Stella Rising

January 17, 2020

Gr 9 Up-This hi-lo title follows Stella, an aspiring teenage musician on the verge of scoring her big break. When a video of Stella performing her favorite band's song goes viral, she is invited to perform alongside them when they visit her town. Meanwhile, her reckless mother, Viv, is leaving Stella alone to follow her new boyfriend to South America, continuing a pattern of abandonment that Stella has experienced her entire life. As Stella starts to perform with the band, their lead singer begins making romantic advances. Lacking confidence and desperate for the money, Stella is faced with a difficult choice: follow the band, though it reminds her of her mother's mistakes, or be authentic and create her own music. Stella is a relatable protagonist who navigates difficult romantic and personal relationships while trying to be true to herself. The book, written at a third grade reading level with a controlled vocabulary, is an engaging choice for reluctant readers. However, mentions of Viv's drug and alcohol use make this title most suitable for older readers. VERDICT This story of a young musician finding herself is a solid choice for collections serving hi-lo readers at the high school level.-Kathryn Justus, Renbrook School, West Hartford, CT

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November 15, 2019
Sixteen-year-old Stella Connors is the only child of flaky rock-star-groupie mother Viv and an absent biker father. Stella's prospects seem pretty hopeless, but just as Viv is leaving her daughter alone to go on a typically impulsive trip to South America with a new boyfriend, a YouTube video Stella has made of her cover of a song by a famous rock band is going viral. Prompted by her childhood friend Marnie and spurred by the prospect of making much-needed cash, the talented but unconfident Stella accepts an invitation to perform with her rock-star idol when his band does a show in her hometown of Victoria, British Columbia. Stella is initially flattered by the attention her performance receives, but things turn sour. Another opportunity--and a difficult choice--comes in the form of fellow student Max, who invites her to sing in his successful local band. Ultimately Stella learns hard lessons about the perils of fame, the value of authenticity, and the strength that comes from expressing herself through her own music. Told in an engaging, first-person narrative using accessible language, this novel will resonate with teens trying to find themselves artistically and personally. All main characters present as white and are Canadian. A strong choice for reluctant readers who enjoy stories that explore relationships. (Fiction. 14-18)

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