The hustle and bustle of Sky’s everyday life is in full swing. Her aunt and uncle are expecting a baby, her father is settling into life in West Creek, and her best friend Lucy is in a new relationship. Being only sixteen years old, she’s wondering how to juggle everything on her plate without tripping.
Sky and her boyfriend Oliver have started a YouTube channel called Keep Kind. The idea for the channel was inspired by combining each of their passions: Sky’s being animal rights activism, and Oliver’s being his filmmaking dreams. But Oliver seems less interested in their rocky relationship and more interested in growing Keep Kind to advance his filmmaking internship application.
With Sky’s frenzied life ever-present, she can’t get animal rights activism out of her mind. The problem is, Sky is still trying to work out where she fits in. After submitting a request to join Activists Unite, a group Sky is desperate to join, she doubts she’ll ever be noticed or accepted with the page’s enormous following. Activists Unite is run by Stella – who’s the Greta Thunberg of animal activism – the person Sky admires and looks up to most.
When she learns about an animal cruelty situation close to home, Sky is determined to shed light on the issue. Sky and Oliver choose to share the video on Keep Kind. It goes viral. Sky, Oliver, and their YouTube channel get noticed by Stella, and both their passions benefit exponentially. They travel to an animal rights conference hosted by Stella, where, surrounded by people who share her beliefs, Sky finally feels like she belongs.
But when Sky is asked to take her activism to a new level, she starts to question what doing the right thing really means. She’s spent so long searching for her people. Will she risk losing them?
Star is the third book in Ondine Sherman’s Animal Allies series. This book was gripping in the way it presented activism. People can have their passions, beliefs, and speak out while still respecting others.
Star sheds light on co-existence, spreading the message that doing the best we can as individuals to help our world makes a significant difference. Ondine shows this through Lucy and Sky’s friendship, where they both care for animals in different ways. Lucy likes to help animals in a present, active way, while Sky chooses a vegan diet and advocates for the rights of animals using her voice.
Using technology and social media, the book contextually appeals to a teenaged audience aged 12+, and is set in a world they can relate to. From activism to believing in yourself and passions, Star teaches readers that no matter how young (or old – I’m looking at you, parents) you are, you can always make a difference. Sky is testimony to this. Her insecurities contrast with the footprint she wants to leave on the world, showing that anyone has the power to make profound changes.
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