Mr. Moore was born and raised in Missouri where he developed a love for books during his adolescent years. It's also important to note Stars Beneath Our Feet is in the process of being made into a feature film by actor Michael B. Jordan. This book is full of moments that will make any reader laugh, cry, and think back to a time in your life when you just needed to "get away" from life's reality.
While reading, I felt invited on a journey with Wallace (a.k.a Lolly), as he tried to navigate a new way of life as a Black teenager in Harlem, New York after experiencing the death of his brother Jermaine and the divorce of his parents.
On the streets of Harlem, Lolly is chased by several life issues that can either make or break him. He soon finds refuge in his most prized possessions....his countless Lego - pieces. To ease the mind of his mother, Lolly decides to continue making his presence known at the local neighborhood community center.
Although his friend Vega doesn't skip a beat with their friendship, one person does pick up on Lolly's social challenges. Mr. Ali does not hold back when expressing his observations about Lolly's grieving process of losing his brother Jermaine. However, Lolly goes with the flow because he has something bigger in mind... literally. There is a storage room located in the community center that Lolly initially felt was just for him and no one else.
He soon discovered he wasn't the only one with a gift for building but being super territorial would cause a new and unlikely friendship to blossom with Rose. This new found friendship would also be a saving grace once Lolly came face to face with neighborhood bullies he had been trying to avoid for months. Things became more tense once Lolly and Vega crossed paths with the bullies again in a severely violent way. It was then they decided something had to give.
How would they make these guys leave them alone? At the same time, Lolly received terrible news about having to give up his "city room" at the community center for another program that was moving in.
With all of the craziness going on, emotions were definitely high for Vega and Lolly. Vega became very reserved and on the verge of making some horrible life changing mistakes. On the other hand, Lolly's mind was distracted by the excitement of his and Rose's Legos creations being noticed by the public. To make matters worse, Lolly's biggest fears about his Legos, came true. After a serious conversation with someone very important, Lolly realized even though he lost a lot, he also learned as well.
The Stars Beneath Our Feet is a book I am so glad was written and will definitely be a part of my collection for years to come.