I loved Katharine Pollock’s debut novel Her Fidelity, so I was tickled pink when she reached out to offer me a copy of her next book, Starry Eyed, for review. This one follows Addilyn, a long-time fangirl of handsome sci-fi film director Josh ‘Jolly’ Courtney, as she finally meets her hero and finds out why you probably shouldn’t do that (as the saying goes).
Starry Eyed is vastly different to Her Fidelity, so don’t pick it up hoping for more of the same from Pollock. Addilyn is a rather naive 30-year-old, and her immaturity leads her to make some choices that will have you banging your head against the wall on her behalf. Her voice is also unusual, almost stuffy, unlike the side characters (Maude, Sally, Anthony, and Jordie) who interact and speak more naturally.
The themes of Starry Eyed and commentary about exploitation of power in sexual dynamics are timely, though perhaps this particular story goes a little gently in the wake of allegations against writers like Neil Gaiman. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to have read it.
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