"When Jim the Boy was published in 2000 ... [reviewers] praised it for its realistic, understated depiction of an earlier way of life. The Blue Star, which neither idealizes nor condemns this past world, is a worthy sequel—a sort of children's book for adults. The New York Times Book Review even suggested that its appeal may have to do with 9/11, after which 'Americans [showed] an appetite for simple tales told with becoming directness.' Certainly, The Blue Star contains no postmodern flourishes; nor does it delve very deeply into its complex themes of class, sex, race, and patriotism. Still, Tony Earley, an English professor at Vanderbilt University, adeptly captures character, landscape, and emotion in seemingly simple, alluring prose.... The Blue Star succeeds, overall, as a sensitive coming-of-age story. And with Jim's adult fate undetermined, readers can look forward to seeing more of him."—Bookmarks Magazine