Star Brother
A lonely boy yearns for connection despite not understanding how to form relationships in the moving novel Star Brother.
In Maxine Rose Schur’s coming-of-age novel Star Brother, an orphan searches for a sense of identity.
Sixteen-year-old Jason is a science prodigy who lives in foster care and dreams of attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During his junior year of high school, he encounters a mysterious stranger whose knowledge of his past reroutes his destiny. Jason begins to piece together the severed fragments of his identity and begins to reform his self-perception.
Jason’s struggles are conveyed with mastery. His internal monologue makes it clear why he shies away from relationships, and he becomes more comfortable with himself throughout the story. However, in his conversations with others, his voice is often stiff; he uses some cliches too.
Jason’s interactions with his crush, Melanie, better show how he yearns for connection despite not understanding how to form or maintain relationships. His confusion about relationships is further conveyed through the way he talks to himself, convincing himself that his lack of experience would make him more trouble than he’s worth for a girl like Melanie, or even for platonic friends. Indeed, Jason is a guarded hero. In one devastating scene, his new foster parents, the Kramers, put significant effort into making Jason feel at home, but Jason, who is used to the opposite treatment, shuns the Kramers’ attempts to get to know him. Their enduring support despite his reticence is wrenching, cementing Jason as tragic and in desperate need of love.
The people around Jason are developed in less dynamic terms, though. The Kramers are generic good guys who treat Jason well, and Melanie is not fleshed out beyond being a scientific prodigy. Her scenes are few and far between, and when she appears, it’s to help Jason overcome his struggles. Often, her presence is an indicator of Jason’s emotional boundaries; he pushes her away because of low self-esteem and he calls her in a panic when he needs her help. Only the mysterious stranger, Roy, who connects with Jason because of their shared loneliness, is fully individuated.
Most of the prose is straightforward, with minimal flourishes. Each chapter is quick and to the point, moving the story along at a brisk pace. In total, the story spans two years, beginning with Jason’s junior year of high school and wrapping up during his freshman year of college. During this period, his interactions with Roy are suspenseful; Jason tries to piece together Roy’s connection to him. Questions are raised and answered in fast succession, giving shape to the mystery about Jason’s heritage.
In the book’s second half, Jason goes on a road trip with a consequential deadline, resulting in additional thrills. A villain is introduced at the book’s end, though; it’s an abrupt and discombobulating addition to an otherwise well-paced tale. Jason relies on his quick wit and technological know-how to save the day, pushing the book toward a bittersweet ending.
In the thrilling novel Star Brother, an orphaned teenager goes on a quest to discover his heritage.
Reviewed by
Leah Block
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
