In this romantic dramedy from the author of Alex, Approximately, a teen girl’s way-too-ordinary life is driven off the beaten path when she’s abandoned in the wilderness with her worst adversary–the boy who broke her heart. Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are … that their families are the modern day, Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets.
But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.
What could go wrong?
With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely.
And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars?
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This is a book I had to immediately buy the paperback to have for my bookshelf. I’d like to read it again, actually. Jenn Bennett is a favorite author of mine.
I love this book and her other one
I am a fan of Jenn Bennett. I’ve actually read Starry Eyes twice now. I like to give my favorites a second go-around to make sure I actually enjoy them as much as I originally believe. And yes, this one is just as entertaining, quirky, original and well-written as I remembered. These are great characters, with awesome dialogue, chemistry and the kind of problems everyone can relate to. It’s a genuine kind of story with lots of feel-good moments. I highly recommend everyone give it a read!
A delightful contemporary Young Adult Novel…. so many of the current issues facing young adults in our world… and the way forward… An Excellent read! A delightful weaving of story telling…
I knew as soon as I started this book it would be a great one. It is now my favorite book. I wish I could go back in time so that I could experience what it felt like to read this book. It’s truly amazing. I love it.
I adore Jenn Bennett and she does not disappoint with this. I loved the characters and how they reconnected after a year apart. I did find the main girl’s name a little odd, but it seemed to work for the story. I enjoyed the idea of getting lost hiking with a cute guy and falling in love in while finding a way home.
SUMMARY OF BOOK: Zorie and Lennon are former best friends turned enemies all due to a huge misunderstanding. Once they’re trapped in the wilderness (literally) they begin to unravel what really happened between them and how to fix it.
MY REVIEW: This was an enchanting, friends-to-enemies-to-lovers, story about two lost star mates finding their way back to each other in the wilderness.
This is my second book from her and fuck, I’m hooked. I think I’ve found a new author to place in my Best Authors of All Time list.
Bennett has this magical way of making you feel things that you don’t think are possible to feel towards fictional characters. She has a way of making you feel so connected to the characters that I seriously forget that there fictional.
I like to think that I’ve been connected to books before (Sarah J Maas, Mariana Zapata, and Colleen Hoover) and I like to think that there isn’t anyone better than those three but… dare I say Bennett just might be as good, if not better?
If you’re looking for a book that will have you emotionally, mentally, physically, verbally, and whatever other “ally’s” there, connected to not only the book but the story and the characters then this is for you.
This is one of those books (& one of those authors) that writes a book that will have you thinking about it for YEARS after. That will have you comparing it to every other book you read and will probably have your standards set so damned high that no other book for the rest of your life will ever compare.
Saw this on KindleUnlimited and dove right in. This contemporary teen read felt fresh and real, with friend drama, those kinks that happen in the last year of high school, family messiness, secrets, and romance.
Zorie likes plans and lists and order. She doesn’t like that she no longer talks to her best friend Lennon, ever since he stood her up at the big dance and has avoided her ever since.
Then they end up on a camping trip with four classmates that goes sideways. Oh, how I love when things go sideways! It gets all sorts of truths out.
Fun and moving and deals with life stuff that teens that age have to deal with. Really good.
I love it so much!!!!
Starry eyes weaves the story of Zorie and Lennon. Two ex best friends who decided to take their relationship to the next level. Sounds pretty simple, right? It should be but family drama, miscommunication, and teenage emotions cause Zorie and Lennon’s relationship to shift from young love to not speaking. When the two of them get stranded camping they find their way out of the wilderness and back into each others hearts. I read very few teen romances but this story was very well done and I was intrigued by all of the different aspects of these characters. Zorie and Lennon were as unique as their names and Jenn Bennett’s Starry Eyes an intelligently written vehicle for their story.
This was my first Jenn Bennett novel and was rather surprised by the adult subject matter. Lennon has been raised by two moms who own an adult sex shop. As wild and crazy as that may sound the scenes in the shop were subtle yet filled with humor. Most of the early emotional drama came from Zorie’s father who hates Lennon and his parents. As the novel goes on we are clued into the why’s and wherefore’s but in the beginning this hatred seems filled with bigotry. Zorie’s emotional growth is displayed by the way she deals with her father and his irrational anger and marital problems with her step mother. Also, I feel I should give a warning, the teens in this book are all sexually active which I guess is not uncommon today but I found myself trying to double check their ages a couple of times. At times I forgot I was reading a YA novel, so if you have kids, be aware of the adult content.
Lennon was a perfect blend of nerdy cool. He had two moms, worked in a snake shop and had a b-level rock star for a father. What’s not to like? Even though the novel was written from Zorie’s perspective you could feel Lennon’s emotions and really identify with his character. I can totally see YA readers being easily captivated by him. I really enjoyed this novel in large part because of all of the surprises revealed through the story, but also because of the unique setting. Most of the novel takes place while Zorie and Lennon are hiking through the wilderness. Seeing nature and the night’s sky through their Starry Eyes almost made me want to pack a bag and a book and go on a hike. Almost.
Starry Eyes was one of those stories that I think I did a disservice to by having listened to the audio interchangeably with reading. It probably would have been 4.5 stars if I had simply read the book. The storytelling was single POV narration and I did not care for the narrator’s take on Zorie. How I interpreted Zorie’s character was quite different than how she was portrayed via the narrator’s voice inflections, pauses, and emphasis within sentences. Zorie was endearing and enjoyable when I read, but annoying when listening to the audio.
Overall and regardless of the audio, I think Starry Eyes is a worthy read for those who enjoy YA lit with diversity, romance, and attention on family dynamics. The setting in the Northern California wilderness was sublime and the secondary characters created interesting and creative story conflict. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more by this author.