Pages:
324
Publisher:
Hot Key Books
Release
Date: 3rd
September 2015
Edition:
UK paperback,
purchased copy
Other
Titles by this Author: Della
Says: OMG!, Jessie
Hearts NYC, Emma
Hearts LA, As
Delightful As a Carrot, Calm
Like a Stupid Feather, Starring
Kitty,
Spotlight
on Sunny
Anna’s
finally ready to be a ‘proper’ grown-up. She couldn’t be more excited about her
big move to Liverpool, and she’s determined to bring more of her
super-confident online alter-ego, Anna Sparks, with her.
But
when her job falls through, following her dreams proves harder than she’d
thought…
So
instead Anna throws herself into busy city life. Hanging out with her new
housemates provides lots of drama and scandal for her vlog – but when a
real-life celebrity gets involved, suddenly the consequences of Anna’s online
gossiping are all too real.
*Little disclaimer: I do consider Keris a friend of
mine, but that hasn’t affected my opinion or review of the novel at all –
promise!*
I’m a big fan of Keris and her
books so when I discovered she was writing an older novel about a girl leaving
home for the first time, I was extremely excited. Justly so, it turns out!
Keris has been a champion of
diversity of all kinds in YA for a long time and it really showed in the
effortless way it existed in Counting
Stars. One of Anna’s new housemates, Sean, is gay, but it's not made a big
deal of at all. He’s just a boy who had his heart broken and is attempting to
heal it with a crush on a beautiful boy from college. Sean’s sexuality had no
bearing on his story or his character and although coming out stories and
explorations of sexuality and coming to terms with it are vital, I think this
portrayal is equally important.
Counting
Stars is a very
sex positive novel and it doesn’t shy away from sex scenes or the inevitable
discussions that centre around it when a group of 18/19/20 year olds are together,
and especially when they’re drunk. The characters all have different levels of experience
and attitudes towards sex and not a slither of judgement is passed on any of
them. And quite rightly so. But Keris also works in the complications of
romantic and intimate relationships by dealing with sexual harassment, damaging
relationships, near misses and even inappropriate relationships with
sensitivity and honesty.
The close-up third person
narration allows the reader to get in the heads of all Anna’s housemates as
well as Anna in a way that feels like an effortless switch between narrators
and I fell in love with Anna, Alfie, Nina, Molly and Sean equally; flaws and
all. I love the dynamic between them and I think that and them finding their
feet in the world is what Counting Stars is
about rather than the celebrity scandal mentioned in the synopsis. I'd go as
far as to say that it’s a little misleading as it’s nowhere near the most
prominent or most important aspect of the novel, though it is an important
reflection on the dangers of putting yourself and other people onto the
internet and social media.
Counting
Stars is a
wonderful novel of love, life, friendship and sex and to me, this is what New
Adult should be. I really hope we see more of this type of novel from Keris in
the future. Please?
Sophie
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