Unlit Star by Lindy Zart

SPOILER WARNING – we have placed a major spoiler after the ratings. 

Narrated by Johanna Parker

Unlit Star introduces listeners to Rivers Young and Delilah Bana. Both have just graduated from high school, but neither feels they have much of a future. The reason for Rivers’ depression is clearly spelled out, but listeners won’t be sure what’s going on with Delilah until the book is nearly over.

In high school, Rivers Young was popular and virtually untouchable. By his own admission, he acted like a king, and really thought everyone wanted to be just like him. His girlfriend was also super popular, and Delilah’s former best friend.

Delilah’s high school experience was quite different from that of River’s. Deeply wounded ever since the death of her older brother, Delilah wrapped herself in a protective shell. She became determined not to care what anyone thought of her. Distance was Delilah’s key to survival, and so she became an outcast.

When Rivers is badly injured in a boating accident just before high school graduation, he is forced to come to terms with his own infirmities. He won’t be going to college as a star football player, and he can’t seem to get past that fact. To his way of thinking, his life is over. When Delilah comes to work for his mother, she forces Rivers to see things in a new light. It’s a slow process, one he resists at every step, but, finally, he comes to see that everyone is flawed, and that which others see as imperfections can be the very things that make us whole.

The story is told almost exclusively from Delilah’s point of view, something that worked out well for narrator Johanna Parker. She really seemed to get Delilah’s character. Our heroine is both wise and cynical, with a sense of humor not everyone would be able to pull off. Ms. Parker nailed every one of Delilah’s jokes, no matter how quirky or obnoxious. She almost seemed to become the character, making it very easy to be fully immersed in the story.

Ms. Parker was equally adept at bringing the rest of the cast to life. She speaks with a bit of huskiness when portraying Rivers, something which suggests his masculinity without forcing her to deepen her voice too much. She allowed me to see Rivers for who he really was, behind the mask of cockiness he wore.

Aside from Rivers and Delilah, Ms. Parker didn’t have a ton of characters to portray. Those that do enter the story are distinct and believable. Author Lindy Zart did not fill this book with unnecessary people. She seemed to want the listener to focus in on the leads.

At first, I didn’t understand what was going on with the characters. It was obvious that Delilah had a reason for taking a summer job with the Young family. It was equally apparent that she was carrying around a certain amount of baggage. Hints were dropped throughout the book, but, when the big reveal came, I was in shock. In fact, I sobbed uncontrollably for a while before I could continue listening.

Watching Rivers and Delilah fall in love was truly a joyous experience. The sense of impending doom that pervades the story adds a layer of depth to their feelings. I loved watching each of them come to terms with their past mistakes, and fall freely for one another.

This is a story of love that is hard won and easily lost. It reminds us that nothing is certain, and that forever only exists in our hearts and minds. It’s not a sweet, sappy book. It’s a book that will tear your heart out and leave you wanting more. Despite a somewhat slow start, Unlit Star is not a book to be missed.

Shannon

Narration:  A-

Book Content:  B+

Steam Factor:  You can play it out loud

Violence:  Minimal

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Publisher:  Tantor Audio

SPOILER WARNING: Although categorized as contemporary romance, Unlit Star does not have the expected “happily ever after” ending. 

Unlit Star was provided to AudioGals by Tantor Audio for review.