[Skye’s Review]: Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar

Star Daughter
Pages: 448
Published by HarperTeen
Release Date: August 11th 2020
Genres: Diverse, Fantasy, Mythology, YA
Source: Publisher
Format Read: ARC

The daughter of a star and a mortal, Sheetal is used to keeping secrets. Pretending to be "normal." But when an accidental flare of her starfire puts her human father in the hospital, Sheetal needs a full star's help to heal him. A star like her mother, who returned to the sky long ago.

Sheetal's quest to save her father will take her to a celestial court of shining wonders and dark shadows, where she must take the stage as her family's champion in a competition to decide the next ruling house of the heavens--and win, or risk never returning to Earth at all.

This gorgeously imagined YA debut blends shades of Neil Gaiman's Stardust and a breathtaking landscape of Hindu mythology into a radiant contemporary fantasy.

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Star Daughter felt unique and different from most books that have been published recently. It showcases how amazing Hindu mythology is, and it has a diverse cast of characters. I love that publishers are publishing diverse books. We need more representation in publishing, and this book is a step in the right direction. It gives Desi girls a character they can relate to and see themselves in. 

I think a lot of people will be able to resonate with Sheetal. Throughout the book, Sheetal feels alone, different, and ostracized. She often questions where she belongs. She’s a 16-year-old girl dating a boy she has a huge crush on. But she’s never fully herself around him because he can’t know her true identity. As if being a teenager wasn’t hard enough, lol. 

Overall, I found this book to be a great read! It did take me awhile to get into it, about 20% to be exact, but once I reached that point I was invested in the story. I will say that it feels to be a more young YA book. There’s a lot of petty drama that feels reminiscent of middle school. It didn’t detract from the story or my enjoyment though. I definitely recommend adding this to your TBR! It’s full of magic and whimsy, and, of course, teenage drama.