Beyond the Stars

The 8th Wonder, Book 2

De: Evelyn Latrice

Narrado por: Chance Smolders

Qamar has always been the baby of the family, the one everyone looks out for, but that hasn't made his life any easier.

With dreams of becoming a professional soccer player, he's a college student struggling with imposter syndrome and the weight of his family's expectations. If it were up to him, he'd skip college altogether and dive straight into the pros, but the pressure to succeed academically and athletically is relentless. He's made some questionable decisions along the way, but his family still holds him to higher standards, never letting him forget the oath of To The Moon.

In another universe is Siasia, the oldest of two, with a ten-year-old stepsister she's practically raised herself. Her mother is married to a man whose abusive nature and gambling addiction cast a dark shadow over their lives. Siasia dreams of becoming a renowned photographer, but for now, she dances at a club and takes on photography gigs to make ends meet and to provide for her sister.

When Qamar and Siasia's paths cross, they find solace in each other's company. Despite their vastly different backgrounds, they share a common struggle and a burning desire to achieve their dreams. As they grow closer, they begin to expose their deepest fears and vulnerabilities, discovering strength in their connection.

Qamar gets frustrated with his pursuit of taking his family to the top. They've already been there, planted a flag there so his journey doesn't feel as fulfilling. That is until Siasia reminds him that the universe doesn't end at the moon, it journeys beyond the stars.

Together, Qamar and Siasia navigate the challenges of their lives, leaning on each other for support and inspiration.

Beyond the Stars is a heartfelt tale of love, resilience, and the pursuit of dreams against all odds. It's a young adult contemporary romance with a sports theme and centered around black characters.

©2024 Evelyn Latrice (P)2025 Podium Audio

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This will be a rambling review, but I have so many thoughts on this series.

I love the fast forwarding of the storyline, but between the grammar issues and unaddressed plot lines- Qamar’s story was a bit all over the place.

My thoughts are similar to other reviews I read. Siasia and Qamar were cute, I just wished we would’ve gotten more of them succeeding together. Rather than 1 chapter at the end focused on their success. It would’ve been nice to read more of their time in the limelight and seeing him show his family his plan.

I did not like the way the argument and resolution between him and Solar. I actually read the argument again, just to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Especially after they finally addressed the conflict and he apologized. I get he spilled her secrets, but what confused me is- why wasn’t her behavior ever addressed. She started the whole thing- beginning with her talking ish about him prior to him overhearing her comments. Even French was telling her to chill.

I agreed with him, she started it and didn’t expect him to match her energy. I hate when someone tries to police the reaction of others, but they were the match that sparked the flame. And to be honest it was the handling of that situation that dropped my rating of the book.

I love this group of people, but I’m still not feeling Solar. And I do think French deserve more. He’s accepting poor behavior because of his own childhood ish.

Meanwhile, I loved the way Q and S’s relationship unfolded, just wish some of the elements surrounding them had been revealed. What was the reason for him stepping up with Janay? He was taking all this heat from everyone about having 2 kids and one literally wasn’t his. Why wasn’t that mentioned? Janay was acting out and doing the most and behaving as if he HAD to do something. He was choosing too, but the reader never learns the why.

Also, the filler subplots were lacking. Brendan, Ally, Champ… none of it served a purpose.

I was hoping it was going to be a rags to riches for Siasia story, with a mix of celebrity romance- as they both rose in popularity/ stardom.

I’m still locked in with the series. I think I’m skipping French and Solar. That whole argument really irked me. Plus if it’s true, she was cheating on French after all they went through in book 1. I’m going to be done with her.