So extraordinarily layered and lovely. ( )

Love those Cassons! I'm going to recommend this sweet, funny series to as many library patrons as I can get to listen to me. Hilary McKay is a new favorite! ( )

This book was really good! ( )

I totally don't consider this hilarious. ?áOnly at the end does it get gently humorous, imo. ?áMostly it seems sad - this family does not seem like a happy one to me. ?áMom is always hiding in her shed, Caddy is dating a whole bunch of other boys because she thinks she shouldn't commit to Michael, Rose is aching for her Daddy who is almost never home from London and thinks her letters pleading for help are her jokes on him, Indigo is being bullied, Saffy and Sarah are almost invisible except for the time they come to Indigo's rescue (well, that was almost funny, as it was in the boys' bathroom at school... but still, mostly I felt embarrassed for Indigo, and I did not laugh), they almost never have enough to eat despite their father being able to consider travelling to Paris a chore....

To me this and Saffy's Angel read more like some sort of poignant *L*iterature or something. ?áI feel like I should love the Cassons, but after two tries I give up.

And I don't know what the Star is of the title. ( )

A book for older children or younger teens about the delightful and disorganised Casson family. Indigo has been off school for some time with glandular fever, and although he is now recovered he doesn't want to go back to school at all, because he has been badly bullied. However, at last he must return... and to his surprise he meets a new boy, Tom, who does not seem to be worried by the bullies...

The story isn't just about school, or about bullying, however. There's an underlying thread about family breakdowns, with a sad but not unexpected revelation towards the end of the book. It's about family loyalty, too; Rose, Indigo's small sister, takes up the cudgels on his behalf and Tom is easily accepted and adopted into the extended Casson family chaos.

It's about maturity, too; about learning to deal with fears and worries, and about facing up to the worst that life can bring. There's nice irony in the book, and some light humour, and a great deal of warmth.

I didn't think it was quite as wonderfully refreshing as 'Saffy's Angel', the first book in the series, but still an engrossing and enjoyable book. It stands alone, so although more things make sense when read as a sequel, it's not necessary to have read that first.

Recommended to anyone of about eight or nine and older, including adults who want a light and relaxing read. ( )