A mysterious hospital deep in the Oregon woods is sending marauding ambulances into the countryside, looking for new patients. Mowing down anything in their path, the deadly ambulance drivers have forced the people and animals of the land into hiding. Twelve-year-old Chloe Ashton has returned to Fairfax and is desperate to find her mother. Together with her friends—the magical cook Mrs. … Goodweather, carpenter Brisco Knot, and clever white rat Shakespeare—she hatches a plan to enter the hospital and stop the bloodshed. At the same time a rumor reaches them from the east: Silas the Stargazer is coming, and he is bringing an army. An animal army.
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Return of the Evening Star follows Chloe, a twelve-year-old girl, to save her mother and her home from a corrupt hospital.
A Struggling Read
Return of the Evening Star has been quite a challenge for me to review. I have probably started this review half a dozen times by now, and my thoughts on the novel do not feel any clearer than before.
Let me begin by saying I liked this book, but I did struggle through it. The story focuses on Chloe, a young girl separated from her mother and running from her evil uncle and the hospital that holds her mother hostage.
The hospital administration itself is corrupt, sending ambulances out to hurt people intentionally and bring them to the hospital. From there, the hospital holds them hostage and extorts money from the family’s until they can no longer pay. Moreover, when they can no longer pay, well, the hospital stops caring.
Return of the Evening Star brings up ideas like deforestation and animal rights while also adding value to human life. It has excellent ideas behind the plot that made me ultimately enjoy the novel, but the pacing, tone, and character narratives failed to hold my attention.
As you may already know, I read juvenile fiction; I love it. Nevertheless, this novel felt very juvenile. The lessons in the novel are mature ones, the ideas are thoughtful and mature, but the language lacks some of that maturity.
The chemistry between the characters lacks some depth. It almost feels childlike, which again makes sense considering the novel is for young readers, but I have read enough juvenile literature to believe that it does not have to feel that way. The way the narrative sounds takes away the depth of the characters, making them more one-dimensional. At times, the language is too perfect; it does not feel natural and does not flow in a fluid way to make the character dynamics believable.
Final Thoughts
I wish I loved Return of the Evening Star, but unfortunately, I did not. However, I liked it and considered it an excellent novel for kids interested in fantasy and books with talking animals. It has good ideas, but the tone, language, and pacing are lacking for older audiences.
This is my first Diane Rios book and it’s not going to be last, that’s for sure! This is the second book in her Silver Mountain series, and while I wish I had read book 1 first, just because I’m a stickler for reading a series in order, this was not overly confusing. It’s beautifully written and definitely engaging for those middle grade, and young adult readers.
Rios creates her characters with a true to life feel. I love that in any book, but especially in a middle grade novel. It gives the readers a chance to become the characters while reading, and feeling what they go through. The fantasy element of Chloe’s story, really spices up the story for the young readers. The mystery is beautifully woven into the page-turning plot and the characters jump of the page.
This is a story that I highly recommend for readers of all ages. It’s perfectly chiseled, captivating and definitely worthy of 4 star praises and two thumbs up. Ms. Rios is going on my list of must read authors and I am looking forward to going back to the beginning of Chloe’s story. Well done, Ms. Rios! Bring on the next!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Booksparks and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*