Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

Reviewer: Mikayla P.

Star Rating: 5 stars

I am often hesitant to rate any realistic fiction book five stars because, as much as I enjoy them, they blend together into the same story all too often. Starry Eyes stood out to me because of its unique nature in which the story focused almost solely on the characters and their interactions. Zorie and Lennon were best friends most of their lives until a year ago they became each other’s biggest enemies. Beyond just the two of them, their families also have an intense animosity. Both of them have made habits of avoiding each other (despite being neighbors), so when they end up stranded in the wilderness just the two of them after a camping trip goes awry, they have to find away to be friends again. As time progresses, it seems that both of them might want more than just friendship. Because the only external conflict in this novel is nature, I loved that the characters were extremely central to the plot. The character development was exquisite, as was the dialogue. All too often in YA romances, you can see the ending 30 pages in. And while I don’t hate that, Starry Eyes was a refreshing new story that I absolutely adored.