Starry Eyes

by Jenn Bennett

Amy Melissa Bentley (Narrator)

When teens Zorie and Lennon, a former couple, are stranded in the California wilderness together, they must put aside their differences, and come to terms with lingering romantic feelings, in order to survive.

• ISBN10: 1541419073
• ISBN13: 9781541419070
• Publish Date: 3 April 2018
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 14 March 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Tantor Media, Inc
• Edition: Unabridged edition
• Format: Audiobook (CD)
• Duration: 11 hours and 25 minutes
• Language: English

Reviews

[pagingserenity]

I'm speechless. I literally don't know what to say. But that might be the book hangover talking. You know the buzz you get after you finish a particularly good book and can't think of anything else? I haven't gotten one in a while so Starry Eyes probably deserves 4.5 stars, not just 4. It was such a good read!

I absolutely loved reading about Zorie and Lennon. They were both so quirky and relatable. And even more than that, I loved watching their relationship develop and the lessons they learned along the way. That said, there's just something missing that prevents it from being a 5 star read. I can't quite put my finger on it, but maybe I'll think of it once I recover from this book hangover.

[Stephanie]

This review was originally posted on Once Upon a Chapter



Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett is my first Jenn Bennett novel. I really enjoyed it. From start to finish it was *just* light enough that I could devour it but still dealt with some pretty serious stuff.

I could really relate to Zori and her lists and schedules. I don't think I'll ever be able to stop but that doesn't mean that I can't appreciate learning as a teen to embrace spontaneity. Also, in defense of planning, you get stuff done when you plan and making check off lists is particularly satisfying! I could really appreciate Zori's situation (in the books overall). I honestly don't know what I would have done in her shoes. A grown adult would have had a hard time with the same choice.

I really liked Lennon. I thought he balanced Zori out rather nicely. He was level-headed in a way that Zori wasn't. I didn't care for many of the other secondary characters and I understand that was sort of the point. I really, and I cannot stress this enough through text, really did not like Zori's father. He was upsetting on a level that I hate remembering.

The reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is I don't find the issue between Zori and Lennon to be realistic. I find it really hard to believe that the issue between them could have even happened. Yes, yes, I know. It's fiction. The author said it happened so it did. I respect that but once I realized what the situation was I just found it hard to believe that in today's era of news being delivered via social media that it could have happened.

I really enjoyed Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett and even if I found part of it unrealistic it was still a fantastic read and one that I would recommend for anyone looking for a contemporary young adult book!

[limabean74]

Nope! This was not for me. I didn’t like the writing style and pretty much hated the MC. I didn’t understand why she hide something from her parents and her conflict was just no. I just couldn’t do it, this did not work for me at all. Bummed.

[Sarah Says]

"I’m a raging wildfire of feelings and sensations, and I can’t be put out."

- Wait, let me recover from the adorable overload that was Starry Eyes.
Jenn Bennett, I love you. You writer of beautiful feel good young adult romps you.

I cannot fault Starry Eyes. It had the right amount of drama, humour and heart to make me laugh out loud, swoon and feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

The two main characters of Zorie & Lennon are easily likeable. Childhood friends who through a series of miscommunications, and a selfishly meddling father, have a falling out and lose each other. But fate intervenes and thanks to a series of events (some rather amusing) they end up stranded together in the middle of nowhere. Cue high emotions, teenage awkwardness and wildlife galore – snakes and wildcats and bears, oh my.

This story gives us: a POV character that is a spunky young budding astrophysicist, some terrific supporting characters, friendships (the good and the bad), positive examples of same sex couples who rock at parenting and the practising of safe sex (not OTT or graphic). AND SUPER CUTE MAPS.

It deals with: parental infidelity, loss of a parent, hiking hijinks, forgiveness and LOVE (in multiple forms). – Yeah, it’s a lot, but it all comes together wonderfully thanks to Jenn Bennett’s skilled story telling.

Starry Eyes was an absolute joy to read and a book that I can see myself reading again when i’m in need of a mental hug.

[Kelly]

To placate her concerned mother, Zorie reluctantly concedes to accompany friend Reagan on a camping vacation throughout the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Northern California, before attending the Perseid meteor observation with the astronomy society. Neighbours Lennon Mackenzie and Zorie Everhart haven't spoken since the fateful homecoming dance that ended their friendship and their official relationship debut. Zorie has endured the heartbreak of their separation only to discover Lennon has also been invited.

The intensity between Zorie and Lennon is palpable as they discover they've been abandoned and with inadequate alternatives, decide to journey towards the national park where Zorie is due to meet her astronomy club, the two adolescents reconnecting along their journey.

Zorie Everhart is a meticulous young woman, anxious and fastidious. Her parents operate a small acupuncture and remedial massage surgery, the once successful business heading towards receivership and blamed on their neighbours, an adult store coincidentally operated by the Mackenzie family. Lennon is wonderfully contrasting character. Zorie recognises her limitations while Lennon is a pioneer, confident in his abilities. Two accomplished individuals who compliment one another. The tentative friendship was lovely and although Zorie and Lennon have lived on the periphery of one another's lives during their separation, both adolescents longed for the intimacy of their former friendship.

The parental relationships were wonderful. Zorie has a wonderful relationship with her Korean American step mother, her mother passed away during her infancy and rendering her father emotionally absent. Lennon's parents are magnificent and an instrumental influence on Lennon, maintaining a wonderful relationship with Lennon's biological father, an Egyptian American musician. Although Lennon is unable to see his father as often growing up, it was beautiful to see a diverse, blended family who co parented to raise such a wonderful young man. Sexually positive women who own and manage an adult store with the focus on female pleasure. Their discussions on sex and sexuality are a positive influence on Lennon and his upbringing, creating a respectful and courteous young man.

While Zorie's mother is wonderful, her father is incredibly offensive. To conceal his own impropriety, he is incredibly aggressive towards the Mackenzie parents, his lesphobic comments of the same sex, long term, loving relationship are offensive and ignorant.

Jenn Bennett is a phenomenal author, creating resonating characters with charisma and compassion. Starry Eyes is a beautiful journey of discovery, captivating until the final page.

[girlinthepages]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.***Thank you so much to the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley!***

I cannot even BEGIN to form coherent sentences about how much I LOVED Starry Eyes, the newest novel from Jen Bennett that is bringing swoon back to YA. Set in Northern California (already a huge plus for me, an avid reader of West Coast fiction) the novel features a hate to love romance, mixed and unique family systems, dysfunctional and healthy parent-child relationships, and sex positivity. I want to jump up and down and scream from the rooftops about how perfectly crafted and balanced this novel is- it's the YA contemporary I've been waiting my whole reading and blogging life for, and my only regret is that I didn't get to read this when I was a teenager.

Starry Eyes follows protagonist Zorie, Type A, serial planner, future astrophysicist (amazing!) and also semi-awkward rising high school senior who gets roped into attending a summer camping/glamping excursion which happens to coincide with some family drama that she'd rather not deal with. Changing up her summer plans at the last minute is stressful enough for someone who doesn't like surprises, but she's thrown for a loop when her ex-best friend now arch nemesis Lennon ends up on the trip as well. Since I have so much love for this story and could just continue to babble in run on sentences, I'll break the reasons why Starry Eyes is amazing into some (hopefully) more succinct bullet points.

+ Lennon. As a potential YA love interest, Lennon bucks a lot of conventions. He's sort of goth/emo (ahhh that takes me back), loves reptiles, is a shameless trivia nerd, and also is super outdoorsy and attractive. I love that he was a classic stereotype and that his attractiveness was a unique combination of things that some characters were drawn to and others weren't. It was so realistic.

+The family dynamics here were super complex but never felt heavy handed. Zorie lives with her dad and her "stepmom" although they are super close since Zorie's biological mom died when she was 8. I loved seeing this blended family system where the roles of mom vs. stepmom weren't important and show that biology isn't the most important factor in parent-child relationships. Zorie's dad was a scumbag (to put it mildly, and it's not really a spoiler since you find this out pretty early on in the book) and I loved that he had to face consequences for it. And Zorie's grandparents through her stepmom's side were hilarious and badass and it was so cool to see grandparents being featured in playing a part in a YA protagonist's life. Usually it's rare to even get parents who are fully fleshed out, let along grandparents (ugh that scene with Grandma Esther at the end gives me LIFE).

+ There's a lot of different portrayals of camping in this book! At first I didn't know how much I was going to like the plot because I have not been legit camping since I was about three years old (my parent's first and last foray in camping with a tent), however I was surprised at not only how much I LEARNED about camping (bear canisters are necessary!) but it also showed different types of camping- from back country, truly isolated camping to camping at national campgrounds with several others to full on glamping in luxury yurts (which is now on my bucket list please & thank you).

+ The romance was actually full of tension and flaws and butterflies and was built up realistically and was just perfect. I am usually super wary of hate-to-love romances because they can be super cheesy or feel really rushed, but this one had just the perfect amount of tension and skepticism sprinkled throughout as ~feelings~ were developing (or reigniting, as it were). I also loved that Zorie and Lennon were both such different people with different interests but still had chemistry and respect for each other's hobbies. LOVE. Also so much playful + sassy banter.

Overall: Starry Eyes is my new favorite YA contemporary novel, hands down. It brings back the nostalgia of high school drama and relationships but in the best way possible, and it was fun and flirty and mature while still dealing with heavier family issues without feeling like it was trying too hard. I wish I could live in Lennon and Zorie's story forever, and though everything wrapped up nicely I'm still crossing my fingers for a sequel!This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages

[Sam@WLABB]

Alex, Approximately was one of my top reads of 2017, therefore, I was so beyond excited to read Bennet's new book. While I was reading Starry Eyes, I found myself feeling all those Alex-feels again. Although this was a totally different story, I found it had all those story elements, which endeared Alex to me, plus some new ones, belonging solely to this story. And once again, I give Bennett all the hearts and all the stars for another amazing story.

•Zorie was a girl after my own heart. Her love for all that is astronomical immediately won this STEM-girl's heart. I must admit, I was slightly disappointed in some of her early decisions, but she grew a lot as she hiked through those mountains. She was still Zorie at the end of the story, but she was better for the journey, which helped her work through some newer and pre-existing issues.

•Lennon 😍 There was just something about this dark and broody boy. It was instantaneous love for me. I think it was his openness and honesty that I liked most about him, but I also found him witty and amusing, and I admired his skills and ability to think quickly in precarious situations. I could not get the Eli from Degrassi out of my head when I thought of Lennon.

•The Romance was wonderful! Second chance romances always get me right in the feels. These two were nursing wide open wounds for a year, neither knowing the full story. They had this beautiful friendship, which evolved and then broke, and you know I was there the whole time hoping and wishing for them to find a way back to each other. Bennett did such an incredible job with this part of the story. It felt real, not forced, and the journey just tugged at all the right parts of my heart.

•This book was sex-positive. These were two healthy teenagers, and their feelings, wants, and needs were all very honest, and organically worked the ideas of safe sex and consent.

•This was a well balanced story. Bennett deftly tackled some serious topics, while still keeping the overall tone of the book light. It was one of the things I loved about Alex, and it's one of the things I really appreciate about this book. I mean, stuff got real over the course of this story. There were things that happened and were happening in Lennon and Zorie's lives, but Bennett tempered those heavy things with humor and joy. I laughed and smiled a ton, but I also shed a tear or two.

•Bennet always gives us some great adults in her books as well. Let's hear it for the moms in this book, because they were all spectacular. Aside from all three mothers being the best-most-nurturing-supportive-and-fantastic moms, Bennett also featured families that are not the norm, which is something personally important to me.

•Oddly enough, this was another book I LOVED which featured camping. I have not been camping in over a decade (been there, got my certification, never went again), but I can really appreciate all the knowledge that is needed when doing the type of camping they did in this book. I also love the majesty of the outdoor setting Bennett painted for us. These were the trails, which inspired Ansel Adams, and his works is stunning.

•Lennon's maps!!!! I loved all his hand drawn map, and that last one! I am getting all sappy and weepy just thinking about it.

Overall: Another stupendous Jenn Bennett book, which made me laugh, made me cry, and made me tremendously happy.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

Confession time! This was my very first Jenn Bennett book! But fret not friends, for it shan't be my last. Confession number two: I don't often "do" fluffier books. Oh, but how glad I am that this one called to me!

First of all. Who would not love what is basically a hybrid of friends-to-lovers and enemies-to-lovers? This book combines all the favorite romance tropes into a romance that you cannot help but root for. Zorie is kind of my fave from the start, because I related to her so very much. I mean, she thinks camping is the worst, and she also gets idiopathic hives, which SAME, girl! I wanted to high-five her many times, but I feel like the hives solidified my love for her early on.

Anyway. Camping she goes, after some (totally legit) hesitation. And I'll be damned if Zorie's adventure didn't make me think for a hot second that maybe camping wouldn't be *all* bad? Though in fairness, I think it's the epic love affair that appealed to me, and maybe less of the camping. I digress. Lennon used to be Zorie's bestie, but Zorie's crappy father, as well as some other stuff that would be spoiler-y to talk about, have put the kibosh on their friendship. So who ends up on the camping trip with Zorie and her friends? Of course, it's Lennon!

Only.... Zorie's friends are a wee bit garbage, and she and Lennon end up together, and not in the "glamping" grounds her friend promised. This is where I'll start getting vaguer because of spoilers, and we shall talk about all the other things I loved about this book!

• It's both sex and birth control positive! Oh, this is such a win. The author really, really does this topic service. And I'll leave it at that.



• I am always, always here for survival stories. And things are tough out there in the wilderness! I'd have died, probably. So getting to watch Zorie and Lennon navigate these tense moments, while still trying to figure out what their relationship is/was/will be was kind of epic.



• Zorie's relationship with her step-mother Joy made me happy on so many levels. First, that the step-mother is the parent of choice is refreshing. Second, that their mother-daughter bond is just lovely in general was great- I feel like theirs is one of my favorite of said dynamic that I've read. Ever.



• I wanted to punch Zorie's father so many times, but many of the characters agreed with me! Lennon's moms (who were also freaking awesome characters, by the by) probably would have kicked him in places he deserved to be kicked.  But also, Joy finally left his cheating ass, woooo! Though I will say, the one thing that bugged me a wee bit was how easy they made divorce seem? And I am currently salty about how not easy it is so... personal pet peeve hah.

Bottom Line: Oh, I am here for this book. I flew through it, loved the relationships, the plot, all of it. Guess it's time to binge the rest of Jenn Bennett's books!

*Copy provided for review

[Leigha]

Frenemies Zorie and Lennon have a lot of catching up to do in this young adult contemporary romance.

Jenn Bennett is now an auto-buy author for me. She blends together quirky characters and heartwarming romances in unique, yet relatabale ways. Starry Eyes is no exception.

Through a series of unfortunate circumstances, Zorie and Lennon end up stuck alone in the wilderness of North California's back country. The setting itself is incredible. I've never gone back packing so I have no idea if the novel is accurate, but it certainly felt realistic. I would have liked a bit more explanation on why none of their "friends" thought through the repercussions of leaving two people out in the wilderness, but c'est la vie.

Zorie and Lennon are likeable, quirky characters. Their chemistry together is undeniable. The incident separating the two from being best friends to enemies definitely felt like over kill, but perhaps that is the point? After all, they are teenagers. The two of them realizing all of their anger and hurt was a big miscommunication made their romance all the more bittersweet.

tl;dr A bittersweet romance and a unique setting make this an unforgettable read.