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The Brightest Stars
(Karina and Kael #1)
by
International bestselling author Anna Todd returns with a gripping novel about a young woman's journey towards love, and the obstacles life throws up at every turn.
Karina knows the harsh realities of military life. And like anyone who has grown up around an army base, she knows the background noise that follows a soldier home from war. That's why she's forging her own quie ...more
Karina knows the harsh realities of military life. And like anyone who has grown up around an army base, she knows the background noise that follows a soldier home from war. That's why she's forging her own quie ...more
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Kristina
No. They are both 20. He’s a month older then her
Community Reviews
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Start your review of The Brightest Stars (Karina und Kale, #1)
"I would always remember that, the way he made parts of me ache that I had never felt before. I would always be thankful for that."
Having reasonably enjoyed Anna Todd's After Series, this was something of a letdown for me. It had its perks that made you want to read on... but they were a few and a well-spaced few.
_________________
To Begin,
I have always taken notes on the books I read. I used to highlight, jot down and (vandalize) every book that meant something to me. However, when I s ...more
Having reasonably enjoyed Anna Todd's After Series, this was something of a letdown for me. It had its perks that made you want to read on... but they were a few and a well-spaced few.
_________________
To Begin,
I have always taken notes on the books I read. I used to highlight, jot down and (vandalize) every book that meant something to me. However, when I s ...more
Aug 29, 2018
CristiinaReads❀
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arc-books
➳A military romance that has so much potential of loving the characters, and letting my emotions run down craving for more...
➳I have never read an Anna Todd novel before, so I was taken a back at how much I truly enjoyed this novel. I was surprised when I got it as well because it arrived all of a sudden from my favorite publicist, and I am so honored and glad that she sent it over since I will forever cherish this novel and how incredible it utterly was. The characters, Kael and Karina have ...more
➳I have never read an Anna Todd novel before, so I was taken a back at how much I truly enjoyed this novel. I was surprised when I got it as well because it arrived all of a sudden from my favorite publicist, and I am so honored and glad that she sent it over since I will forever cherish this novel and how incredible it utterly was. The characters, Kael and Karina have ...more
After a chapter in 2019, we go back to 2017. Karina is 20 years old. She's just left home - her dad and new step-mom's place - a little while ago, and now she's more or less happily living her life and working at a massage place.
Enter Kael. He's just back from Afghanistan today and he needs a massage real bad. Not that he said any of that to Karina. He's not what you might call a talker.☺
But he's a buddy of Karina's roomie's husband - so he's staying at their place for the night ...
The new guy i ...more
💗 An Unexpected Meeting with Love 💗
Anna Todd is an author mostly appealing for the teen audience. (T for Todd, T for Teens, what a coincidence 😉). However, in this plot, characters will be more mature than the ones we met in her previous novels, and... maybe that fact joined with another I will tell you later, would make it also readable for the non teens who can’t live without peeping into other people’s love stories — and...as you probably guessed by now... I just told you the second fact I p ...more
Anna Todd is an author mostly appealing for the teen audience. (T for Todd, T for Teens, what a coincidence 😉). However, in this plot, characters will be more mature than the ones we met in her previous novels, and... maybe that fact joined with another I will tell you later, would make it also readable for the non teens who can’t live without peeping into other people’s love stories — and...as you probably guessed by now... I just told you the second fact I p ...more
‘Stars seemed so fierce and bright, but by the time they got to us, they were dying, almost gone. And the biggest stars? They burned the fastest as if their intense radiance was too much for them to hold onto.’
Anna Todd writes a melancholy slow burn story about abandonment, deceptions, survival, and love in The Brightest Stars. We carry the marks of our childhoods –be they good or bad- with us into our adult lives. What doesn’t break us makes us stronger as they say, however sometimes, whils ...more
2.5/5 ★
I have a love-hate relationship with this author.
Some books of her’s I love some I hate.
(this was me reading this book, confuse at why I’m still reading it, considering that I wasn’t enjoying it - I blame the fact that I won this as a birthday present.)
This one is in between, I didn’t love it but didn’t hated it either. There were things that really bother me about it, like the end (what was that?), the romance and the characters in general. I wasn’t hooked at all reading this book. Whi ...more
I have a love-hate relationship with this author.
Some books of her’s I love some I hate.
(this was me reading this book, confuse at why I’m still reading it, considering that I wasn’t enjoying it - I blame the fact that I won this as a birthday present.)
This one is in between, I didn’t love it but didn’t hated it either. There were things that really bother me about it, like the end (what was that?), the romance and the characters in general. I wasn’t hooked at all reading this book. Whi ...more
“There was a time when he’d say my name, and just like that, I’d give him anything he wanted.”
I should state that I didn’t know that this wasn’t a standalone. I honestly just saw that Anna Todd was coming out with a new book and wanted to read it! If ya’ll could have seen my face when I reached the end of the book and realized that the ending was a cliffhanger, you would have laughed at me!
Our two main characters are Kael and Karina. Kael was a soldier who has just gotten home. He doesn’t r ...more
I should state that I didn’t know that this wasn’t a standalone. I honestly just saw that Anna Todd was coming out with a new book and wanted to read it! If ya’ll could have seen my face when I reached the end of the book and realized that the ending was a cliffhanger, you would have laughed at me!
Our two main characters are Kael and Karina. Kael was a soldier who has just gotten home. He doesn’t r ...more
3.5 stars
Karina has grown up in a military family. Her father is in the army and her whole life has been spent living on posts all over America. Pretty much everyone she knows is military too. She and her twin brother Austin made a pact to never follow in the career footsteps of their father.
In an effort to cement her independence, Karina has managed to purchase her own home and is doing well in her work as a massage therapist. She has a fractured relationship with her dad and her Tuesday night ...more
Karina has grown up in a military family. Her father is in the army and her whole life has been spent living on posts all over America. Pretty much everyone she knows is military too. She and her twin brother Austin made a pact to never follow in the career footsteps of their father.
In an effort to cement her independence, Karina has managed to purchase her own home and is doing well in her work as a massage therapist. She has a fractured relationship with her dad and her Tuesday night ...more
Started off okay but started to devolve irrevocably halfway through. It felt like a first draft of a novel that hadn’t been filled out or fully written yet. At times it jumped straight into the middle of something without any context. There were plot holes and rushed sections one moment but then incredibly unnecessary details and repetitive statements a page later. And then the random mood swings and extremely escalated emotions toward the end that just felt disingenuous. I didn’t feel connected
...more
I didn’t know what to expect with The Brightest Stars, a book I dove into blindly. After reading a few pages, I was intrigued but still couldn’t wrap my head around this story. Then, after several chapters, everything clicked. I started to feel this story. The Army wife in me connected to this military romance. I was ADDICTED to this tale that made me think as much as it made me feel.
”You are worth every single complication you bring along.”
Told through a struggling but strong young ...more
I almost DNF'd this one, but because I love Anna so much and am the biggest fan of her After series, I kept on!
This one was just all over the place for me. My dislike for Karina was strong and a lot of her inner monologue (that stretches far and beyond, dear lord) really stole from the romance in this one. I kept waiting for it, braced myself for the slow-burn, but...just didn't get it. At all. It was just awkward.
I hate that this didn't do it for me, but I'm also a sucker for the second book in ...more
This one was just all over the place for me. My dislike for Karina was strong and a lot of her inner monologue (that stretches far and beyond, dear lord) really stole from the romance in this one. I kept waiting for it, braced myself for the slow-burn, but...just didn't get it. At all. It was just awkward.
I hate that this didn't do it for me, but I'm also a sucker for the second book in ...more
I felt like I was handed a first draft manuscript that had been dropped on the ground and had chapters switched or lost. I checked and rechecked the copy of my book looking for the words "proof" or "unedited copy" but found none.
This book was not only full of spelling mistakes (including my biggest pet peeve of using the wrong "there") but the characters didn't make sense, the plot was jumpy, and the sequence of events did not match. One second you're reading about how she's faring the day after ...more
This book was not only full of spelling mistakes (including my biggest pet peeve of using the wrong "there") but the characters didn't make sense, the plot was jumpy, and the sequence of events did not match. One second you're reading about how she's faring the day after ...more
I’m a first time reader of Ms. Todd’s and I was super excited to have the opportunity to read “The Brightest Stars.”
First of all, I am an absolute cover snob and I’ve seen a run of really bad ones lately (so sad), but this was an exception. Beautiful, classy, and attention grabbing. The designers and Ms. Todd should be commended because I have deep cover envy here.
“The Brightest Stars” began with a lot of potential. I adore stories that are told in a past/present narrative and this one begins ...more
First of all, I am an absolute cover snob and I’ve seen a run of really bad ones lately (so sad), but this was an exception. Beautiful, classy, and attention grabbing. The designers and Ms. Todd should be commended because I have deep cover envy here.
“The Brightest Stars” began with a lot of potential. I adore stories that are told in a past/present narrative and this one begins ...more
Sep 25, 2018
Gitte TotallyBookedBlog
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2018
‘Stars seemed so fierce and bright, but by the time they got to us, they were dying, almost gone. And the biggest stars? They burned the fastest as if their intense radiance was too much for them to hold onto.’
Anna Todd writes a melancholy slow burn story about abandonment, deceptions, survival, and love in The Brightest Stars. We carry the marks of our childhoods –be they good or bad- with us into our adult lives. What doesn’t break us makes us stronger as they say, however sometimes, whils ...more
So I finished the book and feel...meh! There wasn't any one issue for me not liking the book, but lots of little things just added up. Age of characters...no connection to main characters...too much inner dialogue with main character...not enough inner dialogue of other main character...pick one. This was my first read with this author and, nothing against her, but it will be awhile before I return.
Go Cards! L1C4!! ...more
Go Cards! L1C4!! ...more
The brightest stars is a heartbreaking, inspiring and captivating romance book. It's a story about finding your place in this world while doing something you love and are proud of. It's about family bonds and how they sometimes can be a blessing and a curse. Especially if you're the glue holding everyone together while trying not to fall apart yourself. The brightest stars shows many aspects of military life. Although people serving their country take great pride in doing so, many choose this oc
...more
Sep 06, 2018
♡ Jeri's Book Attic ♡ Jeri the Romance Bibiliophile ♡
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
14-arc,
17-wounded-heros
✔✖ My Review Check List ✖✔
AKA significant signs for a good book
Here ? The Brightest Stars by Anna Todd
- (NOT WANTING TO PUT THE BOOK DOWN – WHICH INCLUDES CARRYING AN E-BOOK READER LITERALLY EVERYWHERE I GO, ALLNIGHT READING SESSIONS AND SNEAKING OUT OR IN PLACES INCLUDING TOILETS TO READ A FEW PAGES)
✔ - It started out great for that – but after a few chapters it lost steam and I had no problem in going out for a coffee with friends without thinking about the book. That was so not what I expecte ...more
Sep 29, 2018
Michael
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
kindle-prime-electronic
Karina is from a military family who thinks they know what is best for her. However she feels that she knows what is right for life, regardless of the fact that her brother is enlisted to join. Karina is someone that thinks for herself and would consider herself to be independent, despite how her life is going down in a slippery slope. As fate will have it, she meets Kael who is closed off who does not answer much of anything besides one word answers. Yet it is something about him that sways her
...more
I've been trying to read this book for the last 19 days. I've put it down and tried again more than 10 times. In the end, I stopped reading it at 72%. I couldn't connect with the characters. I couldn't connect with the story. For me it lacked depth and emotion and direction. I'm sorry to say it, because I really liked the blurb.
...more
Didn’t know this would turn into a series when I started.... need book 2 ASAP
To say I am disappointed is an understatement. This is my first book by this author but I had heard such good things so I guess I was just expecting more. I can probably go into various reasons why this didn't work for me but the honest truth is that it was just plain old B-O-R-I-N-G. When reading starts to feel like work and you're just trying to reach the end for the sake of finishing the book then you know something is wrong.
The hero was the quiet, tortured, brooding type and he hardly said ...more
The hero was the quiet, tortured, brooding type and he hardly said ...more
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3.5 🌟 stars... man this book had a ton of potential but something just wasn’t right, it felt thrown together and all over the place. I never could get a grip on the timeline, and I had a ton of questions! I’m glad to know it’s not a stand alone so I’m hoping the next one explains things a little better. Thumbs up on that cliffhanger hanger though... #shook it definitely left me wanting to know what happens next.
Initial thoughts: I am a big fan of Anna Todd’s writing, so I bought this book without giving it a second thought. The fact that it was about an interracial couple was an even bigger draw for me because I seldom find books with interracial couples. I bought the Target edition because it was a special one with a bonus chapter and it was signed by the author as well. I had heard so many great things about this book and had been meaning to read it for awhile but had not gotten around to it because
...more
Thank you to Sarah from Social Butterfly PR for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
*2.5/5 stars.
First off, let me just say that this is NOT something you can read as a standalone.
To be quite honest, I felt like not a whole lot happened in this first installment. To me, it only got more exciting when I passed the 80% mark. I really enjoyed how it was very up-to-date with the culture of 2018 especially since a lot of current things are involved in "The Brightest Stars". However, sometimes i ...more
*2.5/5 stars.
First off, let me just say that this is NOT something you can read as a standalone.
To be quite honest, I felt like not a whole lot happened in this first installment. To me, it only got more exciting when I passed the 80% mark. I really enjoyed how it was very up-to-date with the culture of 2018 especially since a lot of current things are involved in "The Brightest Stars". However, sometimes i ...more
I’m giving this book 3.6 stars, but since that number doesn’t exist, we’ll go back to math class and round it off o the nearest whole star, lol.
This book felt long. Not that it was extremely long, but the constant internal monologue was a bit tiring.
The book did pick up a bit after about 60% in, but, I wish there were lots more interactions between the characters than one sided conversations or just plain internal monologues that lasted more than 6 pages.
I’m bummed out that it wasn’t made awa ...more
This book felt long. Not that it was extremely long, but the constant internal monologue was a bit tiring.
The book did pick up a bit after about 60% in, but, I wish there were lots more interactions between the characters than one sided conversations or just plain internal monologues that lasted more than 6 pages.
I’m bummed out that it wasn’t made awa ...more
Karina grew up in a military family. Her father is in the army and her whole life has been spent living on posts all over America. Pretty much everyone she knows is military too. She and her twin brother Austin made a pact to never follow in the career footsteps of their father.
In an effort to cement her independence, Karina has managed to purchase her own home and is doing well in her work as a massage therapist. She has a fractured relationship with her dad and her Tuesday night dinners with h ...more
In an effort to cement her independence, Karina has managed to purchase her own home and is doing well in her work as a massage therapist. She has a fractured relationship with her dad and her Tuesday night dinners with h ...more
I liked this authors other books, so I thought maybe I might like this one. It was okay. I didn't feel any sort of attraction between the two characters, I couldn't see what the big deal was. There was a lot of unexplored things that happened, the racial thing I felt could have been explored more. Then once they decided to jump into it, all the fun stuff was skipped, the dating part, the slow build of a relationship that hinted fireworks at the beginning. I just didn't feel what I felt at the be
...more
*
Read more of my reviews at Whoo Gives A Hoot
*
The Brightest Stars happens to be the first Anna Todd book that I have been fortunate enough to read and I can't even begin to express how freaking excited I was to dive right in. What I didn't know going in was that this story was actually part of a series, so please be aware that it does end with a cliffhanger. Although I did enjoy the storyline and characters, I didn't necessarily fall head over heels in love with it. However, I will defiantly ...more
The Brightest Stars happens to be the first Anna Todd book that I have been fortunate enough to read and I can't even begin to express how freaking excited I was to dive right in. What I didn't know going in was that this story was actually part of a series, so please be aware that it does end with a cliffhanger. Although I did enjoy the storyline and characters, I didn't necessarily fall head over heels in love with it. However, I will defiantly ...more
Anna Todd is such a talented author! Every time I pick up a book of hers I loose myself between the pages. It's the best form of escape and I can't emphasize enough how much I love her books and highly recommend them.
When I started reading The Brightest Stars I literally lost every sense of time, not even realizing that I was already half way into the story. It felt like I just started it. Anna's writing does this to you. It just grips you from the start and doesn't let you go until you reach t ...more
When I started reading The Brightest Stars I literally lost every sense of time, not even realizing that I was already half way into the story. It felt like I just started it. Anna's writing does this to you. It just grips you from the start and doesn't let you go until you reach t ...more
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ANNA TODD (Author/Writer/Producer) is the New York Times bestselling author of the After series of books, The Spring Girls, and the recent The Brightest Stars.
Always an avid reader, Todd began writing stories on her phone on Wattpad, the reading and writing multiplatform for original stories, with After becoming its most-read series with over 1.5 billion reads.
The print edition of After was pub ...more
Always an avid reader, Todd began writing stories on her phone on Wattpad, the reading and writing multiplatform for original stories, with After becoming its most-read series with over 1.5 billion reads.
The print edition of After was pub ...more
Other books in the series
Karina and Kael
(3 books)
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“For about the fourth time today, I can feel the panic bubbling just below my chest and it dawns on me that every time I imagine our reunion, I see him the way I did the very first time I laid eyes on him.”
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“ya no sé quién es. Aunque, ¿lo he sabido alguna vez?”
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