Where the Forest Meets the Stars

What an adventurous love story! So many twists and turns. Once I started, I was hooked! Loved from beginning to end.

This book is just beautiful. I absolutely loved Ursa. She’s the most adorable precocious child. About 3/4 of this book is just a delightful read I would give 5 stars. It does get a bit murkier for the ending but still a great read. The author wrote such a great book that I was very surprised to read her bio at the end of the book and find out it was her first book. I loved her slow romance with Jo and Gabe. Both are people who are reticent and a bit prickly. The author did a great job of building up to their chemistry. Some authors invent roadblocks to try a slow burn that does not work but this one does. They are both great characters that you want to find love. That romance though is very secondary to the real story. This novel is about a lost little girl who needs to be loved. I love her stories and unique perspective. I originally read a sample of this when debating my Kindle First Read choices for February but I chose a different book I thought would be more suspenseful and my style. I quickly regretted that decision and kept wondering how this story turned out. I am so glad I went back and bought this book. I did find the legal ramifications mentioned so much to be far too overblown. I did not see any references to anyone with legal knowledge in her Acknowledgments which could have helped her with this. There were also some characters and family drama that were resolved too quickly for the ending. Also drew a big obvious clue about her origins that I don’t think Jo would have ignored. Honestly though those are small issues for a debut author who wrote a book that is mostly a joy to read. It was a unique concept with a wonderful central character who makes you believe. I highly recommend this novel.

What a wonderful book. I live just 45 min from champaign/Urbana and did not know that is where the book took place. Was very cool feeling like it was all very local. The book itself kept me guessing all the way through. As an artist and a nature lover, I love how she used creativity to deal with mental health and the alien as 3rd person. A very easy read and enjoyable throughout.

Favorite Quote: “Maybe saying that will be magic that protects it.” Synopsis: Where the Forest Meets the Stars, by Glendy Vanderah, introduces you to an Indigo Bunting researcher whose study and life are turned upside down when a strange child with a stranger story shows up at her door. I devoured this novel. It captivates you when you meet Joanna Teale, a dedicated doctoral candidate using her research as a shield from life. Shortly after meeting Joanna, you meet Ursa, the unusual child who randomly shows up at Joanna’s home, followed by Gabe, the neighbor farmer down the lane. Gabe and Joanna are written so well that they feel real. Neither is perfect; both are a little broken, and you feel like you’d encounter them in real life. Thoughts & Feelings: Not only were the characters complex and personal, but the story also kept me guessing. I honestly didn’t know what could happen or how things would resolve. I laughed, cried, and was left wanting more but satisfied with the ending. Ultimately, there wasn’t anything I disliked about Where the Forest Meets the Stars. It was a quick read but full of emotion, lovely characters, and a plot that feels like it could happen. Maybe it did?

Cute story, but not worth remembering. It was okay. I probably won't read anything else by this author because all of her books are just too nature-based, family-based, and a bit naive. The storyline was decent, but it was just too soft a book for me.

It has been a long time since a book gripped me so tightly that I couldn't put it down during the climax of the story - this one did. This is a story of of three broken people (four if you count the dog) that fate brings together to make whole again. It is very well written in that the reader becomes emotionally invested in the story. The characters are well developed and believable. The plot is also well put together and believable. This is actually a departure from my usual genres of books and stories - and I'm very happy I ventured outside of my boundaries this time. One of the things I liked most about the writing style is how Glendy Vanderah refers to the little girl in the story as the alien (at least until she is given a name later in the book). This despite the fact that he reader knows from the very beginning that this is a very troubled little girl and the book is not a science fiction story. This simple technique helps pull the reader into the story that is being woven together. As for the little girl herself (the alien) I have to think for an author developing and characterizing a child, especially a troubled child, has to be a very difficult task. Nevertheless, Ms. Vanderah gives us a very believable character in the alien. A character that you simply want to reach through the pages and hug because you know something bad has happened to her. On that point Ms. Vanderah does an excellent job at developing her plot without revealing very much of it at all. Ms. Vanderah stays on the fringes of the plot secret only giving the reader enough information to know that some tragedy has occurred to this little girl but not enough to help the reader come up with a theory of what that tragedy may have been. And speaking of tragedies, the other two main characters Jo and Gabe have both had their own individual tragedies in Jo's case recently and in Gabe's case for his entire life. Their stories are such that one could be forgiven if they never believed these two would hold much of a conversation with each other. But the alien becomes a catalyst that brings these two broken lives together - and in the end those two broken lives become instrumental in saving a third broken live - the alien. At it's core this is a love story. But not necessarily a sappy romantic love story - I would have lost interest in that quickly. But a love story that demonstrates just how powerful and magical love can be and how love truly can conquer all. This is most evident at the very end of the book and again Ms. Vanderah kept the ultimate ending well hidden. I have so much more I could say about this book. But I may end up revealing too much. Suffice to say that this is one of the best books I've read in a long time and I enjoyed my time with Jo, Gabe, the alien, and Ms. Vanderah. Ok, so why four stars. Ms. Vanderah, while writing a beautifully woven tale chose to interject colorful adult euphemisms into her dialog. In this particular story this added nothing to the story and exemplified my belief that the use of this language is a writer's "lazy tool". That is, I belief the author thinks to themselves, "I want to make a strong point here" and rather than come up with a more literary manner of doing this they fall back to guttural language. This particular story did not need this guttural language and I'd have preferred it not be there. Ms. Vanderah was demonstrating what a masterful author she is so I don't think it would have been overly difficult for her to eliminate this language and find another way to make her strong points.

Thoroughly enjoyed!

I'm more of a sci-fi/fantasy kind of person, but I was getting tired of the trope presented in those genres by Amazon First Read authors. Ms. Vanderah's initial foray into authorship is a true delight. She is one of the reasons I am willing to expand my reading horizons. This was a hard book to take a break from. Jo, Gabe and Ursa are people you can immediately fall in love with. All of the characters are generated in such as way to where you don't forget who they are. I was very rarely bored with any of the reading, except maybe the romance scenes. But don't be alarmed, there aren't that many of them, and they do add to the excitement of the read. It's just kind of a shame, because this is a book I would love to read to my kids except for those parts. Foul language is at a tasteful minimum. Sometimes, you just gotta throw in a cuss word or two to emphasize really dramatic points. On the opposite end of that is the real and fascinating knowledge of nature (especially birds) and a sense of real knowledge of all the geographical locations. It just seems like it could be a true story (which it might very well be, you never know). If you don't love these people and you aren't happy at the end, despite the struggles, you just aren't human. Certainly not from the Pinwheel galaxy. I do struggle when authors (and their editors) just can't seem to get the whole take/bring took/brought usage down correctly. Those 3 or 4 points in the book are the only places that made me want to stop reading. However, I quickly got over it, but I also won't forget it. Other than that, maybe once or twice I encountered improper grammar or a simple editing error. I finished the book feeling very fulfilled. I laughed out loud at the interplay between all of the characters, and I also cried (and I don't cry reading books!). This is a fantastic journey... one that I heartily recommend anyone that simply loves reading despite the genre explore and enjoy. The ending was wrapped up perhaps a bit too tidily, but it was still very satisfactory. I am most definitely going to explore more of Ms. Vanderah's writings. I rarely give a 5-star rating (reserved for truly epic works) but in this case I had to relent. Not something I'd read over and over again, but at the same time it's a story that will stay with me for a very, very long time.

I bought this book for the title only, and it does the book justice. A wonderful tale of attachment and love weaved into a forest setting. No spoilers here, but do not miss the opportunity to benefit from the experience of this read.

An absolutely wonderful story with a few surprises along the way. Vanderah has a beautiful style, and her characters are charming and relatable. Ursa, the little girl and centre of the story, is especially loveable. There's a fair bit of action and suspense, as well as a heartwarming and moving tale of love and recovery and growth and magic. A really beautiful book.

At first, I thought the novel was pure fantasy, given the way Ursa enters into the life of Jo, claiming she came from the stars. However, nothing magic happens, but everything is so normal, such as things that happen among normal people. Ursa mingles into the lives of the neighbors so naturally, yet so intensively, that she changes everybody’s life, and, certainly, for the better. Ursa is the missing puzzle piece, the one that brings happiness and love to everyone she meets. Reality prevails over fantasy and long she was really an alien coming from the stars. I think it is a great book. An original story that moved me and reminded me of the importance of enjoying every minute of my life, while I have it.

“Where the Forest Meets the Stars” is a beautifully written, heartwarming tale that masterfully blends mystery, hope, and healing. Glendy Vanderah keeps readers on edge with unexpected twists while weaving an emotional journey of love, loss, and resilience. The characters feel raw and real, making this a powerful, unforgettable story that lingers long after the final page."

Its such a beautiful story full of love and compassion. I am usually a fan of thrillers n suspense novels but this one kept me hooked. The character of Ursa is such that till the end you want to believe that shes a soul from somewhere else.. shes lovely and exhurbiant and so much full of magic. Beautifully the writer has explored the delicate topics of depression and how one bounces back from a terminal illness. Simple yet so engrossing... the forests truly meet the stars ... loved it🤗