Narrated from two points of view, the Valorim of Ethelim and Tommy Pepper of Plymouth, Massachusetts, What Came from the Stars is a book that feels like fantasy mixed in with delicious realistic fiction.
Tommy Pepper lives with his dad and little sister on a beach just outside Plymouth. His mom died nearly a year ago, and Tommy and his family are filled with grief. They miss her terribly. His little sister, Patty, doesn't speak. His dad rarely paints anymore.
On Tommy's 12th birthday, he received "The dumbest present in the history of the entire universe" from his grandmother: an Ace Robotroid Adventure lunch box. In an attempt to hide his lunch box from his friends, something happens. Tommy saw a quick flash of light from the window and when his lunch box crashed onto the floor.
Tommy Pepper looked down beneath the cafeteria table at his fallen Ace Robotroid Adventure lunch box, and there among the spilled carrot and celery sticks, something...well, something glowed. Tommy blinked. Whatever it was, it really was glowing a little bit. He reached down and picked it up.
A chain. Green and silver. Heavy.
After Tommy put on the chain, things started to change. He could remember a far-off place. His memories of his mom returned and they were clear.
And with that wind in his face, and looking at the sea, and feeling the light fall on him from the first star, and with those he loved beside him, and his mother gone, gone, Tommy felt the chain warm, and he began to sing too.
In another world, something tragic was taking place. The O'Mondim, led by Lord Mondus, overtook the Valorim. In an effort to save the Art of Valorim, Young Waeglim forged it into a chain and sent it to another world. The Art of Valorim is the most precious and powerful gift. Lord Mondus will do anything to possess it.
What Came from the Stars tells the story of the Valorim and Tommy Pepper. The book reads like a typical gorgeous Gary D. Schmidt novel, mixed with science fiction elements. My favorite parts included reading about Tommy and his family in Plymouth. The science fiction elements were a bit tedious, but overall, a good story.
Hopefully, Gary D. Schmidt takes one of the characters from this book and spins it into another book, similar to Wednesday Wars and Okay for Now. :)
Rating: 7 out of 10 stars
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