Stargazer - by Laurie Petrou (Paperback)

About the Book

"Diana Martin has lived her life in the shadow of her sadistic older brother. She quietly watches the family next door, enthralled by celebrity fashion designer Marianne Taylor and her feted daughter, Aurelle. She wishes she were a 'Taylor girl'. By the summer of 1995, the two girls are at university together, bonded by a mutual desire to escape their wealthy families and personal tragedies and forge new identities. They are closer than lovers, intoxicated by their own bond, falling into the hedonistic seduction of the woods and the water at a remote university that is more summer camp than campus. But when burgeoning artist Diana has a chance at fame, cracks start to appear in their friendship. To what lengths is Diana willing to go to secure her own stardom?"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

A darkly compelling coming-of-age story, perfect for fans of Donna Tartt's The Secret History or Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies.

It is the fall of 1995 at Rocky Barrens University, hidden amidst the pine trees and starry skies of Northern Ontario. Aurelle Taylor, daughter of a world-famous fashion designer becomes the closest friend of burgeoning painter Diana Martin; they have bonded over a mutual desire to escape their wealthy families and personal tragedies and begin new lives as students at RBU.

They are closer than lovers, they are like one thing, intoxicated by their own bond, falling into the hedonistic seduction of the woods and the water at a university that is more summer camp than campus. Diana, who has lived her life under the shadow of her sadistic older brother, rockets to fame with a series of scandalous portraits of Aurelle, whose response is to tumble further into a drug-fueled escapism. Diana must choose whether to rescue her kindred spirit from destruction, or to abandon Aurelle for the fame she has forever thirsted after.

The lines between love, envy and obsession blur in Laurie Petrou's utterly enthralling, unceasingly tense second novel.

Review Quotes

"Petrou's lyrical writing is so powerful that I could smell the pines and feel the snow on my skin as she effortlessly transports the reader to '90s Muskoka. I gasped out loud at some of the lines and was completely gripped by the characters. It's the perfect book club read." --Samantha M Bailey, Toronto Life

'A sinuous, captivating exploration of the mysterious depths of female friendship that had me hooked from its first pages. The vivid, finely wrought setting - a prestigious, remote college campus - was a delicious reminder of another favourite novel, Donna Tartt's The Secret History. Petrou's dreamlike, note-perfect prose simmers toward a shattering conclusion. This unforgettable novel from a truly talented novelist is perfect for fans of Celeste Ng.' - Marissa Stapley, bestselling author of Lucky

'A chilling look at the fine line between love and obsession, longing and desperation, ambition and mania... These women will haunt you' - Gin Phillips, bestselling author of The Well and the Mine

'Stargazer is a galaxy of a novel: At once a story of friendship, a coming of age, and a dark and utterly captivating tale of family, lust, loss, fame, art and the ever competing hope and destructiveness of youth' - Amy Stuart, bestselling author of Still Mine

'An outstanding book with some of the most beautiful lines I've ever read' - Samantha M Bailey, bestselling author, Woman on the Edge

'A slow-burn literary thriller in the best possible way: eerie, beautiful, and impossible to put down. I loved it' - Robyn Harding, bestselling author of The Perfect Family

Praise for Sister of Mine:
A twisty, claustrophobic nail-biter." --Entertainment Weekly's Hot Summer Thrillers

"Sibling rivalry on steroids."--BookTrib

"Riveting... Readers will be keen to see what Petrou comes up with next." --Publishers Weekly

"Readers who enjoy the twisty plots found in Sophie Hannah's and Lisa Jewell's domestic suspense will want to give this one a try." --Booklist

"One of the best first novels I've read this year... A brilliantly conceived narrative with wonderful characters and great depth." ―Globe and Mail

"Gripping, twisty, and singular ...A not to be missed, well-worth-it read. Here's hoping for more from this imaginative, insightful author." ―New York Journal of Books

Praise for Love, Heather:

"An engaging, emotionally raw tale of social torment and explosive reactions."--Kirkus Reviews

"A well-told tale of teenage revenge . . . Readers will keep turning the pages to see how the inevitable emotional explosion plays out." --Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Laurie Petrou is an award-winning author, and Associate Professor at the RTA School of Media at X (Ryerson) University in Toronto. She is a voracious reader and has been writing stories her whole life. She lives in Niagara with her family, two cats, and a dog. Stargazer is her fourth book.