Asteroidea

by Stephanie A. Smith

ASTEROIDEA is about regeneration: personal, professional, cellular. Marine biologist Claire Holt is at a frustrating crossroads. Having spent her career experimenting on asteroidea, commonly called star-fish, and trying, without success, to transfer their regenerative capabilities to mammals, she’s grown frustrated and depressed. With her grants running dry, time running out, and her two grown daughters facing their own life changes, Claire feels defeated. To cope, she takes a journey back to her childhood home, only to discover several startling and destabilizing facts about her past. As she tries to handle the resulting intergenerational and emotional fall-out, a graduate student arrives at her lab with a newly discovered, promising species of asteroidea. Juggling emotional and familial upheaval, as well as this fresh direction for her research challenges Claire to re-engage in both her work and in life.

206 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2020

About the author

Stephanie A. Smith holds a PhD from UC Berkeley and teaches American Literature at the University of Florida. She studied fiction with both Ursula K. Le Guin and Michael Cunningham, and is the author of six novels, including the recent WARPAINT Trilogy (Thames River Press) and two books of criticism, along with numerous essays, chapters, reviews and short stories.

http://www.stephanieasmith.net for more!

Reviews

[Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was given a digital copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The views expressed in this review are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

Let's start with the misleading title. The Astroidea that the book is currently named for are definitely not the focus of the novel. The main character's profession and research seem like they should be central to the plot of the novel based on the title and the description, but almost seem to be an afterthought.

There is a huge reveal in the first quarter of the novel that is never really properly addressed. It seems as if it should affect the main character and her daughters more. Just that topic could be a novel in itself, but instead it is crammed into a book with many other topics, all of them glossed over, none of them given the full treatment they deserve.

Some of the many topics that this author picks up and drops include: the main character finding out that she is actually Black and both of her parents were passing, the MC's older daughter's pregnant, the MC's younger daughter's Olympic training, the MC's relationship with her friends, the MC's relationship with her aging/dying mother who hid her true race from her her whole life, and of course the titular Astroidea. Oh and I nearly forgot, the MC's estranged father was sending her journals written by his mother, but we weren't given any idea of the content beyond the idea that it was some harsh, depressing content. Well gee, talk about lazy writing.

Ultimately what could have been some incredibly moving content was all crammed together into one short little book instead of expanded. Somehow I was left with a novel about why an emotionally stunted scientist cared more about dogs than her daughters, friends, or family history.

[Shomeret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw a request made by Destiny Brown for reviewers of Asteroidea by Stephanie A. Smith on Goodreads. The description interested me. So I then downloaded a copy from Net Galley and recently finished reading it.

I got the impression from the description of Asteroidea that scientific research on sea stars would be a prominent element in the book. I'd say that protagonist Claire Holt's work with sea stars was mentioned a few times, but it wasn't really described. The main focus was on Claire's personal life and relationships. So I felt somewhat misled by that summary.

Asteroidea wasn't what I expected, but it did enlighten me at a number of points, and there were moments when I was entertained by these characters. I can't say that Asteroidea was one of my top reads of 2020, but I did think it was worthwhile.

For my complete review see https://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/2...

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Asteroidea is a story about a character named Claire Holt. She is dealing with what some might call a “mid-life breakdown” than a crisis. Her daughters are growing older, one is pregnant and the other will soon be heading off to college. Claire is struggling with her own life and the choices and events that have led her to the current point. So she decides to take a trip to visit an old friend, but before she can a strange phone call throws her into a spiral. This story focuses on Claire and how she is trying to come to grips with adjusting to changes, letting go of the past, and moving forward.
I’m sure that after reading that and comparing it to the blurb and the cover you’re wondering where the starfish comes in and Claire’s research work. Well, while it is mentioned a couple of times in this book, I was disappointed to find that that is not the true focus of the story. Claire mentions it briefly in a conversation with her daughter early in the book, but then it’s only mentioned a couple more times. This book comes off as more of a human element story of focusing on Claire as she struggles with her personal life and the past. I was a bit disappointed.
I was really looking forward to the connection of the starfish and learning about Claire’s research and all the time that she had put into trying to discover what makes those creatures so unique, but that never happens. Now, this book does have some interesting elements to it, but they are scattered throughout and are like little gems that you have to read/dig for to find. I couldn’t help feeling disappointed because I honestly felt mislead about the book’s storyline.
Asteroidea is the first book that I have read by Stephanie A. Smith, but I’m not sure that I’d choose to read another book by this author. This book was an okay read, but not one that I could see myself recommending or encouraging other readers to pick up.
I am choosing to rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. If the author had actually focused a bit more on the starfish aspect of the story that was promised I think that this book would have been a lot better, but as is…it’s just okay.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire Holt is a marine biologist turning 50 years old as the book starts. She has a grown daughter who is expecting her first child, and she has an older teen who is looking to go to the Olympics in swimming. Claire is still coping with the loss of her husband and her long time pet, and as sad as it is, she is feeling off kilter and decides to make some changes, take a trip to see friends, and search for her father, whom she hasn't seen since she was ten. It's a meaningful story, about changes in life and working towards goals, and finding new perspectives. I enjoyed the book, and it's inspiring how the characters grow and evolve. There is much to relate to in this book, as Claire spends her time searching for answers and meaning and joy in life. I recommend this story, Asteroidea.