Eleven-year-old Simon is a bit different. Although he lives with his parents, grandmother and brother, Davey, he spends most of the time living in his own world and he hasn’t spoken to anyone for a very long time.

However, things are looking up for Simon, who finds himself paired up for a school project with Cassie. Cassie has her own issues to deal with that make her perfectly equipped to understand what it’s like to be an outsider.

Simon also has new teacher Mrs Hilcombe’s full attention and, unlike the other teachers, she doesn’t assign him pointless tasks to fill his time but encourages him to take part in classes. Under her guidance he thrives and starts to speak again.

One day, after a homework session at Cassie’s, he finds himself on Mrs Hilcombe’s doorstep and begins to suspect that there is a complex story behind her move to this school.

When he takes a letter from her mailbox, she disappears. Soon after, Simon is overwhelmed by what may have happened to his favourite teacher and doesn’t know how to share the information he has that could help find her.

Throughout We See the Stars, Simon must struggle with the tragic things that have happened around him and try to process them. With the help of Superman (an imaginary friend) and Cassie, Simon must decide on the best course of action to try and protect the people he loves.

While there are some aspects of the story that remain vague or unresolved, it is in keeping with the story being written from Simon’s perspective. There are also many sections of the book that are dreamlike or flashbacks, enhancing the fantasy elements in the book.

We See the Stars is a debut novel for author Kate van Hooft and has already been compared to the likes of Sofie Laguna’s The Eye of the Sheep and Craig Silvey’s Jasper Jones. A poignant and intriguing story of family, friends, fear and love, accompanied by achingly delicate descriptions of confusion, loss and anxiety – it will certainly stay with you long after you have finished reading it.

Reviewed by Melissa Wilson