First off I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this ARC. Please note that the version I read was an advanced copy, and certain events/language may be changed in the published edition. While the copy was provided for free, all opinions are honest and my own.

The Weight of the Stars is a lyrical story about two girls who reach for the stars, literally. Ryann dreams of eventually reaching them, continuing the legacy of her dead parents. Alexandria waits for news from the stars, from a mom that had to leave before Alexandria ever knew her. Both are struggling under the weight of loss, responsibility to those they have, and their large dreams. However, together, they may just find a way to carry the weight and bring their dreams to realization.

This is one of those books that sneaks up on you as you're reading and you don't realize how much it means to you until it’s over.

When I heard the description of this story, as well as some of the selling points of it (LGBTQ, slow burn romance, lyrical writing), I knew I had to request an ARC so I could read it ASAP. I will admit that at first this novel can be hard to get into, and I didn’t find myself liking it at first, but my love for the story was one that ended up growing slowly, and sneaking up on me in the end.

One of the hard parts of this book is the characters, as they are not easily likable characters. Ryann and her friend group, while known for their ability to befriend everyone and bring quiet misfits out of their shells, are often quite aggressive in their approach, to the point it’s practically bullying. It really puts you off of almost all the characters at first, and the victim of this behavior, Alexandria, is not someone you really easily pity either. However, slowly but surely, you end up accepting and liking these characters for all their flaws and bad behaviors, and the way their stories end up interweaving is quite beautiful.

The writing is also something I was originally disappointed in, but found a great love for later. I had expected something slightly different, and while the writing was definitely lyrical, the short chapters and formatting of the story worked to make the story more choppy. However, once again, as you keep reading you learn to love this style and how well it meshes with the story. The ending was especially beautiful, and the emotions it ended up invoking in me were what made me realize that this story actually got to me. I will definitely read Ancrum’s other novel just to see how the writing style is used in that story.

The plot itself was also one of growing intensity and size, starting from a small classroom to an even smaller trailer park to eventually spanning the stars above. As the story goes on, more and more players end up having a role in everything that’s happened to Ryann and Alexandria. The winding style of the plot matches up to the characters and writing style perfectly in this sense, and it leads to everything coming together in perfect melody.

(Also, as a note, there is a large range of diversity in this novel, especially in terms of sexuality. A few of the side characters are gay, along with a girlxgirl relationship in the forefront of the novel).

All in all, it’s hard to describe how I loved this book because even I am not entirely sure of how I ended up liking it and how I ended up having my heart broken at the end. It’s a unique story in this way, as not many manage to sneak up on me. In the end, I highly recommend this book for those who dream of space, those who wish to read more diverse books, and those who love tales that slowly increase in intensity and emotion. I will definitely be reading more novels from Ancrum!