The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
First Published: September 19th, 2017
Publisher: Knopf BFYR
Recommended Age: 9+
Pacing: Slow
Genres & Themes: Middle Grade, Loss, Contemporary, Friendship
BLURB:
It’s Christmas Eve in Harlem, but twelve-year-old Lolly Rachpaul and his mom aren’t celebrating. They’re still reeling from his older brother’s death in a gang-related shooting just a few months earlier. Then Lolly’s mother’s girlfriend brings him a gift that will change everything: two enormous bags filled with Legos. Lolly’s always loved Legos, and he prides himself on following the kit instructions exactly. Now, faced with a pile of building blocks and no instructions, Lolly must find his own way forward.
I don’t see what everyone else sees in this book.
Perhaps that is because I have read so many, many, many books featuring characters dealing with the loss of a loved one? I want to say that is probably the case, but the truth is I constantly read these books and I tend to enjoy them as a general rule.
So what happened? The writing is lovely. It drew me in from the start. I was curious about the story and I certainly could not complain about the cool cover. But it took time for me to understand why there was tension between the characters,
Someone died. Who died? Oh, his brother. Really, how? Well, you’ll have to wait until I’m ready to share that part. Oh, come on, I’d like to understand now, not later. But I’m not ready to share that with you! And what’s up with his father, what’s going on? It’s complicated…
I felt confused a lot. And even when I wasn’t anymore, when the hero finally decided to shed some light on issues, I realized there is absolutely no plot and the little boy is just wandering around, making connections, pretending to be okay, trying to live on after the tragic death of his brother, doing mundane things like buying gifts, ….
I was not so interested. Lolly is a boy I really wanted to connect with, but he made it so hard, because he’s not open about his emotions and he’s so quiet, calm and reserved that I couldn’t get to know him through his entourage. I don’t know if anyone, except maybe his mother, even knows him very well.
Couldn’t finish it. Was bored.
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