Looking for something to feed your desire for books that are full of adventure and survival? Then look no further than The Starlight Claim, which is apparently the companion novel to a book written years ago called The Maestro. I had no idea that this was a continuation of a story, so I have not read The Maestro yet, but I plan to after how much I enjoyed this book.
We all know that tragedies happen every day, and that they leave those affected haunted by memories and nightmares. Nate knows this better than anyone, as his best friend disappeared months ago into the wilderness without a trace. It’s clear from the beginning of the book that Nate is not only determined but brave, and some of the decisions he makes throughout the book may not be the smartest, but throughout the course of the story it is made clear that Nate has a good head on his shoulders, even if he does decide to go looking for his missing friend all alone.
Of course, an adventure novel wouldn’t be a proper adventure without some unexpected roadblocks popping up along the way, and that just adds to the thrill of this story. Nate thinks he knows the land he’s searching for his missing friend on pretty well, but he doesn’t account for bad weather and other surprises that he could have never foreseen, and even though Nate has his cell phone with him, he’s unable to get a signal in the wilderness of the family camp he is searching, so he really has very little resources except for his own smarts.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it. I know I would have loved this book when I was younger. There were several times while reading The Starlight Claim that I was reminded of Peg Kehret’s The Hideout and Gary Paulson’s Hatchet so if you’ve read and enjoyed either of those books, I’d encourage you to seek out this one to add to your library, you won’t be disappointed!
Review of an Advance Reader’s Copy
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Candlewick
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 8 religious exclamations; 31 mild obscenities; 2 religious profanities; 8 derogatory names; 3 scatological words; 7 anatomical terms.
Violence/Gore: An accident on a body of water and death of a family is mentioned; a minor describes seeing dead mice in antifreeze; a group of men are mentioned to have escaped from prison and be on the run; an angry man is described to punch a wall; a minor pulls a knife on a strange man and threatens him with it; a man threatens a minor boy verbally and physically; bullying and name calling occurs among minors; minors find a gun and take it with them on a boat for self-defense; a man makes verbal threats against other men; a revolver is pointed by a man at several people in one extended scene; a boy mentions a decision he makes to not be “suicidal”; a fire is mentioned to burn down a family camp and cabin; fresh blood is mentioned in one brief scene involving a small wound; a gun is shot at men in one brief scene; a brief scene occurs where hanging and falling of the subsequent dead bodies is mentioned; a hitman is mentioned; cleaning of a wound is briefly described.
Sex/Nudity: A minor boy mentions his attraction to multiple girls and sexual activity may or may not be implied.
Mature Subject Matter:
Arson; Trespassing; Larceny; Death; Survival.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
An adult with a drinking problem is mentioned; minor mentions participating in beer pong at a party; adults mentioned to drink in several brief scenes; drugs are mentioned; an adult is described to drink whisky.
