The Secret Astronomers
by Jessica Walker
Realistic Fiction
Review #1
* * * * * Stars (Amazing!)
At Green Bank High School, a new student is led to an ancient astrophysics textbook by a note from her late mother as a high school student, After finding nothing in the book, disliking her new school, and being bored, the student begins to write and draw in the book. Eventually, another student confronts her through sticky notes in the book. While initially confrontational, they soon become friends, and decide to keep contact only through the textbook while staying anonymous.
The format of the book is very interesting. Despite a lack of signatures on the notes or other obvious markers of identity, I found it decently easy to tell who was writing. Each character had a distinct font, tone, and medium of writing (defacing the book/taping in notes vs. various-colored sticky notes). Some of the writing on the sticky notes was hard to read because the sticky note was a dark gray while the writing was black, but hopefully the published version (which is full color) will fix that. Even so, it was all still legible.
The characterization is also pretty good. The side characters are fleshed out, and the POV characters feel realistic. The plot is broadly character-driven, and the main thing is the friendship between the two students. The other subplots are interwoven well.
There wasn’t that much astronomy, but overall I’d say it was a pretty good read. For middle and high school readers.
