Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Sometimes There’s Stars
AUTHOR: Suki Fleet
PUBLISHER: Stars and Ink Press
LENGTH: 250 pages
RELEASE DATE: August 14, 2020
BLURB:
One lost soul graffiti artist. The sweetest boy ever. Will they save each other or go down in flames?
Echo is a brilliant artist but he’s not a good bet. He’s running from a suspended sentence and trying to pay off a debt that’s about to cripple him, literally. When he gets involved with a drug gang, his life goes from bad to worse. Until he meets Peri.
Peri is like sunshine. He’s innocence and good things—he’s home. Spending time with Peri is saving Echo’s life in so many ways. Peri teaches him sign language, teaches him the important things in life don’t always need words to express them. And more than that, Peri shows him how even the most broken heart can heal.
But Echo is trouble and he wants to save Peri from getting hurt. If only falling in love wasn’t so bloody impossible to stop.
If you like lost boys being found and love redeeming even the most hopeless of situations, you’ll love Sometimes There’s Stars.
REVIEW:
Life was messy and glorious, spectacularly unfair and heart-stoppingly beautiful. For a long time, he’d only let himself see the messy and unfair, but this young man beside him was teaching him how to see the rest again, showing him how to open up his heart.
Boy oh boy, is this book terrific. Every word of it is true to Suki Fleet’s world of gripping, gritty realism. She always has her finger on the pulse of urban-dwelling, new adult men and the unfortunate circumstances they find themselves in.
Fact: This is a romance, meaning a main character won’t die. So why am I so terrified for Echo and the juggernaut he’s gotten himself into? His situation is so dire I couldn’t fathom how he was going to extricate himself from the horror he was facing. And just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does. This story is laden with so much sadness and worry, the angstometer broke.
Echo is alone in the world following the death of his mother. Clouded by deep grief, he makes some poor decisions and pays the price dearly. But amidst the darkness, Echo encounters the most beautiful and intriguing boy he’s ever seen. Peri is a ray of sunshine, “this straightforward, uncomplicated boy so full of smiles.” He lives with communication difficulties, but he has a positive outlook and Echo thinks he’s perfect. Peri soon finds himself falling for Echo who comes to his aid after a hit and run accident. Echo is continually drawn to Peri, too, but can’t risk entangling Peri in his mess of a life.
Echo and Peri are complex characters with full histories and strong motivations. Ms. Fleet supplies rich characterization for all of her supporting roles, good and bad guys alike.
My only niggle – and it’s minor – is I wish Echo and Peri had a few more heart to hearts to discuss their feelings in greater depth. This point is nothing that would dissuade me from a re-read, however.
Overall, Sometimes There’s Stars is exactly what I’ve come to expect and love from Suki Fleet: an excellent hurt/comfort, angsty story with a quiet, gentle love slowly growing between the two young men who are struggling to overcome massive obstacles. And check out the fantastic cover!! This is a book I highly recommend.
RATING: 
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