Stargazer by Laurie Petrou Blog Tour

 Some books grab your attention instantly but sometimes you have to stick with a book to realise just how amazing it is. 

And that's the way I felt with Laurie Petrou's novel Stargazer.

Slow to begin with but in the end it was a story that was astonishing.

Summer 1995. Diana and Aurelle are inseparable, living together in Diana's parents' cottage on the edge of the Rocky Barrens University campus, about to start freshman year. The strength of their bond is undeniable, if unexpected: Diana is a highly ambitious, socially awkward art student while Aurelle is a more likeable, more fragile literature student and the daughter of famous artist Marianne Taylor. Plus, despite having lived next door to each other their whole lives, the girls have only grown close in the last twelve months.

As the college year progresses, their relationship becomes increasingly unstable, as do the girls themselves, threatening to unravel due to the intense feelings and complicated circumstances that underlie their bond. Yet, the biggest threat is posed by a secret one girl is keeping...

Stargazer almost read like a tragic love story, but it's a great, unrequited love of female friendship.

As I said at the start of my post, this tale didn't instantly pull me in.

A slow burner.

But by the time I'd got a third of the way through, I didn't want to put it down.

Toxic is how I'd describe it.

We see the the bond of apparent best friends Diana and Aurelle.

Going from past to present, there is a real insight into just how their friendship came to be and also how it began to break. Told from both girls' points of view, I got the sense that one was more dominant and perhaps the least expected.

They do say watch out for the quiet ones!

An exceptional glance at just how fragile female friendship can be.

The complexities of navigating growing up and the complications when best laid plans don't come to pass.

I felt a real tortured emotion when reading this and what was refreshing was the fact that I actually didn't like either of the main characters.

Both experienced major highs and lows but even with what they had to go through, there was an underlying dark tone that made me feel like they almost bought on their circumstances by themselves. Neither of them satisfied with their lot, jealous of what the other had. And it becomes apparent just what that green-eyed envy can make someone do.

I was transfixed, even when the subject matter being read became more problematic.

With mention off abuse and drug use, this isn't for the faint hearted.

Quietly powerful prose.

With quite the thrilling twist, I felt the need to go back and re-read certain chapters to look for clues of telling moments that I might have missed.

Stargazer is a tale of love, loss and loathing. It's both intense and haunting. 

A story that will stay with me for a while.