Book Reviews

review; these broken stars

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These Broken Stars
by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

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 survive. And they seem to be alone. 

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. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

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.

Review:I had heard a lot of good things about this book. Many of them had me a little wary though, because it seemed nothing more than a love story set in space. Titanic in space, if you will.

And I suppose in a way, it is. But oh, what a story is it. What a world has been crafted, a world populated by two souls, to very different souls – yet at the core of it, so alike. Tarver and Lilac are, on the surface, as different as they can be. One is a war hero, raised in almost poverty, while the other is the heiress to the biggest corporation in the galaxy.

Yet from their first meeting, they have a connection – they see something in one anther. A genuine reflection of themselves, that they are more than they seem.

There is more to Tarver than the soldier. There is more to Lilac than the heiress. And while it takes a while for them to catch more than glimpses of it, the glimpses are enough for them to remain fascinated, to want to learn more.

And when these two souls are thrown into a world where all they have to survive is each other? All they have to depend on, to lean on, is the other? Well, then their real selves shine through.

But instead of just keeping it as a simply love story, the authors throw in a twist. An unpopulated planet, which for all intents and purposes should not be unpopulated, that houses secrets. Secrets that draw in the unlikely duo – secrets that could harm them, that make them rely more and more on each other. The secrets bring them together – and tear them apart.

It is such a fascinating read. The characters are a joy to see grow and fall in love. It could have very well ended up being a bust if even one of the characters was the smidgest bit unlikable – after all, with only two characters and two points of views, the authors were playing a very fine game. But both characters leap off the page. They are not flat or one-dimensional, but real and alive and very easy to follow to the ends of the earth.

I will easily admit that I fell in love with Tarver from the beginning, and it was not hard to fall in love with Lilac as well. They are stubborn and strong-willed, but compassionate and intelligent. I will definitely be reading more of these authors works in the future.

I’m Ara, a Southeast Asian writer who someday hopes to have published a novel, and who is currently losing herself in the worlds created by others. I love books and food and television and blogging and I get distracted and sidetracked easily.

4 Comments

  • Olivia-Savannah

    I have had a lot about this series and have been meaning to try this series for the longest time! I think the covers are absolutely beautiful. I also really like the sound of brilliant world building because it is something I really appreciate in my reads. I do like a good romance story but I like my reads to be a bit more than only that too.

    • Ara

      It is definitely more than just a good romance. There’s a lot of intrigue, and it ties in well with the other two books. One of my favourite things about the series is that while there are questions at the end, they don’t have anything to do with the characters in the book? Their story is more or less complete. Definitely recommended to everyone.

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