We Wait For The Stars - Bridget Hamilton

When Celest's Dad dies suddenly, she feels like everything in her life is falling apart.  With her friends not sure how to behave around her, the distance between them widens and Celeste feels increasingly alone and isolated.  But can new friends help to heal her heart or will those emotions that are being bottled up find a way to come out?  

Celeste is understandably lost following the sudden death of her father who was the heart of the family; her siblings and mum are navigating their way through their own grief and Celeste feels she has no-one to turn to, so when Katie comes along their friendship blossoms as she feels Katie gets her.  They seem to share a love of the beach and she can talk to Katie easily.  Then she meets Reuben at school who shares her love of photography, but she begins to realise that her feelings are growing for Reuben but doesn't know if he feels the same way about her. 

The book feels very honest in its portrayal of Celest's emotions and her day to day feelings; she's a very relatable character which will be important for teenagers who find themselves in the same or a similar situation.  Not only is she trying to navigate her own grief and how that grief is changing the other members of her family, she is also finding her way through her final years at school, the dilemma of what to do at university - she has a lot to cope with and feels very alone at times. 

The book is set in the north-east, in a small village on the coast where Celeste and her family have spent many happy times at the beach, and it's the beach that provides comfort to Celeste throughout the book.  Being a north-east girly myself, I loved that the book is set up here and particularly liked mention of Bamburgh and trips to see Santa in Fenwick's (that really brought back childhood memories!).  The coast is very much part of life in the north-east and I love that it plays a pivotal role of the book. 

Out now, We Wait For The Stars is a beautifully written YA in verse; poignant and touching, it is a story of grief and learning to live and love after the death of a parent.  It's a book that will reach out and grip your heart, and will stay with you long after you have finished reading.