These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Plot:
Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen cannot be more different.
Lilac is the 16 years old daughter of the most powerful man in the galaxy and she was pampered all her life.
At 18, Tarver is the youngest and most decorated war hero in the galaxy but of humble origins.
They are both traveling in hyperspace on the Icarus, the most advanced ships ever built, when something goes wrong and they end up crushing on a mysterious unknown planet.
“For a moment the image before us is frozen: our world, our lives, reduced to a handful broken stars half lost in uncharted space. Then it’s gone, the view swallowed by the hyperspace winds streaming past, blue-green auroras wiping the after-images away.
Until all that’s left is us”
A journey for survival begins and Lilac has to learn how to adapt while whispers and visions make her question her sanity…
When Tarver starts experiencing them too, it becomes clear something is haunting them…will they manage to survive?
Personal Thoughts:
WoW.
Aaaalright…
I’ve read a few unhappy reviews about this book and I understand the disappointment of those reviewers because:
•There’s almost zero world building? Yep
•The pace of the story slows considerably in the middle? Yep
•There’s lots of stuff happening toward the end that left me mind blown but confused at the same time? Double YEP!
I agree with most of their complaints and yet…
I ended up truly enjoying reading this book anyway.
I couldn’t put it down and even if the plot’s potential could’ve been explored much better, the writing is so good it almost makes up for it all.
Also, the romance is sweet…
“I reach for her hand and wind my fingers through hers, turning them so the rain patters down onto her palm. I trace a circle there with my thumb, smoothing the water in her skin. I want to show her there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
…though I’m still confused about the heroine’s situation:
what is she???
Will she be able to live a normal life?
How is that possible?!?
Superior beings just “made” another Liliac out of pure energy and that’s it?!?!?
The fact that we’ll probably never know made me seriously think twice about rounding up the rating to 4 stars…and in the end I just rated it 3 stars.
* Side note: The book was often labeled by fellow reviewers as “Titanic in space” but the only similarities are in the premise:
Rich girl, poor boy, a ship that could not fail that ends up “failing”.
Well, onto the next book ASAP!! ;D
⭐ 3 – 3.5 Stars ⭐
** These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner is book #1 in the Starbound Series, stand-alone but the “enemy” is the same in the other two books so they’re all connected.
~ My Ratings ~
Writing: 4 /5
Plot: 3 /5
Hero: 3.5 /5 – 18, soldier.
Heroine: 3.5 /5 – 16, annoing at first but evolves. Well-developed.
Secondary Characters: 3 /5
MC’s chemistry: 3 /5
Steam: -/5 NO EXPLICIT SCENES
Triggers: Overall No major Triggers
The heroine dies but she comes back to life.
Recommended to: Young Adult Readers looking for romance that blooms while surviving in unexpected and “wild” circumstances.
~ Quotes ~
“And there it is, against all hope, like the sun peeking out from behind the clouds. The smallest hint of a smile.”
“Then she smiles, and it turns out she has dimples, and it’s all over.”
“You could die tomorrow, you don’t think you should kiss her today?”
“You’ll face it all with me?”
“Always.”
“It’s all I can do not to turn my face toward his, the way a plant grows toward the light.”
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
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