Number of pages: 304 pages
Publishing: September 30th, 2025
Source: Books Forward and Publisher in exchange for an honest review
Opening Lines: "It's strange to think about how, for me, there is no time before you, but there will be, after."
Two years separated Stella Chen from her older brother, Sam, who passed away unexpectedly a year ago. Her family has been trying to adjust to their new reality. Initially moving from Mount Pierce, Illinois to San Diego, California where she's expected to finish out the second semester of her senior year. But Stella hasn't been able to adjust to all of the changes since then. Sam was her rock. They were raised by their grandmother in China and had lived there together until they were eight years old when their parents brought them to the United States. At first it was difficult for the two of them, being "Satellite Babies" and the only two Asian kids in a predominantly white school. But now in California she is surrounded by perfect bilingual kids who instantly fit into the diverse school.
At home, Stella hasn't been able to verbalize her feelings. Both she and her parents don't share their lives with one another. She hasn't even been able to tell them that she's scared about going away for college and that she hasn't even started her admissions letter. So, when her parents suggest that she join an estranged childhood friend, Alan Zhao for a college tour across California, she is further frightened. Stella hasn't seen Alan in four years, not since they both lived in Illinois. Not since he broke off the connection that they had and never explained why he ghosted her.
Despite her reservations, Stella and Alan begin their awkward road trip. Before long, they start to talk about what went wrong in their earlier friendship and confide in each other about their true desires and wishes for their future. But can Stella reveal her deepest secret just as they are beginning to mend their past?
All the Way Around the Sun explores how grief feels to the one suffering from it. Stella had a complicated friendship with Alan and certainly trust issues have remained. Stella also has lingering guilt surrounding her brother's death. There are many issues that her parents still do not know. Alan and Stella work well together, he escapes from his overbearing father and she from her feelings of being an outcast. Both try to be the person that their parents envision them to be. The strength of the book is the way that Tian portrays Stella's grief and loss. It shows how parents can get lost in their own grief and it's important for families to discuss their feelings. Tian captures these beautiful and tender moments where Stella is able to reflect on happier times with her brother and grandmother. While she struggles over the loss of Sam, she also yearns to discuss her feelings with someone, and I was happy that she had Alan to lean on. This was a beautiful story that expresses the difficulties of losing someone very close to you and the importance of finding a way to deal with the pain.
Favorite line: " I was their only life preserver in a vast dark sea, and they didn't want to know that I was full of holes."
No comments:
Post a Comment