The Brightest Star in the Sky

An unnamed spirit tells the story of The Brightest Star in the Sky, someone flying around over Dublin and checking out the inhabitants of 66 Star Street. This is a four story apartment house where seven people live. The spirit tells the backgrounds of everyone living there.

Matt and Maeve live on the first floor and appear to be possibly the most in love couple ever. Jemima is a lady in her 80's who works on a psychic phone line. She lives with her dog Grudge who adds his own thoughts to the story. Jemima's son Fionn is coming to visit soon. Lydia, a cab driver and possibly the most sarcastic and acidic character I've read in a long time, lives with Jan and Andrei, two young Polish men living in Ireland to go to school and to further themselves. On the top floor lives Katie who has just turned 40 and although she likes her job, she feels that perhaps there's something missing.

Why is the spirit so interested in these people?

I found this story just enchanting. The lives of all seven people were real and believable and kept me turning pages to find out just who this spirit is and what's going to happen next. I was reading this book while there was a lot of activity in the house, interrupting my reading time. But I could hardly wait to get back to the book.

I absolutely love books by Marian Keyes; I've never read one I didn't like. The Brightest Star in the Sky is no exception. But let me say that when I started this one, I had some reservations. I'm not really someone who reads much fantasy, but I had to read for just a little bit before I got completely sucked into the story

In reading some of the reviews, I'm perplexed why some people had a difficult time keeping characters straight and also why some people seem so turned off by the story being told through the eyes of a spirit. I thought it was clever and interesting. I love that Marian Keyes is willing to try new things with her writing and no two books are the same. She doesn't write to a boring formula like Nora Roberts does. Every time I read one of Marian Keyes's books, I get the impression that she's continuing her own education about the human condition. For example, she throws in a reference to Louise Hay in "Brightest Star" that puts a nice little twist on the end. Ten years ago, I don't think we would have found that reference in one of her books.

Keyes seems to push herself to deliver insightful, humorous books every time instead of cranking out formulaic stories to meet her deadlines. She's open-minded and isn't afraid to make the reader really look at tough situations.

No, "The Brightest Star in the Sky" wasn't exactly like her earlier books. But who wants to keep paying for the same thing over and over?

Seven residents are in the middle of some serious life struggles. Matt and Mauve are newly married and everyone knows that the first year of marriage is the hardest. Lydia can't seem to love herself enough. Katie wants more out of life but isn't sure how to make that happen. Jemima's son Fionn is a movie star and she's currently waiting on him hand and foot. Each of these people could use a little nudge that could turn their life around. There is a spirit who is determined to make life better for at least on of these neighbors. Who will it be?

This book is simply wonderful. This was the first book I've read by Marian Keyes, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The story line drew me in to the point where I had a hard time putting it down. The characters are all so real that you feel like you get to know them yourself. The only thing that confused me at first was the "presence" that was hanging around and watching these people live their lives. It is later cleared up and the confusion was not so distracting that it took away from enjoying the story. I really enjoyed this book and I will be looking into her other works because of it.

"The Brightest Star in the Sky" by Marian Keyes is a highly recommended, delightful read about a cast of characters who all live in the same apartment building, and the story of their entangled relationships and individually changing lives. I found Keyes' writing style refreshing in that each character is unique yet contributes equally to the story line - some more with a sense of humor, others with serious real life experiences. The characters' stories weave in and out with each other, yet each character remains identifiable and individual, never getting lost in the story line. Keyes' writing style provides humor, proes, and thought-provoking sensibilities, all interweaved with a bit of fantasy. Unique, well-written, and a great satisfying story sums this book up in a nutshell. You won't be disappointed.

Throughout the story, you follow the lives of the different characters . As is familiar today, we watch one character's story, then move on to another, examining how they all intersect. In this story, they do all rub shoulders eventually, but not all for one overriding story. Each story is important. There is the old lady with her dog, the young TV gardening star, the young married couple who seem "old," the 40ish single professional woman (dating her boss, no less), and the 20ish female taxi driver and her two Polish roommates. All living in Dublin, all living separate lives, yet all affecting one another in strange ways, we watch the complicated ways these individuals deal with the challenges in their lives. As for the narrator, we later find out its role.

I feel as though I couldn't have been any more obscure in my synopsis of the novel, and yet that is how the story plays out. It is a complicated web of characters and stories that must be kept straight. In the end, I couldn't put the book down. I wanted to find out what was going on, and how the narrator played into the story.

In beautiful language used to describe people and their thoughts, Keyes really pushed her characterization. There seemed to be this dance between what she wants the reader to think, and what the characters actually think. You always seem to be chasing the real meaning of the story. There were times that I felt the relationships to be unrealistic, that characters were schizophrenic in their dealings with one another, and in their own emotions. It also bothered me that characters such as the female taxi driver could be so angry at the world, disconnected with the love interests in her life, and so nonchalant about the anxieties she experienced. As with that character, you would just begin to feel like you understood the insecurities driving them, and they would turn around and do something that felt erratic and spontaneous, but in the opposite direction of what they wanted in life. Maybe that's really how we are as humans, always striving for happiness, but messing it up by going in the opposite direction?

Overall, I really liked this novel. I have a hard time placing it in a category or genre, but felt that its modern portrayal of characters and their lives to be fascinating. If you enjoy examining characters and their behaviors, then this book is perfect; it is a strange and interesting look at how humans behave, and why.

The current that runs through this story, that of a spirit traveling throughout a multi-level flat in search of someone (we don't know to what purpose), is clever when it's revealed what's going on. But the story is WAY too long at 466 pages as we delve into all the intimate details of each tenant's life. The way that each relationship overlaps comes off to me as one big game of musical chairs, and seems unlikely. It's my opinion that this could have been a cute concept in the form of a short story, although I see that the author is trying to focus somewhat on more serious issues as she explores the dark side of some of the characters. But I was just glad when it was over.

The cover of this book is just adorable. Sweet baby-girl pink with a whimsical font and shiny little doo-dads decorating the border....You'd think it was going to be a lovely story with lots of positive energy and the happiest of happy endings, wouldn't you?

Wouldn't you?

***SPOILERS AHEAD for The Brightest Star in the Sky AND This Charming Man****

Having been a Marian Keyes fan for years and years now, I'm well aware of her ability to treat heavy subjects with a delicate touch: she never trivializes, but always manages to bring a smile to a reader's face, even when engaging in such difficult topics as drug addiction, alcoholism, cancer, adultery, the death of a spouse.....This is her unique gift.

But her last two books, boyoboy.This Charming Man: A Novel was one of the most depressing books I've ever read. It had its humorous moments, but overall, it was just such a downer. The ending was completely terrible: Marian's idea of a good comeuppance and mine are widely divergent.

In The Brightest Star in the Sky, the bad guy gets a comeuppance that is so utterly contrived and stupid, it DOES trivialize the misery he's put people through. Not to mention the fact that I really, really disliked the whole countdown-to-doom thing that was going on. It didn't take me long to figure out that something unpleasant was going to be coming down the pike, and that knowledge made me anxious and sad -- and that is NOT why I read fiction. These people and their overwhelming problems -- the aching, screaming voids in their souls that were yearning to be filled -- were so troubled as to be completely unlikeable. Each one character was more damaged than the last and their stories weren't finished off in a way that made me feel any better at all about the future. There was one couple that made my neck and shoulders tense because, well, they were actually going to bring a baby into their swampy morass of unresolved isssssshhhhhhheeeewwwwwwws.

This is the first Marian Keyes book I can honestly say I wish I'd never read. I've read Sushi for Beginners: A Novel,The Other Side of the Story: A Novel and Rachel's Holiday several times. MORE than several times. And each time, I find those books fresh and positive and hopeful. Funny and sweet and beautifully written. But these last two? I'll never pick them up again. Life is trying enough as it is without reading fiction that brings me down.

I was really excited to read this book, partly because I think it's fun to read books set in different countries and have the culture infused in the book. I had never read a Marian Keyes book before, but this one came highly recommended, and I thought the plot sounded very interesting because I love stories with multiple characters who have lives that come together in an unexpected way.

I was definitely not disappointed with this book. I had difficulty putting it down, and ended up ignoring my friends while at the beach so I could read it! I read it in two days because I really just wanted to know what was going on with the characters and how they got to where they were. I was a little confused at first with the whole spirit thing, but it ended up working out okay in the end.

I loved Marian's writing style, and I definitely think I will be reading more of her books now!

Loved it, the story was a little confusing at times, but that probably was just my perception. Got more and more interesting as it went on and you learned the characters. It's about a number of people who live in the same apartment building and their relationships. Love conquers all.

Okay, so there's nothing deep in this book. Keyes does a great job of introducing the reader to many characters in little vignettes and then tying the stories together. Within each individual story, the reader makes decisions about what they want to happen, and then as the stories start to intertwine it changes. I was highly entertained and found several passages worth sharing with my travel companion.

I loved this novel. I loved the characters, in particular Lydia. I have always wondered about female cab drivers and what their story was and Keyes has an uncanny way of writing characters that people want to know more about and then doing it so well whilst also educating people about wider issues eg. aged care, suicide, depression, loneliness. The character of Jemima makes me want to be a better person. The death scene is done beautifully and is somehow very moving but not sad and does not ruin the happy feel of the novel. I think there are valuable lessons in this novel for young people, all people in fact, particularly the story of Maeve. This novel also makes me want to live in Dublin, it sounds like a lot of fun. This book was incredibly uplifting and gives a certain buzz that lasts for several hours after reading. I think reading a book like this really helps people as I learn so much from reading her novels. Can't wait for the next one.

The inhabitants of 66 Star Street all live in the same building but have little interaction with each other, as they are all wrapped up in their own lives and issues.

Katie is a forty year old music executive, with a great shoe collection and a flashy, but absent boyfriend. Lydia is a mid-twenties taxi driver sharing a small apartment with two Polish roomates Andrei and Jan. Eighty eight year old Jemima shares her apartment with her foster son Fionn who has recently moved to Dublin to host a gardening show. Lastly, Matt and Maeve, a married couple with secrets. A mysterious visiting presence to the apartment building has the potential to change all of their lives and bring them together in ways they never would have believed.

As with most of her novels, Marian Keyes has the right amount of both drama and humour. Her characters are quirky and likeable. I enjoyed every minute of it!

I read this book while on vacation. I was surprised, despite being chick lit and Marian Keyes, there is more depth than usual to this book. There are a lot of characters, each one of them different but also loveable in their own way, and it is very nice to read and find out how the story unfolds. I would totally recommend this book.

I listened to the audiobook version of this novel. The woman had a thick Irish accent but I liked it very much. It's definitely chick lit. But interesting enough to keep on the treadmill for an hour at a time. It's not all light. There are some surprisingly dark parts but if I can get through them - anyone should be able. Enjoy!

Couldn't get into the whole countdown/angel thing at the start, but as always, Marian Keyes's characters are so intriguing that I kept at it. Then I got swept up! Fun story, great people, excellent read???

I usually love Marian Keyes books, especially her older ones. (Seems like that's what everybody says about her books.) This book was okay, but nothing special. At least not in a good way... Reliving a rape through the victim's eyes was the last thing I expected from this book and it kind of snuck up on me (toward the end of the book). The narration was very vivid and graphical. If you are sensitive to this sort of thing, I would skip this book altogether. There should have been a trigger warning for it.

Marian Keyes is my favorite author and one of the few who's books I automatically buy as soon as they come out. Some I love and reread many times (Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married) others I read once and never pick up again (This Charming Man)...this one falls somewhere inbetween. I was dying to get to it each night and read it in 3 days but I probably won't reread it any time soon.

The Brightest Star In The Sky is the most unique book she's written. The spirit was something of a surprise (not her style) but it went with the story and I like above-character narration. The 2 things that stood out to me was 1)the lack of humor and 2)the awesome character development. While I missed her usual humor I was so wrapped up in the characters that it didn't dampen my enjoyment of the story. I was invested in the characters and wanted to see how their stories ended and that was more than enough to keep me hooked.

I like the way the story was presented. The character of Maeve is very powerful. While reading the book I came across the article in the People Magazine about Canadian teen Rehtaeh Parsons who was taunted by peers after a gang rape and California girl Audrie Pott. These girls later took their own lives. As always the author is doing a good job on the women's right and issues.

Honestly, this book was too funny and quirky to put down. I wish I was a character in the book or at least the spirit! Marian is brilliant again but I found this book a little different from her usual style but always entertaining.

I loved this book. It was witty, funny, smart, touching, thoughtful, thought provoking and more. I found myself enjoying each moment in the lives of the people living at 66 Star Ave. The struggles of the characters are issues I could relate to. The author has a sharp sense of humor. The ladies in this story felt like sisters to me, I was sorry to turn the last page. I love the ending, it's great when the antagonist gets what's coming to him!

Marian Keys is always amazing! Her books are funny, heart warming and amazing! This book is no exception! I have been a fan for years and waited patiently for this new novel to come out. The story, as usually, made me laugh out loud in some parts, and get a little weepy in others! I love Marian Keyes

As a longtime Marian Keyes reader, I was excited to have the opportunity to read her latest. She's long had a gift for disguising meditations on serious issues - infidelity, eating disorders, alcoholism - inside seemingly lighthearted storylines.

This novel....is not her best. For the first four hundred and fifty pages, nothing really happens. And more annoying, she drops in cryptic remarks that allude to the importance of these non-happenings, but holds back the information for no good reason. The end is good - emotional, fast-paced - but the rest of the novel is just meandering and not that exciting.

If Keyes were a little more like Binchy, could write characters with such charm and humanity that even reading about the way they drink their tea is deeply moving, she could get away with something this messy. As it is, I didn't much like any of the characters, so watching them wander around for four hundred pages was a little sad.

If you've never read Keyes before, I wouldn't start here. If you're a fan, this will tide you over until the next one, but I wouldn't get your hopes up.

I have read all of Marian Keyes' books and usually really enjoy them. This one, however, just annoyed me. I didn't really want to finish it, but I did manage to slog through to the end. The ending was better than the beginning and middle. As other reviewers have said, it was way too long and there was way too much detail. There was a bit of a twist at the end that helped redeem the story. I am very glad that I did not buy this book, but checked it out from the library.

Having read all of Marian Keyes' novels, this is definitely among the top three. I enjoyed every one, but this latest book has a real depth of humor and humanity. I simply couldn't put it down for 2 days straight. Well worth it!

Some people may enjoy this book but I kept trying to get myself to finish it and finally gave up. The book has a spirit that lives in a multistoried brownstone and is a part of each families lives. It was too out there for me to enjoy the story line.

You have got to be freaking kidding me!! There is absolutely no way a digital copy of a book is worth $18.99. I would never purchase one this expensive. The publishers need to get a grip on reality!