Review: Stargazing from Nowhere by Isabel Thomas and Marilyn Thomas

Summary
What if you were loved by your rock star crush? 

Kristen’s blog is about to get her into trouble – deep trouble – when she says negative things about a rock star. When she finally meets him, and falls for him, should she confess? As they grow closer, does she have to make a choice between blog or boyfriend . . . or is the choice made for her? 

Review 
Stargazing From Nowhere kind of hit home for me because I am a small town girl with a big city heart. And often times I bash the place I live in and forget that all that flashes isn’t as glamorous as it appears. Over the summer, I had a chance to visit a city up north (which shall remain nameless because I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feeling or seem like I’m trashing someone’s home) and while there, we had to take the subway. Well down south, where I leave, we don’t have such things. Suffice to say, I did not care for it. I like driving and coming and going at my own pace, not having to rely on public transportation. My point, I have dreamed of this place for years and when I got there, it wasn’t what I expected. Thus, my perceptions were flawed and my assumptions were wrong. But I digress.

If I had named the city I had went to or even though I hadn’t, the fact that I said something less than positive about subways might have upset some people. And though it was only an opinion, only words, what I said may have hurt. Which is the overall message of Stargazing From Nowhere. This novel is about learning that the things we say have consequences and that words can actually hurt people. Also, Stargazing From Nowhere is about reevaluating how we see our world and each other. That one lifestyle or one person’s life is the measure we should live up to. What we see isn’t always what’s there. And most importantly, this novel touched on something a lot of teenagers as well as young adults seem to miss and that is the true meaning of Freedom of Speech. Yes, you have a right to be heard but you should be responsible about what you say and learn to filter yourself and choose your words carefully. 

Like most teenagers, Kristen sees her life in Spencerville to be plain and boring and that there is something and someplace better out there. And like most teenagers, she has a blog. Only thing is, Kristen’s blog is a secret from everyone she knows and the blog is about bashing the band Rising Tide. 

In Kristen’s mind, she is doing the world a service. The band has failed to deliver a listenable second album and they are working on their third but are having musical issues. Thus the band decides to come to Spencerville to recruit Jack Hughes, who is a great music producer (somewhat retired) and Kristen’s uncle to help them make a great third album. With the band coming to town and Uncle Jack possibly producing them, Kristen could get the inside scoop of the band and reveal the true nature of Rising Tide and why they suck. 

However, Kristen’s old crush on the drummer, Michael Stevens resurfaces and she is falling all over again. But this isn’t just some starstruck crush. She actually gets to meet the band and spend time with Michael, getting to know him as well as the band better. Now she is developing true feelings for him as well as go out with him and it would appear Michael feels the same way too. Also, she has developed some respect for the band and how hard it is to make great music in the industry. Thus she changes her opinion and tries to sway the negative vibe of her blog because she truly has changed her mind but also when and if Michael finds out about her blog, he won’t hate too much. 

Yet they fall harder for one another and she and Michael end up dating. And at first, they keep things low key but eventually she is in the public eye just as Michael is. And she has yet to tell Michael she is Stargazer. Will she have the courage to tell him who she really is before he finds out? And if she does tell, will he still love her enough to stay with her and work things out or will she lose him forever?

Stargazing From Nowhere really is about one of the human flaws where we try to place our opinions on something, somewhere or someone and make it out to be a true statement. Yet by doing this, we open the door for criticism that is more destructive than constructive, thus doing more harm than good. Also, this book is about learning to not project our perceptions upon other people or things. That what we see isn’t always what’s there. It can always be worse somewhere or with someone else. And lastly, Stargazing From Nowhere is about learning that with freedom of speech comes great responsibility and we must learn to chose our words carefully and know how to use those words. 

Reviewed by Camia Rhodes

Book Information
Publisher: Do Art Publishing
Publication date: July 22, 2013
Paperback: 448 pages