I'm not a terribly fast reader - mainly because I can be so easily distracted by other things grabbing for my attention - but this is one of those rare books for me that I just didn't want to put down. For me, there were no dull spots to get through - it kept me engaged start to finish. A wonderful first effort by this author - I'm looking forward to seeing what's next from her. If I could just rate the first 30% of this novel I would have given this 4 stars. Sadly, I found the depiction of depression and social anxiety to be lousy and, worse still, I thought that the romantic relationship between the two leads is...worrisome.

Yes, the overuse of the words, "___" said was an issue for me too. It would pull me out of the story way too often. I eventually automatically started replacing it with other ways it could have been written, mentally. Again taking me out of the flow. Is Jo’s mother, in a way, still parenting her? Do you believe the lessons children learn from their parents, both good and bad, influence them all their lives? There are obvious differences between the parents of Jo, Ursa, and Gabe, but are there also similarities? Trust: All three of the main characters have trust issues they have to work through and eventually overcome throughout the book.

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a breast cancer survivor heroine currently doing her graduate research on nesting birds in rural Illinois; In this gorgeously stunning debut, a mysterious child teaches two strangers how to love and trust again. The three main characters were Jo, Gabe, and Ursa. I adored each of them as individuals, but I also adored their relationships with one another. But more on that in a bit!

The story made me ponder the plot at odd moments during the day. I'd mentally list "pros and cons" about Ursa's origins and find spots that didn't make sense. I wanted to make sure I highlighted a few of the darker elements of the book. These elements included accidents, infidelity, prostitution, child abuse, drugs, cancer, depression, and murder. Many of these things happened only briefly in the narrative. What bothered me is that Jo seems suddenly interested in Gabriel. On the basis of this new 'interest' she feels that she can push her way into his private life. After he tells her that he suffers from social anxiety and depression she forces him to ' get out of his shell'. She pesters him, believing that someone can just 'snap out' of depression, tells his mother of their relationship (does one kiss institute a relationship?) when he clearly was not comfortable with her doing so (she pushes past him, goes into house, and reaches out for Gabe in front of his mother: “captur[ing] him around the waist before he got away”), when he admits that he has never been kissed, rather than giving him time, she kisses him: “ His body was radiating heat—and maybe fear. He recoiled a little when she put her palms his chest.” How did Jo’s reaction to the girl’s unusual story conflict or agree with how you would have responded if a child told you this story? Why do you think Jo reacted as she did? Gabe started to live as Ursa did, in an infinite present disconnected from the past or future.” Glendy Vanderah, Where the Forest Meets the StarsThe girl calls herself Ursa, and she claims to have been sent from the stars to witness five miracles. With concerns about the child’s home situation, Jo reluctantly agrees to let her stay - just until she learns more about Ursa’s past. If Jo was a man and Gabe was a woman this relationship readers would find that it is unhealthy, and that Jo's behaviour fringed on being emotionally manipulative. But Jo is woman so the way she treats Gabe is 'okay'. My main gripe with the book is that it seemed to me to be deliberately mislabeled. Dubbed a "sci-fi" story, and knowing that one of the characters was literally from another planet, I expected more of a "K-Pax" sort of alien. What I got was a really whiney little girl who wasn't all that likable. And frankly, I wouldn't have believed her tale of being an alien either if I'd been one of the adults in the story. I was taken by surprise by how much I loved this book. The protagonist, Jo, is working toward her PhD and spending the summer studying birds and their nests in the woods. She’s had a very rough couple of years, but at no point did I find her to be self-pitying. She’s a strong, admirable character, and her tragedy is revealed over the course of the story.

After her mother’s death and her own battle with breast cancer, Jo isolates herself. Have you ever gone through something that you thought no one else could understand? How did you handle it? Gabe’s struggle with depression, anxiety, and mental trauma is so beautifully brought to the fore. The correct way to help such people and their inner struggles to adjust is another enlightening aspect of this book. Such people are either ignored, ridiculed or coddled. Gabe faces ridicule from his sister that had mu temper spiking. His past played a huge role in shaping his present and his fight to keep sane is so uplifting. When he made his first venture outside of his bubble brought happy tears to my eyes and his heartfelt and vulnerable foray into love is something so memorable. The way Jo and he came together had me at a loss of words and feeling choked with intense emotions of gratitude, happiness and love.Oh wow! I know I shouldn’t begin a review with Oh Wow but I was so blown away with Where the Forest Meets the Stars that it has taken a few days to put words to my thoughts (and you see how well that has gone, right?) Oh wow is what I have come up with so far. Joanna Teale is a survivor. She’s battled breast cancer, leaving her disfigured and unable to have children, and is still grieving the death of her mother. She turns her energy and dedication to her graduate research on nesting birds in rural Illinois, renting a cabin for the summer that’s close to her work. What follows is a series of domestic lovey dovey drama where the two main leads play house and play parents to the kid and a cliché love story that completely disregards the fact that they have a shit ton of trauma and mental health issues to work through. The depiction or representation of them is lousy and insensitive.

Ursa refuses help from everyone except Jo and Gabe. They have found her to be extremely smart and resourceful. She draws beautifully and reads Jo’s college textbooks and even Shakespeare with ease!Jo enlists the help of her reclusive neighbor, Gabriel Nash, to solve the mystery of the charming child.