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Body of Stars
An exploration of fate and female agency in a world very similar to our own--except that the markings on women's bodies reveal the future. A piercing indictment of rape culture, a read about what happens when women are objectified and stripped of choice--and what happens when they fight back.
Celeste Morton has eagerly awaited her passage to adulthood. Like every girl, she was born with a set of childhood markings--the freckles, moles, and birthmarks on her body that foretell her future and that of those around her--and with puberty will come a new set of predictions that will solidify her fate. The possibilities are tantalizing enough to outweigh the worry that the future she dreams of won't be the one she's fated to have and the fear of her "changeling period" the time when women are nearly irresistible to men and the risk of abduction is rife.
Celeste's beloved brother, Miles, is equally anticipating her transition to adulthood. As a skilled interpreter of the future, a field that typically excludes men, Miles considers Celeste his practice ground--and the only clue to what his own future will bring. But when Celeste changes, she learns a devastating secret about Miles's fate: a secret that could destroy her family, a secret she will do anything to keep. Yet Celeste isn't the only one keeping secrets, and when the lies of brother and sister collide, it leads to a tragedy that will irrevocably change Celeste's fate, set her on a path to fight against the inherent misogyny of fortune-telling, and urge her to create a future that is truly her own.
Celeste Morton has eagerly awaited her passage to adulthood. Like every girl, she was born with a set of childhood markings--the freckles, moles, and birthmarks on her body that foretell her future and that of those around her--and with puberty will come a new set of predictions that will solidify her fate. The possibilities are tantalizing enough to outweigh the worry that the future she dreams of won't be the one she's fated to have and the fear of her "changeling period" the time when women are nearly irresistible to men and the risk of abduction is rife.
Celeste's beloved brother, Miles, is equally anticipating her transition to adulthood. As a skilled interpreter of the future, a field that typically excludes men, Miles considers Celeste his practice ground--and the only clue to what his own future will bring. But when Celeste changes, she learns a devastating secret about Miles's fate: a secret that could destroy her family, a secret she will do anything to keep. Yet Celeste isn't the only one keeping secrets, and when the lies of brother and sister collide, it leads to a tragedy that will irrevocably change Celeste's fate, set her on a path to fight against the inherent misogyny of fortune-telling, and urge her to create a future that is truly her own.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published March 16, 2021
53 people are currently reading
12698 people want to read
About the author
Laura Maylene Walter
4 books100 followersLaura Maylene Walter is the author of the novel Body of Stars. Her writing has appeared in Poets & Writers, Kenyon Review, Slate, The Sun, Ninth Letter, The Masters Review, the Horse Girls anthology, and many other publications. She has received grants, awards, or fellowships from the Ohio Arts Council, the Ohioana Library Association, Yaddo, Tin House, the Chautauqua Institution, and Art Omi: Writers. Laura is editor in chief of Literary Cleveland’s Gordon Square Review and is the Ohio Center for the Book Fellow at Cleveland Public Library.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 313 reviews
January 16, 2021
I devoured this book in one sitting and I can sum up my feelings by telling you I was desperate to highlight lines but didn’t because I felt like I was holding a book that was going to make history in my hands. This is one of the most stunning metaphors for rape culture and the lack of agency women have of their own bodies I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I was simultaneously engrossed in the story and also constantly aware that I was reading a book that really meant something. I was horrified, moved and touched. I saw the society we live in today reflected in the pages and instead of making me sad it gave me hope. Women will change the world.
March 11, 2021
Dutton asked to send me this book in exchange for an honest review, so all thoughts are mine.
First things first, I absolutely LOVED this book and had a hard time putting it down! It was just so well written and unique, and I loved the addition of pages from Mapping the Future between chapters. It was very easy to follow along and I absolutely tore through this book.
My initial opinion of this book was that women had so much power, yet were limited in so many ways. I mean, they literally have the future etched into their skin but are subjected to so many rules and regulations, so it does not feel like they are free at all. And if they were ever abducted, they are considered "ruined" women and can never have a respectable job (or even education) again. I felt that this book mirrored our own society in a lot of ways, because men get away with so much more and are generally given more freedoms than the average woman. Women these days may feel like they have a lot of freedom, but when it comes down to it the men always come out on top. And it is truly disgusting. In the book, the women are blamed for "allowing" the abductions to take place and are punished for trying to remember what happened (by taking a drug that shares hidden memories) and.....that sounds about right for society today too.... women in society today are still being told they are "at fault" for allowing r*pe and s*xual assault to happen to them. It really is despicable.
I actually cringed at the part where fathers do the markings inspection during the changeling period. I understand being a kid and having your parents look at you, but once hitting puberty there is absolutely no reason a father should be able to look at your naked body. It made me uncomfortable, and it was just one of those small details that showed womens bodies were not truly their own. I mean, the book as a whole had a very eerie feeling to it, it really did give me dystopian vibes despite the book having more than just bad parts in it.
But like I said, this book is more than a sum of its bad parts, even as a dystopian novel. And I am saying they're bad as in "not right," not as in I hated the book. I loved this, and have no complaints! For the better parts of the book, women have their futures written on their bodies! Professions, major illnesses, marriage, kids, just about anything. There is a chart at the start of the book detailing where these marking show up on a body and what they mean, and it is just so fascinating to me. There was a whole interpretation district in the book where women could go to get truthful or mystical readings, and even mentioned how to spot the "fakes" from true interpreters.
Despite being a ruined woman, there are still options out there (for those that have money of course). Women can also become humanitarians and help out the disadvantaged around the world, and get a lot of money for it! Only women can be interpreters because they carry the marks on their bodies, but sometimes the markings are vague enough they can choose their own professions. This book also showed how much women can come together, even in secret, to help make the world a better place. Also, each woman goes through a changeling period that feels like pure magic. They have a sort of glow to them and a higher lucidity of the world, and get to live like this for a few weeks, seeing everything through heightened senses. As scary as it is to be a changeling, there is also something just magical about it too.
All in all, I want to keep this book with me forever. I was sickened and cringing at some parts in it, but through it all Celeste was inspiring and there was just to much hope in this. I thought there would be more action, but that is because I read a lot of fantasy (whoops). This is more like magical realism than fantasy, with the magic being the changeling period and markings shifting on the body. I loved this book so much, and it might be one of my year end favorites.
First things first, I absolutely LOVED this book and had a hard time putting it down! It was just so well written and unique, and I loved the addition of pages from Mapping the Future between chapters. It was very easy to follow along and I absolutely tore through this book.
My initial opinion of this book was that women had so much power, yet were limited in so many ways. I mean, they literally have the future etched into their skin but are subjected to so many rules and regulations, so it does not feel like they are free at all. And if they were ever abducted, they are considered "ruined" women and can never have a respectable job (or even education) again. I felt that this book mirrored our own society in a lot of ways, because men get away with so much more and are generally given more freedoms than the average woman. Women these days may feel like they have a lot of freedom, but when it comes down to it the men always come out on top. And it is truly disgusting. In the book, the women are blamed for "allowing" the abductions to take place and are punished for trying to remember what happened (by taking a drug that shares hidden memories) and.....that sounds about right for society today too.... women in society today are still being told they are "at fault" for allowing r*pe and s*xual assault to happen to them. It really is despicable.
I actually cringed at the part where fathers do the markings inspection during the changeling period. I understand being a kid and having your parents look at you, but once hitting puberty there is absolutely no reason a father should be able to look at your naked body. It made me uncomfortable, and it was just one of those small details that showed womens bodies were not truly their own. I mean, the book as a whole had a very eerie feeling to it, it really did give me dystopian vibes despite the book having more than just bad parts in it.
But like I said, this book is more than a sum of its bad parts, even as a dystopian novel. And I am saying they're bad as in "not right," not as in I hated the book. I loved this, and have no complaints! For the better parts of the book, women have their futures written on their bodies! Professions, major illnesses, marriage, kids, just about anything. There is a chart at the start of the book detailing where these marking show up on a body and what they mean, and it is just so fascinating to me. There was a whole interpretation district in the book where women could go to get truthful or mystical readings, and even mentioned how to spot the "fakes" from true interpreters.
Despite being a ruined woman, there are still options out there (for those that have money of course). Women can also become humanitarians and help out the disadvantaged around the world, and get a lot of money for it! Only women can be interpreters because they carry the marks on their bodies, but sometimes the markings are vague enough they can choose their own professions. This book also showed how much women can come together, even in secret, to help make the world a better place. Also, each woman goes through a changeling period that feels like pure magic. They have a sort of glow to them and a higher lucidity of the world, and get to live like this for a few weeks, seeing everything through heightened senses. As scary as it is to be a changeling, there is also something just magical about it too.
All in all, I want to keep this book with me forever. I was sickened and cringing at some parts in it, but through it all Celeste was inspiring and there was just to much hope in this. I thought there would be more action, but that is because I read a lot of fantasy (whoops). This is more like magical realism than fantasy, with the magic being the changeling period and markings shifting on the body. I loved this book so much, and it might be one of my year end favorites.
March 16, 2021
Body of Stars is a bold and dazzling exploration of fate and female agency in a world very similar to our own--except that the markings on women's bodies reveal the future. Debut novelist Laura Maylene Walter has penned a captivating, unique and timely piece on the issues of girlhood, womanhood and toxic masculinity. Celeste Morton has eagerly awaited her passage to adulthood. Like every girl, she was born with a set of childhood markings--a constellation of freckles, moles, and birthmarks on her body that foretell her future and that of those around her--and with puberty will come a new set of predictions that will solidify her fate. The possibilities are tantalizing enough to outweigh the worry that the future she dreams of won't be the one she's fated to have and the fear of her "changeling period" — a week-long phase when women are nearly irresistible to men and the risk of ”being taken”, which includes abduction and rape, is rife. If as a young woman you are subjected to an attack of this nature it is deemed your fault for being too alluring and the act doesn't constitute a criminal offence, so the perpetrator goes unpunished. Celeste's beloved brother, Miles, is equally anticipating her transition to adulthood. As a skilled interpreter of the future, Miles aspires to be a professional interpreter of girls’ markings, a field that typically excludes men, and considers Celeste his practice ground--and the only clue to what his own future will bring. Once Celeste transitions into adulthood she will be condemned to nothingness and treated as second class citizens - no more education and subjugation are what lie ahead.
But when Celeste changes, she learns a devastating secret about Miles's fate that contradict Miles’s prophecies: a secret that could destroy her family, a secret she will do anything to keep. She is foretold Miles will die aged only 21. Then Celeste is kidnapped by two men and is forced to enrol at a rehabilitation centre after waking up after the ambush in hospital her battered body covered in bruises. Yet Celeste isn't the only one keeping secrets, and when the lies of brother and sister collide, it leads to a tragedy that will irrevocably change Celeste's fate, set her on a path to fight against the inherent misogyny of fortune-telling and urge her to create a future that is truly her own. A cross between literary fiction and dark fantasy, Walter has woven an intricate and richly-imagined world where misogyny and gendered oppression reign supreme. It is the tender coming-of-age of Celeste who quickly realises the unfairness and inequality between the sexes and hopes to mount a fightback encouraging her sisters in arms to join her in kickstarting an important revolution in which she seeks freedom and the right to self-determination. Through a deeply dystopian lens, we are shown a complex, multidimensional world not so different from our own and asked through quiet reflection to see its faults. It's powerful, heartbreaking and does not shy away from addressing unsettling topics at the heart of egalitarian debate. The prose is lyrical and perhaps on the verge of becoming purple but manages to captivate throughout. This is a bewitching, thought-provoking allegory of our world and the aspects we should seek to change about it. Highly recommended.
But when Celeste changes, she learns a devastating secret about Miles's fate that contradict Miles’s prophecies: a secret that could destroy her family, a secret she will do anything to keep. She is foretold Miles will die aged only 21. Then Celeste is kidnapped by two men and is forced to enrol at a rehabilitation centre after waking up after the ambush in hospital her battered body covered in bruises. Yet Celeste isn't the only one keeping secrets, and when the lies of brother and sister collide, it leads to a tragedy that will irrevocably change Celeste's fate, set her on a path to fight against the inherent misogyny of fortune-telling and urge her to create a future that is truly her own. A cross between literary fiction and dark fantasy, Walter has woven an intricate and richly-imagined world where misogyny and gendered oppression reign supreme. It is the tender coming-of-age of Celeste who quickly realises the unfairness and inequality between the sexes and hopes to mount a fightback encouraging her sisters in arms to join her in kickstarting an important revolution in which she seeks freedom and the right to self-determination. Through a deeply dystopian lens, we are shown a complex, multidimensional world not so different from our own and asked through quiet reflection to see its faults. It's powerful, heartbreaking and does not shy away from addressing unsettling topics at the heart of egalitarian debate. The prose is lyrical and perhaps on the verge of becoming purple but manages to captivate throughout. This is a bewitching, thought-provoking allegory of our world and the aspects we should seek to change about it. Highly recommended.
August 11, 2021
A nicely written debut novel. It started out quite well, but the story lost some steam midway through, and ends rather tepidly.
The themes of exploitation, control, and blame of women and girls explored here is such well trodden ground that the story needed a bit more to make it feel like it had something new or different to say.
The themes of exploitation, control, and blame of women and girls explored here is such well trodden ground that the story needed a bit more to make it feel like it had something new or different to say.
March 16, 2021
"No future, dear reader, can break a woman on its own."
What would it be like to know your future? To have the things that will happen to you and those you love mapped out on your body and be powerless to change it?
Body of Stars is a dazzling and luminous debut that is unlike anything I’ve read before. It is one of those books you know you’re going to love from the start; that seeps right into your soul and lingers long after you’ve finished reading. Exquisitely written with beautiful and almost melodic prose, the author cast a hypnotic spell with the captivating opening lines that lasts until the final pages. I savoured every word, eager to bathe in its splendour for as long as possible.
A multifaceted story about fate, choice, family, secrets, trauma and female agency, the author writes with truth and sensitivity as she examines timely, important issues such as male violence, rape culture, victim blaming, patriarchy and the toxicity they can breed. She also asks how women can empower themselves and come together to make a change, and looks at the positive and negative consequences of knowing your future.
"All we knew was that our lives were speckled in advance on our skin, as it had been for our mothers, as it was for our sisters, while our brothers and fathers were left in the dark."
The girls in this world are born marked, but men aren’t. And men are jealous, eager to know their own fates. But despite being the ones with the future on their skin, the women aren’t the ones with the agency. Their bodies aren’t their own and from birth they are read and their markings recorded by government inspectors, they have to sign waivers permitting potential universities or employers access to these records, and upon becoming a changeling they must submit to a humiliating inspection by both their mother and father. And, as changelings, the females are so potent that everyone is drawn to them; the men in particular. Some of whom will do anything to possess them. But the men are seen as powerless against their changeling allure and it is the women who are held responsible for staying safe and not getting abducted. And if they are taken and ruined, the blame is placed solely at their feet. But this isn’t an anti-men book. It is a wider story about the problems of strict gender identities and roles, and we see Celeste’s brother Miles and her father also fall foul of their society's strict rules and roles for men.
One of my favourite aspects of this book is that the author included excerpts and illustrations from Mapping the Future, the book used in her fictional world to interpret markings and predict their fates. The intricate detail was phenomenal and added to the sense of realism. There were definitely times I forgot this was all from the author’s wonderful imagination and I wasn’t reading about life in another country.
It is rare to read a book where you really have no idea what will happen next, and this was one of those books. I found myself reading in breathless anticipation, trying to piece together the clues she’d dropped like breadcrumbs about Celeste and Miles’ fate.
Mesmerising, soulful, unique and memorable, Body of Stars is an absolute tour de force. An easy five stars from me, I have no doubt this will be among my favourite books of the year. It is a book that resonates strongly and can’t recommend it highly enough. I am in awe that it is a debut novel and can’t wait to see what Ms. Walters writes next after such a phenomenal start.
What would it be like to know your future? To have the things that will happen to you and those you love mapped out on your body and be powerless to change it?
Body of Stars is a dazzling and luminous debut that is unlike anything I’ve read before. It is one of those books you know you’re going to love from the start; that seeps right into your soul and lingers long after you’ve finished reading. Exquisitely written with beautiful and almost melodic prose, the author cast a hypnotic spell with the captivating opening lines that lasts until the final pages. I savoured every word, eager to bathe in its splendour for as long as possible.
A multifaceted story about fate, choice, family, secrets, trauma and female agency, the author writes with truth and sensitivity as she examines timely, important issues such as male violence, rape culture, victim blaming, patriarchy and the toxicity they can breed. She also asks how women can empower themselves and come together to make a change, and looks at the positive and negative consequences of knowing your future.
"All we knew was that our lives were speckled in advance on our skin, as it had been for our mothers, as it was for our sisters, while our brothers and fathers were left in the dark."
The girls in this world are born marked, but men aren’t. And men are jealous, eager to know their own fates. But despite being the ones with the future on their skin, the women aren’t the ones with the agency. Their bodies aren’t their own and from birth they are read and their markings recorded by government inspectors, they have to sign waivers permitting potential universities or employers access to these records, and upon becoming a changeling they must submit to a humiliating inspection by both their mother and father. And, as changelings, the females are so potent that everyone is drawn to them; the men in particular. Some of whom will do anything to possess them. But the men are seen as powerless against their changeling allure and it is the women who are held responsible for staying safe and not getting abducted. And if they are taken and ruined, the blame is placed solely at their feet. But this isn’t an anti-men book. It is a wider story about the problems of strict gender identities and roles, and we see Celeste’s brother Miles and her father also fall foul of their society's strict rules and roles for men.
One of my favourite aspects of this book is that the author included excerpts and illustrations from Mapping the Future, the book used in her fictional world to interpret markings and predict their fates. The intricate detail was phenomenal and added to the sense of realism. There were definitely times I forgot this was all from the author’s wonderful imagination and I wasn’t reading about life in another country.
It is rare to read a book where you really have no idea what will happen next, and this was one of those books. I found myself reading in breathless anticipation, trying to piece together the clues she’d dropped like breadcrumbs about Celeste and Miles’ fate.
Mesmerising, soulful, unique and memorable, Body of Stars is an absolute tour de force. An easy five stars from me, I have no doubt this will be among my favourite books of the year. It is a book that resonates strongly and can’t recommend it highly enough. I am in awe that it is a debut novel and can’t wait to see what Ms. Walters writes next after such a phenomenal start.
dnf
February 18, 2021DNF
If you fancy some flowery misery porn that offers a vision of the world similar to The Handmaid's Tale, Vox, The Water Cure (ie women are oppressed) you might end up appreciating Body of Stars more than I was able. Purply prose aside I just did not buy into the whole in this future/reality women have freckles all over their bodies that predict their futures (from how many children they will have to their career). Seriously? Definitely not my cup of tea.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you fancy some flowery misery porn that offers a vision of the world similar to The Handmaid's Tale, Vox, The Water Cure (ie women are oppressed) you might end up appreciating Body of Stars more than I was able. Purply prose aside I just did not buy into the whole in this future/reality women have freckles all over their bodies that predict their futures (from how many children they will have to their career). Seriously? Definitely not my cup of tea.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 9, 2021
3.5/4
i received an advanced copy of this book from @hodder_studio so thank you so much!!
‘body of stars’ is set in an alternate/dystopian world where girls are born with markings (moles/freckles) that foretell their futures. once they reach their 15th birthday, the girls enter a ‘changeling’ period where their adult markings are revealed, their skin mapping out their adult lives. during this time, the girls become irresistible to men around them and the risk of abduction is at an all-time high. if the girls are abducted, they’re returned with their reputations sullied and their futures ruined. we mainly follow celeste, a girl on the cusp of her changeling period, and her brother miles, who’s working on becoming an interpreter to read the girls’ markings.
i saw this book was marked as ‘fantasy’ which made me hesitant at first, but upon reading i actually really enjoyed it! i definitely think it leaned more towards the dystopian genre, which i used to read a lot of when i was younger so it really took me back to that.
for me, the book felt like a timely allegory on rape culture and the ways victims are treated in society. the girls in the book are constantly told what to do in order to avoid being abducted, which is very reminiscent of all the things that girls in our society are told as we grow up e.g. don’t wear revealing clothes, don’t walk alone at night etc. it shines a light on how girls and women have to take so many precautions to ensure their safety, but yet are still blamed for any violence enacted against them anyway. i also enjoyed the interesting sibling bond that was explored in this book, as well as the message of how important education is as celeste’s worldview really changes once she’s taught more about the world.
i was pleasantly surprised by this book as i don’t delve into this genre much, so if you’re looking for a feminist dystopian/light fantasy, then i’d recommend picking it up on the 18th march
i received an advanced copy of this book from @hodder_studio so thank you so much!!
‘body of stars’ is set in an alternate/dystopian world where girls are born with markings (moles/freckles) that foretell their futures. once they reach their 15th birthday, the girls enter a ‘changeling’ period where their adult markings are revealed, their skin mapping out their adult lives. during this time, the girls become irresistible to men around them and the risk of abduction is at an all-time high. if the girls are abducted, they’re returned with their reputations sullied and their futures ruined. we mainly follow celeste, a girl on the cusp of her changeling period, and her brother miles, who’s working on becoming an interpreter to read the girls’ markings.
i saw this book was marked as ‘fantasy’ which made me hesitant at first, but upon reading i actually really enjoyed it! i definitely think it leaned more towards the dystopian genre, which i used to read a lot of when i was younger so it really took me back to that.
for me, the book felt like a timely allegory on rape culture and the ways victims are treated in society. the girls in the book are constantly told what to do in order to avoid being abducted, which is very reminiscent of all the things that girls in our society are told as we grow up e.g. don’t wear revealing clothes, don’t walk alone at night etc. it shines a light on how girls and women have to take so many precautions to ensure their safety, but yet are still blamed for any violence enacted against them anyway. i also enjoyed the interesting sibling bond that was explored in this book, as well as the message of how important education is as celeste’s worldview really changes once she’s taught more about the world.
i was pleasantly surprised by this book as i don’t delve into this genre much, so if you’re looking for a feminist dystopian/light fantasy, then i’d recommend picking it up on the 18th march
June 21, 2021
This was a disturbing look at a dystopian future and speaks volumes about women’s lack of agency of their own bodies and rape culture. It was a lot like the Handmaid’s tale as a young adult story. This world is eerily like our own with one big difference girls are born with the marks of their future on their skin. During adolescence these marks change and girls go through a period where they are irresistible as they blossom into adulthood. Boys and men have no marks and their future is only known through the marks on their wives or daughters bodies. While women hold the future in their skin it is not theirs alone. The government does regular inspections of the marks and when a girl blossoms to adulthood her father and mother both have a traditional need to see their entire bodies. Sometimes in that blossoming period a girl goes missing and is abused sexually. This marks her as damaged and closes doors like college and even her regular school because it is seen as her fault. This story was sad, beautiful, and depressing. It’s told from the perspective of Celeste as she changes from girl into the woman she must become.
December 13, 2020
Review to come! I'm not sure what to rate this one so you might see it going up. This was an interesting look into a dystopian universe, with a strong focus on misogyny and especially rape culture. However, it also left me unsatisfied. The story revolved so strongly around the brother, and I didn't care for him, so a lot of the emotional impact of his involvement wasn't there.
January 10, 2022
A Body of Stars was an insane journey establishing the reality for women in our own society. The establishment of child characters created a facade of limited exploration into rape culture and feminity, however, the book quickly proves otherwise. This book balances tightly on the line of reality and fiction utilising both to create a world of horror and hope. 'Body of Stars' is definitely not a light holiday book, but is a must read to gain an understanding and deep insight into women objectivity and what occurs when they are stripped of choice. This book also executes it's extended metaphor to a tee. This unique perspective in which a woman's body holds 'stars' and 'freckles' which tell the future allowed the prejudice deeply rooted within our own societal systems to be clearly reflected. The book also explores the relationship between brother and sister in a uncommon way and how they react to the society and future they are given. In addition, 'Body of Stars' explores the way the 'freckles' on a woman's body are sought after and seemingly believed to be owned by men. This coupled with a unique 'changeling period' where woman feel high lucidity and become irristable to men created a book of intense anitcipation and reality driven narratives.
All in all, it was a horrendous book for all the reasons it should be. The writing was great, the storyline amazing and the reflection it ensued even better. A must read for all.
All in all, it was a horrendous book for all the reasons it should be. The writing was great, the storyline amazing and the reflection it ensued even better. A must read for all.
February 22, 2021
Body of Stars is a very original dystopian novel, that takes place in a world where all women have their bodies marked as a map for their future life. I loved the drawings of the marks included in the story which made it even easier to visualize. We are presented to Celeste, a teenage girl who’s life is completely predicted in her marks, and her brother Miles. I kept wondering if those predictions of the future were a gift or a curse? To me it seems a little bit of both, since from the beginning the main character suffered trying to understand it.
In the story there is a book, Mapping the Future: An Interpretive Guide to Women and Girls, that shows the rules for these interpretations, but they are not always clear or complete. Both characters got their lives touched by it first as students, and later as working adults to learn more about these interpretations. The story has a harsh view of women's rights and duties. This book of rules dominates their lives, and while that men are kept in the dark since they don’t have marks nor they are allowed to it’s interpretations. A strict line is drawn between the lives of men and women, which had Celeste wanting more of their world, and had me rooting for her while reading.
In the story there is a book, Mapping the Future: An Interpretive Guide to Women and Girls, that shows the rules for these interpretations, but they are not always clear or complete. Both characters got their lives touched by it first as students, and later as working adults to learn more about these interpretations. The story has a harsh view of women's rights and duties. This book of rules dominates their lives, and while that men are kept in the dark since they don’t have marks nor they are allowed to it’s interpretations. A strict line is drawn between the lives of men and women, which had Celeste wanting more of their world, and had me rooting for her while reading.
May 21, 2021
'What I truly wished for, what I could barely allow myself to imagine, was a full reckoning. To transfer the shame and responsibility from girls who were harmed to where it belonged - to the men, and to everyone who defended those men in myriad ways.'
Reading this book was electric. A number of times I had to put this book down just to truly appreciate Walter’s writing. Body of Stars is a book of true importance and one of my favourites for 2021.
Reading this book was electric. A number of times I had to put this book down just to truly appreciate Walter’s writing. Body of Stars is a book of true importance and one of my favourites for 2021.
March 1, 2021
I received an advanced copy of this book from @hodderandstoughton so thank you so much!
I was really pleasantly surprised with this book. We follow Celeste, whose brother Miles has always been obsessed with reading her markings. He has an affinity for interpretation, which is considered a women’s role. Celeste and Miles, a couple years apart in age, are extremely close, but as Celeste reaches adulthood, they begin to drift apart as they realise they are both keeping secrets from each other.
This alternate reality was so clearly an interpretation of rape culture that is prevalent in our society today. Girls bodies were not wholly considered their own but it was considered their duty to share their markings with the men in their life. Men were drawn to these girls in ways that often spelt disaster for the girls, whilst it rarely ever resulted in consequences for the boys. Society shunned girls who were abducted, often blaming them for wearing revealing clothing, going out at night and flirting with men… sound familiar?
This book will frustrate you because it was so close to our society in these ways. However, the last quarter of this book was so full of hope in the ways people (and girls) can fight back and change these narratives.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and would definitely recommend picking it up when it releases in March.
I was really pleasantly surprised with this book. We follow Celeste, whose brother Miles has always been obsessed with reading her markings. He has an affinity for interpretation, which is considered a women’s role. Celeste and Miles, a couple years apart in age, are extremely close, but as Celeste reaches adulthood, they begin to drift apart as they realise they are both keeping secrets from each other.
This alternate reality was so clearly an interpretation of rape culture that is prevalent in our society today. Girls bodies were not wholly considered their own but it was considered their duty to share their markings with the men in their life. Men were drawn to these girls in ways that often spelt disaster for the girls, whilst it rarely ever resulted in consequences for the boys. Society shunned girls who were abducted, often blaming them for wearing revealing clothing, going out at night and flirting with men… sound familiar?
This book will frustrate you because it was so close to our society in these ways. However, the last quarter of this book was so full of hope in the ways people (and girls) can fight back and change these narratives.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and would definitely recommend picking it up when it releases in March.
August 29, 2025
I'll start this review saying I normally read high fantasy and not fiction, so I did find it somewhat not that entretaining. Why am I not lowering the score? Because the message in this book and the story told deserve 5 stars.
"Or maybe I admired her simply because she had no markings, no future, no dark realities awaiting her. Because she was free. Because her body was her own." (pg, 59)
Body of Stars is a dystopian novel written by Laura Maylene Walter, published on March 18th, 2021. The story is set in the future, where girls are born with the future etched into their skin, in the shape of moles and freckles. Their predictions change once they hit puberty, turning into their “adult markings” and solidifying their future. When a girl transcends from her childhood markings into her adult markings, she enters her changeling period, where, for a few weeks, she's irresistible to men. Changelings often go missing and return weeks later with bruises in their bodies and their marks copied and shared, printed into posters, comics or tarot cards.
Society treats the freckles on girls' skin as a gift. While women have the future in their skin, it's not just theirs. The government carries out regular inspections of their marks until the girl becomes an adult, the father and mother have a traditional need to see their whole body to learn about their own future. They are seen as powerful and almost divine, but find themselves limited and objectified. The government sees this as a privilege, when for most girls it is a burden.
“Above all, we implore changelings to recognize that the burden of maintaining purity rests on their own shoulders- it is the first grave responsibility they must face in their adult lives, and a modest price indeed for the privilege of holding the future in their skin.”(pg, 139)
When abducted girls are returned to their normal lives once their changeling period is over, they find that there’s little they can actually return to. Abducted girls are blamed for what has happened to them. The crimes men commit against them are brushed off as unfortunate events, leaving the perpetrators free and the victims with the blame. These girls find that their life has been flipped upside down: they have to undergo a mandatory humiliating recovery process that treats them as fragile and broken. Their captors are able to copy their marks and similars onto elaborate posters and tarot cards for distribution without their consent. Colleges do not accept them, trying to keep their reputation intact.
“‘I want to go to university,’ Glory said, without hesitation.
‘Oh, darling.’ The nurse sat back in her chair. ‘You know that’s impossible.’” (pg, 193)
This book reflects our society in many ways, as men get away with much more and generally have more freedoms than the average woman. Women these days can feel like they have a lot of freedom, but when it comes down to it, it looks like men always win. In the book, women are accused of "allowing" the kidnappings, while women in today's society still say that it is "their fault" that they allowed what happened to them. In the book, in some countries, girls with marks of becoming housewives are denied access to education, a clever critique of the way women's choices are limited by factors they cannot control.
The book also shines a light on how women support each other and how they’ve started to make changes to their own society to make it better. An example would be The Mountain School, a school that opens its doors to abducted girls and helps them through the recovery process, helping them finish their education and accompanying them when their markings are replicated on works of public display.
There’s an ongoing theme of women without markings, fictional beings who are not tied to a destiny in their skin and who have control over their life and themselves. Women who were depicted in banners, and who made entire towns erupt over them and have them removed in a couple days. Something so strange, compared to the painting in museums that had markings, or the statues that have them chiseled into the marble. A statement.
"A woman unmarked, a woman not restricted by either her own future or that of others. No one knew what to make of that." (pg, 343)
This book will not be the one for everyone, it deals with topics that not all of us are ready to talk about. It is written to bring attention to a matter in a more accessible and entertaining way. It is a thought-provoking metaphor for the problems in our world and an idea for a change.
“You are free. You are wild. You are, now and in the future, entirely your own.” (pg, 352)
"Or maybe I admired her simply because she had no markings, no future, no dark realities awaiting her. Because she was free. Because her body was her own." (pg, 59)
Body of Stars is a dystopian novel written by Laura Maylene Walter, published on March 18th, 2021. The story is set in the future, where girls are born with the future etched into their skin, in the shape of moles and freckles. Their predictions change once they hit puberty, turning into their “adult markings” and solidifying their future. When a girl transcends from her childhood markings into her adult markings, she enters her changeling period, where, for a few weeks, she's irresistible to men. Changelings often go missing and return weeks later with bruises in their bodies and their marks copied and shared, printed into posters, comics or tarot cards.
Society treats the freckles on girls' skin as a gift. While women have the future in their skin, it's not just theirs. The government carries out regular inspections of their marks until the girl becomes an adult, the father and mother have a traditional need to see their whole body to learn about their own future. They are seen as powerful and almost divine, but find themselves limited and objectified. The government sees this as a privilege, when for most girls it is a burden.
“Above all, we implore changelings to recognize that the burden of maintaining purity rests on their own shoulders- it is the first grave responsibility they must face in their adult lives, and a modest price indeed for the privilege of holding the future in their skin.”(pg, 139)
When abducted girls are returned to their normal lives once their changeling period is over, they find that there’s little they can actually return to. Abducted girls are blamed for what has happened to them. The crimes men commit against them are brushed off as unfortunate events, leaving the perpetrators free and the victims with the blame. These girls find that their life has been flipped upside down: they have to undergo a mandatory humiliating recovery process that treats them as fragile and broken. Their captors are able to copy their marks and similars onto elaborate posters and tarot cards for distribution without their consent. Colleges do not accept them, trying to keep their reputation intact.
“‘I want to go to university,’ Glory said, without hesitation.
‘Oh, darling.’ The nurse sat back in her chair. ‘You know that’s impossible.’” (pg, 193)
This book reflects our society in many ways, as men get away with much more and generally have more freedoms than the average woman. Women these days can feel like they have a lot of freedom, but when it comes down to it, it looks like men always win. In the book, women are accused of "allowing" the kidnappings, while women in today's society still say that it is "their fault" that they allowed what happened to them. In the book, in some countries, girls with marks of becoming housewives are denied access to education, a clever critique of the way women's choices are limited by factors they cannot control.
The book also shines a light on how women support each other and how they’ve started to make changes to their own society to make it better. An example would be The Mountain School, a school that opens its doors to abducted girls and helps them through the recovery process, helping them finish their education and accompanying them when their markings are replicated on works of public display.
There’s an ongoing theme of women without markings, fictional beings who are not tied to a destiny in their skin and who have control over their life and themselves. Women who were depicted in banners, and who made entire towns erupt over them and have them removed in a couple days. Something so strange, compared to the painting in museums that had markings, or the statues that have them chiseled into the marble. A statement.
"A woman unmarked, a woman not restricted by either her own future or that of others. No one knew what to make of that." (pg, 343)
This book will not be the one for everyone, it deals with topics that not all of us are ready to talk about. It is written to bring attention to a matter in a more accessible and entertaining way. It is a thought-provoking metaphor for the problems in our world and an idea for a change.
“You are free. You are wild. You are, now and in the future, entirely your own.” (pg, 352)
March 19, 2021
Thank you Dutton Book Publishers (an imprint of Penguin Random House) an ARC of Body of Stars via NetGalley.
Body of Stars is a coming of age exploration of fate in a dystopian world similar to our own. The constellation like markings on the female body which reveal their futures, is a fate that can't be escaped. Celeste is a teenager navigating a life that's already predetermined based on these interpretations. On the cusp of puberty, the changeling phase, she fears being kidnapped - a common occurrence for changelings, when the girls become irresistible to men. This period in their life puts them in danger of a severe trauma that effects them for the rest of their lives.
An interesting debut for Walter. She touches on important subjects of gender equality, oppression and rape culture. Her interpretation of the female body can be seen as a celebration that explores beauty and victimization. With that said, this book was not for me. The casual way rape is accepted in this dystopian world is disturbing to read from the start. Aside from the slow pace of the story, I didn't really find myself connecting with the characters, their development was a bit shallow and didn't really grasp my attention. Overall, Walter creates an interesting world full of detail but something didn't crack through the surface for me.
Body of Stars is a coming of age exploration of fate in a dystopian world similar to our own. The constellation like markings on the female body which reveal their futures, is a fate that can't be escaped. Celeste is a teenager navigating a life that's already predetermined based on these interpretations. On the cusp of puberty, the changeling phase, she fears being kidnapped - a common occurrence for changelings, when the girls become irresistible to men. This period in their life puts them in danger of a severe trauma that effects them for the rest of their lives.
An interesting debut for Walter. She touches on important subjects of gender equality, oppression and rape culture. Her interpretation of the female body can be seen as a celebration that explores beauty and victimization. With that said, this book was not for me. The casual way rape is accepted in this dystopian world is disturbing to read from the start. Aside from the slow pace of the story, I didn't really find myself connecting with the characters, their development was a bit shallow and didn't really grasp my attention. Overall, Walter creates an interesting world full of detail but something didn't crack through the surface for me.
April 12, 2021
Very interesting premise, but I wanted more in the execution.
March 18, 2021
Thank you to Hodder Studio for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
An exploration of fate and female agency in a world very similar to our own--except that the markings on women's bodies reveal the future. A piercing indictment of rape culture, a read about what happens when women are objectified and stripped of choice--and what happens when they fight back.
This description perfectly sums up BODY OF STARS and I'll use it as a way to start my review since the topic of the novel is quite heavy and I'm not used to or good at reviewing these kinds of books. When I first read the premise, I was intrigued by it and wanted to read it even though this is not my typical read.
I enjoyed the writing and the story and I think the subject was tackled very well. I also believe that it's a very accurate representation of reality even if it's dystopian speculative fiction. You might consider the nature of the changelings to be something like their introduction to puberty because it happens to each of them at different times. The difference in the book is that they change overnight and have this appealing aura to them that attracts men like magnets.
In this society every mark on a woman's body is said to be able to predict the future, usually her own and of those around her, so naturally women's bodies are objectified, people feel like they have the right to know what's on them and there's this weird tradition for fathers to want to see the new marks on their newly transformed adult bodies.
It tackles rape culture in a raw and personal way, showing how society treats victims vs their assailants. It also shows the victim-blaming that follows and how it affects the victims.
Despite everything the MC goes through, she doesn't give up and keeps wanting to succeed and have a life. I really liked her dedication and how she didn't let any of what happened further affect her life the way it affected her relationship with her friends and family in the beginning.
What I also loved were the short snippets before each chapter which basically was showing different types of information, including the healing process that follows after the girls are recovered after being abducted.
There are multiple good metaphors that I could see in BODY OF STARS but if I started analyzing them all, this review would turn into an essay.
I especially liked the healing process described at the end of the book after Celeste's graduation. It's the start of her new life and aim in life which ends on a positive note despite all the negativity she's had to go through, aiming to help other girls.
BODY OF STARS also show the difference between bigger societies and how they view things, you can see the clear difference between the smaller societies and the bigger ones and how one is a bit more open-minded than the other.
An exploration of fate and female agency in a world very similar to our own--except that the markings on women's bodies reveal the future. A piercing indictment of rape culture, a read about what happens when women are objectified and stripped of choice--and what happens when they fight back.
This description perfectly sums up BODY OF STARS and I'll use it as a way to start my review since the topic of the novel is quite heavy and I'm not used to or good at reviewing these kinds of books. When I first read the premise, I was intrigued by it and wanted to read it even though this is not my typical read.
I enjoyed the writing and the story and I think the subject was tackled very well. I also believe that it's a very accurate representation of reality even if it's dystopian speculative fiction. You might consider the nature of the changelings to be something like their introduction to puberty because it happens to each of them at different times. The difference in the book is that they change overnight and have this appealing aura to them that attracts men like magnets.
In this society every mark on a woman's body is said to be able to predict the future, usually her own and of those around her, so naturally women's bodies are objectified, people feel like they have the right to know what's on them and there's this weird tradition for fathers to want to see the new marks on their newly transformed adult bodies.
It tackles rape culture in a raw and personal way, showing how society treats victims vs their assailants. It also shows the victim-blaming that follows and how it affects the victims.
Despite everything the MC goes through, she doesn't give up and keeps wanting to succeed and have a life. I really liked her dedication and how she didn't let any of what happened further affect her life the way it affected her relationship with her friends and family in the beginning.
What I also loved were the short snippets before each chapter which basically was showing different types of information, including the healing process that follows after the girls are recovered after being abducted.
There are multiple good metaphors that I could see in BODY OF STARS but if I started analyzing them all, this review would turn into an essay.
I especially liked the healing process described at the end of the book after Celeste's graduation. It's the start of her new life and aim in life which ends on a positive note despite all the negativity she's had to go through, aiming to help other girls.
BODY OF STARS also show the difference between bigger societies and how they view things, you can see the clear difference between the smaller societies and the bigger ones and how one is a bit more open-minded than the other.
January 9, 2021
This book has a really interesting premise, with girls having marks (freckles essentially) on their bodies that predict and determine their futures, these are monitored and recorded, with women tasked as interpreters who mark these against a number of things like their career, their love life/future family, even losses they may face. All girls will wake up one day and suddenly are ‘in between’ girl and womanhood, where they will be at their most desirable (and most at risk), a time incredibly dangerous for them where they risk being abducted by men who cannot resist them and are ruined by them. Upon their return, usually weeks later, they are blamed and forever stained by this encounter, with university and other opportunities no longer available to them.
Body of Stars follows Celeste, a girl who any day will face the ‘in between’ stage, her brother Miles wishes badly to be an Interpreter however this is deemed a woman’s job. When Celeste changes, her marks predict a fate for Miles that terrifies Celeste, however she herself has danger in front of her to face.
I don’t know how I felt about this book, it’s an interesting concept and is clever in how it looks at rape culture, political and societal autonomy over women’s bodies and toxic masculinity, although unfortunately it’s one of those books where the people who read this will already know this area is a cesspit for women’s rights and the people who need to learn this won’t be the ones reading this. As such, this book is just a brutal reminder and doesn’t essentially feel empowering and will leave you feeling outraged because we see every day women both valued, controlled and condemned with their bodies by men and a male led society. In this book, raped girls are spat on and shunned while also being blamed for seducing men, or being alone with a man, or being attractive to men, and I needed a lot more in the conclusion of this book to really get past that. That said, this isn’t a criticism of the book, if a magic wand could be waved, this book wouldn’t have felt real. That said, I can imagine this book being hugely triggering so please be careful.
My main issue with this book is more the involvement of Miles, I just didn’t really need that much of him in the story or to give him that much of an important role. Throughout the book Celeste’s brother feels incredibly entitled, this is a world where men can literally do anything but one thing; be an interpreter, and yet he acts so sullen about it. He also resents that he doesn’t have marks and a future laid out for him, like freedom and a blank canvas is so awful. While the first point is later explained a little more, it still doesn’t change the fact he’s a man who wants it all and doesn’t understand ‘no’, this is further shown when he doesn’t understand why Celeste won’t show him her new marks and so drags her into an alley, restrains her and attempts to lift her clothes to see her body. While he feels bad later for this, 1) Celeste lets him off way too much for this and 2) a dialogue was severely missed here where consent could have been explored and discussed with literally the only man in the book who would’ve listened. That was frustrating and hard to get by, as much as Miles is trying to do something good, he still asserted himself and his strength over a woman and tried to take consent from her regarding access to her own body and it deserved a bigger conversation about make entitlement and the different stages of sexual abuse and toxicity.
Miles aside, this is an interesting book and concept, just prepare yourself to be outraged a lot.
Body of Stars follows Celeste, a girl who any day will face the ‘in between’ stage, her brother Miles wishes badly to be an Interpreter however this is deemed a woman’s job. When Celeste changes, her marks predict a fate for Miles that terrifies Celeste, however she herself has danger in front of her to face.
I don’t know how I felt about this book, it’s an interesting concept and is clever in how it looks at rape culture, political and societal autonomy over women’s bodies and toxic masculinity, although unfortunately it’s one of those books where the people who read this will already know this area is a cesspit for women’s rights and the people who need to learn this won’t be the ones reading this. As such, this book is just a brutal reminder and doesn’t essentially feel empowering and will leave you feeling outraged because we see every day women both valued, controlled and condemned with their bodies by men and a male led society. In this book, raped girls are spat on and shunned while also being blamed for seducing men, or being alone with a man, or being attractive to men, and I needed a lot more in the conclusion of this book to really get past that. That said, this isn’t a criticism of the book, if a magic wand could be waved, this book wouldn’t have felt real. That said, I can imagine this book being hugely triggering so please be careful.
My main issue with this book is more the involvement of Miles, I just didn’t really need that much of him in the story or to give him that much of an important role. Throughout the book Celeste’s brother feels incredibly entitled, this is a world where men can literally do anything but one thing; be an interpreter, and yet he acts so sullen about it. He also resents that he doesn’t have marks and a future laid out for him, like freedom and a blank canvas is so awful. While the first point is later explained a little more, it still doesn’t change the fact he’s a man who wants it all and doesn’t understand ‘no’, this is further shown when he doesn’t understand why Celeste won’t show him her new marks and so drags her into an alley, restrains her and attempts to lift her clothes to see her body. While he feels bad later for this, 1) Celeste lets him off way too much for this and 2) a dialogue was severely missed here where consent could have been explored and discussed with literally the only man in the book who would’ve listened. That was frustrating and hard to get by, as much as Miles is trying to do something good, he still asserted himself and his strength over a woman and tried to take consent from her regarding access to her own body and it deserved a bigger conversation about make entitlement and the different stages of sexual abuse and toxicity.
Miles aside, this is an interesting book and concept, just prepare yourself to be outraged a lot.
February 11, 2021
Body of Stars follows Celeste a young girl awaiting her passage into adulthood.
All girls are born with markings upon their body that sets out their future path and their family's. Every girl is born with her own markings to predict the future but once they move into adulthood their markings change and a new set of predications confirm their fate. During their transition into womanhood the 'changeling period' they become irresistible to men, which puts them in danger of abduction and having to suffer through a trauma that will effect them for the rest of their life's.
Celesete's brother is a skilled interpreter of markings and becomes obsessed with wanting to read Celeste's adult markings. Celeste after doing her own reading discovers a devastating fate, a secret she tries to keep from her family. A secret that causes tragedy by keeping. Imagine knowing what the future holds and being unable to stop it.
There's some serious topics covered throughout such as abduction, rape, victim blaming, while the predators get away with everything and there's no real commitment to ever see justice. It's just accepted that men will do terrible things to Changeling Girls. Some of the topics were uncomfortable to read, there's one particular scene between father and daughter that had me cringing, I'm not sure that added to the story at all.
When I read the blurb for this one I was instantly intrigued. Unfourtenly I think it just wasn't for me. While I enjoyed the concept and the writing, it was cleverly done, I just found it too slow paced. I was contemplating giving up around 40% in but then it picked up for a while and then slowed back down so I had to really power through to the end, which left me unsatisfied. I'm a big character reader and for me the characters in this just felt a little flat. I wasn't invested in anyone to really care enough about what was going on.
This is a 2 star for me, I didn't hate this, but It was just to slow paced and I think in the end the story just wasn't for me.
Thank you to NetGalley & Hodder & Stoughton for a advanced copy of this.
All girls are born with markings upon their body that sets out their future path and their family's. Every girl is born with her own markings to predict the future but once they move into adulthood their markings change and a new set of predications confirm their fate. During their transition into womanhood the 'changeling period' they become irresistible to men, which puts them in danger of abduction and having to suffer through a trauma that will effect them for the rest of their life's.
Celesete's brother is a skilled interpreter of markings and becomes obsessed with wanting to read Celeste's adult markings. Celeste after doing her own reading discovers a devastating fate, a secret she tries to keep from her family. A secret that causes tragedy by keeping. Imagine knowing what the future holds and being unable to stop it.
There's some serious topics covered throughout such as abduction, rape, victim blaming, while the predators get away with everything and there's no real commitment to ever see justice. It's just accepted that men will do terrible things to Changeling Girls. Some of the topics were uncomfortable to read, there's one particular scene between father and daughter that had me cringing, I'm not sure that added to the story at all.
When I read the blurb for this one I was instantly intrigued. Unfourtenly I think it just wasn't for me. While I enjoyed the concept and the writing, it was cleverly done, I just found it too slow paced. I was contemplating giving up around 40% in but then it picked up for a while and then slowed back down so I had to really power through to the end, which left me unsatisfied. I'm a big character reader and for me the characters in this just felt a little flat. I wasn't invested in anyone to really care enough about what was going on.
This is a 2 star for me, I didn't hate this, but It was just to slow paced and I think in the end the story just wasn't for me.
Thank you to NetGalley & Hodder & Stoughton for a advanced copy of this.
January 27, 2021
Kindly provided to me for free by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is an incredible and important book about female agency and objectification. While there are many dystopian/fantasy stories that tackle this topic, this one stands out to me for many reasons.
The tired tropes of the genre fail to emerge. There is no romantic subplot. There is no hard takedown of a corrupt government/system. Consequences are real and felt.
The world building is wonderful and believable and is close enough to reality to make the parallels clear. I loved the book extracts and letters etc that we get between chapters as a further insight into this world.
The book really explores victim blaming and parts of this story are very difficult to read and unfortunately not too difficult to imagine in real life.
People ask how many feminist patriarchal takedowns we need and I would argue, as many as it takes. The book says it best:
"The terror and risk we experienced was nothing compared to what girls faced elsewhere... Our country had rape laws, anti discrimination policies in work places, birth control and the chance for most women to access the same education as men"
Basically just because it is not as bad as it COULD be, does not mean we should have to settle for anything less than complete equality.
This book is thought provoking and nuanced, the sort of book where you highlight every page and think about it for days and will probably be required reading in schools one day.
Completely recommend.
This is an incredible and important book about female agency and objectification. While there are many dystopian/fantasy stories that tackle this topic, this one stands out to me for many reasons.
The tired tropes of the genre fail to emerge. There is no romantic subplot. There is no hard takedown of a corrupt government/system. Consequences are real and felt.
The world building is wonderful and believable and is close enough to reality to make the parallels clear. I loved the book extracts and letters etc that we get between chapters as a further insight into this world.
The book really explores victim blaming and parts of this story are very difficult to read and unfortunately not too difficult to imagine in real life.
People ask how many feminist patriarchal takedowns we need and I would argue, as many as it takes. The book says it best:
"The terror and risk we experienced was nothing compared to what girls faced elsewhere... Our country had rape laws, anti discrimination policies in work places, birth control and the chance for most women to access the same education as men"
Basically just because it is not as bad as it COULD be, does not mean we should have to settle for anything less than complete equality.
This book is thought provoking and nuanced, the sort of book where you highlight every page and think about it for days and will probably be required reading in schools one day.
Completely recommend.
June 30, 2021
I’m not quite sure how to rate this book, but I was disappointed. It had a great premise but the execution and plot were slow and a boring/blah end? I almost DNF. I wish it could’ve been more.
April 29, 2021
"I wish for those girls to have the ability to command their own lives, no matter what was marked on their skin. I wanted them to be liberated, and unafraid, and brimming with potential and possibility. But that wasn't how the world worked for girls and women. Instead, we were made vulnerable through no fault of our own and held liable for the crimes committed against us. We were born already broken"
Upon the adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale, we see a sudden surge of feminist dystopian fiction, rendering them to form a sub-genre on their own. Body of Stars clearly falls within such a sub-genre. In this speculative society, women were born with markings on their bodies. Such markings tell their future as well as the future of their families. Such markings were subject to change until the women became adults, in which the markings will be permanent. In other words, the future/fate of women shall remain unchanged. Interpreters were employed in this society to interpret the markings on women based on a guideline issued by the authorities. As such, the bodies of women were subject to inspections by the government officials or their families to determine their fate. Due to the absence of markings on men's bodies, they were obsessed with women's bodies, and hence, women (or rather "changelings") were frequently kidnapped or trafficked.
This story was told from Celeste's POV, in which she became a victim of abduction and rape once she was "changed". The author then explored the aftermath of such an incident, coupled with several feminist issues: a woman's privacy, freedom, and control over her own body, stereotyping victims of rape whereby the society puts the blame on women rather than the perpetrators, gender expectations, the importance of challenging draconian views or traditions. The premise is definitely interesting but there is an apparent lack of characterization. The author seems to take an easy way out by relying on the dystopian premise without embarking on an in-depth examination of the issues. There are some plot holes here and there and a lack of coherancy. This may just be a borderline 3/5 star read to me. As a hardcore fan of dystopian fiction, I would say that Body of Stars may be suitable as a start for readers who intend to venture into this genre. Thanks to Times Read for sending this review copy to me!
Upon the adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale, we see a sudden surge of feminist dystopian fiction, rendering them to form a sub-genre on their own. Body of Stars clearly falls within such a sub-genre. In this speculative society, women were born with markings on their bodies. Such markings tell their future as well as the future of their families. Such markings were subject to change until the women became adults, in which the markings will be permanent. In other words, the future/fate of women shall remain unchanged. Interpreters were employed in this society to interpret the markings on women based on a guideline issued by the authorities. As such, the bodies of women were subject to inspections by the government officials or their families to determine their fate. Due to the absence of markings on men's bodies, they were obsessed with women's bodies, and hence, women (or rather "changelings") were frequently kidnapped or trafficked.
This story was told from Celeste's POV, in which she became a victim of abduction and rape once she was "changed". The author then explored the aftermath of such an incident, coupled with several feminist issues: a woman's privacy, freedom, and control over her own body, stereotyping victims of rape whereby the society puts the blame on women rather than the perpetrators, gender expectations, the importance of challenging draconian views or traditions. The premise is definitely interesting but there is an apparent lack of characterization. The author seems to take an easy way out by relying on the dystopian premise without embarking on an in-depth examination of the issues. There are some plot holes here and there and a lack of coherancy. This may just be a borderline 3/5 star read to me. As a hardcore fan of dystopian fiction, I would say that Body of Stars may be suitable as a start for readers who intend to venture into this genre. Thanks to Times Read for sending this review copy to me!
May 4, 2021
4 Stars
See more on my Bookstagram: Shelf.Inspiration Instagram
“Yes and no, bright and dark, pleasure and pain—all of it waiting within the universe of my own body.” - Body of Stars.
Celeste has eagerly awaited her passage to adulthood. Like every girl, she was born with a set of childhood markings-the freckles, moles, and birthmarks on her body that foretell her future and that of those around her-and with puberty will come a new set of predictions that will solidify her fate. The possibilities are tantalizing enough to outweigh her worries of the future and of her “channeling period” the time when women are nearly irresistible to men and the risk of abduction is rife. Celestes brother, Miles, is equally anticipating her transition into adulthood. As a skilled interpreter of the future, Miles considers Celeste his practice ground-and the clue to what his own future will bring. But when Celeste changes, she learns a devastating secret about Miles’s fate. Yet Celeste isn’t the only one keeping secrets.
Thank you to @duttonbooks , @penguinrandomhouse , and @lauramaylene for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was such a fun and interesting read! We follow Celeste who lives in a world where all women have markings on their body that tell them the future. We follow her as she comes into her adult markings, which tell of a devastating fate. I thought this book was so unique and shows themes of misogyny, rape culture, and objectification within this world scarily well. I found so many parallels between the world of the book and ours today. I loved the characters in this book so much and the plot was fantastic! I only wish that the book would have been longer. There are so many cool concepts and aspects to this world that I wanted to see more and see certain plot points expanded upon! Also, I loved the additions and illustrations in the book that showed different markings and how they are interpreted, it was a fun inclusion. I would definitely recommend this book and would love to hear more thoughts about it!
See more on my Bookstagram: Shelf.Inspiration Instagram
“Yes and no, bright and dark, pleasure and pain—all of it waiting within the universe of my own body.” - Body of Stars.
Celeste has eagerly awaited her passage to adulthood. Like every girl, she was born with a set of childhood markings-the freckles, moles, and birthmarks on her body that foretell her future and that of those around her-and with puberty will come a new set of predictions that will solidify her fate. The possibilities are tantalizing enough to outweigh her worries of the future and of her “channeling period” the time when women are nearly irresistible to men and the risk of abduction is rife. Celestes brother, Miles, is equally anticipating her transition into adulthood. As a skilled interpreter of the future, Miles considers Celeste his practice ground-and the clue to what his own future will bring. But when Celeste changes, she learns a devastating secret about Miles’s fate. Yet Celeste isn’t the only one keeping secrets.
Thank you to @duttonbooks , @penguinrandomhouse , and @lauramaylene for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was such a fun and interesting read! We follow Celeste who lives in a world where all women have markings on their body that tell them the future. We follow her as she comes into her adult markings, which tell of a devastating fate. I thought this book was so unique and shows themes of misogyny, rape culture, and objectification within this world scarily well. I found so many parallels between the world of the book and ours today. I loved the characters in this book so much and the plot was fantastic! I only wish that the book would have been longer. There are so many cool concepts and aspects to this world that I wanted to see more and see certain plot points expanded upon! Also, I loved the additions and illustrations in the book that showed different markings and how they are interpreted, it was a fun inclusion. I would definitely recommend this book and would love to hear more thoughts about it!
February 9, 2021
BODY OF STARS by Laura Maylene Walter just wasn’t for me at all. I had seen this one on Dutton Books Instagram as a read now on NetGalley and from their caption I was interested. If I had known it was a dystopian fiction then I wouldn’t have even decided to read it in the first place. This book further confirms that I don’t enjoy dystopian books. I had read a couple last year and they were alright but this one pushes it to the extreme and I just powered through reading it. I wasn’t at all curious how it would end and I really didn’t care for the ending. Right away I couldn’t get past how women were treated in this book. They had to submit to inspections of their bodies during puberty and fear abduction and rape. If you’re a fan of this genre then you’ll probably love this book. I’m kinda still hopeful one day a dystopian book will surprise me.
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Thank you to Dutton Books via NetGalley for my advance review copy!
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Thank you to Dutton Books via NetGalley for my advance review copy!
March 16, 2021
Content warnings:
I was intrigued by this book’s blurb, and went in knowing that it was a dystopian novel that dealt with rape culture and the patriarchy. Unfortunately, this book didn’t work out that well for me.
The book is set in a dystopian culture where the freckles on women’s bodies foretell the future: their careers, their families, down to how many children they’ll have, and also glimpses of the rest of the family’s future. They’re born with children’s markings, which, while still true, tend to be vague, and then around their fifteenth birthday they suddenly wake up with their adult markings. They also enter the changeling period, where their senses are heightened and they’re nearly irresistible to men, leading to abductions and assault. Girls who are abducted are viewed as pariahs, as obviously it was some moral failing that allowed them to be abducted, and are generally unable to attend college or pursue most careers. The book starts with Celeste as she’s anxiously awaiting her change to an adult.
Celeste and her brother Miles are nearly inseparable, or at least that’s what she thinks. Though he’s a few years older, they share the same birthday, and they practically consider each other twins. Miles is unusual in that he’s interested in being an interpreter of the future, something that’s usually reserved only for women, and his favorite person to practice on is Celeste. Besides constantly paging through the approved guide, called Mapping the Future, he also takes lessons from Julia, a licensed interpreter. While he tries to get Celeste to come with him, she’s ambivalent about the whole thing and is more interested in the workings of the human mind. But when her adult markings reveal a family tragedy, Celeste finds herself in the scary position of keeping secrets from Miles for the first time in her life. But in a society where the predictions on women’s bodies are considered family property, how long will it be before Celeste’s secret is revealed, and will it break apart their family?
The book is from Celeste’s first person POV, but as if she’s narrating it from many years in the future, with lots of “if only I had known then,” sort of asides. I like that particular bit of foreshadowing when it’s used sparingly and precisely, but it was so prevalent it interrupted the flow of the story for me. It was one of many examples of overwrought prose that bogged down the story, which already had pacing problems due to some confusing time skips.
We’re shown in boring detail Celeste’s “before”, and then the immediate aftermath of the event that changes her life. And then, all of a sudden, we skip several years in the future, after she’s been at the Mountain School for some time, which, it turns out, is some anti-patriarchy bastion that teaches the girls to think and see themselves as worth more than their prophecies. And that’s the Celeste we pick back up with, one who has given up on her dream of studying psychology and has instead immersed herself in interpretation, intending to go help Miles and Julia with a secret project. And the end of the book is fine, honestly, but what annoyed me is that we skipped through what was most interesting to me – that period where Celeste was deprogrammed from what she’d been raised with and taught to think for herself. What she does with that knowledge is important and empowering, but after endless pages of her day to day life, I was hoping to see more of her coming into herself.
And that was the disquieting thing about this book to me. Even while being ostensibly focused on Celeste and her journey, so much of the book revolves around Miles. It’s Miles’ insistence on pursuing interpretation that leads them into a sketchy situation (and wow, how quickly Celeste forgave him for that was unbelievable) and it’s his dream that they end up pursuing. Sure, he’s better than any of the other male characters in the book, but that’s a low bar. In a book about patriarchy and misogyny and rape culture, why is the male character given a pass for doing the bare minimum?
Overall, I’d give this book about 2.5 stars. It just didn’t dig deeply enough into the themes to be satisfying for me.
I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I was intrigued by this book’s blurb, and went in knowing that it was a dystopian novel that dealt with rape culture and the patriarchy. Unfortunately, this book didn’t work out that well for me.
The book is set in a dystopian culture where the freckles on women’s bodies foretell the future: their careers, their families, down to how many children they’ll have, and also glimpses of the rest of the family’s future. They’re born with children’s markings, which, while still true, tend to be vague, and then around their fifteenth birthday they suddenly wake up with their adult markings. They also enter the changeling period, where their senses are heightened and they’re nearly irresistible to men, leading to abductions and assault. Girls who are abducted are viewed as pariahs, as obviously it was some moral failing that allowed them to be abducted, and are generally unable to attend college or pursue most careers. The book starts with Celeste as she’s anxiously awaiting her change to an adult.
Celeste and her brother Miles are nearly inseparable, or at least that’s what she thinks. Though he’s a few years older, they share the same birthday, and they practically consider each other twins. Miles is unusual in that he’s interested in being an interpreter of the future, something that’s usually reserved only for women, and his favorite person to practice on is Celeste. Besides constantly paging through the approved guide, called Mapping the Future, he also takes lessons from Julia, a licensed interpreter. While he tries to get Celeste to come with him, she’s ambivalent about the whole thing and is more interested in the workings of the human mind. But when her adult markings reveal a family tragedy, Celeste finds herself in the scary position of keeping secrets from Miles for the first time in her life. But in a society where the predictions on women’s bodies are considered family property, how long will it be before Celeste’s secret is revealed, and will it break apart their family?
“We spend too much time either imagining the future, that vast expanse of unborn possibility, or else wandering the past, the land of the dead. And yet I return there, again and again, as if watching it unfold in my memory can affect the outcome. As if the past could ever be as changeable as the future.”
The book is from Celeste’s first person POV, but as if she’s narrating it from many years in the future, with lots of “if only I had known then,” sort of asides. I like that particular bit of foreshadowing when it’s used sparingly and precisely, but it was so prevalent it interrupted the flow of the story for me. It was one of many examples of overwrought prose that bogged down the story, which already had pacing problems due to some confusing time skips.
“This is the deepest kind of truth, Celeste—what seems impossible, what we keep secret.”
We’re shown in boring detail Celeste’s “before”, and then the immediate aftermath of the event that changes her life. And then, all of a sudden, we skip several years in the future, after she’s been at the Mountain School for some time, which, it turns out, is some anti-patriarchy bastion that teaches the girls to think and see themselves as worth more than their prophecies. And that’s the Celeste we pick back up with, one who has given up on her dream of studying psychology and has instead immersed herself in interpretation, intending to go help Miles and Julia with a secret project. And the end of the book is fine, honestly, but what annoyed me is that we skipped through what was most interesting to me – that period where Celeste was deprogrammed from what she’d been raised with and taught to think for herself. What she does with that knowledge is important and empowering, but after endless pages of her day to day life, I was hoping to see more of her coming into herself.
“The whole system, the entire structure of our society, was built around protecting men instead of girls.”
And that was the disquieting thing about this book to me. Even while being ostensibly focused on Celeste and her journey, so much of the book revolves around Miles. It’s Miles’ insistence on pursuing interpretation that leads them into a sketchy situation (and wow, how quickly Celeste forgave him for that was unbelievable) and it’s his dream that they end up pursuing. Sure, he’s better than any of the other male characters in the book, but that’s a low bar. In a book about patriarchy and misogyny and rape culture, why is the male character given a pass for doing the bare minimum?
Overall, I’d give this book about 2.5 stars. It just didn’t dig deeply enough into the themes to be satisfying for me.
I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
April 5, 2021
A woman's future can be told by the markings on skin. However, during their changeling period, they become irresistible. This is threat as abducted women are seen as ruined and their future destroyed. We follow Celeste's journey into womanhood and all the trials and dangers this involves.
Bravo! This was a fantastic read. From chapter one I was hooked and had to see how this would pan out.
I loved Celeste and her whole attitude especially towards the end of the book. This is definitely an emotional rollercoaster.
I liked how this would also open discussions on how a woman's body is viewed into today's society too.
This was SO impressive for a debut and I cannot wait to see what the author releases next.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy to review.
Bravo! This was a fantastic read. From chapter one I was hooked and had to see how this would pan out.
I loved Celeste and her whole attitude especially towards the end of the book. This is definitely an emotional rollercoaster.
I liked how this would also open discussions on how a woman's body is viewed into today's society too.
This was SO impressive for a debut and I cannot wait to see what the author releases next.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy to review.
did-not-finish
April 21, 2021DNF @ 50%-ish.
TWs: incest, rape, homophobia
TWs: incest, rape, homophobia
March 17, 2021
Wow.
This dystopian fiction novel is set in a time where girls are born with markings on their bodies. How these markings look and where they are positioned tell them what the girls are destined for. Their futures are outlined.
The story follows 16-year-old Celeste and her 18-year-old brother Miles. Miles is obsessed with studying markings which isn't usually something a boy does. Readings and interpretation roles are usually held by women. He practices by reading his sister's markings and using the family's copy of the book Mapping the Future: An Interpretative Guide to Women and Girls.
This was a tough read given the recent news stories here regarding women's safety. In this novel, when girls are changing into women, they lose their childhood markings and develop their adult ones. They have a changeling period.
During this changeling period, it is advised that women do not go out after dark. Changelings are irresistible to men who just can't control themselves so they run the risk of being abducted. If abducted, when released after the end of the changeling period, it is the woman's fault. She is damaged. This information then goes on their official government markings transcript and universities will not accept their application.
Women's bodies are not their own. They must have their markings inspected twice yearly and women can be detained by police for an impromptu markings inspection. You also must stay with your assigned gender at birth and relationships are advised to be one man with one woman or they will receive no government support.
When studying markings, Miles makes a discovery that might be able to help girls and teams up with Celeste and interpreter Julia to help them take control of their bodies and lives.
This is a very well developed and intricately planned book. I was completely lost in this world and it is just fascinating to read about.
This dystopian fiction novel is set in a time where girls are born with markings on their bodies. How these markings look and where they are positioned tell them what the girls are destined for. Their futures are outlined.
The story follows 16-year-old Celeste and her 18-year-old brother Miles. Miles is obsessed with studying markings which isn't usually something a boy does. Readings and interpretation roles are usually held by women. He practices by reading his sister's markings and using the family's copy of the book Mapping the Future: An Interpretative Guide to Women and Girls.
This was a tough read given the recent news stories here regarding women's safety. In this novel, when girls are changing into women, they lose their childhood markings and develop their adult ones. They have a changeling period.
During this changeling period, it is advised that women do not go out after dark. Changelings are irresistible to men who just can't control themselves so they run the risk of being abducted. If abducted, when released after the end of the changeling period, it is the woman's fault. She is damaged. This information then goes on their official government markings transcript and universities will not accept their application.
Women's bodies are not their own. They must have their markings inspected twice yearly and women can be detained by police for an impromptu markings inspection. You also must stay with your assigned gender at birth and relationships are advised to be one man with one woman or they will receive no government support.
When studying markings, Miles makes a discovery that might be able to help girls and teams up with Celeste and interpreter Julia to help them take control of their bodies and lives.
This is a very well developed and intricately planned book. I was completely lost in this world and it is just fascinating to read about.
January 22, 2022
What a beautiful story. The metaphors for the modern plight of women across the globe were so clear, but not too on the nose. I liked the deep exploration of fate, destiny. The ending of this book doesn’t wrap up everything nice and neat, and it allows the world to be a changing and messy place. This book simmers with hope, and realistically portrays those moments where it seems to vanish, but it’s really only hidden. I really enjoyed this read, and it’s delicate handling of sensitive topics.
January 31, 2022
Body of stars is a book about a young girl, Celeste, who lives in a world where markings on women and girls' bodies depict their and their families' futures.
This book explores a world where females are subjected to prejudice and opression, under the pretense of being revered and protected. But when things go wrong, it is the women's fault.
The book alludes to an interesting question? If your future was known, would you try and alter it or would you resign to your fate?
And I asked myself if I would have wanted to know beforehand what my future had in store for me.
I enjoyed the book, it was an easy read and I found the premise refreshing and original.
3.5 stars
This book explores a world where females are subjected to prejudice and opression, under the pretense of being revered and protected. But when things go wrong, it is the women's fault.
The book alludes to an interesting question? If your future was known, would you try and alter it or would you resign to your fate?
And I asked myself if I would have wanted to know beforehand what my future had in store for me.
I enjoyed the book, it was an easy read and I found the premise refreshing and original.
3.5 stars
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