A Sky Full of Stars by Dani Atkins

 

He'd have done everything differently if he'd known she'd be gone so soon...

When Lisa married Alex, she gave his life meaning. She was a professional astronomer: a stargazer. And when she gazed at Alex, she saw that behind his tough exterior was a man she could love.

Alex, Lisa and their young son Connor made a happy little universe. But when Lisa dies suddenly, their universe is destroyed. Alex is shattered by loss, and overwhelmed by the difficulties of being a single father to a six-year-old boy.

Then Alex meets four strangers. Two men and two women, who never met Lisa, but whose lives changed profoundly because she died. As Alex hears their stories, he begins to realise the world may not be as cruel and senseless as it seems. Perhaps, after all, the future is written in the stars...

Picking your first book of the year is always an exciting one but one full of pressure as you want to start the year of positively so you want that first book to be a memorable one which was why I chose to read A Sky Full of Stars by Dani Atkins as my first read. Dani Atkins is one of those authors who packs such raw emotion into her storylines and I have loved each and every one of her novels.

After a disastrous incident takes Lisa’s life leaving behind her six year old son Connor and beloved husband Alex she is set to change four people’s lives.

With Alex struggling to cope with his own grief now his path has been cruelly altered and trying to comfort and raise is son as a single parent, could the meeting of these four complete strangers be a comfort to him or is he making a big mistake?

Dani Atkins has broken my heart once again with this poignant storyline, from the start of the novel I had my heart in my mouth and felt the desperation and devastation that Alex was feeling as his world collapsed around him. If Alex’s grief wasn’t heart-breaking enough, we also have a dear little boy Connor who has lost his mummy and doesn’t understand why she isn’t coming back.

I want to be careful that my review doesn’t give too much away but the author explores the lives of those who have received organ transplants but she shows how blurred the lines can be if the family of the doners meet the receivers. It made an interesting storyline and definitely brings awareness to organ donations and the importance of talking to your loved ones about your choice if you opt to be on the register.

The four characters Molly, Mac, Barbra and Jamie were all strong grateful individuals who were all so worthy of the gift of a second chance they received. I loved each of their characters and was touched by the little hints of Lisa we see in them. They all formed an otherwise unlikely friendship and a love for a broken family in need.

Just as I felt my heart was mending the author threatened to break it again and again in events I couldn’t see coming. I loved that the author managed to keep a constant flow of intrigue with a will they won’t they scenario that kept me hooked.

This is one of those novels that doesn’t have a safe place to just put down and pick back up which meant I read this novel in one greedy sitting and es wrapped up in the characters emotions the whole way through. I loved the addition of the interest in Astronomy that united the family, I even found myself googling the Betelgeuse to see what they were trying to find so I think I was more invested in this storyline than I thought!

Dani Atkins fans will not be disappointed by A Sky Full of Stars, it will have you reaching for the tissues and pulling your family close.

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