Gabe started to live as Ursa did, in an infinite present disconnected from the past or future.” Glendy Vanderah, Where the Forest Meets the Stars How did the word ‘changeling’ in the first sentence affect how you thought about the girl and the coming story? Why do you think the author used this particular word? Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah is a spell-binding contemporary novel about love and trust.

There are DOZENS of ways to say said and asked, but they are used constantly in the he said, she said conversations. It seriously grated on my nerves, particularly when the characters were only exchanging short remarks or utterances without any inner monologues in between. Until, one day, Ursa, shows up at Joanna’s rental. Ursa is a young girl, a bit quirky, who doesn’t seem to have a home. She tells Joanna she’s been sent from the stars to witness five miracles. Joanna is too practical to buy this story and insists that the girl go home…Until the girl finally convinces here there is no home. Joanna thinks eventually she’ll find out more so she can help Ursa… Try Star Wars shapes next time,” Jo told the nurse. My Final Thoughts on Where the Forest Meets the Stars A heartwarming, magical story about love, loss, and finding family where you least expect it. This touching novel will remind readers of a modern-day The Snow Child.” —Christopher Meades, award-winning author of Hanna Who Fell from the Skya breast cancer survivor heroine currently doing her graduate research on nesting birds in rural Illinois; Discuss the different ways the word ‘fate’ is used throughout the book. Did you believe the events in this story were mostly caused by accidental twists of fate? How do you think Jo, Gabe, and Ursa would each answer that question? Where the Forest Meets the Stars is a lovely, surprising, and insightful look at the way bonds are formed—both the ones that we choose and the ones that seem to choose us.” — Rebecca Kauffman, author of The Gunners Where The Forest Meets The Stars” was a beautiful and gratifying reading experience that will be hard to beat with any book that follows. They've known each other for what, two weeks? The day after their first kiss and bang! Jo waltzes into his private life, dismissing his trauma, his boundaries and his mental health,. Because she has survived cancer she thinks that she understands all illnesses and traumas. The story, rather than showing how harmful and emotional manipulative Jo is being it shows us that it works! Gabe is cured! Apparently true love cures depression. Who knew.

I love contemporary books that involve aliens in some way. This book reminded me of a lot of things I love, the alien aspect of this story definitely reminded me of The Humans, but Ursa (the little girl) kind of reminded me of Eleven from Stranger Things, and she reminded me of the marsh girl from Where the Crawdads Sing. This book has this mysterious atmosphere because for most of it you’re trying to figure out where Ursa came from, and if she actually is an alien or if she’s just a troubled little girl running from an abusive home. There’s also a slow burn romance happening between our main character Jo, and the neighbor down the street Gabe. Their romance was so cute and sweet and definitely a slow burn, which I appreciated.I loved every second of it! This book immediately found it’s place on my top ten favorite books. Hence, the long review below! Is Jo’s mother, in a way, still parenting her? Do you believe the lessons children learn from their parents, both good and bad, influence them all their lives? There are obvious differences between the parents of Jo, Ursa, and Gabe, but are there also similarities? While I guess Where the Forest Meets the Stars has a paranormal or fantasy aspect, it doesn’t feel that way. The story is grounded firmly in the here and now, and Ursa has a magical power that can be only described as love. Pure, unadulterated, innocent love. The miracles she witnesses are truly beautiful (experiencing them through her eyes melted my heart), but the beauty in Ursa is all the love she exudes to those around her and the effect she has on them as a result. Oh my goodness, Ursa! You simply have to meet her. If you haven’t read this book I recommend it with all the STARS!!!!! If you need a break from the world around you, read this book. If you want to be immersed in beautiful storytelling, read this book! We’re at the creek catching fish with a holey net. Understandably, this may take some time. Come join us if you enjoy frustration.” ― Glendy Vanderah, Where the Forest Meets the Stars My Thoughts on Where the Forest Meets the Stars Photo by Sebastian Unrau on Unsplash

Glendy Vanderah worked as an endangered bird specialist in Illinois before she became a writer. Originally from Chicago, she now lives in rural Florida with as many birds, butterflies, and wildflowers as she can lure to her land. Where the Forest Meets the Stars is her debut novel.And of course, the relationships that Ursa had with Jo, Gabe, and Tabby were wonderful as well. Each of the adults was so kind to Ursa and I loved that when they learned how smart she was, they immediately treated her in a way that was appropriate for her mentality; it was both paternal and a bit cautions, but also more like teachers where they allowed her to explore anything she wanted to explore, whether that was reading Shakespeare and learning more out Ornithology, or simply hanging out and having her nails painted purple and eating marshmallows.