The Stars at Oktober Bend

An absolute tour de force! So beautifully written and with an unforgettable narrative "voice", this is definitely one of the outstanding reads of the year so far.

-- Joy Court

Exploring themes of sexual assault, poverty and racism, The Stars at Oktober Bend is a challenging yet life-affirming book that gives its young characters a powerful and original voice.

* Best YA books (2020) *

The Stars at Oktober Bend is so beautifully and carefully written it seems each word is pure gold... Out of terrible crimes evolves a story of forgiveness and redemption, told with passion, heart and humour; it is unforgettable.

* Books for Keeps magazine *

It was absolutely luminous; I couldn't stop reading it, and when I finally forced myself to put it down I couldn't stop thinking about it. Alice and Manny are so beautifully drawn, and their stories are explored with such care: she may write, and he may run – but together they fly.

-- Maggie Harcourt

Heartrending and, ultimately, hopeful, this tells the extraordinarily powerful tale of unforgettable Alice.

* lovereading4kids.co.uk *

Magnificent – one of the most startling things for this age group I've read this year.

-- Clare Zinkin * Minerva Reads blog *

Iincredibly powerful, haunting, spirited, joyous. Like all of Millard's work, it is a story that makes you feel. Don't let it pass you by.

-- Melanie McGilloway * Library Mice blog *
Surprising, lyrical and beautiful, this book speaks of hope in the darkest of times, and of love in its many forms. The voices of Alice and Manny are distinctive and memorable, and their resilience will stay with me... -- Liz Flanagan

Beautifully told through the eyes and words of the two protagonists, damaged emotionally and physically, I was willing Alice and Manny to find a way to happiness through the small-town bigotry of Oktober Bend. The writing is quirky, poetic and haunting. Surrounded by rising floodwaters, the ending had me on the edge of my seat.

-- Sarah Stuf