But home is a feeling I buried in you: STARS IN YOUR EYES.

Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There's so much more than fake dating happening in STARS IN YOUR EYES, which is told in a back and forth point-of-view between its two main characters, both actors. Mattie is an up-and-coming actor, still sweet and shy, and dealing with shame from being gay thanks to a religious father. He's filming a new movie with the famous (or is it infamous) Logan, known for his bad boy antics. Logan hides his pain--much of it from being abused--behind a gruff exterior, where he pushes everyone away and acts out.

Filming a story about two gay authors that begin a romance, Mattie and Logan suddenly see their film life parallel real life when the producers force them to fake a romance to stir up interest in the movie (and cover up for some of Logan's bad behavior), and the two quickly realize they like each other. But nothing is simple when they each carry so much baggage--and they're under constant public scrutiny.

I really enjoyed hearing the story from both Logan and Mattie's sides and the way Callender interspersed their POVs with snippets from film magazines, blogs, social media, and more. It's a quick read, albeit a powerful one. STARS delves into serious territory including racism and bi-phobia and looks seriously at sexual assault (triggers for assault, rape, suicide idealization, and more). It's really a very tender story showing how love can occur between flawed people with pasts--not every romance is a straightforward, cheery one, as the book illustrates.

There's a bit of relationship and therapy speak that sometimes feels overdone, but overall I enjoyed this one. It's not a feel good story per se, but it's enjoyable, makes good points, and really lets you feel for the characters.


View all my reviews