These Unlucky Stars

Miss Annie P. Logan feels like the oddball of the family. Her dad and older brother Ray are the oatmeal-everyday types. The "do the right thing" without thinking types. Without her mom, Annie feels the third corner of a triangle that should be a square. She misses her mom and is convinced that she was born under an unlucky star. It is hard to be twelve without a mother. The school tries to step in and give assistance. Annie is humiliated and claims she already has a mentor named Jackie Zpudzz, inspired to make up the name by the eccentric artwork in the principal's office. Little does Annie know that she will soon meet a mentor -- one that will literally "fall into place." I really enjoyed watching Annie's relationship grow with Gloria. It is always a revelation to learn about the past adventures of our elderly friends. Our culture is too quick to judge on current appearance and we forget to learn their stories. It is also refreshing to watch the little community of Oak Branch work together for their first Rosy Maple Moth Festival. Maybe Annie is wrong about those stars?<br><br>Thank you to Bloomsbury Children's and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.<br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1614085972i/30913042.jpg" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy">

I was able to read an advanced copy of this beautiful story—lucky me! And it's another gem from an author I love.<br /><br />There are so many things that pulled me into THESE UNLUCKY STARS—feisty senior citizen Gloria, adorably-ugly Otto the dog, Annie’s strained relationships with her brother and dad. <br /><br />But what I loved most is what makes a Gillian McDunn story special—at its core is a very real girl with flaws and insecurities and blind spots who learns to be a better version of herself with the help of her community. 12-year-old me needed to see imperfect heroines like Annie!<br /><br />Also it’s so funny! JACKIE ZPUDZZ forever!

An actual 4.5 stars<br /><br />What an delightful book. Annie is a such a wonderful character and I just loved reading about her different from her brother and father in every way and wants her mom back but she left her family and Annie behind. Another perfect character is Gloria, the cracky old woman that Annie volunteer to help after Gloria fell, which was Annie fault. The 2 together will have you want more from them. I love when there is a family dynamic in a story. Annie father dating again, her perfect brother, and there is unlucky Annie. A book I will definitely want for my Middle Grade collection. Highly recommend for the young and the young at heart!!

<i>These Unlucky Stars</i> is a brilliant, heartwarming coming-of-age story with a strong, memorable female protagonist. Set in an idyllic small town, this book has strong themes of community, family, friendship, and identity. It also features a friendship between an elderly woman and young girl -- both of whom you can't help but root for. If you're looking for a feel-good, funny middle-grade book that tackles real life issues, you will enjoy this book.<br /><br />Read <a href="https://mgbookvillage.org/2021/02/18/book-review-these-unlucky-stars-by-gillian-mcdunn/" rel="nofollow noopener">my full review on MGBookVillage.</a><br /><br /><b>Thanks to Bloomsbury for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.</b>

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for an eARC of this book.<br /><br />I loved the author's two previous books, Caterpillar Summer and The Queen Bee and Me, so I was thrilled to get an eARC of this book to review. Once again, she has written a book with an endearing female main character dealing with the challenges of being a young teen, and we are witnesses to her growth in confidence and sense of self.<br /><br />Annie lives with her dad and older brother, Ray, and feels like the odd one out. Ray and her dad are similar in many ways, while Annie has always been a little bit unlucky and feels like she just can't be the type of kid to make her dad proud. She wishes her mom would come back from wherever she's gone, and then maybe she wouldn't feel like such an outlier in her own family. When a practical joke doesn't go as planned, Annie takes advantage of a misunderstanding to finally make her dad proud. Annie knows the truth about what happened, though, and her guilt is really what compels her to help an elderly woman named Gloria after an unfortunate accident. As Annie helps Gloria while she is recovering, she also confronts her fear of dogs by being around Otto, Gloria's loyal companion. As Annie starts to allow herself to connect with others, she realizes that maybe she's not so unlucky after all.<br /><br />What I loved most about this story was watching Annie connect with people around her. Person by person, Annie starts to care about others rather than solely focusing on her own feelings of hurt and betrayal. She develops new friendships with Gloria and Faith, grows attached to Otto, helps her community prepare their floats for the town's parade, and is finally able to find a way to reconnect to her father and brother. Each relationship that Annie develops helps her to grow in a new way, and challenges the perceptions she had of herself and others. I also enjoyed the small town feel of the story, and everyone coming together to participate in the town's Rosy Maple Moth Festival.<br /><br />I look forward to recommending this book to readers when it comes out in March 2021.

I've had the privilege of reading all three middle grade books that Gillian McDunn has (so far) published, and loved them all. But I think it's possible that THESE UNLUCKY STARS is my favorite. (And that's a high bar to clear!)<br /><br />Like Gillian's other books, THESE UNLUCKY STARS is a a story about family and friendship, this time focused on Annie, whose mother no longer lives with their family. Annie is struggling to understand herself--and translate the person she is becoming to those around her (crucial themes in middle grade). In striking up a connection with Gloria, an elderly member of her community (and Gloria's dog!), Annie finds the confidence to be and express herself. Motifs of fate/luck and the mirage of perfection further elevate this book, yet another wonderful entry in Gillian's pitch-perfect catalogue.

These Unlucky Stars has a whole lot to love about it! Our main character lives with her brother Ray and her dad in a small town that has the charm of a hallmark movie town, with restaurants and shops that are run by the town citizens. Because some of the only memories that Annie has of her mother was her mom telling her that she is unlucky, Annie focuses so much of the bad luck that follow her, everything she touches, and everyone she encounters. When a prank gone wrong lands her with an opportunity to get to know Gloria, an older neighbor who has lived an interesting life, Annie gets to learn so much more about life, her history and herself. The story is heartwarming, the characters are lovable, the family dynamics are relatable, and the messages are meaningful.

Gillian McDunn's upcoming middle grade novel (Bloomsbury, March 2021) explores a question that every kid wonders about: Are the events in my life lucky or unlucky? The answer, as the main character Annie comes to learn (no spoilers), is that it all depends on your perspective. And isn't that an important and universal message for everyone?<br /><br />THESE UNLUCKY STARS by Gillian McDunn fully deserves its spot alongside CATERPILLAR SUMMER and THE QUEEN BEE AND ME on bookshelves. McDunn set a a high bar with her first two amazing novels, and this beautifully-written and heartwarming story totally delivers!<br /><br />(I received an advance uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review.)

Link to my book talk: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://youtu.be/lWWS0e0M0BA">https://youtu.be/lWWS0e0M0BA</a><br /><br />Annie is convinced that she's the unlucky one. Ever since her mother left, she feels like she's the outsider at home and at school. She develops an unexpected friendship with Gloria, an elderly neighbor. The author did a good job structuring the book. The story is written from the perspective of Annie and I enjoy following her journey and feelings. This is one of the best books I read about relationships, family, caring, and loving.

Annie feels like she has no control over her life because she was born under an unlucky star. So it makes sense that when she dares to play ding dong ditch on an elderly lady's door, Annie causes the woman to fall and break her arm. It figures that she'll have to help take care of her throughout the summer, when all she really wants is to help design the float for the family store in the town festival.