Book Review | Where the Stars Still Shine | Trish Doller

Book cover for Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish DollerTitle: Where the Stars Still Shine
Author: Trish Doller (web | twitter)
Genre: Contemporary YA
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Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Release date: September 24, 2013
Source: ARC from the publisher via NetGalley (Thanks, Bloomsbury!)

Summary: Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She’s never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love–even with someone who seems an improbable choice–is more than just a possibility.

Trish Doller writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true.

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Book Review | Something Like Normal | Trish Doller

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Book Review | Something Like Normal | Trish DollerSomething Like Normal by Trish Doller
Published by Bloomsbury on June 19, 2012
Genres: Contemporary YA, Military
Pages: 224
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher via NetGalley
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five-stars

When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

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