I should have never read this book...and yet I can't bring myself to regret a moment.
It's a story that is equal parts intense beauty and heart wrenching agony, all tied up with an adorable fur baby to boot. It's a story that has all the feels, and I do mean ALL THE FEELS, big enough to drag you around by the nose, like so many scattered scents on the wind to our beloved canines, and toss you amid the stars to frolic, to play, yet to utterly fall under its spell.

In it's simplest form, it's a story of life, love, and growing up, told through the eyes of Dog...aka Kai. His voice leads us through his volatile beginning, passed the hard moments that won't let go and to new starts, only to have things turn on their heads again and again. I won't go into detail (though I so dearly want to) because it would spoil the experience, but I can tell you, it's not a book you can go into lightly. It's not a story that can soon be forgotten. Though the story may be Fiction, the heart hidden between the pages glows with such intensity, you can feel it from start to finish.


**ecopy received for review; opinions are my own ( )

As Stars Fall is intensely emotional. I teared up more than once reading this, it's such a poignant story. Beautiful, full of love, and at times heartbreak, your heart will overflow at times and at other tears will overflow your eyes. If you're looking for a book that will take you on en emotional roller coaster and light some hope in you, then you'll want to snag and read this. ( )

★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHATS AS THE STARS FALL ABOUT?
This is told from the perspective of a young homeless dog, struggling to survive on the streets of some town. He scavanges to get by and has learned that dogs who aren't his mother and siblings and people aren't to be trusted. He can't find his pack and isn't doing a great job of feeding himself when he's found by a young girl who convinces her Daddy to bring him home.

Slowly, he learns to trust Mia and her Daddy. Soon, Mia is everything to her dog, Kai, who learns that if he just waits long enough (and it's hard to do), she'll come home from school.

We spend a few quick years with the two, watching Mia grow up and some other things happen. But no matter what happens, Kai waits.

WHAT CAN YOU SAFELY SAY ABOUT THE ENDING?
This is a classic "Dog Book," in the vein of Old Yeller, Where the Red Fern Grows, Marley and Me, and so on. Which should tell you everything you need to know about what the ending of the book involves, so you go in fully warned.
That said, this is a different kind of read than those and will approach it in a different way.

WHAT'S THE INTENDED AUDIENCE?
I'm guessing this is aimed at kids—old enough to handle hard things (both those that happen to people and dogs), but it can be enjoyed by teens and adults, too (as long as they can handle the opening chapters coming from the point of view of a very juvenile narrator).

But all the promotional materials invoke A Dog's Purpose, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Marley and Me, and One Good Dog, none of which are fitting for a kid. So I don't know what to make of that. I guess I'd call this an All-Ages book (with the provisos I listed above).

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT AS THE STARS FALL?
It was a sweet little story about the love of a dog for his girl, and a girl for her dog. Yes, it gets hard to read because this sweet little story involves some loss, too. But that only makes the high points better.

Actually, I should add that the story about the love of a father and daughter for each other was just as sweet and just as heart-wrenching.

I chuckled frequently—not just at Kai's antics, but at the way he thinks about his people. I "awwwwed" more than once at Mia's treatment of her pup.

This is a very nice book (I'm wanting to overuse the word sweet and am having a hard time coming up with an adequate replacement) that I enjoyed, heartily recommend, and can see myself re-reading regularly.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion and this post. I thank him for it. ( )