Donna's Reviews > The Stars Did Wander Darkling

What a great book. There’s so much going for THE STARS DID WANDER DARKLING that I don’t even know where to start.

This book is a mishmash of hat tips to a variety of different 80s things, like The Goonies, The Lost Boys, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (or a couple of different yet similar type stories), ‘Salem’s Lot (although that’s technically 70s). I could see all these little pieces in this book and I practically squealed every time I saw them. Add in the gothic atmosphere and the gritty undercurrent of a story and it’s a fantastic package.

It’s pegged as middle grade, but it can easily transcend into YA, especially since we’re dealing with characters in the summer between 8th and 9th grade. I’ve read a lot of middle grade in the last month and this book, by far, has the most depth to it. It’s unapologetic in its writing, and even though I found myself thinking that the language may be too above middle grade, I kept reminding myself that I shouldn’t care. It’s a wonderful story, and I was reading waaaaaaaaaay up at that age, anyway. I’m sure many others are, and if they don’t get what they’re reading, they’ll either stop or figure it out. It’s not hard.

I loved the preface that Meloy wrote about writing the book his younger self wanted to find that was for him, not an adult book. And I think he nailed it. It’s a mature story that isn’t kiddie and doesn’t play down to the younger readers of the category. It’s dark, it puts the kids in dark places, and it drags them through some rough stuff. The ending had me a bit gutted and slightly terrified, yet it was a perfect ending. Things were all wrapped up. Mostly. And it’s that mostly that’s still sticking with me.

The only complaints I have are that I wanted a hint more 80s nostalgia in there. Not much. I appreciate that it didn’t shove the 80s in my face and the story treated the time like it should: as if it were natural to the characters. It was seamless. A little too seamless, as I kept losing that the story was set in the 80s and not present day. I guess the reminder should have been the ever-present betamax store, but even that was really seamless. I like this way more than the 80s nostalgia stuffed down my throat, where the book is obviously for the parents reading the story, not the kids. This book is for the kids, and I love it.

Also, the title’s a bit odd. I get it. It all comes full circle at the end, and I wouldn’t want something more kiddie like “Invasion of the Adult Snatchers” or something kitschy like that. Even here, on the other side of the book, it’s a bit odd. It could be that I don’t have a full appreciation of poetry, which is where the title comes from. It’s a minor thing, anyway.

So yeah. Two very minor complaints, but overall I thought this was a fantastic story. Great characters, a totally moody world that fit the narrative, and a simmering refrain of creepiness that bound the story together. I can’t recommend this enough.

5

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.