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Aster #1
Aster's Good, Right Things
"I can’t let go of them – the good, right things—because if I do I’ll turn into a cloud and I’ll float away, and a storm will come and blow me to nothing."
Eleven-year-old Aster attends a school for gifted kids, but she doesn’t think she’s special at all. If she was, her mother wouldn’t have left. Each day Aster must do a good, right thing—a challenge she sets herself, to make someone else’s life better. Nobody can know about her ‘things’, because then they won’t count. And if she doesn’t do them, she's sure everything will go wrong. Then she meets Xavier. He has his own kind of special missions to make life better. When they do these missions together, Aster feels free, but if she stops doing her good, right things will everything fall apart?
Eleven-year-old Aster attends a school for gifted kids, but she doesn’t think she’s special at all. If she was, her mother wouldn’t have left. Each day Aster must do a good, right thing—a challenge she sets herself, to make someone else’s life better. Nobody can know about her ‘things’, because then they won’t count. And if she doesn’t do them, she's sure everything will go wrong. Then she meets Xavier. He has his own kind of special missions to make life better. When they do these missions together, Aster feels free, but if she stops doing her good, right things will everything fall apart?
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2020
16 people are currently reading
348 people want to read
About the author
Kate Gordon
30 books128 followersKate Gordon grew up in a small town by the sea in Tasmania. She is the author of numerous award-winning picture-books and novels for younger readers, including Aster’s Good, Right Things, published by Yellow Brick Books in November, 2020, which won the CBCA Book of the Year for younger readers in 2021, and was shortlisted in the Tasmanian Literary Awards in 2022. The companion novels, Xavier in the Meantime and Indigo in the Storm were published in 2021 and 2023. Whalesong was published by Yellow Brick Books in 2022, following Kate’s residency at the Maritime Museum of Tasmania. Kate continues to write novels and picture books from a cottage overlooking the river and the mountain on the Eastern Shore of Hobart. She has two daughters, an elderly cat and a very silly labradoodle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
April 2, 2021
No question that this is beautifully written, truthful and profound. But I found most of the book relentlessly grim. The writing is accessible for Year 3 up, but I will be recommending it for older years because of the bleakness. I also found the denouement happens in a bit of a rush at the end, and could have been drawn out more.
November 28, 2020
I ate this book like a nutella sandwich made with just-baked, still-warm fluffy white bread, it was so good. And I'm going to press it into the hands of all the magical 11-year-old girls in my life because of the writing (more below) but also because we don't have enough decent, empathetic, overwhelmed, neurodivergent kids in our literature for children that help us to see the world in a different way from the usual way the world is rammed down our throats: as if we are all the same and want the same things.
The writing! I'm just going to throw random quotes at you like glitter bombs now, because of that fresh-nutella-sandwich-feeling:
At page 39: 'The reason I ran away is mostly because you frightened me, by sneaking up like that - which I'm sure you didn't do on purpose. It's nothing personal at all. People scare me a bit in general, especially when they arrive when I'm only expecting rabbits.'
At page 88: 'Dad calls his feeling "the blues." I call mine "noise." ... It's not sadness. Or numbness, like Dad says he feels sometimes. It begins as a kind of creeping dread and kind of mushrooming and a kind of tsunami of too much."
At page 108: 'I thought my parents' story was a love story, for a long time, until I realised that the way my house was didn't look anything like love.'
At page 136: 'I tried not to be sad, because you shouldn't be sad when there's someone sitting next to you who is even sadder than you are.'
Also deals with depression (in adults and kids), bullying, foster care, maternal abandonment and rabbits. Kate Gordon always manages to make me cry.
The writing! I'm just going to throw random quotes at you like glitter bombs now, because of that fresh-nutella-sandwich-feeling:
At page 39: 'The reason I ran away is mostly because you frightened me, by sneaking up like that - which I'm sure you didn't do on purpose. It's nothing personal at all. People scare me a bit in general, especially when they arrive when I'm only expecting rabbits.'
At page 88: 'Dad calls his feeling "the blues." I call mine "noise." ... It's not sadness. Or numbness, like Dad says he feels sometimes. It begins as a kind of creeping dread and kind of mushrooming and a kind of tsunami of too much."
At page 108: 'I thought my parents' story was a love story, for a long time, until I realised that the way my house was didn't look anything like love.'
At page 136: 'I tried not to be sad, because you shouldn't be sad when there's someone sitting next to you who is even sadder than you are.'
Also deals with depression (in adults and kids), bullying, foster care, maternal abandonment and rabbits. Kate Gordon always manages to make me cry.
October 23, 2020
THIS. COVER. Have you seen this cover? It might be the most beautiful cover ever. It’s nothing too fancy, but it’s so flawless in its simplicity. I don’t know if it’s the color scheme or what, but I find it so aesthetically pleasing. It calms my soul.
This is a beautiful, heartfelt, sad-but-also-warm story. We follow 11 year-old Aster, who is an absolutely lovable character, but doesn’t feel like she fits in and blames herself for her mom leaving her and her dad. She has to deal with a lot of heavy issues most kids her age don’t even think about, but she soon discovers that she’s not the only one who’s struggling through life and that a little friendship can go a long way.
I loved how the story dealt with important topics like anxiety, depression, parents abandoning their kids and the fact that none of us look exactly the way we feel. You never know what someone else might be going through, so the best you can do is be kind. That’s a great takeaway for a middle-grade book. Everyone fights their battles in their own way, and that’s okay.
And to finish off I’ll leave you with my favorite quote because the Peter Pan in me can’t help it:
A big thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an e-ARC in exchange of an honest and voluntary review.
This is a beautiful, heartfelt, sad-but-also-warm story. We follow 11 year-old Aster, who is an absolutely lovable character, but doesn’t feel like she fits in and blames herself for her mom leaving her and her dad. She has to deal with a lot of heavy issues most kids her age don’t even think about, but she soon discovers that she’s not the only one who’s struggling through life and that a little friendship can go a long way.
I loved how the story dealt with important topics like anxiety, depression, parents abandoning their kids and the fact that none of us look exactly the way we feel. You never know what someone else might be going through, so the best you can do is be kind. That’s a great takeaway for a middle-grade book. Everyone fights their battles in their own way, and that’s okay.
And to finish off I’ll leave you with my favorite quote because the Peter Pan in me can’t help it:
“There is no such thing as childish, really. I think we’re all just kids, always. No matter how old we get. Some of us are just better at hiding it. And I think the longer you can stay true to it and not hide it, the truer you are as a person.”
A big thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an e-ARC in exchange of an honest and voluntary review.
October 28, 2020
"Even though there is sadness. It’s not all sadness, and the sadness there is doesn’t feel like it’s without hope.
That’s the thing about being a kid, in books at least.
There’s still hope.
There’s always hope."
I’m a big fan of Kate Gordon’s writing (The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn, Girl Running, Boy Falling, Writing Clementine) so I was excited to receive an advance reader’s copy of Aster’s Good, Right Thing (Riveted Press, 2020).
Eleven-year-old Aster is a kid riddled with anxiety and doubt, and tries to fix her world by doing one good, right thing every day.
I can’t let go of them–the good, right things, especially–because if I do … I’ll turn into a cloud and I’ll float away, and a storm will come and blow me to nothing.
Reading this book, gave me the same stone of despair in my stomach that I had while reading adult title, A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (2015). Utterly devastating reading. To see inside the mind of someone battling anxiety is difficult, but Gordon rewards readers with an engaging protagonist. Aster is an extremely likeable character and the well-paced narrative keeps the story moving towards hope.
Reading can do many things and if one of its aims is to build empathy, Aster’s Good, Right Thing achieves this beautifully giving readers a real view into what living with anxiety translates to for ordinary, everyday life.
I predict oodles of great things for this middle-grade book which has the potential to change how we view living with anxiety. Highly recommended. An absolute must-read for anyone, old or young, who wants to better understand mental health challenges.
That’s the thing about being a kid, in books at least.
There’s still hope.
There’s always hope."
I’m a big fan of Kate Gordon’s writing (The Heartsong of Wonder Quinn, Girl Running, Boy Falling, Writing Clementine) so I was excited to receive an advance reader’s copy of Aster’s Good, Right Thing (Riveted Press, 2020).
Eleven-year-old Aster is a kid riddled with anxiety and doubt, and tries to fix her world by doing one good, right thing every day.
I can’t let go of them–the good, right things, especially–because if I do … I’ll turn into a cloud and I’ll float away, and a storm will come and blow me to nothing.
Reading this book, gave me the same stone of despair in my stomach that I had while reading adult title, A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (2015). Utterly devastating reading. To see inside the mind of someone battling anxiety is difficult, but Gordon rewards readers with an engaging protagonist. Aster is an extremely likeable character and the well-paced narrative keeps the story moving towards hope.
Reading can do many things and if one of its aims is to build empathy, Aster’s Good, Right Thing achieves this beautifully giving readers a real view into what living with anxiety translates to for ordinary, everyday life.
I predict oodles of great things for this middle-grade book which has the potential to change how we view living with anxiety. Highly recommended. An absolute must-read for anyone, old or young, who wants to better understand mental health challenges.
October 12, 2021
This is a tricky book to review. A CBCA award winner. A well written book. But the subject matter and the mental brokenness….I struggle with it as a book for ‘Younger Readers’. As a school librarian I find it hard to know how to recommend it. I can understand how adult judges of a children’s book award would be impressed by the writing - I am too, but I honestly am struggling with giving it to primary aged children to read, particularly when we’re living in such trying times. For a children’s book, it’s unrelentingly heavy and light on hope. Why?
September 19, 2020
‘I THOUGHT MY PARENTS’ STORY WAS A LOVE STORY, FOR A LONG TIME, UNTIL I REALIZED THAT THE WAY MY HOUSE WAS DIDN’T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE LOVE.’
Aster’s good, right things is a story about Aster, an eleven year old girl who attends a school for gifted kids. It is mostly set there, and other settings are her home and an ice cream shop. Even though the school seems a bit too much with their rules of behaving like this and not eating that, it was done in a realistic but playful way , which I thought worked well for the story, especially a middle grade one. The other settings are what you can expect from them, adding more details to the story to make it complete. At all those settings, the reader finds new characters, who all have their own struggles. For a middle grade book, it talks about those struggles a lot, though in a more child-friendly way; depression is like the big bad black dog, for example. Maybe I just didn’t expect it to be that sad, and that’s why because I couldn’t put it down. Besides the fact that it reads easy and fast, it talks about many struggles these characters face in a realistic way. It shows the message that everyone is fighting their own battles and that everyone does that in a different way. It tells that many do not know what is going on with someone, how their life is, how their emotions are, or their home situation. Aster herself has a mom who she believes doesn’t love her because she ran away and never came back. Her emotions about this are realistically written, and causing her wanting to do good things for only others, not herself. Her character arc that brings her towards realizing she can make herself happy as well, is just heart-warming to read about. She does help others meanwhile, making friends with many different people and supporting them, but overall this beautiful story is about learning to do good for yourself as well. It was exactly what I needed to read at the moment and I just had a great time reading it. It is just so happy even though it can be heavy, but it deals with those serious topics so nicely, I can’t help but just feel soft from the inside.
Aster’s good, right things is a story about Aster, an eleven year old girl who attends a school for gifted kids. It is mostly set there, and other settings are her home and an ice cream shop. Even though the school seems a bit too much with their rules of behaving like this and not eating that, it was done in a realistic but playful way , which I thought worked well for the story, especially a middle grade one. The other settings are what you can expect from them, adding more details to the story to make it complete. At all those settings, the reader finds new characters, who all have their own struggles. For a middle grade book, it talks about those struggles a lot, though in a more child-friendly way; depression is like the big bad black dog, for example. Maybe I just didn’t expect it to be that sad, and that’s why because I couldn’t put it down. Besides the fact that it reads easy and fast, it talks about many struggles these characters face in a realistic way. It shows the message that everyone is fighting their own battles and that everyone does that in a different way. It tells that many do not know what is going on with someone, how their life is, how their emotions are, or their home situation. Aster herself has a mom who she believes doesn’t love her because she ran away and never came back. Her emotions about this are realistically written, and causing her wanting to do good things for only others, not herself. Her character arc that brings her towards realizing she can make herself happy as well, is just heart-warming to read about. She does help others meanwhile, making friends with many different people and supporting them, but overall this beautiful story is about learning to do good for yourself as well. It was exactly what I needed to read at the moment and I just had a great time reading it. It is just so happy even though it can be heavy, but it deals with those serious topics so nicely, I can’t help but just feel soft from the inside.
January 27, 2022
Eleven year old Aster "Petal" believes she must do a "good, right thing everyday" to make someone's life better, but she herself must not feel happy about it. Aster does this in order to stop bad things from happening.
One day "people will see what I do .... they will see me" "they will like me, or at least .. they will stop leaving me." She berates herself for liking "childish" things, strives to be perfect and to not upset others.
This book covers some sad topics but I found I couldn't put it down. I read it in one sitting. It is so easy to read, well written and also both frank and poetic.
So many lovely little descriptions, like the description of Grandma, modelling for the artist, and Grandpa, artist, falling in love
"She fell in love with his hands, first, and he fell in love with her shoulders, which had freckles on them. He said it looked like fairies had been dancing there."
Aster's emotions are described realistically and the story reminds you that you have no idea what others are going through.
Aster comes to the conclusion that sometimes not doing "good, right things" is best for her.
Although Aster is 11 in this story, I am unsure if I would recommend this book to every child of this age.
An entertaining and beautiful book.
This book has themes of childhood anxiety, grief, depression in both adults and children, bullying, foster care and maternal abandonment.
One day "people will see what I do .... they will see me" "they will like me, or at least .. they will stop leaving me." She berates herself for liking "childish" things, strives to be perfect and to not upset others.
This book covers some sad topics but I found I couldn't put it down. I read it in one sitting. It is so easy to read, well written and also both frank and poetic.
So many lovely little descriptions, like the description of Grandma, modelling for the artist, and Grandpa, artist, falling in love
"She fell in love with his hands, first, and he fell in love with her shoulders, which had freckles on them. He said it looked like fairies had been dancing there."
Aster's emotions are described realistically and the story reminds you that you have no idea what others are going through.
Aster comes to the conclusion that sometimes not doing "good, right things" is best for her.
Although Aster is 11 in this story, I am unsure if I would recommend this book to every child of this age.
An entertaining and beautiful book.
This book has themes of childhood anxiety, grief, depression in both adults and children, bullying, foster care and maternal abandonment.
October 3, 2020
Eleven year-old Aster has been having a terrible time since her mother left. She thinks that doing good deeds every day will keep people in her life. She's also so quiet that many of her classmates have never heard her speak before. In fact, the only creature she interacts with on school grounds is a tamed rabbit. To her astonishment, this rabbit has an owner - Xavier, a boy who doesn't attend her school, and has some mental health issues of his own.
I really love hard-hitting middle grade novels, and this is definitely one of them. Aster's relationship with her mother, shown in flashbacks, was abysmal. No matter how hard the girl tried, she was unable to get the approval and love that she craved. Instead, a lot of terrible things were internalized.
I don't want to give the impression that this is an altogether depressing read, however. Aster's dad and aunt are both loving, stable figures in Aster's life, and her friendship with Xavier is very special as well.
All the stars for this quiet, important novel. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.
I really love hard-hitting middle grade novels, and this is definitely one of them. Aster's relationship with her mother, shown in flashbacks, was abysmal. No matter how hard the girl tried, she was unable to get the approval and love that she craved. Instead, a lot of terrible things were internalized.
I don't want to give the impression that this is an altogether depressing read, however. Aster's dad and aunt are both loving, stable figures in Aster's life, and her friendship with Xavier is very special as well.
All the stars for this quiet, important novel. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.
October 28, 2020
I received an eARC from Netgalley, that doesn’t affect my opinion of the book, all my thoughts are my own and honest.
"I can’t let go of them – the good, right things—because if I do I’ll turn into a cloud and I’ll float away, and a storm will come and blow me to nothing."
11 years old, Aster does not think she is special at all, or her mother wouldn’t have left her. So she set herself a challenge, to do something every day to make someone else’s day better, if not the world will fall apart.
All I wanted to do throughout this whole book is to give Aster a hug. She was depressed and was going through something and she felt like she couldn’t tell anyone. Over the course of the book, she went from listening to the voices, feeling like she was invisible, ghost-like and not sad about it, to finally letting a few people in, and thinking maybe the good right things could make her happy too.
Xavier was her turning point, she finally had a friend who wouldn’t leave her, took all of her and didn’t want to try and change or fix her, she finally didn’t feel so alone.
I normally read fantasy, so when I hate a character, I am normally ok about it as they are from a fantasy world, but when it’s contemporary it feels more like the real world to me, and I find it harder to be ok about hating a character. But boy did I hate the mother, I mean how could she do that to a child. Through flashbacks, you got to see how Aster became the quiet girl she is today because she wasn’t when she was younger and the reason is her mother.
I think Gordon did a great job writing about a hard-hitting topic like depression and making it very simple especially when it is targeted for a younger audience. She was able to write about depression without ever saying the word. I felt like the representation of depression was very well done from personal experience, but like anxiety, it is different for everyone.
This was a great read, it made me feel many emotions, sad throughout the whole book, hopeful at the end and a definite appreciation for my mother. I definitely recommend if you are wanting a book that makes you feel the feels, and I also think even though it is targeted as middle grade, adults would get something out of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Gorden and the publishers for approving me a copy.
"I can’t let go of them – the good, right things—because if I do I’ll turn into a cloud and I’ll float away, and a storm will come and blow me to nothing."
11 years old, Aster does not think she is special at all, or her mother wouldn’t have left her. So she set herself a challenge, to do something every day to make someone else’s day better, if not the world will fall apart.
All I wanted to do throughout this whole book is to give Aster a hug. She was depressed and was going through something and she felt like she couldn’t tell anyone. Over the course of the book, she went from listening to the voices, feeling like she was invisible, ghost-like and not sad about it, to finally letting a few people in, and thinking maybe the good right things could make her happy too.
Xavier was her turning point, she finally had a friend who wouldn’t leave her, took all of her and didn’t want to try and change or fix her, she finally didn’t feel so alone.
I normally read fantasy, so when I hate a character, I am normally ok about it as they are from a fantasy world, but when it’s contemporary it feels more like the real world to me, and I find it harder to be ok about hating a character. But boy did I hate the mother, I mean how could she do that to a child. Through flashbacks, you got to see how Aster became the quiet girl she is today because she wasn’t when she was younger and the reason is her mother.
I think Gordon did a great job writing about a hard-hitting topic like depression and making it very simple especially when it is targeted for a younger audience. She was able to write about depression without ever saying the word. I felt like the representation of depression was very well done from personal experience, but like anxiety, it is different for everyone.
This was a great read, it made me feel many emotions, sad throughout the whole book, hopeful at the end and a definite appreciation for my mother. I definitely recommend if you are wanting a book that makes you feel the feels, and I also think even though it is targeted as middle grade, adults would get something out of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Gorden and the publishers for approving me a copy.
November 1, 2020
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Riveted Press for the earc to read and review.
What a beautiful story about a Neurodivergent girl who doesn’t fit in to her world, who has big worries and big questions but is too afraid to ask them. She does a good, right thing to make someone else happy, she does this everyday fearing something will happen to her if she doesn’t and adds it into her notebook each time.
I didn’t know how I would feel about this book honestly, I went into reading this forgetting completely what it was about and ended up being so surprised and so moved by the story that was before me.
This book is definitely on the older age group for readers it’s a very mature grown up book, dealing with a lot of big issues and is a perfect way to explain to someone what neurodivergent is, it’s handled so carefully and written so perfectly.
The characters are all perfect and realistic and flawed as any human should be. You have our protagonist Aster who moves your heart completely as you read about her fears, her struggles and the growth, bravery and development she goes through. Xavier the boy who lives next to her ‘gifted kids school’ has many struggles of his own and the ‘black dog’ gets him, but with Aster he finds an escape from it. He was a wonderful character and the best first friend for Aster. Then we have Indigo that honestly you cannot not feel for all you want is things to be better for her. We also have the adults that care so much for Aster, all seeing the greatness within her and wanting to help her grow. The characters were all incredibly wonderful.
This story had me crying by the end few chapters, it was beautiful, creative, delicate and it hits you hard with this touching story.
What a beautiful story about a Neurodivergent girl who doesn’t fit in to her world, who has big worries and big questions but is too afraid to ask them. She does a good, right thing to make someone else happy, she does this everyday fearing something will happen to her if she doesn’t and adds it into her notebook each time.
I didn’t know how I would feel about this book honestly, I went into reading this forgetting completely what it was about and ended up being so surprised and so moved by the story that was before me.
This book is definitely on the older age group for readers it’s a very mature grown up book, dealing with a lot of big issues and is a perfect way to explain to someone what neurodivergent is, it’s handled so carefully and written so perfectly.
The characters are all perfect and realistic and flawed as any human should be. You have our protagonist Aster who moves your heart completely as you read about her fears, her struggles and the growth, bravery and development she goes through. Xavier the boy who lives next to her ‘gifted kids school’ has many struggles of his own and the ‘black dog’ gets him, but with Aster he finds an escape from it. He was a wonderful character and the best first friend for Aster. Then we have Indigo that honestly you cannot not feel for all you want is things to be better for her. We also have the adults that care so much for Aster, all seeing the greatness within her and wanting to help her grow. The characters were all incredibly wonderful.
This story had me crying by the end few chapters, it was beautiful, creative, delicate and it hits you hard with this touching story.
November 1, 2020
The writing in this book is so, so amazing. Like, I felt like it just blew me away in some moments. It’s the perfect blend of poetic and frank and achingly good.
This is one of those stories that breaks your heart and fills you with hope. The fallout of Aster’s relationship with her mom– the hurtful words that cut Aster so deeply– was heartbreaking. Watching Aster navigate her hurt and learn how to reach out in spite of it, and because of it, was such a powerful thing to read, though. I loved the way she developed a community of friends around her. It was like watching a flower come into bloom.
I loved Aster’s relationship with the rabbit and its owner, Xavier. I loved the way she showed kindness to Indigo even when she didn’t deserve it, because she could see beneath her prickly, angry exterior.
It’s possible that this is one of those books that wraps things up a bit too neatly for some people to believe, but I felt like the ending was perfect for me at this moment. I needed hope. I need to believe that sometimes, even against the odds, things just come out right.
I totally recommend this book. I think readers who enjoyed CATERPILLAR SUMMER by Gillian McDunn or HURRICANE SEASON by Nicole Melleby will love this story.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This is one of those stories that breaks your heart and fills you with hope. The fallout of Aster’s relationship with her mom– the hurtful words that cut Aster so deeply– was heartbreaking. Watching Aster navigate her hurt and learn how to reach out in spite of it, and because of it, was such a powerful thing to read, though. I loved the way she developed a community of friends around her. It was like watching a flower come into bloom.
I loved Aster’s relationship with the rabbit and its owner, Xavier. I loved the way she showed kindness to Indigo even when she didn’t deserve it, because she could see beneath her prickly, angry exterior.
It’s possible that this is one of those books that wraps things up a bit too neatly for some people to believe, but I felt like the ending was perfect for me at this moment. I needed hope. I need to believe that sometimes, even against the odds, things just come out right.
I totally recommend this book. I think readers who enjoyed CATERPILLAR SUMMER by Gillian McDunn or HURRICANE SEASON by Nicole Melleby will love this story.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
July 11, 2021
Aster is compelled to do good right things every day. She believes it’s the only way people will not leave her. Mum left. Aster blames herself. She wasn’t good enough. Noise in her head reinforces her belief that she was at fault.
Aster doesn’t have any friends. There are children she would like to be friends with, but she doubts she’s good enough. So, she does good right things to be good enough. But is it enough?
A rabbit comes into her life. When the noise in her head or school gets too much, she holds the rabbit that lives on the edge of her weird school. The rabbit brings Xavier into her life. Home schooled he too has ‘noise’ different but the same. What do Aster and Xavier discover?
I enjoyed the insights into childhood grief, anxiety and depression.
Recommended for Tweens and YA
Aster doesn’t have any friends. There are children she would like to be friends with, but she doubts she’s good enough. So, she does good right things to be good enough. But is it enough?
A rabbit comes into her life. When the noise in her head or school gets too much, she holds the rabbit that lives on the edge of her weird school. The rabbit brings Xavier into her life. Home schooled he too has ‘noise’ different but the same. What do Aster and Xavier discover?
I enjoyed the insights into childhood grief, anxiety and depression.
Recommended for Tweens and YA
April 3, 2021
This book made my heart sad. And then happy. And then sad. But mostly happy. ❤️
August 29, 2021
A beautiful little book ❤
August 1, 2021
This book has been shortlisted by the Children's Book Council in the younger reader category.
So often when you read children's books you come across characters that you just want to wrap up in a hug and let them know that what they are thinking is not right, that it's not their fault, that those around them don't think those things and it's not their job to fix everything. This is how I feel about Aster.
Aster feels that every day she must do a good, right thing. She feels that if she doesn't, everything will go wrong and everyone she loves will leave her, just like her mum did. Most importantly, she can't tell anyone about these good, right things and if doing these things make her happy, they are not good, right things. Good, right things should be done to make others happy, not you.
On top of that, Aster feels she doesn't fit in at school and it's her job to make herself as small and as unnoticeable as possible. She must not get in anyone's way or upset anyone. This is how she will make sure she is not left again.
All of which is incredibly sad because Aster is an amazing child. Because she is so quiet, so watchful and so aware of others, she sees and hears things other don't. She dedicates all her time to making others feel better and feel safe.
Then Aster meets Xavier and he shows her that she is not alone.
Through this friendship, Aster learns to share a bit more with those who love her and that it's ok for a good, right thing to be for you and to make you happy. And that it's also ok if you're not happy all the time.
So often when you read children's books you come across characters that you just want to wrap up in a hug and let them know that what they are thinking is not right, that it's not their fault, that those around them don't think those things and it's not their job to fix everything. This is how I feel about Aster.
Aster feels that every day she must do a good, right thing. She feels that if she doesn't, everything will go wrong and everyone she loves will leave her, just like her mum did. Most importantly, she can't tell anyone about these good, right things and if doing these things make her happy, they are not good, right things. Good, right things should be done to make others happy, not you.
On top of that, Aster feels she doesn't fit in at school and it's her job to make herself as small and as unnoticeable as possible. She must not get in anyone's way or upset anyone. This is how she will make sure she is not left again.
All of which is incredibly sad because Aster is an amazing child. Because she is so quiet, so watchful and so aware of others, she sees and hears things other don't. She dedicates all her time to making others feel better and feel safe.
Then Aster meets Xavier and he shows her that she is not alone.
"I'm not sick, " he told me, with the dark face still on. "Sometimes my brain becomes uncooperative. that's all."
"Mine too." I told him.
Through this friendship, Aster learns to share a bit more with those who love her and that it's ok for a good, right thing to be for you and to make you happy. And that it's also ok if you're not happy all the time.
September 24, 2020
I've just had the privilege of reading the uncorrected proof of this delightful new offering from the marvellous Kate Gordon. Aster will fill a hole you never realised you had in your heart.
Kate Gordon skillfully weaves a happy and hopeful tale from threads of lives that each involve varying types and degrees of mental illness. She helps Aster, and the reader, see that everyone is struggling with something.
Aster’s Good, Right Things is a must read for all adults and children to help them understand mental health issues. Those who are perfectly fine and have never felt a moment’s anxiety will be better for learning more, and all those of us who’ve been an Aster to any degree will be warmed through to the core by the reminders that we’re okay. We’re all going to be okay. The noise will go away one day.
If this book doesn't become a multi award winner I will eat a rainbow coloured ice-cream!
Kate Gordon skillfully weaves a happy and hopeful tale from threads of lives that each involve varying types and degrees of mental illness. She helps Aster, and the reader, see that everyone is struggling with something.
Aster’s Good, Right Things is a must read for all adults and children to help them understand mental health issues. Those who are perfectly fine and have never felt a moment’s anxiety will be better for learning more, and all those of us who’ve been an Aster to any degree will be warmed through to the core by the reminders that we’re okay. We’re all going to be okay. The noise will go away one day.
If this book doesn't become a multi award winner I will eat a rainbow coloured ice-cream!
November 7, 2021
This may be the best book I've read in 2020 (and I don't say that lightly -- I'm VERY stingy with my 5-star reviews).
Aster is an incredible, loving character who is reeling after her mother decided she didn't want to be part of their family anymore. The way she describes their interactions when Aster was younger leads me to believe her mother may be bipolar, but that's never discussed. Instead, her dad and aunt are revered as the loving adults in her life who *stayed* (though they have struggles of their own).
As both a mother and a grown-up child who was often neglected by my parents, I vacillated between crying for my childhood self and vowing to do better for my own children. This book will stay with me for a long time!
(I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
Aster is an incredible, loving character who is reeling after her mother decided she didn't want to be part of their family anymore. The way she describes their interactions when Aster was younger leads me to believe her mother may be bipolar, but that's never discussed. Instead, her dad and aunt are revered as the loving adults in her life who *stayed* (though they have struggles of their own).
As both a mother and a grown-up child who was often neglected by my parents, I vacillated between crying for my childhood self and vowing to do better for my own children. This book will stay with me for a long time!
(I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
November 5, 2020
Great book! Recomend for young people who may feel they don't fit in. Kate has written in such a way that engages the reader and draws them into the story. Great book for children but any age would enjoy it .
August 22, 2021
[CBCA Winner for younger readers 2021]
A quick novel for this age group but has some very heavy themes of depression in a younger child as well as parent desertion. I wouldn’t be giving this to just anyone in our school library.
A quick novel for this age group but has some very heavy themes of depression in a younger child as well as parent desertion. I wouldn’t be giving this to just anyone in our school library.
July 24, 2025
I read this a quite a while ago but I still think about it very often. The character of Aster is one of the only characters I have ever deeply related to in a book. A moving and beautiful story that I am very grateful I decided to read. I cried multiple times.
October 29, 2020
Recently, I was lucky enough to nab myself an Advanced Reader Copy of a brand-new Middle-Grade novel titled Aster’s Good, Right Things by the fabulous Kate Gordon.
Aster’s Good, Right Things is releasing November 1st, 2020 and is set to be a hit with young and old alike.
Book Review-Aster’s Good, Right Things
29/10/20200 Comments
Picture
Good Afternoon :)
I hope this post finds you all safe and well.
Recently, I was lucky enough to nab myself an Advanced Reader Copy of a brand-new Middle-Grade novel titled Aster’s Good, Right Things by the fabulous Kate Gordon.
Aster’s Good, Right Things is releasing November 1st, 2020 and is set to be a hit with young and old alike.
To begin, let me share the book synopsis with you (taken/quoted from Goodreads)
'I can’t let go of them – the good, right things—because if I do I’ll turn into a cloud and I’ll float away, and a storm will come and blow me to nothing."
Eleven-year-old Aster attends a school for gifted kids, but she doesn’t think she’s special at all. If she was, her mother wouldn’t have left. Each day Aster must do a good, right thing—a challenge she sets herself, to make someone else’s life better. Nobody can know about her ‘things’, because then they won’t count. And if she doesn’t do them, she's sure everything will go wrong. Then she meets Xavier. He has his own kind of special missions to make life better. When they do these missions together, Aster feels free, but if she stops doing her good, right things will everything fall apart?'
I am so glad that I grabbed a copy of this book for myself and I congratulate the author, Kate Gordon on such a heart-warming and real book.
The book is suitable for young and old, those who love to read and those who only read a little. It follows the journey of young Aster, a sweet, quiet, and kind-hearted girl, who attends a progressive school for the gifted.
Young Aster does not feel gifted, she feels abandoned and anxious. The noise in her head makes her daily activities challenging but she finds a way to cope and sets out every day to do good things for others. She shows us that you can do good, no matter what comes your way. She teaches us that it is the small things that make a difference, to ourselves and to other people. She also teaches us that when doing right and good things, it does not have to be shouted from the rooftops, it does not have to be publicised so that other people know how ‘good’ we are. Good and right things can be and are best done quietly, under the radar and because they are good, not because they will get us praise.
Such a good message to spread far and wide.
As with many people, Aster gets anxiety, sometimes it is very intense and she finds it difficult to hang out with other people, they do not 'get' her. During the story, she happens to find a couple of the best friends she could ask for and they are the most unlikely trio. Alongside her new pals, Aster flourishes and even begins to dance.
The three young people, all with their own challenges, grow close and though they struggle with their own situations, they find the time and the heart to support each other through their most trying times.
This book is a wonderful firsthand account of the struggles that many people face. It makes us think, it makes us feel.
I must admit, I found myself with a heavy heart when Aster struggled and smiled at her accomplishments, I fell into the story and found myself reading at 2 am.
I just could not put it down.
This book is a must for anyone with anxiety, it is a wonderful resource while being entertaining and is just a great read. The voice and feel of this book very much reminds me of ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ and ‘The Fault In Our Stars’ while also shining with its own light.
For my full review please visit my blog - http://www.tabithajeanpage.com/blog
Aster’s Good, Right Things is releasing November 1st, 2020 and is set to be a hit with young and old alike.
Book Review-Aster’s Good, Right Things
29/10/20200 Comments
Picture
Good Afternoon :)
I hope this post finds you all safe and well.
Recently, I was lucky enough to nab myself an Advanced Reader Copy of a brand-new Middle-Grade novel titled Aster’s Good, Right Things by the fabulous Kate Gordon.
Aster’s Good, Right Things is releasing November 1st, 2020 and is set to be a hit with young and old alike.
To begin, let me share the book synopsis with you (taken/quoted from Goodreads)
'I can’t let go of them – the good, right things—because if I do I’ll turn into a cloud and I’ll float away, and a storm will come and blow me to nothing."
Eleven-year-old Aster attends a school for gifted kids, but she doesn’t think she’s special at all. If she was, her mother wouldn’t have left. Each day Aster must do a good, right thing—a challenge she sets herself, to make someone else’s life better. Nobody can know about her ‘things’, because then they won’t count. And if she doesn’t do them, she's sure everything will go wrong. Then she meets Xavier. He has his own kind of special missions to make life better. When they do these missions together, Aster feels free, but if she stops doing her good, right things will everything fall apart?'
I am so glad that I grabbed a copy of this book for myself and I congratulate the author, Kate Gordon on such a heart-warming and real book.
The book is suitable for young and old, those who love to read and those who only read a little. It follows the journey of young Aster, a sweet, quiet, and kind-hearted girl, who attends a progressive school for the gifted.
Young Aster does not feel gifted, she feels abandoned and anxious. The noise in her head makes her daily activities challenging but she finds a way to cope and sets out every day to do good things for others. She shows us that you can do good, no matter what comes your way. She teaches us that it is the small things that make a difference, to ourselves and to other people. She also teaches us that when doing right and good things, it does not have to be shouted from the rooftops, it does not have to be publicised so that other people know how ‘good’ we are. Good and right things can be and are best done quietly, under the radar and because they are good, not because they will get us praise.
Such a good message to spread far and wide.
As with many people, Aster gets anxiety, sometimes it is very intense and she finds it difficult to hang out with other people, they do not 'get' her. During the story, she happens to find a couple of the best friends she could ask for and they are the most unlikely trio. Alongside her new pals, Aster flourishes and even begins to dance.
The three young people, all with their own challenges, grow close and though they struggle with their own situations, they find the time and the heart to support each other through their most trying times.
This book is a wonderful firsthand account of the struggles that many people face. It makes us think, it makes us feel.
I must admit, I found myself with a heavy heart when Aster struggled and smiled at her accomplishments, I fell into the story and found myself reading at 2 am.
I just could not put it down.
This book is a must for anyone with anxiety, it is a wonderful resource while being entertaining and is just a great read. The voice and feel of this book very much reminds me of ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ and ‘The Fault In Our Stars’ while also shining with its own light.
For my full review please visit my blog - http://www.tabithajeanpage.com/blog
April 25, 2021
Aster attends a school for gifted students, with lofty ideals around beheviour and healthy living. She does not fit in and has no friends because of her inability to communicate confidently with others, predominantly due to the 'noise' in her head. Aster suffers from anxiety (but I feel there is more tho this than that label suggests) and challenges herself to do a 'good, right thing' every day which benefits the receiver but not herself - to the point where the deed becomes a test of her own resolve, almost a punishment.
Aster befriends a rabbit on the edges of the school ground and then it owner, Xavier, who is home schooled due to his own mental health issues - depression. As the story unfolds and Aster's home life is also explored it becomes clear that the high expectations of her mother followed by her abrupt departure have affected the metal well being of both Aster and living and caring father who is also grief stricken. A further tension is added through the aggressive behaviour of Indigo at the school and the unfolding her cruel relationship with her own mother that results in her coming under the care of Aster's Aunt Noni, who is a social worker.
Told in a first person voice, through the eyes of 11 year old Aster, this is an #ownvoices story that provides insights into mental health issues and the challenges faced to build normal and trusting relationships. Aster's voice rings true but I found that there was an overload of mental health problems with insufficient detail and too many euphemisms to help young readers navigate the complex and frightening worlds of the three individual children. Aunt Noni plays an important part to this story through her strength, understanding and reliability, with Xavier's mother (a minor character) present as the only parent without noticeable mental health issues. There is also an underlying message that children are not responsible for the decisions and actions of their parents - poor and abusive parenting is put under the microscope through Aster's obsessive behavior and Indigo's physical abuse.
The book is quite slim and an easy read on a vocabulary level, but challenging due to its themes, and the number of issues it tackles. Gordon's prose is carefully crafted to provide a convincing window into Aster's feelings and fears. As the girls move toward more positive relations with the world around them the mood of the story lifts and the importance of connecting with others and belief in self shine through. Xavier's fate is not so positive, and considering the support he provided Aster, I felt did not quite ring true. I would recommend reading this first before passing on to your young readers.
Shortlisted for the 2021 CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers
Aster befriends a rabbit on the edges of the school ground and then it owner, Xavier, who is home schooled due to his own mental health issues - depression. As the story unfolds and Aster's home life is also explored it becomes clear that the high expectations of her mother followed by her abrupt departure have affected the metal well being of both Aster and living and caring father who is also grief stricken. A further tension is added through the aggressive behaviour of Indigo at the school and the unfolding her cruel relationship with her own mother that results in her coming under the care of Aster's Aunt Noni, who is a social worker.
Told in a first person voice, through the eyes of 11 year old Aster, this is an #ownvoices story that provides insights into mental health issues and the challenges faced to build normal and trusting relationships. Aster's voice rings true but I found that there was an overload of mental health problems with insufficient detail and too many euphemisms to help young readers navigate the complex and frightening worlds of the three individual children. Aunt Noni plays an important part to this story through her strength, understanding and reliability, with Xavier's mother (a minor character) present as the only parent without noticeable mental health issues. There is also an underlying message that children are not responsible for the decisions and actions of their parents - poor and abusive parenting is put under the microscope through Aster's obsessive behavior and Indigo's physical abuse.
The book is quite slim and an easy read on a vocabulary level, but challenging due to its themes, and the number of issues it tackles. Gordon's prose is carefully crafted to provide a convincing window into Aster's feelings and fears. As the girls move toward more positive relations with the world around them the mood of the story lifts and the importance of connecting with others and belief in self shine through. Xavier's fate is not so positive, and considering the support he provided Aster, I felt did not quite ring true. I would recommend reading this first before passing on to your young readers.
Shortlisted for the 2021 CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers
November 26, 2020
When I was at school, I never quite fit in. I worked out that I went to 8 Primary Schools in two countries, and one Secondary School. I was never part of the crowd and would often hide away in the library when it was open at lunchtime.
From the first chapter, Aster’s Good, Right Things had me hooked. While my circumstances as a child are different than Aster’s, the description of noise in her head and the feelings of being alone and not having friends is one that I could relate to. I’m not sure if I’ve ever read about the feelings I had as a child in a book before!
Each chapter starts by listing Aster’s ‘good, right thing’ for the day, then goes on to tell the story about that thing, along with snapshots of her life at school and home.
I really enjoyed how Kate Gordon dealt with so many big issues, such as depression & anxiety, parental breakdown & abandonment, and friendships in a way that was sensitive and matter of fact.
I also enjoyed how Aster wasn’t left in the ‘pits of despair’. Friendship and support came from unexpected places to give a lovely light at the end of the tunnel feeling. This is also important for kids who are dealing with the issues from the book need to know, that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
This is a book that children who are struggling with parental breakdown, mental health issues, and generally trying to find their place in the world will be able to relate to. It is also one that other children who don’t have these issues will enjoy and it will give them an insight into how other children feel. I would also recommend this to parents as it gives an insight into how children deal with these issues, something that isn’t talked about enough.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
From the first chapter, Aster’s Good, Right Things had me hooked. While my circumstances as a child are different than Aster’s, the description of noise in her head and the feelings of being alone and not having friends is one that I could relate to. I’m not sure if I’ve ever read about the feelings I had as a child in a book before!
Each chapter starts by listing Aster’s ‘good, right thing’ for the day, then goes on to tell the story about that thing, along with snapshots of her life at school and home.
I really enjoyed how Kate Gordon dealt with so many big issues, such as depression & anxiety, parental breakdown & abandonment, and friendships in a way that was sensitive and matter of fact.
I also enjoyed how Aster wasn’t left in the ‘pits of despair’. Friendship and support came from unexpected places to give a lovely light at the end of the tunnel feeling. This is also important for kids who are dealing with the issues from the book need to know, that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
This is a book that children who are struggling with parental breakdown, mental health issues, and generally trying to find their place in the world will be able to relate to. It is also one that other children who don’t have these issues will enjoy and it will give them an insight into how other children feel. I would also recommend this to parents as it gives an insight into how children deal with these issues, something that isn’t talked about enough.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
February 14, 2021
It's such a beautiful yet painful novel of a friendship between Aster and a boy she accidentally meets luring behind her school. I say painful, because Aster is dealing with many things: her mother leaving, feeling inadequate and dull in a school with children considered brilliant, and a diagnosis--a report about her anxiety disorder her father delivered to her school.
"I am not destined to run the country or win the Nobel Prize or make art installations that they show in the Louvre. I'm not destined for anything. I was never," she says. Am I allowed to find myself in a middle grade novel? Is it normal that such a book resonates with me so much? I struggled with being average my whole childhood, and it's still something that bothers me, especially that for some reason, it's only brilliant people who decide to befriend me. (I guess good news for all you reading this who are my friends.)
Aster is struggling with many things, among them with empathy and doing small things for others every day just to prove that she is, in fact, not a bad person and not beyond repair. Scary, I know, but not unrealistic. When she meets Xavier, who wears princess pajamas, he comes up with another way to make life better. They carry on these missions together.
I know I'm writing from my adult perspective, but I'm also convinced that this book is a good choice for educators trying to find a book that would open a discussion on difficult topics.
Also, it's one of the first Australian books I've ever read. How about that?
"I am not destined to run the country or win the Nobel Prize or make art installations that they show in the Louvre. I'm not destined for anything. I was never," she says. Am I allowed to find myself in a middle grade novel? Is it normal that such a book resonates with me so much? I struggled with being average my whole childhood, and it's still something that bothers me, especially that for some reason, it's only brilliant people who decide to befriend me. (I guess good news for all you reading this who are my friends.)
Aster is struggling with many things, among them with empathy and doing small things for others every day just to prove that she is, in fact, not a bad person and not beyond repair. Scary, I know, but not unrealistic. When she meets Xavier, who wears princess pajamas, he comes up with another way to make life better. They carry on these missions together.
I know I'm writing from my adult perspective, but I'm also convinced that this book is a good choice for educators trying to find a book that would open a discussion on difficult topics.
Also, it's one of the first Australian books I've ever read. How about that?
October 5, 2020
This is the first book I’ve read by this author but it won’t be the last. Aster is a somewhat troubled little girl who doesn’t understand why her mother left. She talks about the noise in her head and thinks that if she doesn’t do good, right things every day, then the rest of her family- her dad and her aunt Noni - will leave her too.
The supporting cast are good too. There’s Aster’s dad who is a high school principal and understands exactly what Aster needs. There’s Xavier, a boy who lives next to Aster’s school, is homeschooled and who struggles with depression. Finally, there’s Indigo who is in care because her mother can’t look after her properly.
All of the characters are entirely believable. I like the way in which all of the children’s problems are described with such acceptance. No one tries to change them; the adults are just there to support them through the difficulties they are facing.
This is the kind of book where you wonder if anything is going to happen but whilst nothing dramatically changes, the ending is satisfying and conclusive. The story captivated me from the first line. If life hadn’t got in the way I could have read this in one sitting.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The supporting cast are good too. There’s Aster’s dad who is a high school principal and understands exactly what Aster needs. There’s Xavier, a boy who lives next to Aster’s school, is homeschooled and who struggles with depression. Finally, there’s Indigo who is in care because her mother can’t look after her properly.
All of the characters are entirely believable. I like the way in which all of the children’s problems are described with such acceptance. No one tries to change them; the adults are just there to support them through the difficulties they are facing.
This is the kind of book where you wonder if anything is going to happen but whilst nothing dramatically changes, the ending is satisfying and conclusive. The story captivated me from the first line. If life hadn’t got in the way I could have read this in one sitting.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 2, 2020
Aster is a young girl. She doesn’t think she is special at all, because if she was special, her mother wouldn’t have left. Even though everyone tells her that it was not her fault, Aster isn’t so sure. And so everyone else doesn’t leave her too, Aster does her best to be special, by doing one good deed a day.
This was a lovely book, and it made me a bit teary at the end, as Aster learns to forgive herself, and that everyone of us has a story to tell, and we can’t always control the actions or feelings of others.It is true that other people’s actions really don’t have anything to do with us.
This book had a very good message about growing up, getting along with others in the world and not worrying too much about being perfect. There are so many morals gently told in this book, and they are just right. It’s a good story without the messages, and an even better one with them. I loved Aster, she was a really great narrator. I was cheering for her.
Who should read this? Anyone. it is aimed at middle school children, but anyone would enjoy it. Read it on a day when you are feeling a bit down and need a treat. I think this book will make anyone feel the joy of their life and know that everything will be okay.
This was a lovely book, and it made me a bit teary at the end, as Aster learns to forgive herself, and that everyone of us has a story to tell, and we can’t always control the actions or feelings of others.It is true that other people’s actions really don’t have anything to do with us.
This book had a very good message about growing up, getting along with others in the world and not worrying too much about being perfect. There are so many morals gently told in this book, and they are just right. It’s a good story without the messages, and an even better one with them. I loved Aster, she was a really great narrator. I was cheering for her.
Who should read this? Anyone. it is aimed at middle school children, but anyone would enjoy it. Read it on a day when you are feeling a bit down and need a treat. I think this book will make anyone feel the joy of their life and know that everything will be okay.
November 18, 2020
Wonderful book about a neuro-divergent girl who lives in Tasmania and how she makes sense of the world, especially how she copes with 'noise' which can make her navigate the world differently. She is trying to understand why her mum left and believes if she does one 'good, right thing' a day, her mum will come back. She attends a school for gifted children but at times even that is too much, until she finds a rabbit in the rose garden who belongs to a boy called Xavier, Slowly Xavier and Aster become friends and through the friendship and being understood by someone, Aster begins to grow in confidence. I found this book a little tricky to get into, mainly because its written from inside Aster's head and I was worried it would be a sad story. After a couple of chapters I then read it all in one go, enchanted by the way the story develops and unfurls, gently and slowly. The relationship with her dad and aunt are wonderful and there is some mild scariness when the class bully picks on her but the rabbit is always there to comfort her when needed. The author captures perfectly the insides of a child and recreates childhood so successfully that I wanted cornflakes and hot milk after reading! Just a lovely gentle book.
With thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.
With thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.
August 11, 2022
For a while, reading this felt like walking around with all of my skin flayed off. That sort of exquisite pain, every raw nerve exposed to the elements.
And then halfway through, I realised that if I had read this in my twenties, it would have devastated me. But reading it in my forties after having done the therapy and the work and making my own life means I can look at the good things and realise that, like Aster, I had other people who loved me and were there unconditionally for me. It means that I wanted to slap her mother right across the face and recognise the differences between her mother and mine.
My recurring nightmare was kind of the flipside to hers. How curious.
The imagery was incredibly beautiful and so deeply poetic. The sentence structure and copious comma usage tested my patience a little but I forced myself to relax into the rhythm so that was okay.
I think I loved Aster and Indigo’s relationship the best. And after spending the first half wanting to cuddle poor Aster, those final chapters were just glorious to witness. Still felt like a rather abrupt ending, I was a bit taken aback to see the Acknowledgements heading. But then that last chapter made beautiful sense as an ending.
It does feel like a very Tasmanian book somehow.
And then halfway through, I realised that if I had read this in my twenties, it would have devastated me. But reading it in my forties after having done the therapy and the work and making my own life means I can look at the good things and realise that, like Aster, I had other people who loved me and were there unconditionally for me. It means that I wanted to slap her mother right across the face and recognise the differences between her mother and mine.
My recurring nightmare was kind of the flipside to hers. How curious.
The imagery was incredibly beautiful and so deeply poetic. The sentence structure and copious comma usage tested my patience a little but I forced myself to relax into the rhythm so that was okay.
I think I loved Aster and Indigo’s relationship the best. And after spending the first half wanting to cuddle poor Aster, those final chapters were just glorious to witness. Still felt like a rather abrupt ending, I was a bit taken aback to see the Acknowledgements heading. But then that last chapter made beautiful sense as an ending.
It does feel like a very Tasmanian book somehow.
May 30, 2021
Another warm, empathetic and sensitive #ownvoices story of a young child dealing with big and heavy emotions. Kate always captures that overwhelming, mind-breaking, curl-up-in-a-ball feeling that children (and, well, adults) may feel when our thoughts just won't give us a break.
Some great adult characters who are trying to navigate their own anxieties and insecurities, too.
I'd say this book may be helpful to young readers who will find some of their own feelings reflected, and explored and shared in a nurturing and understanding way. It is quite relentlessly sad - I found Aster's mind spirals often overwhelming - so I would recommend an adult read before handing over to sensitive younger readers. This is a slim book, and the language is easy, but the themes are not. I actually struggled to finish this, because of the heavy content - but isn't that the way with the anxiety and depression this book portrays - it's relentless.
Also bonus points for having a rabbit character - although, if my own rabbit willingly hopped into my lap to have a nap, I would think it some kind of miracle!
Some great adult characters who are trying to navigate their own anxieties and insecurities, too.
I'd say this book may be helpful to young readers who will find some of their own feelings reflected, and explored and shared in a nurturing and understanding way. It is quite relentlessly sad - I found Aster's mind spirals often overwhelming - so I would recommend an adult read before handing over to sensitive younger readers. This is a slim book, and the language is easy, but the themes are not. I actually struggled to finish this, because of the heavy content - but isn't that the way with the anxiety and depression this book portrays - it's relentless.
Also bonus points for having a rabbit character - although, if my own rabbit willingly hopped into my lap to have a nap, I would think it some kind of miracle!
October 29, 2020
Aster's Good, Right Things is a story about a neurodivergent kid making it through a short period in her life. While I think this is an excellent, well done look at one way a person - and a child, in particular - experiences the world, I don't quite find the plot compelling enough to recommend it to a kid. I think it's a good read to hand to an adult who doesn't seem to "get it," but I don't know that I would give it to kid because it's a great story. Everything sits a bit too high on the surface, even the things that Aster is feeling deeply - her relationship with her mother, her own "differences" from those around her - and left me feeling like I was skimming through the story and maybe missing important bits.
The characters are all lovely. I am very fond of Aster and Xavier, and I feel for Indigo. The adults in the story all feel real, and I love how hard they're all working to ensure that Aster, in particular, feels safe and loved. I want more for them than the story is willing to give, however.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for review via NetGalley.
The characters are all lovely. I am very fond of Aster and Xavier, and I feel for Indigo. The adults in the story all feel real, and I love how hard they're all working to ensure that Aster, in particular, feels safe and loved. I want more for them than the story is willing to give, however.
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for review via NetGalley.
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