Great read with a complex plot and outstanding characters. These young authors worked hard to develop a most interesting novel and prepare their readers for a sequel. The young principals who fall in love are almost as complex as the plot, particularly Tarver. Lilac LaRoux is a bit much for a name. I felt as if the authors were poking fun at their readers. Thus, I suppose that it's natural for me to dislike Lilac in many ways. Couldn't understand why Lilac was not killed off completely? Why did this novel win the Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Novel in 2013? Perhaps, there was little competition. Not sure I agree the choice. Nevertheless, this book is worth reading and most entertaining and I plan to read the sequel when it appears.
Summary:
This story is told in alternating chapters from two different perspectives. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. She's aloof and spoiled. Tarver is a soldier. He comes from nothing and really doesn't feel like Lilac is worth the time of day. Both of them are aboard a massive luxury spaceship as tragedy strikes and it crashes. Tarver and Lilac survive but find themselves on ab abandoned planet. How will the two of them survive and end up putting their differences aside to work together?
My thoughts:
I loved this book and can not wait for the next installment. While I won't go so far as to say that it is my favorite of the year, it does have all the makings of a repeat read. Lilac and Tarver are both amazing characters. Reading the story from both points of view allows me to get to know both the good and the bad of each character. They also grow together and become more accepting as the story goes on. Kaufman also does a wonderful job in world building. The planet that they crash into is fully developed. This feels like a science fiction movie. Finally, I enjoy the romance. It's not a quick instant love because both characters know that they are unable to be with one another and are from completely different walks of life. To be honest, they don't particularly like one another. I can't wait for the next in the series.
This story is told in alternating chapters from two different perspectives. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. She's aloof and spoiled. Tarver is a soldier. He comes from nothing and really doesn't feel like Lilac is worth the time of day. Both of them are aboard a massive luxury spaceship as tragedy strikes and it crashes. Tarver and Lilac survive but find themselves on ab abandoned planet. How will the two of them survive and end up putting their differences aside to work together?
My thoughts:
I loved this book and can not wait for the next installment. While I won't go so far as to say that it is my favorite of the year, it does have all the makings of a repeat read. Lilac and Tarver are both amazing characters. Reading the story from both points of view allows me to get to know both the good and the bad of each character. They also grow together and become more accepting as the story goes on. Kaufman also does a wonderful job in world building. The planet that they crash into is fully developed. This feels like a science fiction movie. Finally, I enjoy the romance. It's not a quick instant love because both characters know that they are unable to be with one another and are from completely different walks of life. To be honest, they don't particularly like one another. I can't wait for the next in the series.
Can we just take a minute and talk about how amazingly beautiful this cover is? It reminds me a lot of the original covers for Beth Reviss Across the Universe trilogyvery Hollywood!
"These Broken Stars" is basically a modern-day "Titanic" story, as many other reviewers have already pointed out. I wish there had been more time spent on the actual ship, however, like in the actual "Titanic" movie so we could have learned more about the society, the universe, the government structures, etc. Once they shipwreck, we dont really learn about anything outside of the habitat of the planet they landed on, which was a pretty big disappointment for me. Without spoilers, Id just like to say that the inhabitants of the planet they land on were really intriguing, I loved them. As my boyfriend pointed out, it all felt very "Star Trek"-ish.
The romance aspect of the story was a little too predictable, campy, and frustrating, just because it felt very staged most of the time. Oddly enough, however, this did not seem to bother me one bit. I still really enjoyed Lilac and Tarver together. I really appreciated that two different authors wrote the points of view so the voices were distinctly unique and separate, although I have to admit I was a little biased toward Meagen Spooner given my love of the Skylark books.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book and it will be interesting to see where the next two books go, since each installment is apparently about a different pair of people. If you enjoy books about ship wrecks, aliens, survival, and space, you might want to consider looking into this series. I must warn, however, that the main focus of the book is the romance and everything else takes a backseat.
"These Broken Stars" is basically a modern-day "Titanic" story, as many other reviewers have already pointed out. I wish there had been more time spent on the actual ship, however, like in the actual "Titanic" movie so we could have learned more about the society, the universe, the government structures, etc. Once they shipwreck, we dont really learn about anything outside of the habitat of the planet they landed on, which was a pretty big disappointment for me. Without spoilers, Id just like to say that the inhabitants of the planet they land on were really intriguing, I loved them. As my boyfriend pointed out, it all felt very "Star Trek"-ish.
The romance aspect of the story was a little too predictable, campy, and frustrating, just because it felt very staged most of the time. Oddly enough, however, this did not seem to bother me one bit. I still really enjoyed Lilac and Tarver together. I really appreciated that two different authors wrote the points of view so the voices were distinctly unique and separate, although I have to admit I was a little biased toward Meagen Spooner given my love of the Skylark books.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book and it will be interesting to see where the next two books go, since each installment is apparently about a different pair of people. If you enjoy books about ship wrecks, aliens, survival, and space, you might want to consider looking into this series. I must warn, however, that the main focus of the book is the romance and everything else takes a backseat.
