Jepp, Who Defied the Stars Audiobook

" This one was most excellent! I predict it will be up for some awards come the end of the year. "

" Jepp has a decent life as the son of a successful innkeeper, but because of his short stature he knows his options are limited. The day a nobleman arrives at the inn and offers Jepp a place at court, his curiosity overrides his misgivings, and he leaves everything he has ever known to become a sort of performing pet among other dwarves at the palace of the Infanta in Brussels. This is only the beginning of Jepp's adventures, and although I felt the book dragged a little in the middle and the first person present tense voice sometimes grew annoying, the plot is unique enough to propel one on to the end. The author informs us in an afterword that Jepp was a real person though only a footnote to history, and she peoples her book with other real people, including Tycho Brahe, who was a fascinating personage in himself. Upper teen, adult. "

" Great subject matter and message, but the plot line didn't pull me forward. Probably wouldn't have finished it if I wasn't on "spring break". "

" I never was a fan of historical fiction, so perhaps it's not a surprise that I couldn't get through Jepp, Who Defied the Stars. The book design is beautiful but I found the actual writing to be stilted and uncertain, and the theme of fate a bit too overt and clumsily handled. "

" Interesting work of historical fiction, highlights areas not usually seen in this genre for teens. I really liked this book up until its final act, which I felt mostly unnecessary and uninteresting. Passable audio narration, dropping this down to two stars for me as an audiobook. If this book sounds interesting to you, grab the print version. "

" Good reads win: I really enjoyed the read. I am not a big history type of reader. But if I had more books like this I would so definitely read more. While reading this book I got a feel of reading some of my favorite fairy tales. I would definitely recommend this to everyone. "

" I found it a little two dimensional but overall a very good read for historical fiction lovers! "

" Certainly seems well researched and characters seem well written, but it just didn't grab me. After reading for more than 2 weeks and only getting a third of the way in, I decided that was enough. "

" Wonderful read. Unique narrator and hero, great story and enjoyed the historical detail and period. And in the end - inspiring. Our 'fate' is in our own hands. "

" Loved it! The time period was fun to read about with an interesting and unique protagonist. It's perfect to use with my 7th graders to bridge the Renaissance time period we study in history to the character study unit in English. "

" Boring. The protagonist's problem eludes us, and he does not seem to take control, truly. "

" I did not get much out of this book. I like historical fiction, but I guess I need the events to be more well known? I read the beginning and the end, and I just couldn't get interested in it. "

" The book seemed alright but it didn't really give me a pull, like some other books do. "

" A good story but rather slow. "

" Jepp is a teenage dwarf living in 16th century Spanish-occupied Holland. He is taken to the court of the Spanish infanta and is later sent to the home and workshop of Tycho Brahe, the Danish astronomer. His odyssey includes a quest for his own identity and true love. Terrific historical fiction. "

" The ending felt a little rushed, especially considering the slow pace of the rest of the story, but overall this was a very good book. Interesting historical details are interwoven with Jepp's story in a way that almost feels like fantasy. The characters really bring the whole thing to life. "