The Year We Fell From Space

Liberty Johansen maps constellations in her backyard, finding comfort and order in the stars above. When her parents announce their separation, her familiar world shifts, leaving her to navigate new family dynamics while trying to make sense of the change. Her father moves out and struggles with depression, while Liberty works to maintain relationships with both parents and help her younger sister cope. At school, she forms an unexpected friendship with a classmate who shares her interest in astronomy, giving her a new perspective on her situation. Liberty processes her experiences through stargazing and by creating new constellations that reflect her reality, connecting her passion for astronomy with her journey of understanding divorce and mental health. The narrative examines how children interpret and adapt to family changes, while exploring the healing power of creativity and connection.

Readers appreciate the book's authentic portrayal of depression, divorce, and family dynamics through a middle-schooler's perspective. Many note how the protagonist Liberty's interest in astronomy weaves naturally into the story's themes about finding patterns and making sense of difficult changes. Parents and teachers highlight the book's ability to help children process complex emotions, with one Goodreads reviewer stating "it opens up conversations about mental health in an age-appropriate way." Some readers found the pacing slow in the middle sections and noted that younger readers might struggle with the metaphorical elements. Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (2,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (100+ ratings) CommonSenseMedia: 4/5 Common praise points: - Realistic sibling relationships - Honest discussion of mental health - Integration of astronomy facts Common criticism points: - Abstract concepts might confuse some middle-grade readers - Narrative occasionally meanders - Some found the ending abrupt

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⭐ Author A.S. King has won multiple awards for her young adult fiction, including the Michael L. Printz Award, but this was her first middle-grade novel 🌟 The book features accurate astronomical information, including real constellations and the story behind their mythological names ⭐ The main character Liberty Johansen creates her own constellations as a way to process her feelings about her parents' divorce, a coping mechanism similar to art therapy techniques used by child psychologists 🌟 Depression and mental health are key themes in the book, reflecting real statistics showing that approximately 3.2% of children aged 3-17 years have diagnosed depression ⭐ The meteor mentioned in the story is inspired by actual meteor falls in Illinois, where several meteorites have been found throughout history, including the famous Park Forest meteorite of 2003