Where the Forest Meets the Stars
This debut novel from Vanderah brings a young, bruised, and seemingly abused girl to the porch of a field scientist doing summer research deep in the woods of Illinois. She sticks to the story that she is an alien sent to occupy a human body until she witnesses five miracles on Earth. The scientist and her neighbor balance wanting to do the right thing by calling in the authorities, with knowing this intelligent and stubborn girl will run when any authority shows up to take her away. A summer spent with the alien girl will heal deep wounds for all involved and love begins to bond the threesome into an inseparable trio.
I had this on my reading list because of the PopSugar Reading Challenge, but the synopsis kept me from picking it up for awhile. I can’t believe I put it off at all, it’s an incredible book! There is a small illogical part that I had to set aside in order to enjoy the book, which is that the adults in the situation don’t stand their ground and make sure the girl isn’t handed over to authorities. Lots of excuses are made along the way, but logically responsible adults would make sure to involve law enforcement. Apart from that the story is captivating and you end up invested in where the alien girl will end up. This is a great love story on many levels and also a great narrative on personal growth.
This reminded me many times of the Netflix show Stranger Things; less scary, but still about a young lady from another world who has special abilities.
Malia's Pizza Rating
The Ursa Major star shaped pizza bread.