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Rewrite the Stars
Mom-of-three Sadie Rollins-Lancaster struggles with a crumbling marriage she had hoped to salvage. Though her husband, Theo, initiated the divorce, he's now having a change of heart that's difficult to reconcile as he fights against PTSD demons within. When a chance encounter with a stranger resurrects emotions in Sadie she never expected to feel again, her world is turned upside down. Will Sadie find the courage to shape her own future? Will Theo resolve his internal struggles and win Sadie back? Rewrite the Stars is an honest, moving portrayal of life and love that reminds us how much of our happiness lies within our own grasp.
247 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 18, 2021
263 people are currently reading
1455 people want to read
About the author
Christina Consolino
6 books161 followersWarm cups of coffee, good books, and long runs outside. If Christina had her way, our days would be filled with nothing but joy. But life usually throws us a few things we’re not quite expecting. And then? It’s how we react that makes the difference . . .
Christina is a scientist turned teacher turned editor and writer who writes mainly about families like yours.
She is the author of three award-winning novels: REWRITE THE STARS, THE WEIGHT WE CARRY, and THE MARRIAGE DEBT, all of which she enjoyed writing.
Be sure to follow Christina on BookBub for the latest on sales at https://www.bookbub.com/authors/chris...
You can find out more about her at https://linktr.ee/cmconsolino
Christina is a scientist turned teacher turned editor and writer who writes mainly about families like yours.
She is the author of three award-winning novels: REWRITE THE STARS, THE WEIGHT WE CARRY, and THE MARRIAGE DEBT, all of which she enjoyed writing.
Be sure to follow Christina on BookBub for the latest on sales at https://www.bookbub.com/authors/chris...
You can find out more about her at https://linktr.ee/cmconsolino
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
February 8, 2021
Rewrite the Stars is the story of a relatable middle-aged couple coming to terms with the dissolution of their youthful dreams of happily-ever-after. Theo returns from Afghanistan suffering from PTSD that causes him to withdraw from his family, friends, and job.
Sadie juggles the three kids, her husband’s mood swings, and her career. She and Theo still live together and have agreed to divorce, but Theo struggles to let go and refuses to sign the divorce papers. In the meantime, Sadie has a brief encounter with a man at the grocery store that awakens something she hasn’t felt in years.
As the story unfolds, Sadie goes on a journey of self-discovery where she questions who she is and what she wants at this stage in life. Theo questions whether he has the capacity to ever be happy again.
In the end, Sadie and Theo find a solution that works for everyone. This is a heart-warming story about how relationships change, how love evolves, and how we all owe it to ourselves to explore various paths to happiness. Highly recommended for those who enjoy women's fiction. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
Sadie juggles the three kids, her husband’s mood swings, and her career. She and Theo still live together and have agreed to divorce, but Theo struggles to let go and refuses to sign the divorce papers. In the meantime, Sadie has a brief encounter with a man at the grocery store that awakens something she hasn’t felt in years.
As the story unfolds, Sadie goes on a journey of self-discovery where she questions who she is and what she wants at this stage in life. Theo questions whether he has the capacity to ever be happy again.
In the end, Sadie and Theo find a solution that works for everyone. This is a heart-warming story about how relationships change, how love evolves, and how we all owe it to ourselves to explore various paths to happiness. Highly recommended for those who enjoy women's fiction. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
February 22, 2021
Rewrite the Stars is a very sensitively handled story about a couple grappling with the effects of PTSD on their marriage. Like another reviewer mentioned, I was surprised to learn the author doesn't have experience or training in dealing with PTSD because the book was so well-researched, and Theo's perspective comes off as so raw and authentic. I liked that although the story was sad at times, it had an overall hopeful feel and the author touched on the many facets of what it means to be a family, whatever shape that might take.
February 14, 2021
Rewrite the Stars is a beautiful and delicate look at a marriage on the brink—and the places we look for love even when we’re not sure we deserve it.
Sadie and Theo are both deeply real, flawed characters trying to push through an impossible situation, and I rooted for both of them all the way through, even as I willed them to find an easier, less painful path through the world.
Christina Consolino is a talented writer with a knack for building gorgeous scenes and giving the reader hope that life might get better after all, despite the odds. And her treatment of PTSD in the book is nuanced and empathetic.
Fans of women’s fiction and marriage stories are going to swallow this book in one sitting and eagerly await what Consolino writes next. I know I am!
Sadie and Theo are both deeply real, flawed characters trying to push through an impossible situation, and I rooted for both of them all the way through, even as I willed them to find an easier, less painful path through the world.
Christina Consolino is a talented writer with a knack for building gorgeous scenes and giving the reader hope that life might get better after all, despite the odds. And her treatment of PTSD in the book is nuanced and empathetic.
Fans of women’s fiction and marriage stories are going to swallow this book in one sitting and eagerly await what Consolino writes next. I know I am!
December 30, 2020
Rewrite the Stars is a heartwarming, and, at times, heartbreaking story of a family's struggle to survive. Consolino does a great job of bringing the reader along for Sadie and Theo's journey to find the peace and happiness they both desperately seek.
February 18, 2021
Rewrite the Stars is a beautiful, heart wrenching, and timely story.
Theo, a war veteran with PTSD, has returned to his family a very different man. And Sadie, his wife, must become a different woman in order to sustain any semblance of a relationship with him. This is an all too familiar story for so many veterans today and a lovely example of how brokenness can't always be undone, but can oftentimes be mended into something beautiful.
As someone who has spent a great part of her life studying and treating PTSD, I was surprised to learn the author had no formal training or experience with the disorder. Her knowledge of the illness and her ability to capture the emotions that thread through the lives of people affected by it is remarkable.
Theo, a war veteran with PTSD, has returned to his family a very different man. And Sadie, his wife, must become a different woman in order to sustain any semblance of a relationship with him. This is an all too familiar story for so many veterans today and a lovely example of how brokenness can't always be undone, but can oftentimes be mended into something beautiful.
As someone who has spent a great part of her life studying and treating PTSD, I was surprised to learn the author had no formal training or experience with the disorder. Her knowledge of the illness and her ability to capture the emotions that thread through the lives of people affected by it is remarkable.
January 18, 2021
Rewrite the Stars gives readers an inside glimpse of a marriage in its final stages. I found myself rooting for both characters as they struggled to come to terms with the inevitable and also find healing and happiness for themselves, and each other. It's a raw and realistic depiction of love, regret, new hope, and what it means to be family. The author expertly navigates this 'in between' stage of a marriage's end, a stage often overlooked and under-explored, in a way that will stick with me as a reader.
February 16, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was hard to put down, and it always left me wondering what was next and what decisions the characters would make. There were many different layers to it on which I will reflect for quite a while including the perspective of the kids, the friends and family. Of course, I loved the settings including that part of it took place in beautiful Northern Michigan. A must read!
January 26, 2021
Among the many attractions of Christina Consolino’s Rewrite the Stars is her penetrating examination of a marriage that’s trying to survive or, it seems more likely, trying to end. Sadie and Theo are in trouble, deep trouble. There are unsigned divorce papers that become part of the plot early in the novel, a menacing detail, like Chekhov’s gun. Before this story ends, will they pull the trigger?
Many factors are tearing these two characters apart. In chapters that alternate between Sadie’s and Theo’s point of view, Consolino takes the reader inside their characters, establishing the stresses and strains in the relationship, artfully providing backstories in their personal and shared narratives.
A veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Theo comes home with PTSD. He is distant, given to bouts of anger, unable to do the work he did prior to his service. He knows it; she knows it: he is no longer the man he was. “Almost all my dreams,” he says, “involved a gun.”
Sadie works as a writer and editor. There are three children in the marriage. Consolino expertly captures the heavy lifting in ordinary family life, nurturing children, making a living, negotiating friendships, experiencing the gradual arrival of middle age with its attendant emotional and physical changes. Throughout, Sadie struggles with the question of whether she is still the person she was, asks if it is still possible to be happy, to experience love and passion with the freshness once in her marriage. She muses, “The Sadie I’d always been was missing.” And again, later in the novel: “I need to find the Sadie I once knew. I need to clean my life up, to clean me up.”
Consolino has a fine eye for detail, capturing the tensions in a marriage. Here, for example: “Sadie and I were having an argument without having one.” When Theo meets a friend in a bar, his thoughts: “Hesitation made me pause, a slight worry the blinking neon sign affixed to the ceiling at the edge of the bar would trigger something in me.” When Theo decides to come out of his shell and actually talk to Sadie, he observes, “She set her full mug on the kitchen table and pulled her phone out of her bag. Somehow, her phone was always easy to locate.” You feel their personal strife.
The tensions in the story are amplified by a character Consolino introduces early on. Sadie notices him at the grocery store, initially refers to him as “grocery story man.” Andrew gradually becomes central to the story, a divorced father of two, a potential love interest for Sadie, a work companion for Theo as he returns to his work in web design.
You read with total confidence in Consolino’s control of the story, with a prolonged sense dread that things may go terribly wrong, with a sense of hope that these likeable characters will find themselves and find their capacity to be happy.
Many factors are tearing these two characters apart. In chapters that alternate between Sadie’s and Theo’s point of view, Consolino takes the reader inside their characters, establishing the stresses and strains in the relationship, artfully providing backstories in their personal and shared narratives.
A veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Theo comes home with PTSD. He is distant, given to bouts of anger, unable to do the work he did prior to his service. He knows it; she knows it: he is no longer the man he was. “Almost all my dreams,” he says, “involved a gun.”
Sadie works as a writer and editor. There are three children in the marriage. Consolino expertly captures the heavy lifting in ordinary family life, nurturing children, making a living, negotiating friendships, experiencing the gradual arrival of middle age with its attendant emotional and physical changes. Throughout, Sadie struggles with the question of whether she is still the person she was, asks if it is still possible to be happy, to experience love and passion with the freshness once in her marriage. She muses, “The Sadie I’d always been was missing.” And again, later in the novel: “I need to find the Sadie I once knew. I need to clean my life up, to clean me up.”
Consolino has a fine eye for detail, capturing the tensions in a marriage. Here, for example: “Sadie and I were having an argument without having one.” When Theo meets a friend in a bar, his thoughts: “Hesitation made me pause, a slight worry the blinking neon sign affixed to the ceiling at the edge of the bar would trigger something in me.” When Theo decides to come out of his shell and actually talk to Sadie, he observes, “She set her full mug on the kitchen table and pulled her phone out of her bag. Somehow, her phone was always easy to locate.” You feel their personal strife.
The tensions in the story are amplified by a character Consolino introduces early on. Sadie notices him at the grocery store, initially refers to him as “grocery story man.” Andrew gradually becomes central to the story, a divorced father of two, a potential love interest for Sadie, a work companion for Theo as he returns to his work in web design.
You read with total confidence in Consolino’s control of the story, with a prolonged sense dread that things may go terribly wrong, with a sense of hope that these likeable characters will find themselves and find their capacity to be happy.
February 18, 2021
Some books are hard to finish. Not that the book is hard to read, just that you don't want to end your involvement in the story.
That is how I felt when I was about to finish Rewrite the Stars. I was in bed and I could see that I was about 93% complete on my kindle. I set the book aside because I knew that I would want to extend my time with Sadie, Theo and their world. I was glad I postponed the inevitable, and was able to start my day with the end of the story.
This book has great character development. You see the characters grow as you turn the pages, you see the struggles they face and you feel for them. This book gives great insight to the impact PTSD has on those suffering from it.
That is how I felt when I was about to finish Rewrite the Stars. I was in bed and I could see that I was about 93% complete on my kindle. I set the book aside because I knew that I would want to extend my time with Sadie, Theo and their world. I was glad I postponed the inevitable, and was able to start my day with the end of the story.
This book has great character development. You see the characters grow as you turn the pages, you see the struggles they face and you feel for them. This book gives great insight to the impact PTSD has on those suffering from it.
February 16, 2021
This novel pulled me in from the very beginning. Consolino's prose and her compelling characters grabbed my heart and mind right away and never let go. This story is beautifully told in two narrative voices that are evocative, honest, and engaging. There were surprises around many corners all of which add to the textured, complicated relationships at the heart of this novel. Read this book - you'll be glad you did and these characters will stay in your heart.
January 29, 2021
What if you have to reimagine your happily ever, half way through your life?
Sadie and Theo’s marriage has been ravaged, the divorce papers have been drawn up. They both know they can’t continue, but it’s not that easy to walk away from the one you love. Even if in your heart you know it is over, and happiness lies elsewhere.
Rewrite the Stars is a beautiful and heartbreaking story of Sadie, a writer and editor, and her husband Theo who suffers from PTSD after being in Afghanistan, which affects every part of their family life. Consolino deftly captures the rhythm of motherhood and work, as well as adult friendships. We see Sadie and Theo try to come to terms with the people they have become. It’s a story of letting go, and at the same reopening your heart to allow love back in. Both main characters are fully realized people with strengths and flaws, and this author paints the dissolution of marriage in a nuanced way, in the gray, where there are no good guys or bad guys, but just people doing the best they can.
Looking forward to reading more from this author.
Sadie and Theo’s marriage has been ravaged, the divorce papers have been drawn up. They both know they can’t continue, but it’s not that easy to walk away from the one you love. Even if in your heart you know it is over, and happiness lies elsewhere.
Rewrite the Stars is a beautiful and heartbreaking story of Sadie, a writer and editor, and her husband Theo who suffers from PTSD after being in Afghanistan, which affects every part of their family life. Consolino deftly captures the rhythm of motherhood and work, as well as adult friendships. We see Sadie and Theo try to come to terms with the people they have become. It’s a story of letting go, and at the same reopening your heart to allow love back in. Both main characters are fully realized people with strengths and flaws, and this author paints the dissolution of marriage in a nuanced way, in the gray, where there are no good guys or bad guys, but just people doing the best they can.
Looking forward to reading more from this author.
February 15, 2021
The relatability of the main character’s life makes it all the easier for the reader to slip into the story and imagine it as their own “what if...?” scenario. I won’t offer any spoilers but the scenes at the end left me with tears running down my face. Just as in real life, we can’t always resolve relationship struggles simply or easily or painlessly without a little friendship, magic and a healthy dose of patience! In the end, it was a warm and inviting tale which made me feel like I had spent a long evening listening to new friends reveal their inner lives, as we tried to answer the age old question: how do we make our own identities align with what we are told is “the right thing to do” when it is not always right for us, and what price are we willing to ultimately pay for finding our own path? An overall satisfying, fast read with endearing characters leading quietly memorable lives.
February 22, 2021
Christina Consolino’s Rewrite the Stars has been on my TBR for quite a while and I’m sorry now that I didn’t get to it sooner. With elegant and thoughtful prose, Consolino charts the small ups and very long downs of a family that is trying to hold it all together while falling apart. The main character, Sadie, is trying to hold down a fulltime job and parent her three young children, all the while slowly separating from her husband of ten years, Theo. Having been a loving father and husband, Theo came home from his last deployment suffering from PTSD, and cannot seem to find his way forward despite an abundance of help.
The book offers a sympathetic look at the impact of PTSD on a family both day-to-day and long term. Consolino has obviously put in a great deal of research and treats the subject with care and deliberation. While the family in the story might have gone on for years slowly sinking under the burden of their struggle, Sadie meets a man one day in the supermarket and makes a connection. This sets off a chain of events that push them all forward – whether willing or no. I highly recommend this moving novel that contemplates the definition of family under modern day pressures and the power of forgiveness.
February 18, 2021
A tender, heartfelt look at a marriage as it's dissolving. Consolino's story is deep and probing, particularly about the impact of mental health on a relationship, but her writing is light and deft, keeping the story from ever feeling too heavy.
Sadie and Theo are at the end of their relationship, though they're in an unconventional situation that is making it hard for both of them to know what the next step should be. Sadie, in particular, might be more ready to move on than Theo, who is struggling with PTSD from his military service. Consolino handles mental health issues with nuance and care, and each of her characters--especially Sadie and Theo--are fully realized and complex.
I was really drawn to Sadie and the new life she's tentatively building for herself, especially the first blooms of a potential new romance (I'm a sucker for romance!). And I loved the way the book ended--it kind of breaks the rules in a way that is very emotionally mature and satisfying.
Highly recommend for anyone looking for a lovely, emotionally rich, hopeful story about a family meeting challenges head-on.
Sadie and Theo are at the end of their relationship, though they're in an unconventional situation that is making it hard for both of them to know what the next step should be. Sadie, in particular, might be more ready to move on than Theo, who is struggling with PTSD from his military service. Consolino handles mental health issues with nuance and care, and each of her characters--especially Sadie and Theo--are fully realized and complex.
I was really drawn to Sadie and the new life she's tentatively building for herself, especially the first blooms of a potential new romance (I'm a sucker for romance!). And I loved the way the book ended--it kind of breaks the rules in a way that is very emotionally mature and satisfying.
Highly recommend for anyone looking for a lovely, emotionally rich, hopeful story about a family meeting challenges head-on.
February 22, 2021
This debut novel is a poignant, heartwarming, and oftentimes sad story of a love that has diminished and a marriage that is broken. Theo suffers from PTSD and is torn between the divorce he asked for and the love he can’t let go. Sadie has to decide between a soon-to-be ex-husband who she wants to help and a new unexpected love that could be her future. In the middle, are the children they both cherish. This story awakens us to the difficulties and the pain of PTSD, both for the victims and the families who love them. It also shows us how thinking of ourselves can have a positive effect on those around us.
The author writes with warmth, compassion, and an overwhelming amount of talent. This is a must-read for those who love novels rich with emotion and insight.
The author writes with warmth, compassion, and an overwhelming amount of talent. This is a must-read for those who love novels rich with emotion and insight.
February 19, 2021
Early reviews are calling praising this book as “touching” and “bittersweet” and I can see why.
When Sadie experiences love at first sight at the grocery store, she now needs to choose between following that wisp of a happier future, or sticking by the husband she is almost separated from – her original first love, who now has PTSD.
This is a novel that will be loved by fans of domestic drama and books that get inside a character’s head as they grapple with a difficult decision. Will Sadie choose a chance at happiness or a sense of duty to her kids and the past that is leaving her unfulfilled? The novel poses the question – if moving on is going to hurt someone, is it still the right decision?
Rewrite the Stars is domestic dramedy at its best, gently probing the question of when is it time to give up on a marriage and follow your own dreams?
When Sadie experiences love at first sight at the grocery store, she now needs to choose between following that wisp of a happier future, or sticking by the husband she is almost separated from – her original first love, who now has PTSD.
This is a novel that will be loved by fans of domestic drama and books that get inside a character’s head as they grapple with a difficult decision. Will Sadie choose a chance at happiness or a sense of duty to her kids and the past that is leaving her unfulfilled? The novel poses the question – if moving on is going to hurt someone, is it still the right decision?
Rewrite the Stars is domestic dramedy at its best, gently probing the question of when is it time to give up on a marriage and follow your own dreams?
February 6, 2021
I enjoyed reading this book. It explores the struggles of a marriage that has fallen apart. We get the perspectives of both Sadie and Theo in the book, but this is Sadie’s story - what she goes through to realize she needs to choose what will make her life happy and meaningful. The book is well written and has a nice flow. Can’t wait to see more from this author.
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January 10, 2022As the author of this book, I like it a lot. This was the story I could not let go of. Not when agents shot it down. Not when publishers said no. Not when a few early readers didn't finish it. Those bits of rejection forced me to look at the story as a whole and decide if it needed to get better. It did, and so I revised. So much has changed since the first drafts of this manuscript, but so much has stayed the same: the emphasis on health and happiness, marriage and relationships, taking agency of your situation. All the things that are important to my life, much less a story I wrote. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
You can find out more about me and REWRITE THE STARS over at The Perks of Being a Booklover podcast:
https://soundcloud.com/wfmp-forward-r...
Also, please note: The book features a character living with PTSD. If you're struggling with any mental health issue, it's important to seek help. If you're not sure where to start, one place to begin is https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-...
You can find out more about me and REWRITE THE STARS over at The Perks of Being a Booklover podcast:
https://soundcloud.com/wfmp-forward-r...
Also, please note: The book features a character living with PTSD. If you're struggling with any mental health issue, it's important to seek help. If you're not sure where to start, one place to begin is https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-...
April 20, 2021
Sadie and Theo are in the midst of a crumbling marriage. The divorce papers have been prepared, but both are conflicted about taking the next step of signing them. Consolino tells both sides of their marriage-turned-sour story in parallel narratives that reveal the love, the caring, the anger, the uncertainty, and the confusion.
But this debut novel is more than just a story of falling in and out of love. Consolino deftly sheds a light on post-traumatic stress disorder that showcases the person, the therapy, and the family at large in thoughtful prose and with an attention to detail that reads like nonfiction. I especially appreciated the Author's Note and list of resources at the end of the book and admire Consolino's invitation to help readers join this all-important discussion.
Rewrite the Stars succeeds in both story and message.
But this debut novel is more than just a story of falling in and out of love. Consolino deftly sheds a light on post-traumatic stress disorder that showcases the person, the therapy, and the family at large in thoughtful prose and with an attention to detail that reads like nonfiction. I especially appreciated the Author's Note and list of resources at the end of the book and admire Consolino's invitation to help readers join this all-important discussion.
Rewrite the Stars succeeds in both story and message.
March 30, 2025
Touching story about what a family torn apart by misguided love.
March 2, 2021
A marriage is imploding. Theo suffers from PTSD and Sadie struggles to keep the family together. By using the alternating viewpoints of Sadie and Theo, Consolino captures the humour and heartbreak of this challenging situation. For the sake of their three children, both parents try to do the right thing, but when Andrew enters their lives, relationships become even more complicated. This a deftly handled, empathetic debut novel.
March 19, 2021
Rewrite the Stars follows Sadie and Theo, a couple on the brink of divorce after over a decade of marriage. Though they are separated and have unsigned divorce papers, Theo, Sadie, and their three kids all still live together because Theo is not at a point in his life where he can successfully live alone.
After his return from Afghanistan, Theo was diagnosed with PTSD. He struggles with everyday tasks, has bouts of anger, and is emotionally distant from everyone, including Sadie. Sadie knows how much Theo depends on her, and though they still live together, their relationship has irrevocably changed. Both want a divorce, they act more like best friends than lovers, and yet neither makes the next big step of moving on.
On the precipice of divorce, the couple must face their feelings for each other and make decisions about their future. Do they want to remain together? Can Theo live on his own without Sadie’s help? Can they begin again and find happiness apart?
This is a powerful, relatable, and captivating story. The characters and plot are realistic and show the daily grind of raising kids, working on relationships, caring for oneself, working, maintaining the house, and all the other time-consuming and chaotic things that come with marriage and family. It shows how these typical day-to-day happenings affect Sadie and Theo and their marriage.
The story is told from both Sadie and Theo’s perspectives giving the reader an intimate view of each character’s thoughts and feelings. Flashbacks show Sadie and Theo’s relationship as it started and blossomed and contrast with the couple coming to terms with the dissolution of their marriage. With so much tying them together, it proves difficult to face their reality and let go.
Both Sadie and Theo seem to be lost, though in different ways. They spend much of the story trying to find themselves and redefine their relationship while coming to terms with moving on and finding happiness again. It’s complicated and messy and real, and though nothing ever goes according to plan, Sadie and Theo keep pushing toward a healthier and more positive future.
Likable and relatable characters, Sadie and Theo deal with feelings of guilt, remorse, regret, resentment, and more. I like that, even though this couple is at the end of their marriage, it is clear that they love and respect each other. Sadie, for example, meets someone that she is interested in but hesitates to act on her feelings because she worries about the effect it will have on Theo. Theo deeply struggles with PTSD and his life post-military and depends on and is thankful for Sadie’s support, though he often has a hard time expressing his feelings.
Sadie and Theo prove that, though they might be at the end of their marriage and their feelings toward each other have changed, their relationship is still an important part of their lives. They share a deep bond and love for each other, and they show how people can love each other even though they are no longer in love with each other. Sadie and Theo also prove that there’s a chance for new beginnings that include each other as well as new relationships.
Their relationship also highlights the many contributing factors that led to the breakdown of their marriage. It doesn’t place blame but instead shows a whole and comprehensive look at their life. It also offers signs of hope and happiness amid intense and scary real-life situations like dealing with PTSD, falling out of love, feeling guilty about moving on, and more.
A story about love, friendship, marriage, new beginnings, and family, Rewrite the Stars is a powerful and poignant read. I think readers who enjoy contemporary, realistic fiction will enjoy this engrossing story. Thanks so much to the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
After his return from Afghanistan, Theo was diagnosed with PTSD. He struggles with everyday tasks, has bouts of anger, and is emotionally distant from everyone, including Sadie. Sadie knows how much Theo depends on her, and though they still live together, their relationship has irrevocably changed. Both want a divorce, they act more like best friends than lovers, and yet neither makes the next big step of moving on.
On the precipice of divorce, the couple must face their feelings for each other and make decisions about their future. Do they want to remain together? Can Theo live on his own without Sadie’s help? Can they begin again and find happiness apart?
This is a powerful, relatable, and captivating story. The characters and plot are realistic and show the daily grind of raising kids, working on relationships, caring for oneself, working, maintaining the house, and all the other time-consuming and chaotic things that come with marriage and family. It shows how these typical day-to-day happenings affect Sadie and Theo and their marriage.
The story is told from both Sadie and Theo’s perspectives giving the reader an intimate view of each character’s thoughts and feelings. Flashbacks show Sadie and Theo’s relationship as it started and blossomed and contrast with the couple coming to terms with the dissolution of their marriage. With so much tying them together, it proves difficult to face their reality and let go.
Both Sadie and Theo seem to be lost, though in different ways. They spend much of the story trying to find themselves and redefine their relationship while coming to terms with moving on and finding happiness again. It’s complicated and messy and real, and though nothing ever goes according to plan, Sadie and Theo keep pushing toward a healthier and more positive future.
Likable and relatable characters, Sadie and Theo deal with feelings of guilt, remorse, regret, resentment, and more. I like that, even though this couple is at the end of their marriage, it is clear that they love and respect each other. Sadie, for example, meets someone that she is interested in but hesitates to act on her feelings because she worries about the effect it will have on Theo. Theo deeply struggles with PTSD and his life post-military and depends on and is thankful for Sadie’s support, though he often has a hard time expressing his feelings.
Sadie and Theo prove that, though they might be at the end of their marriage and their feelings toward each other have changed, their relationship is still an important part of their lives. They share a deep bond and love for each other, and they show how people can love each other even though they are no longer in love with each other. Sadie and Theo also prove that there’s a chance for new beginnings that include each other as well as new relationships.
Their relationship also highlights the many contributing factors that led to the breakdown of their marriage. It doesn’t place blame but instead shows a whole and comprehensive look at their life. It also offers signs of hope and happiness amid intense and scary real-life situations like dealing with PTSD, falling out of love, feeling guilty about moving on, and more.
A story about love, friendship, marriage, new beginnings, and family, Rewrite the Stars is a powerful and poignant read. I think readers who enjoy contemporary, realistic fiction will enjoy this engrossing story. Thanks so much to the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
March 2, 2021
I can honestly say I have never been so moved by the fate of a bowl! In her debut novel, Christina Consolino wastes no detail. She paints vivid pictures as she invites us to get to know Sadie and Theo and their world. Consolino's main and supporting characters are richly imagined, flawed humans living in a very messy world. With care, Consolino helps her characters navigate the effects of PTSD, a dissolving marriage, and personal crossroads. In Rewrite the Stars she propels them forward, even when the path is murky. There are no easy answers here, just a satisfying story of growth and all the ways we can care for and love one another.
March 28, 2021
Sadie Rollins-Lancaster is caught in a difficult situation. Her husband Theo has been struggling with PTSD. Though they have separated, they stay in the same house for Theo's medical and emotional needs, and also for the sake of their three children. When Sadie finds herself getting attracted to a stranger (Andrew), her life changes in unexpected ways and she is forced to take a decision: continue the unhappy status quo of her family, or rewrite the stars and go after her own happiness?
The premise of the book is very interesting. The usual books that deal with mental disorders focus only on the patient and how the family members try to make things work out. This is the first book I've read where the focus is also on moving on when things don't work out. I liked that creative call taken by the author because real life isn't always a cakewalk for such families and sometimes, people do need to let things go and move on.
Some of the characters were really interesting. I especially adored Pickles Martin, Charles and Lexie. However, I couldn't connect with the three main characters as Andrew was too good to be true, Theo too caught up in his emotional ordeal, and Sadie too confused about her feelings and too confusing in her decisions. I especially wanted to empathise with Theo and understand his struggles with PTSD but somehow, his character portrayal seemed to just skim the surface of the problem without going in depth.
Where the story disappointed me was in the number of coincidental interconnections across the characters. Just one example would be the character of Andrew and the number of ways in which he intersects the lives of Theo and Sadie. It might have worked for the story development but it was very unrealistic. The ending of the story was also a letdown. It seemed like a rushed wrap-up of everyone's issues.
Overall, it was a good enough read, and pretty good for a debut novel so maybe it's just my expectations that let me down. But I really wanted much more from the book.
I received an Advanced Review Copy of the book from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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The premise of the book is very interesting. The usual books that deal with mental disorders focus only on the patient and how the family members try to make things work out. This is the first book I've read where the focus is also on moving on when things don't work out. I liked that creative call taken by the author because real life isn't always a cakewalk for such families and sometimes, people do need to let things go and move on.
Some of the characters were really interesting. I especially adored Pickles Martin, Charles and Lexie. However, I couldn't connect with the three main characters as Andrew was too good to be true, Theo too caught up in his emotional ordeal, and Sadie too confused about her feelings and too confusing in her decisions. I especially wanted to empathise with Theo and understand his struggles with PTSD but somehow, his character portrayal seemed to just skim the surface of the problem without going in depth.
Where the story disappointed me was in the number of coincidental interconnections across the characters. Just one example would be the character of Andrew and the number of ways in which he intersects the lives of Theo and Sadie. It might have worked for the story development but it was very unrealistic. The ending of the story was also a letdown. It seemed like a rushed wrap-up of everyone's issues.
Overall, it was a good enough read, and pretty good for a debut novel so maybe it's just my expectations that let me down. But I really wanted much more from the book.
I received an Advanced Review Copy of the book from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
Follow me on Instagram: RoshReviews
March 31, 2021
Marriage is hard even at the best of times. It gets even harder for Sadie when her beloved husband Theo goes off to Afghanistan for two tours of duty and becomes traumatized by his experiences there. At the start of this novel, Sadie and Theo have already decided to divorce, but they are living in the same house so that Sadie can help her soon-to-be-ex-husband deal with his PTSD. However, after a chance meeting with a kind, available man at the grocery store, Sadie begins to imagine a happier future for herself. As she -- and Theo -- take their first shaky steps into the future, they run into complications that will have serious consequences for all involved.
Consolino's characters are believably flawed and relatable, and their choices -- good and bad -- are understandable. I was hoping, perhaps unrealistically, for a different outcome to this story, but the ending is optimistic, all the same.
This thought-provoking novel written in sure-footed prose would surely generate many lively discussions in book clubs.
Consolino's characters are believably flawed and relatable, and their choices -- good and bad -- are understandable. I was hoping, perhaps unrealistically, for a different outcome to this story, but the ending is optimistic, all the same.
This thought-provoking novel written in sure-footed prose would surely generate many lively discussions in book clubs.
April 20, 2021
This is such a beautifully written book that manages to have lighthearted moments within a few heavy topics. The narrative about PTSD and marital issues was so realistic and so needed. The topics are given justice and provide a look into how mental health effects so many people and how people function. Although the topics are tough, I enjoyed every minute. I still felt like it was a literary escape. Five stars!
April 18, 2021
This book explores one women’s search for freedom and for the strength to love herself and to value her happiness while remaining loyal to those she loves. Rewrite the Stars is a compelling novel with well-developed characters and a strong narrative arc. A gripping book, with a parallel narrative written in two unique voices, Consolino’s debut novel is a joy to read.
March 7, 2021
Sadie Rollins-Lancaster is legally separated from Theo, her husband of fifteen years. Because of Theo’s PTSD, they still share a house and responsibility for their three children, who range in age from eighteen months to eleven years. Neither is in any hurry to sign the papers that will finalize their divorce until a chance encounter at the local grocery on Father’s Day brings Andrew into Sadie’s life.
She sets aside the initial surge of attraction she feels toward this handsome stranger, but life has other plans, throwing Andrew in her path several more times in the ensuing days. This could easily feel contrived, but in Consolino’s deft hands, it feels more like what happens when we hear something new to us and then re-encounter it twice more within the next twenty-four hours. Perhaps it isn’t so much that Sadie never seen Andrew before as that she’d never noticed because she wasn’t paying attention.
The story alternates point-of-view between Sadie and Theo, giving us an unsparing picture of the very real struggle Theo has with the legacy of his service in Afghanistan. Although he’s agreed to their planned divorce, he’s also struggling with whether to let their marriage reach its conclusion, despite the fact that it was he who initiated their separation. He loves his children very much, and on good days he remembers how he felt about Sadie back in the day.
With solid and, at times, lovely writing, Christina Consolino’s novel tells the story of a woman trying to balance old love and new without harming her husband’s attempts to heal or wrecking her children’s lives in the process. She is a genuinely good person, with more compassion for others than for herself, but the pull of new love is heady and strong.
If you’re a fan of stories that center on women making the journey through life in the face of both adversity and joy, Christina Consolino’s Rewrite the Stars is just your ticket.
She sets aside the initial surge of attraction she feels toward this handsome stranger, but life has other plans, throwing Andrew in her path several more times in the ensuing days. This could easily feel contrived, but in Consolino’s deft hands, it feels more like what happens when we hear something new to us and then re-encounter it twice more within the next twenty-four hours. Perhaps it isn’t so much that Sadie never seen Andrew before as that she’d never noticed because she wasn’t paying attention.
The story alternates point-of-view between Sadie and Theo, giving us an unsparing picture of the very real struggle Theo has with the legacy of his service in Afghanistan. Although he’s agreed to their planned divorce, he’s also struggling with whether to let their marriage reach its conclusion, despite the fact that it was he who initiated their separation. He loves his children very much, and on good days he remembers how he felt about Sadie back in the day.
With solid and, at times, lovely writing, Christina Consolino’s novel tells the story of a woman trying to balance old love and new without harming her husband’s attempts to heal or wrecking her children’s lives in the process. She is a genuinely good person, with more compassion for others than for herself, but the pull of new love is heady and strong.
If you’re a fan of stories that center on women making the journey through life in the face of both adversity and joy, Christina Consolino’s Rewrite the Stars is just your ticket.
April 23, 2021
Once I reached the halfway point I did not want to put this book down!
This story (and the author) does a great job encapsulating the raw emotions and trials that can come with families experiencing divorce. Christina describes the feelings of each family member so vividly - which is both heartbreaking and heartwarming throughout the book.
I really appreciated the note at the end for PTSD awareness with the telling of this story. Christina is not only an author, but a mental health advocate!
This story (and the author) does a great job encapsulating the raw emotions and trials that can come with families experiencing divorce. Christina describes the feelings of each family member so vividly - which is both heartbreaking and heartwarming throughout the book.
I really appreciated the note at the end for PTSD awareness with the telling of this story. Christina is not only an author, but a mental health advocate!
April 24, 2021
A heartwarming romance, set in the Midwest, about the complexities of marriage, the toll of PTSD, and finding a new path forward to happiness!
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