Under Shifting Stars

I know this is a young adult book but the themes explored in this book are important for all ages… love, honesty, truth, personal authenticity and above all else acceptance …subjects so important especially in these difficult times…if you are an adult please don’t think that this young adult novel has no impact on your outlook or your life …you will miss a real gem!!!

i paid the price for a brand new hardcover book and received a paper back arc copy

I received an advanced copy of Under Shifting Stars from NetGalley, so that I could share my review with you! Audrey and Clare might be twins, but they share very little. They don’t attend the same school, don’t live in the same room, and they definitely don’t understand each other. The only thing they seem to have in common is the grief they are experiencing after their brother’s sudden death. When he died, it severed the last ties between the twins, leaving them adrift in their own worlds. Audrey is desperately tired of being treated differently because of her neurodiversity. The only path she sees forward is changing who she is completely, so that she can match who the world wants her to be. Meanwhile, Clare is struggling with their gender identity, wondering what it means that some days they wake up feeling more like a boy than a girl. When searching online, they find the term, “gender-fluid,” which makes more sense than anything else so far. Clare and Audrey both feel alone and misunderstood, but maybe their friendship will save them both. What I enjoyed most about this book was its writing style. I found the story to be incredibly readable, and quite compelling. I often struggle with dual-voice stories, as I usually become lost trying to tell the characters apart, but Alexandra Latos absolutely nailed it with Under Shifting Stars! The characters felt well-thought-out and distinctive in their personalities and voices. It was an especially refreshing read due to the fact that I felt equally engaged by both of the main characters. My Recommendation- If you enjoy stories with unique dual-perspective voices, you should read Under Shifting Stars! This book would be a good fit for readers searching for a fictional story dealing with gender fluidity, the difference between sexuality and gender, and the challenges and triumphs of neurodiversity.

I really really loved this. I didn’t have very many expectations going into it, but I definitely wasn’t expecting it to be as touching as it was. It’s really interesting to see how each of the twins are grieving their brother’s death. They both grieve in very different, but also very similar ways. I found that really interesting. I’ve never read a book with a genderfluid person! I’ve read a few books with characters who have different gender orientations, but never someone who is fluid on the spectrum. I really enjoyed reading Clare’s perspective and her discovering that about herself. I really like Taylor! I think the way the author writes them was wonderful! I don’t think I’ve read a book with a non-binary character who we didn’t know their assigned sex at birth. I LOVED this. I think this is a beautiful way to introduce someone to the idea of a non-binary person. This is one of the reasons I think this book would be wonderful for those pre-teens who are ready to bridge the gap between middle grade contemporary to YA contemporary! I also haven’t read a book with a character who is the specific type of neurodivergent that Audrey is. I think a lot of readers who are autistic might relate with Audrey a lot. (Though they never label Audrey’s neurodiversity as autism, she does have some of the characteristics, as well as a panic disorder and OCD qualities.) This was a very refreshing book with beautifully unique characters that I definitely recommend!

Under Shifting Stars is a brilliant novel! It is a coming of age story about twins who grieve their brother\’s untimely death in divergent ways, which strains their twin bond nearly to breaking point. The characters are alternating narrators who tell their stories from each perspective. Neurodiverse Audrey wants to be \”normal\” and accepted like everyone else rather than attending the school for \”freaks\”. Her twin, Clare, gradually comes to terms with her genderfluidity even if it means being the target of cruel bullies. Each character\’s journey is heartfelt and compelling, and the underlying messages of the book are truly important life lessons.

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