The Brightest Star in the Sky

Title: The Brightest Star in the Sky
Author: Marian Keyes
Pages: 480

A Book Club discussion:
Bookworm: What did you think of it? Did I pick a dud or did you enjoy it?

Me: I really liked it! I was worried because I'm not much for chick lit and I was worried before I read it. But it hooked me instantly. I think it was the writing. Who was your favorite character? Favorite story line?

Bookworm:
My favorite stroyline was probably Katie and Connall although I was most curious about the secrets of Matt and Maeve. My favorite character though had to be Lydia. I loved her personality! And the language used in the book was contagious. I'm still running around saying "feck" and "jesus christ and all the angels". I'm wondering if this will be a trend with our book club selections- me speaking with a different accent or using foreign verbage every month. What about you? Favorite character? Favorite storyline? What did you think of the authors use of the spirit's perspective to tell the story?

Me:
My favorite story line was Matt and Maeve! I was immediately drawn into them and their story and what was going on there. And can I just say, I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED how things ended between them and how David got his just desserts! My favorite character was Connall. Which is weird because when the book started I practically hated him! He seemed like a rich, flashy, know it all who didn't really care for Katie. But I love the transformation he made. And it was believable! And I was glad the second spirit chose him! Can I also say that I loved Grudge! I loved that Grudge was his name and his personality! And I love how possessive he was over Jemima.And I am also running around saying "fecking"! LOL! What is it with our book club selections??? Hahahaha! I liked the use of the spirit's voice. I felt like we had this "person" who could see everything and give us the whole story and an opinion but without it being overpowering or distracting.So I have to know....what was the part the made you stop breathing?Did you see the end coming?Any characters you didn't like? (I had two.)

Bookworm:
I have to agree with you about grudge! His personality was among the most amusing. As for those i didn't like, I would say I have a love hate thing with Lydia. Actually the more I think about her, the more I hate her. I liked her spunkiness... and that she wasn't afraid to tell it like it is, but I never warmed to her. I retract my previous statement regarding her as my favorite. Maeve was probably my favorite. I like that she went from weak and passive to angry and strong. And it was nice to see both she and Matt give voice to their anger and then be able to move on. (By the way, I hated Fionn from the moment he entered the story!) I loved the spirit as the narrator. It was a brilliant tool to move into each character's lives at only the most interesting of times. I felt it really helped the stories to progress. The part that took my breath away was when I realized Matt was in the apartment! I knew then that something wasn't right, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I didn't see that coming, and usually I see many of the twists from a mile away. It was nice to be fully swept up in it. Similarly, I didn't see what the spirit would become until it became obvious. I loved that- I was guessing until the author decided I needed to know- brilliant! And I loved the end- it was happy, funny and tidied up nicely. Just the way i like my stories to end! So who did you hate?

Me:
I hated Fionn! Urgh! He wasn't very nice to his foster mom either! I also hated Rosie....the last virgin in Ireland. Hahaha! I loved the end too. But I'm a sucker for a happy ending. And I had a pretty good idea about the spirit becoming someone's baby once we got the children's fairytale. So I saw that coming. But I never thought Matt would do what he did though. That was a shock! I thought Maeve was the one who was going to have something horrible happen. Actually I suspected of her of getting hit by a car while on her bike...maybe even hit by Lydia. So I like that the author was able to throw me for a loop there! Whenever there is a mystery, I like to try to figure out what's going to happen and I like being surprised! I would totally read more books from this author now. It was my first time reading her.

Bookworm:
By the way, when I was looking at the reviews for this book, many readers said that her other novels were way better. I personally loved this one so I can't wait to get my hands on another one of hers! I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as i did!

Final Verdict:
4 (maybe 4 1/2 stars out of 5)