Starless Sky

by Paige Agnew

Life is funny sometimes. Little kids drop ice cream cones, people in general often run in to screen doors, there's even the occasional moment when one might trip going up the stairs. Kahlen could expect those things, deal with them even. But what she didn't expect, not even in her wildest, horrific nightmares, that just as something so terrible could happen, something so wonderful could follow after it. When Kahlen Thomas has a difficult time dealing with the lost of her best and only friend, she has hopes that the new boy at school, Kennley Morgan, will be the perfect distraction from her pain. She slowly realizes that Kennley doesn't as much distract her from her problems as much as he adds to them because of his own interesting past.

Genres: Young Adult

456 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2009

About the author

Paige Agnew wrote her first book, Starless Sky, at 14 years old and had it published at 15 years old in January 2010. She published her second book, Seven, at age 17. Paige is an author who enjoys writing to entertain others while provoking her readers to evaluate their lives and grow to their full potential through inspiration and encouragement.

Paige began her “love” of reading in 6th grade when her middle school teacher taught her a love of the written word. Prior to that, she was an avid reader, but her goal was to achieve AR points. Now it is a true passion and, yes, an obsession, like every other book lover. As a result of her love for both reading and writing, Paige is learning how to improve what she is already talented at by pursuing a degree in Creative Writing and English.

In addition to reading and writing, Agnew enjoys playing the piano, singing, dancing, and sports. Of course her favorite sport is football where she cheers on her older brother. In addition, she loves spending time with her family, friends, and dog, and being a part of her church.

Watch for more books from Agnew as there is always something new in the works.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! It has been awhile since I've read a YA novel that had me so captivated that I kept thinking about the book even when I was supposed to be doing other things... like working. And the moment it came time to take lunch I was reading. As soon as I got home I was reading until I went to bed at night. I dare say I was pretty obsessed with this story. It was powerfully written and I was emotionally captivated through to the end. My heart even pounded at times.

I rarely feel so connected to characters that I get anxious and breathless and fall in love right along with them. But this wasn't a typical teenage story. I was deeper in so many ways. Things were brought up that really make you think about life and what's important. I loved the message about dealing with fear and taking risks because in the end it's always worth it, even if you get hurt in the process. Pain causes growth and that is always a good thing.

I have to say the ending was absolutely perfect. I got choked up a number of times. When I read the epilogue I realized that this novel had just the right amount of tension. It also had a fantastic character arc, and the plot was simply enthralling. I fell in love along with Kahlen and I grieved with her, too. I felt her confusion and her continual teenage angst. It was perfectly done young adult fiction. The author had the voice down perfectly and all the drama that goes with being a teenager. I can't recommend this highly enough for people who love YA fiction and want to experience some realistic,and often intense emotion. I have found a new favorite author. This book is making my best fiction list for 2010 even though I read it in January 2011.

[Karielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blurb: Life is funny sometimes. Little kids drop ice cream cones, people in general often run in to screen doors, there's even the occasional moment when one might trip going up the stairs. Kahlen could expect those things, deal with them even. But what she didn't expect, not even in her wildest, horrific nightmares, that just as something so terrible could happen, something so wonderful could follow after it.
When Kahlen Thomas has a difficult time dealing with the lost of her best and only friend, she has hopes that the new boy at school, Kennley Morgan, will be the perfect distraction from her pain. She slowly realizes that Kennley doesn't as much distract her from her problems as much as he adds to them because of his own interesting past.

What Stephanie Thought: Teenage heartbreak and fallen innocence are portrayed magnificently in Starless Sky. Having written the novel when the author was a teenager herself, Paige Agnew captures the essence of how much it sucks being a teenager, but how beautiful it can be too.
Starless Sky was enjoyable because of how much I could relate to it -- both the scenario of troublesome high school days (the stresses of excruciating homework, boyfriend troubles, and friendship drama) as well as the main character, Kahlen's dilemma of not being able to come out of her shell completely. Labeled the school "bitch" (though to many, the "pretty bitch"), Kahlen, a self-declared introvert and failure, loses her best and only friend, Emma, to a terrifying car accident the beginning of junior year. If that isn't desolate enough, she almost immediately after Emma's death, falls into an intoxicating, mind-whirling relationship with the new bad boy in town, Kennley -- one she isn't sure she can get out of. Kennley is everything a girl could want: impeccably smart, rich, popular, insanely good-looking, polite, funny, and best of all, he seems to have a huge thing for Kahlen. But Kahlen can't help but think there's something a little off about him. Something she can't quite put her finger upon.
For starters, he's secretive. He takes "important" phone calls randomly, always skips class, and admits to have getting kicked out of his old school for inappropriate behavior. As open as he is to Kahlen, there seems to be something else that he is hiding as well.
In the end, Kahlen finally discovers the secret -- to both Kennley, and to herself. But the painful journey of getting there is what hurts the most, and every reader, age uninhibited, will be able to relate to each and every emotion.
Unlike many of the nitty-gritty young adult novels I've read, this one is methodically clean. It's one of those books your parents would let you read (as opposed to the Gossip Girl series or whatever). The romance is mild (kissing is the farthest Kahlen and Kennley go -- although there is one attempted rape scene [nothing happens, and it doesn't involve Kennley] that may frighten younger audiences). The only drugs that appear are ones that are dealt by Kennley's friends (aka the bad influences) -- but they are described by Kahlen in a way that they are terrible and unfathomable and you should never ever use them. The closest to swearing the characters come to are "heck" and once, "bitch". Probably the cleanest romance I've read all year ;)
This book, the plot, the characters, everything, was one I held on to and didn't want to let go of. But it is desperate need of an editor. I understand it's a self-published title, but aside from the weak verbs and adjectives (I found too many "very"s and "good"s), the flaws in the construction of the writing were really difficult to swim through. Most were petty little things like "it's" instead of "its", "there" instead of "their", and "lost" instead of "loss" (if you didn't catch that in the above blurb), but nonetheless, shouldn't a book, regardless of writing style and topic, at least have those fundamentals down and accurate? I learned how to distinguish between "it's" and "its" et al when I was in second grade. I'm not saying Agnew is less intelligent than a second grader; I'm just saying her writing assembly makes the reader assume that.
Grammar and spelling apart, another thing I want to pick at are the incredible clichés throughout the entire novel. There is a fine line between profound and overused; Agnew seems not to understand that. The adage of the whole book is "Life without love is like a starless sky". Okay, obviously we know where the title of the novel came from. But honestly? Is it just me or are the "Life without love"s getting a little old? It's not that I don't comprehend what a starless sky is. I know what a starless sky is. It's bland. I know what a life without love is too. It's bland. Isn't that common sense though? If one attempts to make something sound so powerful and poetic, they should at least get the syllabic correct. "Life without love is like a sky without stars" would have sounded better than "Life without love is like a starless sky", even. Not any more penetrating, just slightly less awkward. I really shook my head at Agnew's attempts to be deep; almost laughed at it, in fact. The only thing is, she wasn't even trying to be funny -- she was completely serious.
I really can't say I recommend this book as a whole, but I did enjoy the story Agnew weaves. I admit I am a little weary of the countless number of mistakes I found, but if some big-house publisher picks this one up and decides to sieve it and refine it till its pages bleed, I'd be willing to give it another chance. We'll see what happens.

Stephanie Loves: "It couldn't be more obvious that she was drunk. I had seen her a bit tipsy before but never like this. Even though she didn't know what she was saying she still meant it. A drunken girl's actions are a sober girl's desires. Her words hurt."

Where Stephanie Got It: Jen at Romancing the Book for review.

Radical Rating: 7 hearts- A few flaws here and there, but wouldn’t mind rereading. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

[Romancing the Book · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review by Stephanie

Blurb: Life is funny sometimes. Little kids drop ice cream cones, people in general often run in to screen doors, there's even the occasional moment when one might trip going up the stairs. Kahlen could expect those things, deal with them even. But what she didn't expect, not even in her wildest, horrific nightmares, that just as something so terrible could happen, something so wonderful could follow after it.

When Kahlen Thomas has a difficult time dealing with the lost of her best and only friend, she has hopes that the new boy at school, Kennley Morgan, will be the perfect distraction from her pain. She slowly realizes that Kennley doesn't as much distract her from her problems as much as he adds to them because of his own interesting past.

What Stephanie Thought: Teenage heartbreak and fallen innocence are portrayed magnificently in Starless Sky. Having written the novel when the author was a teenager herself, Paige Agnew captures the essence of how much it sucks being a teenager, but how beautiful it can be too.

Starless Sky was enjoyable because of how much I could relate to it -- both the scenario of troublesome high school days (the stresses of excruciating homework, boyfriend troubles, and friendship drama) as well as the main character, Kahlen's dilemma of not being able to come out of her shell completely. Labeled the school "bitch" (though to many, the "pretty bitch"), Kahlen, a self-declared introvert and failure, loses her best and only friend, Emma, to a terrifying car accident the beginning of junior year. If that isn't desolate enough, she almost immediately after Emma's death, falls into an intoxicating, mind-whirling relationship with the new bad boy in town, Kennley -- one she isn't sure she can get out of. Kennley is everything a girl could want: impeccably smart, rich, popular, insanely good-looking, polite, funny, and best of all, he seems to have a huge thing for Kahlen. But Kahlen can't help but think there's something a little off about him. Something she can't quite put her finger upon.

For starters, he's secretive. He takes "important" phone calls randomly, always skips class, and admits to have getting kicked out of his old school for inappropriate behavior. As open as he is to Kahlen, there seems to be something else that he is hiding as well. In the end, Kahlen finally discovers the secret -- to both Kennley, and to herself. But the painful journey of getting there is what hurts the most, and every reader, age uninhibited, will be able to relate to each and every emotion.

Unlike many of the nitty-gritty young adult novels I've read, this one is methodically clean. It's one of those books your parents would let you read (as opposed to the Gossip Girl series or whatever). The romance is mild (kissing is the farthest Kahlen and Kennley go -- although there is one attempted rape scene [nothing happens, and it doesn't involve Kennley] that may frighten younger audiences). The only drugs that appear are ones that are dealt by Kennley's friends (aka the bad influences) -- but they are described by Kahlen in a way that they are terrible and unfathomable and you should never ever use them. The closest to swearing the characters come to are "heck" and once, "bitch". Probably the cleanest romance I've read all year ;)

This book, the plot, the characters, everything, was one I held on to and didn't want to let go of. But it is desperate need of an editor. I understand it's a self-published title, but aside from the weak verbs and adjectives (I found too many "very"s and "good"s), the flaws in the construction of the writing were really difficult to swim through. Most were petty little things like "it's" instead of "its", "there" instead of "their", and "lost" instead of "loss" (if you didn't catch that in the above blurb), but nonetheless, shouldn't a book, regardless of writing style and topic, at least have those fundamentals down and accurate? I learned how to distinguish between "it's" and "its" et al when I was in second grade. I'm not saying Agnew is less intelligent than a second grader; I'm just saying her writing assembly makes the reader assume that.

Grammar and spelling apart, another thing I want to pick at are the incredible clichés throughout the entire novel. There is a fine line between profound and overused; Agnew seems not to understand that. The adage of the whole book is "Life without love is like a starless sky". Okay, obviously we know where the title of the novel came from. But honestly? Is it just me or are the "Life without love"s getting a little old? It's not that I don't comprehend what a starless sky is. I know what a starless sky is. It's bland. I know what a life without love is too. It's bland. Isn't that common sense though? If one attempts to make something sound so powerful and poetic, they should at least get the syllabic correct. "Life without love is like a sky without stars" would have sounded better than "Life without love is like a starless sky", even. Not any more penetrating, just slightly less awkward. I really shook my head at Agnew's attempts to be deep; almost laughed at it, in fact. The only thing is, she wasn't even trying to be funny -- she was completely serious.

I really can't say I recommend this book as a whole, but I did enjoy the story Agnew weaves. I admit I am a little weary of the countless number of mistakes I found, but if some big-house publisher picks this one up and decides to sieve it and refine it till its pages bleed, I'd be willing to give it another chance. We'll see what happens.

http://www.romancing-the-book.com/201...

[Sam Weiler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was prompted to read this book in my high school years and I loved it. I just lost a friend and I related a lot to it at the time. Will always recommend this book. Still have my copy from all those years ago.

[Misha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starless Sky is the story of Kahlen who has lost her best friend, Emma. She's overcome with grief, unable to move on. She retreats into herself and is no longer able to connect to others. Her parents are worried about her and think she needs help. Her grades are dropping and she's tired of being pitied by her friends. The only place she can find peace is Dean's Creek. This is where she meets Kennley. Will Kahlen be able to open up to him? Will she be able to move beyond her grief of losing her closest friend? Kennley has a past of his own. How will Kahlen deal with it?

Starless Sky portrays Kahlen's journey as she deals with the heartbreak of losing someone so close to her. The book gives a powerful message that it's possible to move on from the worst that life gives you. Even though you might feel that you can never love anyone again, grief never lasts if we really try and open up to others.

I have never experienced something like this in my life. However, I could imagine how I would feel if I lost a friend - lost, confused, closed-up and heartbroken, just like Kahlen. All this has been depicted beautifully in Starless Sky. This is what makes the book so real and sad.

The fact that the author wrote the book at the age of 15 is impressive. She was able to capture all the emotions when you lose someone so well that it's hard to believe she was so young when she wrote Starless Sky. Kahlen is a very believable character. The way she behaves following the loss is real and relatable. You understand and feel for her.

The book is not without flaws. There are some scenes that are unnecessarily long and detailed. It gets monotonous quite a few times. Further, the secondary characters seem very bland and one-dimensional. I couldn't feel anything for them. I really wanted to feel something for Kennley since he's one of the main protagonists. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

However, these flaws really don't matter when you take into account how young the author was when she wrote the book and how well she has captured pain and loss, despite her age. This is a book for all YA contemporary fiction fans. Paige Agnew is an author to look out for.

[Darlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first young adult contemporary that I ever read, and I'm very glad I did it. The story of a young girl dealt with her lost of her best friend was really unbelievably sad and heartbroken. I think I know that I will feel the same way if I lose a best friend when you only have a few friends that you cherish and means the world to you. It will unacceptable and I could have spend a lot of time to forget about it. I was absolutely enticed with the characters, Kahlen, Kennly and Marissa. I felt so sorry for her, and I felt the tension that she felt to deal with people, family, and friends after the loss. And when she thought Kennley could distract her from the pain, Kennley is also has a past that he also need to deal, which bring a great mysterious and intrigued me to find out.

Other than that, one thing that I can give a big applause to the author is how she bring up the big issues such as drugs, staying clean, moral issues, and also what I've mention before is the loss of a dear one. The issues are heavy and I really think the author successfully translating it on the paper. And I can't believe she's a teenager herself! The plot line was great, the scenes are organized very well even there's a part which I thought shouldn't be dragged into great details. Most of the time, my eyes were watery and I couldn't hold back because it was too sad, and yes, it's a real tearjerker.

However, I have tiny little complain. I quite having a problem with the font of the words. It kind of a bit distracting and made me a little harder to read. Nonetheless of the complain, it is a beautiful story. All in all, despite of the complain (maybe I'm just too whiny girl), I love the story. The book should get all attentions of all young adults fan and you will agree what I've said. Two thumbs up for the author!

[Jen Halligan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog, A Book and a Latte .

Starless Sky is about a girl grieving the death of her best friend, and learning to open herself up again. The protagonist, Kahlen, is relatable and a pretty typical teen. I felt that Agnew did a great job of capturing the emotions/aspects of grief - the feeling of loss, the numbness, loosing the ability to focus on mundane things (school), and being afraid of heart ache again. I think Kahlen's reaction to loosing her best friend was very realistic, and this is impressive considering the author was only 15 when she wrote this!

Though I was impressed with the protagonist's characterization, the secondary characters seemed to fall flat. I even had a hard time connecting to Kennley, Kahlen's new friend and love interest… And unfortunately, this book has some editing issues. Many scenes felt drawn out, and some of Kahlen's inner reflections were repetitive. Honestly, I felt that at least ¼ of the book could have been edited out, without loosing anything pertinent to the story, which is very good.

I listened to this audiobook, which is read by Melba Sibrel. Maybe it was on purpose, but her voice… annoyed me. It seemed like she was trying too hard to sound like teenage girl. I actually liked the voice she used for Kennley more than the one she used for Kahlen. As much as I love audiobooks, I would recommend this book in print over the audio version.

Starless Sky is a sweet story about friendship, love, and loss. This is an impressive first novel by Paige Agnew, and I look forward to seeing how she grows as an author!

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a poignant story written by the author at the young age of fifteen. I'm over forty and I couldn't write a book to save my life! Very impressive indeed.

The character of Kahlen was very believable. She seemed like a typical teen and I liked that. It was nice to read of a teen character that wasn't super intelligent, super strong, with super powers, etc. She was a girl that didn't like school, whose parents drove her nuts, who snuck out of the house, who ditched class once in a while--you get the picture. Although she acted like a typical teen, the character was dealing with some very intense personal issues. Ms. Agnew was able to capture Kahlen's emotions very well. Actually, I was impressed at how well she was able to do this.

While I did enjoy this story, I was disappointed in the editing of this book. It seemed like there was an error or two on almost every page. In my opinion, it is hard for a reader to not be distracted by all of the errors. Even with this though, I feel like Ms. Agnew did a great job on writing her first novel at the age of fifteen. She can look forward to a wonderful career as an author if that is the path she chooses in life....

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was impressed to find out that she wrote this book when she was 15 years old. I did enjoy the book. It was beautifully written and I was drawn into the characters right from the beginning. Kahlen is a shy, not overly confident teen who is dealing with a very tragic personal loss. Through this tragedy, she is able to open up and really start enjoying and living life. The author was able to really capture the drama and angst teenagers go through while navigating friendships and first love. The peripheral characters were well written and likeable.

My only issue with the book is that the author could have used a better editor. There were many typos and editing mistakes in the book that reduced my enjoyment of the book. I would recommend this to any YA reader. I think Ms. Agnew will be a rising star in the literary world. I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Starless Sky was a great read from the beginning to the end. Even when I wasn't reading it, I wanted to be. Everything in the story was completely relatable, especially if you have experienced a great loss in your life. The book, written by a 15 year old, felt like something that had to have been written by someone with a lifetimes experience. I felt exactly what the main character, Kahlen, felt; I laughed, cried, and grieved right along with her. I picked this book up mainly to get a break from the genre I usually read, and I am so glad I did! Great read for anyone needing an escape, a break, a laugh or a cry, or if you just want a GOOD book to read!!!

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

It a tear jerker from the beginning to ending for me. I used a lot of tissue. dont know if a lot of it just emotional of holiday. the characters drew me into thier world and watched them change and grow little by little. it showed how they where going threw the stage of grief. i liked how some girls tried to defend her and others were gossip and talking behind her back. how some of the guys were good and some bad and some changing. I wish i had a stream that was peacful place.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good one. It was a touching book that dealt with a difficult subject. It was interesting for me to read this one because I was fascinated by the fact that a teen wrote it. I liked seeing how a YA story was written from a YA perspective.

Paige does seem to be a descriptive writer who wants you to really know what's going on in the story. For a contemporary YA I thought it was a good and I can't wait to see this author grow over time.

[Tamsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the writing of this very young author. It is a touching story of a teenager that has lost her best friend in an accident and the way she must learn to find herself and to love and trust others again. Very good book.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

If this was better edited it would make for a better read. I commend the author because she was only 15 when she wrote this.

[Cami Checketts · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great young adult novel. For my full review - http://camicheckettsbooks.blogspot.co...

[Maria]

The summary is very intriguing. The cover is also pretty sweet :)