Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim - OPTIONAL

Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim, 336 pages. Disney Book Group (Hyperion), 2020. $19.

Language: R (39 swears, 2 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG-13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Amaya (17-years-old) and Cayo can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Their choices eventually bring them together on opposite sides of conflict, but both Amaya and Cayo are done losing. And, this time, they are both determined to win because they have nothing left to lose.

I was intrigued for a while about how Amaya’s and Cayo’s lives were going to cross paths. When their connection was revealed about a third of the way in, I was thrilled by the new development and couldn’t put down their story. Sim has brought to life characters that are unknowingly in conflict, making readers fall in love with both Amaya and Cayo; you feel pain for both of them as challenges pile up in front of them -- including their unwitting sabotage of each other! Unfortunately, I found the end to be a whirlwind that was unpleasant to ride. Several things were revealed in a manner that felt sudden and unplanned, as if Sim didn’t know how to get to the ending she wanted. With that bitter taste at the end of the book, I’m unsure if I want to read the sequel, even though I enjoyed reading most of the book. The mature content rating is for addictive behavior (with substance abuse and gambling), partial nudity, and implied prostitution; the violence rating is for child abuse and murder.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen