This is a great book that so many young students, especially in inner cities would be able to relate to. The protagonist is a young inner city boy who pretends he’s on the moon, until he has to face the reality that his brother is a gang-banger. This book explains the violence and ways to overcome a family member that is in a gang. ( )

I was REALLY excited to read this book, and I was a let down unfortunately. This is absolutely a topic that needs to be written about, and I appreciate that it was written from the younger brother's perspective, but I was expecting to be captivated by a more heartfelt story. I am glad that Stars in the Darkness highlights the issue of gang violence. Not only does it involve the gang members, but it deeply affects the families, especially those younger siblings who admire their older brothers and sisters. I like how the mother and younger son, look for the positives within their reality, which is a good, not as pronounced, message. I was just hoping that this story would strike a chord in me more than it did. ( )

This is a touching story about Richard, a normal boy at first, but then joins a gang to help out his family. At first his brother does not know why Richard is not coming home at night, but then he figures it out. This story is sad, yet hopeful for the family. They lose Richard to the gang but are able to have things. His brother and mother try to think about other things besides the bad that is outside their doors. ( )

To me, this book just spoke to me and held so much meaning. When a young boys older brother joins a gang, him and his mother bring together the community to put a stop to gang violence. I've never experienced gangs first hand and truly do not know much about them but this book spoke to me because of the love a mother has for her child and the admiration a child has for their older sibling. The willingness that this family went through to protect their family member is so moving. I enjoyed everything about this book. ( )

I was incredibly fond of this book for many reasons. The main topics were family, sacrifice, and peace. The dialogue gives a true feel for the setting and storyline to make the reader understand the perspective of the child. The story is told from the perspective of a young boy living among gang members. The dialogue was heavy in slang terms and generally illiterate. This is different than many other books. It keeps the reader engaged, and makes the reader feel like they are going through what the boy is going through. This book shows that you can always have hope and courage. The boy imagines that the sirens are "wild wolves howlin' at the moon" and that gunfire is "the light of the stars crackin' the darkness." This dialogue creates the idea of the story, that you can create hope even in the hardest situations. It also brings the idea that sometimes it is necessary to make sacrifices in order to support yourself, and your family.