Why Blame the Stars?


Young Adult - Mystery
240 Pages
Reviewed on 06/28/2017
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Michael is an award winning Indie author whose writing has been inspired by living overseas in such faraway places as Peru, Morocco, Israel, and Taiwan.. Apart from writing more than a half a dozen novels, including thrillers, young adult, and science fiction, he has published numerous academic articles about literature and writing, and in 1985, Gwendolyn Brooks, poet laureate of Illinois, presented him with Virginia English Bulletin's first place writing award.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Ray Simmons for Readers' Favorite

Every once in a while, I enjoy a good mystery. It is not my favorite genre, but I appreciate a good one. Why Blame the Stars? by Michael Segedy is a good one. I like the way he intertwines mystery and romance. I like that the two primary characters are young. I like the way he writes. The writing fits the genre and the characters. That is an important element to get right. One of the big kicks for me is if it is difficult to figure the mystery out. Another important thing is how quickly the protagonists can figure it out. I was satisfied on both these counts when I read Why Blame the Stars? Michael Segedy has a good sense of the rhythm of a story and the sense of tension that should build. These are important in every story, but I think it is even more important in a mystery or a detective novel.

I liked the love story most in Why Blame the Stars? The mystery is good, but sue me, I’m a romantic. So aside from the construction of the mystery, the plot itself, I would have to say I liked the characters the most. Zoe and Miles made me invest. They made me care. Both elements kept me reading, kept me involved, and kept me invested. There were other elements I liked. I liked the diversity. I liked the slightly dark tone. I like the South. But most of all, I liked that it is a very good story and Michael Segedy tells it well.