Starworld by Audrey Coulthurst and Paula Garner was a poignant tale of two girls trying to find themselves, and their place in the world. One day during art class, Sam Jones is interrupted by Zoe Miller, who asks about a painting Sam has done. This simple action opens a tentative dialogue between the two, which soon deepens into an unusual friendship. They are linked together through the text-only storyrealm they dub Starworld, a freeing from mundane reality. They begin to hang out together, telling each other things they haven’t shared with others before. But one innocent mistake shatters the fragile dream.
This story hit me like a gut-punch. Both main characters spoke to me in very deep levels. Like Sam, I’m an incredibly introverted person. I tend to shun shallow company. My heart aches for her so much when she opened up about a very fragile part of herself, and was rebuffed in the moment. I think wish she’d not chosen to hide afterward, but, well, it’s an introvert way. We don’t handle humiliation well. The more introverted, the harder it is to handle. Annddd, I suffer from OCD and anxiety, which her mum is cursed with. Thankfully, the OCD has mellowed and lessened over the decades since childhood, when it was at its worst. Reading about OCD does generate an uptick in my own for a few days to weeks. Consequently, I’m currently beset by the need to triple check the front door is locked.
Like Zoe, I have low self-worth. I wasn’t adopted, but neither was I what my nuclear family hoped I’d be. They had no idea how to raise an extreme introvert, pushed me into situations I wasn’t ready or able to deal with, and tended to deride me if I resisted or freaked out. Nor were they able to understand my rabid love of reading, and later in life, my spirituality choices. I wanted to give both these girls big hugs!
Routine is clearly a theme with the story, being a huge part of both girls’ lives, for different reasons. Sam’s mum is the one with OCD, and it’s pretty severe. Regimented behaviour rules her life, and if those routines of safety are broken it causes anxiety, and triggers coping routines. Sam feels stifled by the rules she must follow, most of which make no sense to her. With Zoe, routine is important for her mentally challenged brother Jonah. Routine helps keep his behaviour in check. He knows what to expect, and since their mum is sick, that helps. They later learn they need to not allow things to become routines for him all the time.
I was very glad that things worked out okay for the girls in the end. Starworld, and their short-lived friendship, helped each grow far beyond what might’ve been expected. In many ways, they sparked the healing within the other that was badly needed for wholeness. Highly recommended!
***Many thanks to the Netgalley & Candlewick Press for providing an ecopy in exchange for a fair and honest review. Most especially, many thanks to Candlewick Press for the lovely hardcopy. Reviewed for JBN Blog Tours.
