Teenreads.com -- STARRY NIGHT - Christy Miller: Volume Three, Book Eight by Robin Jones Gunn

STARRY NIGHT
Christy Miller Collection: Volume Three, Book Eight
Robin Jones Gunn
Multnomah
Fiction
ISBN-10: 1590525868
ISBN-13: 9781590525869
155 pages

Christy Miller finally feels like she’s growing up. But her new responsibilities make her wish she wasn’t. In STARRY NIGHT, the eighth book in Robin Jones Gunn’s Christy Miller series, not only does she have a job monopolizing most of her time, but her new freedom to date is also causing its own share of problems. Christy is upset that she ended things so badly with ex-boyfriend Rick. When he comes back from college to visit her, she hopes to put their rocky past behind them.

However, Rick seems less interested in making amends with Christy and more interested in spending time with Katie, her best friend. Katie has long warned Christy about falling under the dangerous spell of Rick’s charm, but now she seems to be doing it herself. Christy’s old “beach friends” have made lots of plans for Christmas break, but with work and a surprise trip with her family, Christy is forced to miss out. Things only get worse when Katie begins tagging along with Christy’s friends --- without Christy.

Christy becomes increasingly jealous as Katie and Rick start spending more and more time together. Meanwhile, Christy is forced to spend most of her winter break at a mountain cabin with her Aunt Marti and Uncle Bob --- not exactly her idea of a good time. Over the holiday, Uncle Bob asks some tough questions that challenge the faith Christy once thought was so solid.

However, things begin to look up when Christy’s parents surprisingly agree to let her attend the Rose Bowl Parade with her friends. She remembers watching it on TV as a little girl in Wisconsin and can’t wait to become a true Californian and experience it firsthand. At the parade, Christy can’t help but wonder when she will see romantic interest Todd again; he left to join the pro surfing tour, leaving many unanswered questions about their relationship.

As the book comes to a close, Katie discovers some unpleasant things about Rick that lead her to wonder if she really was right about him all along. Will it be in time to save her fractured friendship? Even more drama is in store as a surprise appearance from an old friend means big changes for Christy.

In STARRY NIGHT, Gunn once again manages to avoid the usual clichés of teen fiction and gives young readers an engrossing and often unpredictable story. Fans of the series will enjoy the new plot twists and character development, and most likely will be refreshed to see some long-present drama come to a close. The book’s ending, as typical of the series, leaves much to be anticipated in upcoming installments.

--- Reviewed by Jennifer Crosby

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