What would you do if a little girl claimed to be an alien? I know I’d have endless questions for them, like soooo many questions.

Glendy Vanderah’s Where the Forest Meets the Stars was published in March of 2019. Vanderah has since published two more books in the following years. Before I dive too far into talking about the book there is a cool background about the author that I want to highlight.

Now, one of the main characters, Jo, is PhD student studying birds and biology. Before Vanderah was an author, she was a biologist who had a love for birds. I really like this fun fact because this book is filled with nature, little bits of science, and, of course, birds. You can tell how connected she is to her book by learning about her background. This has made me appreciate her story telling more.

Ok, now on to the book. The basic plot line is a little girl named Ursa shows up at Jo’s doorstep claiming to be from outer space. While trying to figure out where her family is, Jo recruits the help of her neighbor, Gabe, up the gravel road. Although they’d never met before, Gabe quickly ends up becoming a part of their every day lives. Ursa is a spunky kid who flees every time Jo mentions or calls the cops. She is relentless in saying she’s from a different planet, but once she witnesses five miracles, she’ll go.

It’s definitely different than what I’d typically read. There’s love, mystery, and science. They’re beautifully blended together in this story… for the most part.

My biggest complaint is the pacing. There were many parts where I wished it wasn’t as rushed. The love angle felt like it went from 0-100 real fast, but it was and wasn’t a large aspect of the book at the same time. I feel it could’ve been more drawn out, dare I say dramatic even.

The chapters were quick to read, but I found myself putting the book down and not picking it up for a while time and time again. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the book. I just never get hooked on it. I’d recommend this one to someone who enjoys some science and some romance. It’s for someone who likes picking up a book and sort of being thrown into the plot immediately.

Apologies for ghosting on y’all for a week! Midterms kicked my butt and took up most of time. But hey, we’re back at it! Starting today I am back to my regular writing schedule.

Monday is the night before the spookiest day of the year.

AKA I hope y’all are ready for it.

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