For Darkness Shows the Stars
Fans of Divergent will love Diana Peterfreund’s take on Jane Austen’s Persuasion set in a post-apocalyptic world.
In the dystopian future of For Darkness Shows the Stars, a genetic experiment has devastated humanity. In the aftermath, a new class system placed anti-technology Luddites in absolute power over vast estates—and any survivors living there.
Elliot North is a dutiful Luddite and a dutiful daughter who runs her father’s estate. When the boy she loved, Kai, a servant, asked her to run away with him four years ago, she refused, although it broke her heart.
Now Kai is back. And while Elliot longs for a second chance with her first love, she knows it could mean betraying everything she’s been raised to believe is right.
For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking YA romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.
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Community Reviews
Generally, I wouldn't write a review for a 1 star/DNF book. And since I didn’t make it that far before calling it quits, I don’t have much to base my review on. BUT. I read enough. As intriguing as the book sounds (and possibly is as a WHOLE) my issues were too great for me to overcome, and ultimately kept me from finishing this. I actually haven’t read Persuasion (which apparently inspired the story), so I didn't even know what to base this book off of. I had a case of “Ooh, that’s pretty. What’s it about?” (Don’t judge me)
I liked the letters between Elliot and Kai. It’s a very fascinating way to show the relationship between two characters and how their friendship/relationship became to be. Anyway, right off we are introduced to the “people” of the book. Luddites, Post,Reduced CORs. At first, there was no explanation of who these people were. There was some elaboration soon after but I had that feeling right off the bat that I was MISSING something. The initial back story of the Reduction was interesting. BUT; As the explanation goes into more depth is where I started to have issues.
Nothing against religion, to each his own, but I could not FATHOM why it was necessary to have that sort of.. belief. (Trying to express what I feel about this is hard, please excuse) It doesn’t sit right with me, for personal reasons and since this is supposed to be in a futuristic setting. Why the Luddites believe the Reduction happened made my stomach turn. Seriously. I almost set the book down right then. And I think that’s what kept me from really getting into the book further. Not that the protagonist seemed to feel that way, on the contrary, Elliot seemed to have a beautiful relationship with a Reduced, Ro, and she was actually trying to help the people in her estate.
The dialogue was.. off? Misplaced? Maybe this is because it was based on Jane Austen’s novel, Persuasion; I felt like we were in the 1800′s vs the future. Something minor, mind you, and it probably wouldn't have even bothered me at all had I not already been put off by the book as it was.
I didn’t make it very far, less than 100 pages. Maybe I quit too soon. Maybe it was really good and I am missing out. Maybe what happened during the Reduction was explained further and their beliefs were needed for the story. Maybe I’m completely off base. I don’t know. I just know that what I read was something I could not get over and easily finish the book.
Overall- I can’t recommend this to anyone- nor could I dissuade you from reading it. Like I said, others may find this book great, and completely disagree with me. This was just not for me.
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