Blog Tour – Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar

**Disclaimer: I was given a free ARC of the below in exchange for an honest review as part of a tour hosted by Hear Our Voices Tours via NetGalley.**

I’d like to begin by thanking Hear Our Voices Tours, the author, and the publisher for including me on this tour.

Title Star Daughter

Author Shveta Thakrar

Release Date August 11, 2020

Publisher HarperTeen

Links
Goodreads | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Description

This gorgeously imagined YA debut blends shades of Neil Gaiman’s Stardust and a breathtaking landscape of Hindu mythology into a radiant contemporary fantasy.

The daughter of a star and a mortal, Sheetal is used to keeping secrets. Pretending to be “normal.” But when an accidental flare of her starfire puts her human father in the hospital, Sheetal needs a full star’s help to heal him. A star like her mother, who returned to the sky long ago.

Sheetal’s quest to save her father will take her to a celestial court of shining wonders and dark shadows, where she must take the stage as her family’s champion in a competition to decide the next ruling house of the heavens–and win, or risk never returning to Earth at all.

Brimming with celestial intrigue, this sparkling YA debut is perfect for fans of Roshani Chokshi and Laini Taylor.

Initial Thoughts

I received an ARC of this book in the mail before I was chosen for this tour and I was SO EXCITED. This book has been on my radar all year and I was super excited to read it early.

Some Things I Liked

• Own Voices. There are literally so many things about this book and Sheetal that resonate with me. As an Indian-American woman, I loved the cultural references. Furthermore, she lives in my home state of New Jersey so literally everything she talked about in the “contemporary scenes” felt like a page out of one of my adventures with Grandma. This book felt so close to home and I loved every page of it.
• Half and half. Sheetal struggled with her identity throughout the book as half-star and half-mortal. I loved seeing her struggle and eventual acceptance of both halves of her heritage as important pieces of Sheetal as a whole. As I’ve mentioned before, I am half Indian. My mom is American and the struggle with a multi-cultural identity is something I have experienced throughout my life. Even though this is a fantasy story, the themes of accepting different portions of a mixed heritage are so beautifully described here.
• Writing style. The language and descriptions of everything from the mortal world, to the Night Market, to the realm of the stars was so rich and beautiful. I loved every word of it all and I will definitely be taking Grandma to Edison to see if we can uncover a secret magical marketplace.
• The romance. It was a cute story but it was subtle. I liked that it wasn’t the focal point of the story and that it felt realistic for an almost-seventeen-year-old.

Series Value

I loved the world Shveta Thakrar created here. I’d love to revisit it and see what the other stars lives are like.

Furthermore, I will definitely be reading anything else Shveta Thakrar writes.

Final Thoughts

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. I knew I wanted to read it, and I suspected I would like it. But, I found so much more within the pages to love than I ever could have expected. Sheetal’s journey to save her father as well as her reconnecting with her star family told an amazing story that will resonate with readers of all ages, and especially those of multi-cultural backgrounds.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommendations for Further Reading

• The Star Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi – if you enjoyed the mythology of the stars as well as the mythical marketplace, try this series by Roshani Chokshi.
• Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena – if you are looking for an Indian inspired mythological story that is pure fantasy, look no further than this June 2020 release.
• The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala – again, if you’re looking for Indian mythology, try this series. Full disclosure, book 3 is not out yet but I’m eagerly awaiting the conclusion to this stunning series.

Author Links
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Website
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