REVIEW: FROM A DISTANT STAR BY KAREN MCQUESTION

Published by Skyscape (division of Amazon) 269 pages, release date May 19, 2015

**DISCLOSURE: I was provided a copy of this novel by the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own**

*Big thanks to Karen McQuestion for selecting me to read her book. She was very kind and I appreciated the thought. She has written other novels for children and adults, including her highly acclaimed YA Urban Fantasy series called Edgewood about four teenage super heroes. Also, she acknowledges bloggers as the "unsung heroes of the publishing world" in her Acknowledgement section of this book....and that means quite a lot to this small reviewer!

SUMMARY:
Emma and Lucas are two Wisconsin teenagers in love. However, tragedy has struck and the normally vibrant and athletic Lucas has terminal cancer. His organs are shutting down as Emma keeps a vigil at this bedside, with frequent run-ins with his mother, Mrs. Walker. Mysteriously, Lucas begins to get better. This happens to correspond with a suspicious crash of a disc-like object on the farm's property. As agents come to investigate the disturbance, Emma and Lucas's brother Eric begin to question Lucas's miraculous recovery. However, Lucas is not the same and it us up to them to figure out how to completely restore him. Equal parts mystery, adventure, and romance, McQuestion looks into extraterrestrial life and how help can come from unexpected places.

I was drawn to do this review based on the premise, cover, and also loving a Lucas (my husband). In addition, I am one of those unlucky people who can empathize with watching a loved one suffer with cancer and the Hospice process. I enjoyed reading a book where miraculous cancer recovery occurs, as that is everyone's dream outcome!

WRITING: The writing was good. The most enjoyable scenes were between Emma and Scout as they were traveling. I liked when they were in a Diner and we were made privy to Emma's thoughts: "...two ladies were talking loudly about scrapbooking, oblivious to the alien presence one booth over".

There were some obligatory teenage-angsty scenes that were full of raw emotion and "our love will never die" type stuff. This can be realistic to seventeen year olds, but sometimes icky to read as well.

PLOT: The combination of aliens and illness was a cross that I have never read before. The two elements are common, but made a fun story when mashed up. There is some suspension of belief required in how the ultimate task is completed, as the characters are lucky enough to get exactly what they need in the moment.

PACING: Well-paced. McQuestion sets up the issue in an appropriate time period and moves the story along towards it's conclusion at a pretty fast pace. The book is a great length, and doesn't suffer from being unnecessarily long.

CHARACTERS: My favorite characters were Eric, Lucas's handy, fix-it, shy brother, and Mack, the family dog. My least favorite characters I wanted to throw rotten tomatoes at....Mrs. Walker, Lucas's mom, and the hospice worker.

First, Mrs. Walker is not pleased with Emma, but she takes it beyond the "she's not good enough for our son" type thing to outright hostility...banning her from the house, telling her she's in the way, and yelling at her for wanting to be near her dying boyfriend. I realize slack should be cut for misdirected anger due to her son's terminal illness, but this lady was more than a little cruel. This is proof that everyone copes differently, but she was a real piece of work.

ALSO...the hospice worker was pretty deplorable. If a hospice nurse had told me when my mom was sick:  "family members see improvement as more than it is so I have to be the one to bring them down to earth", I would have FREAKED. WHAT???? Outrageous. Either use those words in private with another co-worker or rephrase for the family. I wanted to see her fall on her tush as well.

So McQuestion definitely evoked strong emotion, and whether that is positive or negative, I always appreciate an author who can make me feel!

FINAL RATING: 3.5 STARS
I liked the examination of young love, the protective nature of parents, and the way McQuestion highlighted the decision-making ability of teenagers to pull themselves out of a mess (whatever the result may be). Emma was a sweetly optimistic teen who refuses to give up on something she believes in, and that was nice to read. I saw a Goodreads review recently that said this book could be the lovechild of These Broken Stars and Alienated. I'm not sure if that's true since I haven't read these two books, but it seemed to get a lot of online support. This is a cute, fast-paced book with a little romance and some other worldly elements. I think teenagers will enjoy!