Publication Date: October 8, 2014
Published: Flux
Source: Netgalley
My Rating:
After her little sister mysteriously vanishes, seventeen-year-old Claire Graham has a choice to make: stay snug in her little corner of Manhattan with her dropout boyfriend, or go back to Ohio to face the hometown tragedy she's been dying to leave behind.
But the memories of that night still haunt her in the city, and as hard as she tries to forget what her psychiatrist calls her "delusions," Claire can't seem to escape the wolf's eyes or the blood-speckled snow. Delusion or reality, Claire knows she has to hold true to the most important promise she's ever made: to keep Ella safe. She must return to her sleepy hometown in order to find Ella and keep her hallucinations at bay before they strike again. But time is quickly running out, and as Ella's trail grows fainter, the wolves are becoming startlingly real.
Now Claire must deal with her attraction to Grant, the soft-spoken boy from her past that may hold the secret to solving her sister's disappearance, while following the clues that Ella left for only her to find. Through a series of cryptic diary entries, Claire must unlock the keys to Ella's past—and her own—in order to stop another tragedy in the making, while realizing that not all things that are lost are meant to be found.
*Thanks to the author for offering a copy of this title for review and to Netgalley for providing it.*
Being close to my sister, sister books are amongst my favorites to read, so going into this story I had high expectations. It has set on my most anticipated list for months now, so while I was tempted to open the egalley the moment I received it, I resisted for fear that those expectations wouldn't be met. However, Of Scars and Stardust proved to be one of my favorite reads so far this year.
There are times when I say, "I couldn't put this down.", and what I really mean is, "It took a couple days, but I devoured every word and loved it." Well, with Of Scars and Stardust I'm saying, "I couldn't put this down" and mean it. The overwhelming need to find out whodunit was present throughout the entire length of this book.
Reading the synopsis, I anticipated a mystery, but not so much a psychological thriller. Throughout most of the book I wondered what was going on. Were the "wolves" real, or even wolves at all? From the beginning, before Claire finds her sister bleeding out in a cornfield, the author drops hints as to what's going on, but somehow I never caught on. It wasn't until the end of the book that I had an my ah-ha moment of realization.
Which is just one of the reasons I loved Of Scars and Stardust.
Written in colorful prose and metaphors, I was in it from the first scene. While the characters aren't realistic, per say, I grew attached rather quickly and liked them all, especially whimsical Ella. When I was her age I wanted to do everything with my big sister, too.
The ending couldn't have surprised me more. There was a love story laced within the pages of this dark tale and I was rooting for Claire and Grant. I'm still rooting for Claire and Grant. There are so many questions I wanted answered that were left unresolved, but I suspect this was intentional. The final three sentences left me bewildered and wanting more. However, it was the perfect twisted ended, for this twisted tale.
There aren't enough words for me to adequately review this book, which often happens when I'm trying to do a good book justice. If you love a good mystery or have a soft spot for sisters like I do, I highly recommend Of Scars and Stardust. It will leave you gasping, amused, in love, and heartbroken, all at once.
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