See All the Stars by Kit Frick follows Ellory, as she rejoins her peers for senior year after having been gone for some time due to an incident she simply calls the fall. The story alternates between the past, leading up to the fall, and the present, where Ellory is trying to work through things and make peace with the past. In the past, Ellory has a (seemingly) close group of friends. Ret has drawn Ellory into a group comprised of herself, Ellory, Jenni, and Bex, and Ret is the glue that holds the group together. One fateful day, Ellory accompanies Ret to a party, where she meets and falls for Matthias. As time goes on, though, things between Ellory and Matthias grow strained, and tensions grow between the group. It all comes to a head on the fateful day of the fall.

I enjoyed this read for the most part. The story is told from Ellory’s POV, with each chapter alternating between then and now. I felt the transitions were handled well, and the flow was nice. I was always left wanting to know more and enjoyed each time frame equally, which doesn’t usually happen for me. The most interesting was the past, as we headed towards this terrible incident, but the present was interesting too, as Ellory has to work through many things, and lay the past to rest. I’ll admit, I didn’t expect the full truth of the fall, and it kinda shocked me.

I liked the ‘Bad Parents’ game Ret and Ellory played, with full-on acting. I think the author meant they pretended to be ethnographers in the field, not ecologists. Psychologist, anthropologist, culturalist, sociologist, or behaviouralist/ behaviourist would all have been better choices too, given that they were observing social interactions and behaviours. I adore the ‘Road Less Travelled’ call and response Ellory and Ret played. I enjoyed how they would complete the iconic line with the oddest things.

To me, this was a great look at social interactions and how families & peers shape kids’ behaviours on a deep level, setting in motion at young ages schemas that will shape their actions for a lifetime, unless they become aware and work to overcome them. Even in the past events, Ellory seems to know what drives Ret, and to at least partially understand what drives her own actions. Just goes to show, even if you understand the drive behind behaviour, it can still be very difficult to change. People fear change; better the devil you know, eh?  

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Children’s for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.