These Broken Stars (Starbound)
The first in the New York Times bestselling author duo Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner's sweeping science fiction trilogy, These Broken Stars is a timeless love story about hope and survival in the face of unthinkable odds.
It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen are the only survivors.
Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they're worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other's arms.
Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won't be the same people who landed on it.
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Community Reviews
I did it! I found a book that brought me out of my slump! *fist bump* This book.. *feels* It's been awhile since I have been really moved by a book. A book that makes me feel all the feels. A book that makes me think long after finishing. These Broken Stars is such an amazing book people! One of my all time favorites. Reviewing shall be difficult.
I won't lie, I was pretty intimidated by the hype with These Broken Stars. You know me and how I am with hype; we don't mesh well. So when people started raving about it all over the place, I thought, "Well, shit. There goes that." But it deserves the hype. These Broken Stars has everything that I love most in books. Well rounded, loving, complicated and compelling characters that grow and that I connect with. A realistic relationship; that makes me smile, my heart race; that develops slowly as walls break down. A complex, yet interesting plot; that keeps me on my toes and holds my attention until the very end. Strong writing with beautiful prose. And a closure that satisfies me yet has me yearning for more at the same time.
The writing was phenomenal. I didn't realize until about halfway through that this was written by both Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. They did a great job working together, weaving the story flawlessly. I love/hated the small chapter starters with the interrogation of Tarver. It made me think of how the book was going to end, which was a heartbreaking thought and I was dreading it. It took that mystery out of whether or not they survived and if they were rescued, but added the mystery about the severity of their situation. The interrogation was pretty rough at times. Both characters were very strong, yet vulnerable at the same time. Even though Lilac had more growth to her character, Tarver grew a lot as well.
Honestly, I didn't like Lilac at first. She had this.. aurora around her of arrogance that I really didn't like. But once we get a few more chapters into her POV, we actually SEE her. She is very brave, she's smart and very, very stubborn. There were times I thought she was pretty unreliable; with the hallucinations and "voices". You honestly couldn't tell if she really was seeing and hearing things, or if she was going bat shit. Tarver, is in his element with his Military training. He is probably one of my favorite male leads/love interest (depends on how you want to look at it). You could feel his frustrations with Lilac but his termination to bring both of them to safety was admirable. I loved how much he wanted to get back to his family and how loving he was regarding his brother.
Their romance is very slow to develop and I loved it. You know it'll happen, it's pretty obvious, but you don't know exactly what'll happen, or when. I feared the worst, so my heart was heavy most of the book. I thought they worked perfect together, balancing out their best and worst qualities in the best way. It was just so sweet.
There were quite a few twists and turns thrown in. One wasn't a "twist" per se, but it tore me up. I was tearing up, my heart was racing and I was legit upset. Then Tarver was seeing things and I just.. I couldn't. Things worked itself out --albeit oddly-- which makes me questions more about what exactly was happening on that planet. I have so many questions that I hope will continue to be answered in the next books.
My Peeve-- Hmm.. I wish the ending hadn't been so rushed. It was wrapped up nicely; but there could have been a little bit more elaboration.
Overall- LOVED IT. One of my favorites. Seriously, the book is worth the hype. This is definitely one to buy that goes on the shelf. I can't wait to see what these two bring us next. Highly recommend.
*eARC provided by the publisher for a honest review*
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