Star Daughter

June 1, 2020
When half-star/half-human Sheetal Mistry accidently injures her father, she needs to ascend to Svargalok, the abode of the stars, to find him a cure. Just shy of 17, Sheetal has brown skin like her human father, Gautam, and silver hair like her star mother, Charumati, but she has never truly known what it means to be a star. Her human, Gujarati family in New Jersey insists she hide her star heredity, as stars were once hunted by mortals for their silver blood, which has healing properties. As a result, Sheetal knows very little of her ancestry or what she is truly capable of. Following the accident that puts her father in the hospital, Sheetal and her best friend, Minal, go in search of Charumati for a drop of star's blood to cure her father. Unfortunately for her, Nana and Nani--the Esteemed Patriarch and Matriarch of their constellation, Pushya, and Sheetal's maternal grandparents--agree to save her father only if she wins a competition that will allow their family to rule over the other constellations. Loosely inspired by Neil Gaiman's Stardust (1997) and Hindu mythology, Thakrar's debut covers the lives of stars, an unnecessarily complicated romance, and a half-star's journey toward self-discovery. Refreshingly, all the characters are Indian or of Indian origin. Despite the fascinating premise, however, several characters lack the luster and conviction which would have otherwise added much-needed depth and heart to the novel. Great worldbuilding but not entirely satisfying. (Fantasy. 14-18)

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June 15, 2020
Thakrar’s Hindu mythology–inspired fantasy debut centers on Sheetal Mistry, a brown-skinned, silver-haired 16-year-old from Edison, N.J. Sheetal’s mother—a star named Charumati—returned to the heavens nine years ago, leaving Sheetal with her Gujarati astrophysicist father, Gautam, and his overbearing sister, Radhikafoi. Both insist that Sheetal conceal her half-celestial heritage—an edict she doesn’t fully understand until she learns that humans once hunted stars for their healing blood and muse-like abilities. The older Sheetal gets, the harder it becomes for her to control her burgeoning inner fire. When an unchecked burst critically wounds her father, Sheetal and her best friend, Minal, ascend to request a drop of Charumati’s blood; however, Sheetal’s grandparents—Esteemed Matriarch and Patriarch of the constellation Pushya—will only allow Charumati to assist Gautam if Sheetal wins a musical competition that will crown her grandparents the sky’s new rulers. Inventive worldbuilding, ebullient prose, and kind, hopeful messaging buoy Thakrar’s somewhat simplistic plot. The entire cast is brown-skinned, and although some characters and relationships lack nuance, Sheetal and Minal’s steadfast friendship rings true, grounding the tale. Ages 13–up. Agent: Beth Phelan, Gallt and Zacker Literary.

August 1, 2020

Gr 8 Up-Sheetal, days shy of her 17th birthday, is the child of a star mother and a human father, with whom she lives in an Indian American community in New Jersey. When her starfire accidentally injures her beloved father and lands him in the hospital, Sheetal embarks on a celestial journey with her best friend Minal to search for a star's blood to heal him and to find her mother, who returned to the skies years before. Thrust into a competition to determine the ruling house of the stars' court, Sheetal must quickly learn the traditions of this new world and race to secure the healing blood in time to save her father. Her quest becomes more complicated when she encounters her sweetheart, Dev, in the heavens. Sheetal is a teen heroine drawn with grace and authenticity who will ring true with young adult readers. VERDICT Thakrar's lyrical prose and imaginative story transport readers to a world tucked away in the limitless sky, a place of shining golden palaces and starsong.-Gillian D'Ambrosio, Rutgers Univ., NJ

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2020
Grades 8-12 Thakrar's mesmerizing nod to Neil Gaiman's Stardust tells a different star story, that of 16-year-old half-star Sheetal as she follows the silver starsong of her estranged mother to Svargalok (a heavenly plane). But Sheetal's reason for ascending doesn't lie only in wanting to confront her mother; she needs the help of a full star to heal her mortal father, whom she put in the hospital with her undisciplined starfire. Sheetal's family will help, of course, there's just one caveat: she must win a celestial competition so her star family's Pushya nakshatra (lunar mansion) is secured as the ruling house of the heavens. No biggie. Thakrar's world building is nothing short of dazzling, alight with evocations so vivid the mind can't help but see a kaleidoscope of twinkling shapes and colors. Sheetal's unearthing of the star world slows down the pacing of the story, though her search for meaning and identity are universally admirable. The story reads much like a family saga, enlivened by rich Hindu mythology and cosmology, and should appeal to fans of Laini Taylor's lyrical writing.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)