Winnipeg author Brenda Hasiuk’s latest book tells the story of three teens trying to find their way through a complicated and imperfect world: Faye, the “good” adopted Chinese daughter of white parents; Bev, the “wild child”; and Bev’s car-stealing, drug-taking boyfriend, Mannie.

Childhood friends Bev and Faye haven’t seen each other since they were eight, almost a decade earlier. When Bev arrives back in town, pregnant and wanting help, the two girls become reluctant allies in Bev’s plan to find adoptive parents for her unborn child. Everything seems settled after they find a couple with whom Bev feels comfortable, until Mannie develops an irrational plan to become a part of his child’s life. A desperate decision results in near disaster for all three teens, forcing them to take a step back and re-examine their lives.

Each protagonist takes a turn narrating the story, with Faye’s voice introducing and anchoring the segments. Faye is the most interesting character, sharing her thoughts about her heritage and her well-meaning but frequently less than empathetic parents with an intelligent and amusingly cynical tone. Bev has a somewhat more stereotypical “bad girl” voice, describing her pregnancy and search for adoptive parents for the “little alien” with bluntly realistic precision. Although at times uneven, Mannie’s voice is strong and intriguing as he describes his personal history and current obsession with seeing his son and finding his way back into Bev’s life.    

Your Constant Star effectively describes a brief moment in the lives of teens on the brink of adulthood. The difficult and rather dark situations they find themselves in are lightened by moments of humour sprinkled liberally throughout, and their different, but believable, attitudes toward life will resonate with a variety of readers.