I can't stress how important I think it is to be talking about mental health at a young age. The stats are so high for middle schoolers and elementary schoolers dealing with mental health issues and it's impossibly hard to know what's supposed to be normal at that age. I think King did a great job here of introducing depression and talking about it in an adult way through a story that speaks to kids. She defined it, talked about different types, showed different manifestations, and found various solutions. Well done.
Also, Jilly is the cutest and the scene where Finn and Lib chase her away is a total delight. ( )

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed this on audiobook from my library.

Thoughts: This was a very well done book about a middle grade/pre-teen, Liberty, going through a divorce and dealing with all that entails in a very slightly magical realism A.S. King kind of way. I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook was very well done.

I do think this is an awesome book for someone going through a divorce or for someone trying to understand or help someone going through divorce. It is beautifully written, with a lot of profound insights and comments. It is one of those excellent books that assumes middle grade age readers are intelligent, which I applaud. I also liked the way everything is related to outer space. The magical realism comes in when Liberty finds a meteorite that seems to talk to her.

Unfortunately, I just found this kind of sad and heartbreaking. It does have hopeful notes to it as well, but I didn't love reading it. It is a heavy subject matter and just left me feeling depressed. So, just be aware this is about divorce, depression, heartache and anger and it is pretty depressing. It is hard to read about a situation where everyone is trying their best but still being ripped apart.

I do love that the parents are trying to be responsible about how they deal with their kids and the divorce. However, they end up trying to keep too much from their kids in an effort to shelter them. Some of this was very frustrating to me, kids are not dumb and I never under stand why people try to treat them like they are. The whole divorce is doubly complicated by the fact that their dad suffers from severe depression. It is very well done, I just didn't enjoy it much and I wasn't in the mood for such a sad read.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this is a very well done book about pre-teens dealing with divorce. It is beautifully written with themes about outer space and some subtle magical realism. Make sure you are in the mood for something like this when you pick it up. It is an emotional and heartbreaking read that left me feeling more depressed than hopeful. ( )

AS King is a big award winner. Reading this book I see why. It is so rich while at the same time it stays simple. A heart-wrenching story about depression and being a tween dealing with divorce and secrets in your family while also negotiating the move from elementary to middle school.

I will recommend this one a lot. ( )

Liberty loves stars and constellations. She creates star maps and instead of the typical bear or archer, she finds other shapes such as a broom, diamond ring, or soup ladle. But since her parents announced they were separating and her father moved out, Liberty hasn’t been able to connect her winter star maps nor create any new ones. Her father bags out on his weekends with the girls. Other than going to school, Jilly doesn’t venture out of the house. A meteor lands outside their house and its appearance reflects what Liberty feels, as if everything that is happening has made them all fall out of the sky. Liberty’s character is an old soul without coming off as too precocious. She is practical, sardonic, a bit self-deprecating. Her comments and observations can be cutting and funny. ( )

Liberty sees more than what constellations have been found, she sees and draws new ones from her imagination. She also sees another thing that she wishes she had not seen. Her dad moves out and she has not talked to him in a very long time. He seems to be avoiding the family and she is taking it very hard, though she is trying to be brave and supportive for her younger sister, Jilly and her mom, she is dealing with her own problems and wondering if she has depression like her dad does. She was always close to her dad, so this is a major blow to her emotions. Liberty must find herself and be strong at the same time in the midst of her parents divorce and the struggle and toll it takes on a twelve- year old dealing with their own normal preteen situations. I would recommend this for any collection looking for books on divorce and depression for young readers. It is a very poignant story that tugs at the heart and makes you root for Liberty that she overcomes all of the shadows in her life and does not let them beat her in the end. ( )