Review: She Dims the Stars by Amber L. Johnson

Who is Audrey Byrd?

Ask her ex-best friend, Cline Somers, and he’ll tell you that she’s the girl who inexplicably stopped talking to him when they were fifteen years old, leaving him with nothing but questions and bitterness for the better part of the next six years.

Ask his roommate, Elliot Clark, and he would say that Audrey is the enigmatic girl who randomly showed up outside a window one day and turned his whole world upside down in a matter of moments.

Ask Audrey herself and she’ll tell you that she has no idea who she is, because her entire life is a lie. However, the older she gets the more she needs answers about who she really is.

What she discovers is a tangled web of secrets better left in the dark.

Some truths do more harm than good.

***Recommended for readers 18+ due to sensitive subject matter, language and situations. (less)


4.5 Stars
Review by Jen Skewes

Puddle Jumping was the first book that I read by Amber Johnson and is still one of my favorite books.  I have enjoyed every book of Ms. Johnson’s since reading Puddle Jumping.  But this book, She Dims The stars I absolutely loved.  It reminded me of PJ in a way.  It deals with a heavy topic that many people can certainly relate to, but it does so in a way where Amber Jonson brings in a bit of humor, entertaining dialogue and amazing characters that you will fall in love with.  Everything about this book from the storyline to the characters just felt real. 

This is the story of Audrey Byrd, her ex best friend Cline and his best friend and roommate Elliott.  Audrey and Cline have been friends since they were kids.  They were best friends who were there for each other and always confided in each other.  Until one day when Audrey’s life took a differet turn and instead of confiding in her best friend she ran from their friendship and just suddenly stopped talking to Cline.

It has been six years and Cline still has no idea what happneded between them.  When Cline and Elliott go back to his house, Audrey suddenly shows up inviting them to a party.  Cline still has some anger and bitterness towards Audrey, while Elliott has taken an interest in her.  She is a little different than most girls, maybe a little quirky but I think in a way so is Elliott and Cline and that is why they just fit.  When things about her past come out the three of them embark on a road trip to find out as much info as they can about Audrey’s mother, who died during child birth.  But along the way things happened that changed all of their lives.  She set out to find out who her mother was, but in the process she found a way to make things right with her ex best friend, she found love, but most importantly she found herself.  Because up until that point she really had no idea who she was.

I don’t want to go into too much detail about Audrey and what she was going through.  But I will say that at times my heart broke for her because of what she was dealing with.  She tried so hard to just be normal.  Everything that she dealt with and was going through, she tried so hard to keep it to herself.  Hiding what was really go on from everyone.   She was a strong girl who not only survived but was a fighter.  

Elliott was the one person who figured it out, who saw more than others did when it came to her. He was such a sweet and caring person and the way he was with Audrey completely melted my heart.  He didn’t run when she thought that he would.  He wanted to be by her side.  He cared for her so much in the little time that they spent together that he found himself falling for her.  He was the person that she found herself wanting to open up to. 

There was also her ex best friend who brought so much to this story.  He too was a little quirky in his own way and despite how hurt and angry he was, he loved Audrey.  This journey was important to not only her, but to their friendship as well.  It was her chance to try to make things better with him.  I loved the connection that these three characters had.  The humor and witt between them all will make you laugh.  But this story is not all fun times.  There are some sad moments.  Some moments that will hurt.  But with the help of the three people in her life Audrey is able to truly find herself and move on from the past and overcome her struggles.  

She Dims the Stars is another amazing, beautiful and well written story from Ms. Johnson that deals with a tough topic.  One that many people can relate to.  She deals with it in a delicate way but at the same time with wit and humor.  And not humor in a way where it is all fun and games because it isn't.  But there is wit and humor between these characters that help lighten what is really going on.  These characters are real and deal with real struggles.  I loved the quirkiness that they all had and the relationships that they shared.  What a wonderful read.