Book Review | The Actual Star

Sweeping and ambitious, Monica Byrne’s The Actual Star follows three reincarnated souls across millennia through different interconnected storylines.

In ancient Maya, three royals try to maintain power over their crumbing kingdom after their parent's disappearance. Near present day, a girl goes on journey of self-discovery to Belize where she feels strangely compelled by a mysterious cave. Lastly, in the distant future, two sisters live in a utopia, yet they quarrel over ideological differences and the fate of humanity.

Beautifully interwoven, the stories resonate with one another and all center around a sacred cave—gradually colliding to reach a satisfying conclusion.

All in all, this is a profound, thought-provoking novel that explores complex sibling relationships, entropy, the importance of myth, and the sometimes messy boundary between love and hate.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Voyager, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Details:

Publication Date : September 14, 2021

Publisher : Harper Voyager

ISBN : 0063002892

Pages : 621

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