Girl Made of Stars

This is a powerful story about adversity, friendship, family, and standing up for what is right even if it hurts. Mara has been through a great deal and has her own struggles. Her twin brother, Owen, has been there for her through it all. Then her friend Hannah accuses Owen of raping her. Mara doesn’t want to believe her brother could do this, but there’s no reason Hannah would lie. She has to figure out where she stands on this, even if it goes against what her family believes. She also needs to figure out how to do the right thing, even as she tries to work through her own relationship with her ex-girlfriend Charlie. This story is beautifully and sensitively written through the eyes of Mara. She is genuine and has great depth. The other characters are also very well developed and believable. The writing style makes it easy to be pulled into the story. Young people 14 and over would benefit from reading this. It’s an important story that confronts rape culture, victim blaming and shaming, and standing up for what is right. While a difficult book to read, it is absolutely worthwhile.