot of in-depth exploration of it. Liliana just sort of went with the flow the whole time, rarely standing up for herself, content to let herself be transformed without even objecting to the more extreme stuff. She just... lets her record label manufacture a fake romance with another girl . Who even does that?
Maybe I've just been spoiled by Alice Oseman and I Was Born for This. I was expecting something more on that level; a queer book about the ravages of fame, which would dig deep into the psychological damage it does to those at its heart. But I just got... a very meh book.
The only upside is that this book was very easy to read, and I finished it in a day.
The more I think about it, the more "meh" this book seems. It feels half-finished because there was very little lead-in or payoff to anything. Relationships started, then fizzled. Big revelations were made, and followed up by a single scene of confrontation before the book just... ended.
I haven't heard of any plans for a sequel, but I think this book would honestly need one in order to be worth reading. It doesn't work as a standalone. It had so little substance that the entire plot could blow away in the breeze.
None of the characters were memorable, and the majority of them were either cardboard cutouts or downright horrible people. Carter is the world's biggest douchebag, Ellie was a limp plot device, Phoenix never did anything, and Lily was infuriating in her flip-flopping between her three love interests. The only person I even remotely liked was Sam.
The fame aspects also felt very shallow, and there wasn't a lot of in-depth exploration of it. Liliana just sort of went with the flow the whole time, rarely standing up for herself, content to let herself be transformed without even objecting to the more extreme stuff. She just... lets her record label manufacture a fake romance with another girl . Who even does that?
Maybe I've just been spoiled by Alice Oseman and I Was Born for This. I was expecting something more on that level; a queer book about the ravages of fame, which would dig deep into the psychological damage it does to those at its heart. But I just got... a very meh book.
The only upside is that this book was very easy to read, and I finished it in a day.
November 27, 2020
Such a cute YA! Had awesome queer representation! Took a minute to get into but once it did I was hooked. Loved the characters and relationship dynamics 👍🏻💫
July 24, 2021
Overall I don’t feel like this book explored anything in the ‘dark side of fame’ trope that we haven’t seen before. My main issue with the book however was the absolute lack of reference to the terrible way girls are treated in the story.
Carter goes through girls like they’re single use only and yet nowhere in the book has the author called out this behaviour in regards to the way these girls are treated. He seems to only do wrong in the way he hurts the main character’s feelings but not once is this awful treatment of the other girls addressed. He’s deemed a ‘player’, as if we’re supposed to accept that some boys are just like that. Maybe I thought that in 2021 we could have moved past such toxic tropes.
One line stood out to me in particular, when Richie is described as going off ‘in search of the shortest skirt’. This would have been a perfect opportunity for the author to get one of the other characters to make a comment about girls being people rather than objects, but no.
The book’s ending did redeem it a little in my eyes but not enough for me to change my opinion about some of the toxic messages this could be sending to teenage readers. I did enjoy the LGBTQA representation, but this won’t be a book I’ll be passing on to any friends.
Carter goes through girls like they’re single use only and yet nowhere in the book has the author called out this behaviour in regards to the way these girls are treated. He seems to only do wrong in the way he hurts the main character’s feelings but not once is this awful treatment of the other girls addressed. He’s deemed a ‘player’, as if we’re supposed to accept that some boys are just like that. Maybe I thought that in 2021 we could have moved past such toxic tropes.
One line stood out to me in particular, when Richie is described as going off ‘in search of the shortest skirt’. This would have been a perfect opportunity for the author to get one of the other characters to make a comment about girls being people rather than objects, but no.
The book’s ending did redeem it a little in my eyes but not enough for me to change my opinion about some of the toxic messages this could be sending to teenage readers. I did enjoy the LGBTQA representation, but this won’t be a book I’ll be passing on to any friends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2020
This was a book that reminded me how much I love reading. Of late I’ve picked up a book here and there and either not finished it, or taken months to. Stars Like Us I chewed through in a matter of days, and would’ve been quicker had I not tried to slow it down to try and make it last longer. It’s the sort of exciting, addictive writing that at 2am you’ll say to yourself “Just one more chapter..” or on a lazy Sunday you could potentially get so lost in the words you finish the book in one sitting!
This is one that I can safely say I will be rereading sooner rather than later! And I very much look forward to more work from the author.
This is one that I can safely say I will be rereading sooner rather than later! And I very much look forward to more work from the author.
July 23, 2020
Okay I must be broken because I did not connect with this book like at all. People rave about this but honestly I found it rather boring. I guess at some points I did feel I was reading a memoir and yes the characters felt real but I basically skimmed the last half of this just to be done with it. It just felt sort of cliche for me and maybe because I have not read a book that focuses on the music industry or maybe because I had a hell of a time with depression when I went to music college after high school and that ruined this book for me. This book was just not for me and I was not on board with it.
January 25, 2026
Ok so this book was actually not too bad. It wasn’t super amazing but it was good. The bisexual representation in this book is so fcking amazing. The guy she got with made me so mad cause they were like kinda cute but no. Did feel like her Australian girlfriend wasn’t really relevant but her new gf (the singer one) was sooo nice and I didn’t even seen their relationship coming, I was shook. There were 2 other guys and one of them was horrible and then the other was really nice but he was angry a lot lol. Anyways not too bad I liked it.
Liliana deserved better than that asshole guy at 16?! Like dam. Also how has she had 3 relationships at 16 like sign me up.
Liliana deserved better than that asshole guy at 16?! Like dam. Also how has she had 3 relationships at 16 like sign me up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2020
An action packed, emotional rollercoaster story of fame and all that comes with it. I enjoyed the constant twists and turns. I think the characters could have been a little more developed and there are some things left unfinished, but I did enjoy this.
April 30, 2020
That was fun! But also thoughtful. And realistic.
November 9, 2020
the drama of this was so entertaining.
July 6, 2020
Ahh, this was such a fun read!
Stars Like Us is sort of a YA spin on Daisy Jones & The Six, with all the added drama of a boarding school and teenage hormones.
Meet Lady Stardust, a young band which is thrown into fame after winning a battle of the bands competition. We have Liliana the bisexual frontman, Carter the bad boy guitarist, Sam the most talented musician and literal angel (not really literal) and Richie, the bass player that probably could have been edited out of the story as he doesn't really contribute anything.
There's a lot of diversity among the cast including characters who are bisexual, non-binary and biracial, and I loved how the author showed how each band member struggled with and revelled in their new found fame.
I did find the writing a little disjointed at times. There were a few instances I had to reread the paragraph before because it felt like I'd missed something.
If you love books about music and fame, you'll easily find yourself lost in this story and singing the lyrics to King Cutie to your own imagined melody (which goes off in my mind, by the way!).
Stars Like Us is sort of a YA spin on Daisy Jones & The Six, with all the added drama of a boarding school and teenage hormones.
Meet Lady Stardust, a young band which is thrown into fame after winning a battle of the bands competition. We have Liliana the bisexual frontman, Carter the bad boy guitarist, Sam the most talented musician and literal angel (not really literal) and Richie, the bass player that probably could have been edited out of the story as he doesn't really contribute anything.
There's a lot of diversity among the cast including characters who are bisexual, non-binary and biracial, and I loved how the author showed how each band member struggled with and revelled in their new found fame.
I did find the writing a little disjointed at times. There were a few instances I had to reread the paragraph before because it felt like I'd missed something.
If you love books about music and fame, you'll easily find yourself lost in this story and singing the lyrics to King Cutie to your own imagined melody (which goes off in my mind, by the way!).
April 18, 2022
2 day read.
I've got some conflicting feelings about this book.
Storyline was far fetch but I mean it is about someone becoming famous so that kind of goes with the territory, but the ages felt a bit weird, she was 16 and living alone in London with family back in Aus? like what? It was cool how she was Australian and from Syd and so I thought they might explore that a bit more which would have been good. However, the setting was still cool london and all, lots of name dropping of artists which is always funky. It felt a lot like she just went from being in love with her gf of 3 months, to being in love with the guitarist boy and then the famous girl and back and forth and then settling for the girl after she realises he's a dick (As Tar would say; #fuck men, #wehatemen, #becomealesbian) - ofc I was rooting for the sapphics to be endgame but all the stuff about putting on a personality in front of the stage is fine but then shes still in full face makeup and cares and all this crap? I don't know it was all a bit tiring. I will say, props to all the gayness aHAH especially that it wasn't made a huge deal it just was this, which was refreshing because so often its about the big coming out or a big polava, sometimes its nice to just be there and its like yep this is here move on yk? It was an enjoyable read for the most part and I definitely felt some of the frustrations for her. When describing how writing music felt and whatnot it felt more normal than the saxophone book a few days ago and a lot less 2nd hand embarrassment to read. A decent read but the nature of the storyline dropped it a star or two.
3/5
I've got some conflicting feelings about this book.
Storyline was far fetch but I mean it is about someone becoming famous so that kind of goes with the territory, but the ages felt a bit weird, she was 16 and living alone in London with family back in Aus? like what? It was cool how she was Australian and from Syd and so I thought they might explore that a bit more which would have been good. However, the setting was still cool london and all, lots of name dropping of artists which is always funky. It felt a lot like she just went from being in love with her gf of 3 months, to being in love with the guitarist boy and then the famous girl and back and forth and then settling for the girl after she realises he's a dick (As Tar would say; #fuck men, #wehatemen, #becomealesbian) - ofc I was rooting for the sapphics to be endgame but all the stuff about putting on a personality in front of the stage is fine but then shes still in full face makeup and cares and all this crap? I don't know it was all a bit tiring. I will say, props to all the gayness aHAH especially that it wasn't made a huge deal it just was this, which was refreshing because so often its about the big coming out or a big polava, sometimes its nice to just be there and its like yep this is here move on yk? It was an enjoyable read for the most part and I definitely felt some of the frustrations for her. When describing how writing music felt and whatnot it felt more normal than the saxophone book a few days ago and a lot less 2nd hand embarrassment to read. A decent read but the nature of the storyline dropped it a star or two.
3/5
November 7, 2021
2.5
I’m all for a “teen gets famous” story - but sadly I think this one was trying to do too much.
Liliana is a talented guitarist studying at a music academy in London (she’s a 16yo exchange student from Australia). She’s invited to audition to be part of a band. The song she writes helps the band win a contest, then the next thing you know 💥 boom they’re huge. Liliana has to grapple with the record label wanting to “rebrand” her, the loss of her girlfriend, new feelings emerging, and what this new life means.
Things I liked:
- Really good representation in this book, with gender, LGBTQIA+ and race diversity. The lead is bi
- The inclusion of the song writing process and lyrics - I love it when authors are game enough to do this
- The underlying message about changing yourself and the damage this can do
Things I didn’t like:
- I don’t like love triangles and this book was a little bit painful for me
- The young characters felt too mature for their ages - another YA where I felt like I was reading adults
- Not enough of a HEA/HFN/resolution for me
- There was too much happening in not enough words. Everything was so rapid. I didn’t believe the rise to fame, and I didn’t think enough time was invested in Liliana’s friendship issues, ex-issues, family issues, relationship issues. Basically - it was rushed and unrealistic
In short: It’s not my style, but maybe teens will love it!
I’m all for a “teen gets famous” story - but sadly I think this one was trying to do too much.
Liliana is a talented guitarist studying at a music academy in London (she’s a 16yo exchange student from Australia). She’s invited to audition to be part of a band. The song she writes helps the band win a contest, then the next thing you know 💥 boom they’re huge. Liliana has to grapple with the record label wanting to “rebrand” her, the loss of her girlfriend, new feelings emerging, and what this new life means.
Things I liked:
- Really good representation in this book, with gender, LGBTQIA+ and race diversity. The lead is bi
- The inclusion of the song writing process and lyrics - I love it when authors are game enough to do this
- The underlying message about changing yourself and the damage this can do
Things I didn’t like:
- I don’t like love triangles and this book was a little bit painful for me
- The young characters felt too mature for their ages - another YA where I felt like I was reading adults
- Not enough of a HEA/HFN/resolution for me
- There was too much happening in not enough words. Everything was so rapid. I didn’t believe the rise to fame, and I didn’t think enough time was invested in Liliana’s friendship issues, ex-issues, family issues, relationship issues. Basically - it was rushed and unrealistic
In short: It’s not my style, but maybe teens will love it!
September 2, 2020
What a strange book. So many ridiculous aspects: from the preposterous set up; to the half baked characters such as BF who was more like an inner voice than an actual character; to the crazy-old music name-dropped (I'd peg the author as definitely over 40 from the bands listed), that in normal circumstances it would definitely be a contender to be thrown across the room while yelling 'Too stupid!' Sarah Courtney was on point in her review. However, not only did I read it all the way to the end, I also quite enjoyed it?! Perhaps the fast pace and silliness was what I needed during the dragging real-world covid events?
Not sure the 'representation' wasn't just tokenism either - it's explicitly stated the bi-racial character got his good looks from the white parent, the non-binary BF might have only been in the MC's head for all their substance, definitely friend-zone all the way with sparkless Addie, & GF Ellie Wong might as well have been Al Wallace for the complete lack of yuri tingles. Poor Ellie was such a non-character. No wonder their relationship broke up ASAP if the only things the MC liked about her were that she skated and her mum had a good record collection :(
Not sure the 'representation' wasn't just tokenism either - it's explicitly stated the bi-racial character got his good looks from the white parent, the non-binary BF might have only been in the MC's head for all their substance, definitely friend-zone all the way with sparkless Addie, & GF Ellie Wong might as well have been Al Wallace for the complete lack of yuri tingles. Poor Ellie was such a non-character. No wonder their relationship broke up ASAP if the only things the MC liked about her were that she skated and her mum had a good record collection :(
July 13, 2020
Story 📖
Liliana is on an exchange trip to an exclusive music college in London. As a 17 year old Australian girl that has left behind her girlfriend, Ellie it is safe to say that all of this experience is new.
When Liliana meets Carter, a fellow student and he encourages her to try out for his band before she pens a number 1 hit song about him.
It’s safe to say life gets out of control for a 17 year old from suburban Sydney. As her fame grows, it’s a question of who can she really trust?
Summary 📖
I liked how the story was told with authenticity about how a 17 year old so far from home and how it impacts on her mental, emotional and physical health.
This story had great parallels with the journey Gwen Stefani had as a member of No Doubt.
Suggestion 📖
I love YA that makes the reader think further than the likely trope. I enjoyed how they built the characters overtime and the ending was unexpected.
August 19, 2020
3.5 stars
I just was not feeling this book, protagonist was find but the love interest just did not float my boat. Plus there’s just something about characters trying to become pop stars that I’m kind of sick of. Yeah, yeah, they love music, suddenly become big and then some sort of disaster happens and the characters realises their manager was corrupt the whole time. Been there, done that. I just don’t think there’s anything that’s encouraging the reader to continue to read in these plots. Throwing in a bi protagonist, gender neutral characters, etc. while interesting was not enough to make up for that fact for me. After reading about kids trying to form a band, write a song, attend a comp yada yada I just decided to just skim the rest and I to say that it seems like from part 2 onwards things got a little bit more interesting and dramatic. Either way, a good go overall.
I just was not feeling this book, protagonist was find but the love interest just did not float my boat. Plus there’s just something about characters trying to become pop stars that I’m kind of sick of. Yeah, yeah, they love music, suddenly become big and then some sort of disaster happens and the characters realises their manager was corrupt the whole time. Been there, done that. I just don’t think there’s anything that’s encouraging the reader to continue to read in these plots. Throwing in a bi protagonist, gender neutral characters, etc. while interesting was not enough to make up for that fact for me. After reading about kids trying to form a band, write a song, attend a comp yada yada I just decided to just skim the rest and I to say that it seems like from part 2 onwards things got a little bit more interesting and dramatic. Either way, a good go overall.
July 12, 2020
A beautiful and brilliant YA relationships novel. Frances Chapman effortlessly brings you into the life of sixteen-year-old Liliana, as she searches for fame with her band “Lady Stardust”. It’s all the Australian girl has ever wanted. But getting there isn’t easy. Boyfriends, girlfriends, betrayal, love and heartbreak follow Liliana on her quest for stardom as she wrestles with the balance of staying true to herself and following the allure of fame that beckons her. An enthralling novel that delves further than others in its exploration of the inner workings of fame with a relatable and loveable protagonist. Prominent themes of friendship and identity are woven flawlessly into the narrative that is captivating from start to finish.
August 10, 2020
So well-paced it was a chore to put it down and get on with my life. Chapman really captured the messiness of relationships at that stage of life and how hard it can be to work out what you want and what's good for you. The side characters are well drawn and I genuinely cared for them all except the bass player who was a dick which is also so true and perfect (not that it's always the bass player, but there is always one). It has some really positive messaging without shoving it down your throat, and no one in it is perfect. I loved it!
December 28, 2020
Think One Direction and 5SOS - the teenage band and the rise to stardom and paps and love crushes and the blurred perspective of fame and fortune.
Great little read.
Liliana goes from Australia to a music academy overseas and becomes involved in a band and her song writing is a hit and suddenly they rise to instant stardom. The main boy, Carter, is in the band is caught up in the fame and ability to drink and pick up girls. But the relationship and chemistry between Lily and Carter keeps you wanting to read on, and the fact that Lily is bisexual
Worth a look
Great little read.
Liliana goes from Australia to a music academy overseas and becomes involved in a band and her song writing is a hit and suddenly they rise to instant stardom. The main boy, Carter, is in the band is caught up in the fame and ability to drink and pick up girls. But the relationship and chemistry between Lily and Carter keeps you wanting to read on, and the fact that Lily is bisexual
Worth a look
June 16, 2025
this book had the set-up to either be amazing or really meh. I'm still not sure which one it was.
I don't think I can say I enjoyed this book when the majority of what it made me feel was angry. there were definitely some good bits and the writing was great. I loved the characters of Lilliana, Sam, phoinex and Ellie but carter made me want to punch my fist through a wall the whole book. I don't think them breaking up in the last few pages can make up for hundreds of pages of her being blind.
All in all though I like the concept and it reminds me or I was born for this.
I don't think I can say I enjoyed this book when the majority of what it made me feel was angry. there were definitely some good bits and the writing was great. I loved the characters of Lilliana, Sam, phoinex and Ellie but carter made me want to punch my fist through a wall the whole book. I don't think them breaking up in the last few pages can make up for hundreds of pages of her being blind.
All in all though I like the concept and it reminds me or I was born for this.
September 20, 2020
This was exactly the book I needed to read. It was fun and warm and I could not put it down. The characters are the kind that get stuck in your head, you're wondering about them as you go about your day. I've read a few reviews likening it to Daisy Jones and I can affirm that it has the same good time vibes but with the complexities of teen drama and relationships. Can't wait for Frances Chapmans next book!
November 22, 2020
So I picked up Frances Chapman’s 'Stars Like Us' a couple days ago and *inhaled* it!
Such a good #LoveOzYA - a little bit Alice Oseman meets Robin Benway (think ‘Audrey, Wait!’) and just truly satisfying, exhilarating contemporary YA all about music, muses and love - and what happens when all those things collide. This was an Ampersand Prize winner, and I can see why - it’s addictively good storytelling!
BRAVA!
Such a good #LoveOzYA - a little bit Alice Oseman meets Robin Benway (think ‘Audrey, Wait!’) and just truly satisfying, exhilarating contemporary YA all about music, muses and love - and what happens when all those things collide. This was an Ampersand Prize winner, and I can see why - it’s addictively good storytelling!
BRAVA!
November 9, 2021
This novel was very entertaining and was a great read. I loved the different genres and the different dynamics of it. It was focused on something i am passionate about, which is music. It tracks Lilianas journey through her music career and I really like how she grows and changes as she gets older.
dnf
June 5, 2022I liked the writing style and the characters but I couldn't move past the fact that most of them were 16 and somehow living some rock star life. Like Richie and Carter bringing home girls? I couldn't really suspend my disbelief over that.
Also wasn't a fan of the insta-love between Carter and Liliana, even though Carter was a douchebag and didn't really care about her feelings.
Also wasn't a fan of the insta-love between Carter and Liliana, even though Carter was a douchebag and didn't really care about her feelings.
July 21, 2020
This was actually very good! For a book about the rise to fame, I still feel like the characters were real, like I knew these people. Kind of.
Anyway, I’ll write a proper review later but Bisexual rockstars, love you 💖💜💙
Anyway, I’ll write a proper review later but Bisexual rockstars, love you 💖💜💙
August 9, 2020
This book really taps in to the angst, intensity and tension of coming-of-age. Enjoyable and a real page turner, whilst also being multi layered and very clever.
Deeply enjoyed the Bowie references, and can’t help but wonder who the original Bisexual Australian Siren is...
Deeply enjoyed the Bowie references, and can’t help but wonder who the original Bisexual Australian Siren is...
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