The Star Shack by Lila Castle – MiniView

I adore the premise for this novel...it's almost too cute don't you think...Synopsis via goodreads:

Pete and Annabelle live for their summers together on Gingerbread Beach. They've always believed they were a perfect pair… until junior year, when Annabelle becomes obsessed with astrology. Now they can hardly stand each other. Pete thinks that Annabelle (a Leo) has become a total flake; Annabelle thinks Pete (a Scorpio) has become an uptight jerk.

When Annabelle dares Pete to open a summer business on the Boardwalk generating personalized horoscopes, their fast-paced, hilarious bickering soon rises to a fever pitch. The he-said/she-said advice of the Star Shack is wildly popular and seems able to fix any relationship problem… except their own.

But when one of Annabelle's star charts helps catch a thief, Pete might have to admit that the stars could really hold the key to the future…and to his own heart.

Even the synopsis reads “cute” however, honestly – I don't feel The Star Shack was “over the top cute” like some books can be. It holds just the right amount of “cuteness” to be good, with enough plot to hold it together! It's one of those awesome books you pick up for a light, summer read! With fun characters and a unique twist on the theme of romance.

Never before have I encountered a book about astrology, and I enjoyed it actually! Learning a bit about “the stars” was awesome – I know, I for one enjoy reading my horoscope, I had no idea how much more was behind those predictions, or how much you could really get into it! (You could tell that Lila Castle really did her homework in research on these topics.) Though I have to admit I do love “new agey” kinda stuff, so it really “floated my boat” so to speak!

The characters themselves, were just like any teen I might imagine, though I did find it a touch weird that both Pete and Annabelle lived so far away and only had a close relationship during those summer months. I guess I don't know what it's like having a summer home! But they themselves were sweet and real. Annabelle is a typical, tom boy kinda girl, whom still has all those same worries about guys we all have. Pete, is an all around American boy, aloof at times, but sweet with a beautiful heart.

Bottom Line – Sweet, funny, carefree read – perfect for the beach! I can't wait to see what Castle comes up with next, I can only hope that she keeps up with her new age themes – it's just so different from other books out there! I give The Star Shack a 4 mushrooms!

The Star Shack
By: Lila Castle
224 Pages
Published: June 1, 2010
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Received via an ARC Tour.