Every Soul a Star-- Wendy Mass

Wendy Mass is one of those authors I discovered accidentally. I was shelving books at a branch library and I came upon her premiere work: Mango Shaped Space. On the back, there was a brief review from another author I liked, so I gave the book a chance. I am truly glad I did because I loved Mango and have read everything Mass has written sense (even the children's and tween books, which is the category Mango Shaped Space fits into).


Every Soul a Star in told from the perspective of three different teens (sound familiar?). Ally is an outerspace and astronomy genius who lives with her parents and brother at the isolated Moon Shadow Campground. Jack flunked science class, but his teacher offers him a get-out-of-summer school-free card: work as his assistant on an eclipse/astronomy project and he doesn't need to retake his class. Bree is a teen model, fashion expert, and make-up application guru. When the three of them are thrown together at Moon Shadow camp preparing for a full solar eclipse, predictable chaos ensues. However, in the end, stereotypes are broken, friendships are made, hearts are mended, and some major stargazing occurs.


One thing I appreciate about Wendy Mass is that I can always offer her books to conservative, sheltered, and/or younger teens. Most of her books are best for girls, except Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, which has a male protagonist. While the end of most of her books are a little too perfect and a wee bit schmaltzy for my taste, teens enjoy them. It is nice to have a go-to author when a teen (or his/her parents) wants a non-edgy, clean teen fiction recommendation.


Also by Wendy Mass:

A Mango Shaped Space
Leap Day
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
Heaven Looks a lot Like the Mall