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The Stars We Steal

Alexa Donne (Goodreads Author)

3.46 · Rating details · 2,602 ratings · 628 reviews

Engagement season is in the air. Eighteen-year-old Princess Leonie “Leo” Kolburg, heir to a faded European spaceship, only has one thing on her mind: which lucky bachelor can save her family from financial ruin?

But when Leo’s childhood friend and first love Elliot returns as the captain of a successful whiskey ship, everything changes. Elliot was the one that got away, th ...more

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Hardcover, 393 pages

Published February 4th 2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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Average rating 3.46 ·

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· 2,602 ratings · 628 reviews

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Feb 07, 2020 jessica rated it liked it · review of another edition

this book commits a very unfortunate crime against readers, which is it solely relies on a telling narrative, not a showing narrative. meaning the reader is told something happens, rather than shown it.

its an extremely lazy method of writing and honestly drags the story down. it completely ruins any sort of opportunity which may have been present for me to really connect with the characters, especially because the romance is key to the plot. i dont want to be told leo and elliot have a connectio ...more

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Mar 28, 2020 Yun rated it it was ok

The Stars We Steal starts off with Leo, the heir to a derelict spaceship, trying to avoid the fate of having to marry for money. She's resourceful and smart, coming up with her own water-filtration system that could make money for her family while saving her from a marriage of convenience. But then it slowly devolves into a pointless YA romance, childish and overdramatic, and by the end, I lost all respect for Leo and this story.

Leo pines for her ex-fiancé, who she broke up with years ago. Now h The Stars We Steal starts off with Leo, the heir to a derelict spaceship, trying to avoid the fate of having to marry for money. She's resourceful and smart, coming up with her own water-filtration system that could make money for her family while saving her from a marriage of convenience. But then it slowly devolves into a pointless YA romance, childish and overdramatic, and by the end, I lost all respect for Leo and this story.

Leo pines for her ex-fiancé, who she broke up with years ago. Now he's back, and she spends the entire book making eyes at him, while feeling hurt that he doesn't love her back, while giving signs that she hates him, while being sad that he's dating other girls. Ugh, I wanted to stab my eyes out. Please girl, figure out what you want! Stop giving mixed signals and expect others to read your mind, then acting so terribly hurt when they don't.

All the drama in this book is pretty much people not saying what they should, so there's a lot of misunderstandings. Leo, in particular, has serious trouble with honest communication. She'll do something strange, then refuse to explain, and then act like a martyr when others get mad at her. She chases after two different guys because she can't make up her mind, and honestly, she doesn't deserve either. And she keeps drinking like a fish to de-stress because her life is SO hard. Please, my eyes have rolled out of my head.

She's also portrayed as a privileged princess who can afford to look down her nose at others. She talks a good talk about how there should be justice for all, but when it comes down to it, she takes the easy road because her family and connections make it possible for her to do so. Meanwhile, she passes judgement on others who have to make considerably harder decisions in order to eat and live.

In the end, this was such a disappointing read. Leo is so annoying that it's hard to cheer for a character like that. The plot is silly, and it's barely a real one since all the drama is manufactured by people who can't communicate honestly with each other or refuse to listen. I'm looking for books right now to help me relax and take me away into a fantasy world, but this book just made me angry. ...more

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Dec 15, 2019 Nenia ✨️ I yeet my books back and forth ✨️ Campbell rated it really liked it

Shelves: les-arcs-de-triomphes, ya-ya-land, pretty-cover-sparklies, the-final-frontier, science-fiction

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Edit: This book is free on KU! I definitely recommend it for anyone who likes K-dramas and reality TV, as this book is packed with drama!! ❤️🤗

This is a retelling of Persuasion set in space with a dash of The Bachelor. People from Earth now fly around in spaceships, and those of the nobility have especially luxurious ones. Leonie, aboard The Scandinavian, is such a one, only her family is on the verge of becoming impoverished and she is g ...more

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Dec 12, 2018 Mary S. R. marked it as to-read

Recommended to Mary by: more like robbed—and that would be the cover artist, blame them!

Shelves: science-fiction, romance, retellings, young-adult

I have a very crucial, life-altering question: how can a cover be so perfect? I feel like this should be illegal—no it's NOT fair to steal away people's money like that! *slams hand on desk, shouts* would someone call the authorities!? I'm taking this matter in front of a judge!

Eighteen-year-old Princess Leonie “Leo” Kolburg...(*sniffs* I smell...royal intrigue! *wicked smile*)...heir to a faded European spaceship...(*fumes* you don't set books in space and get away with it! Because then I'd hav ...more

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Jan 07, 2019 Tucker (TuckerTheReader) marked it as not-released-tbr

Shelves: fantasy, romance, young-adult

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Dec 12, 2018 Brittney ~ Reverie and Ink marked it as to-read

Shelves: 2020-anticipated-reads

Ahhh! Gorgeous cover alert! I loved Brightly Burning, and I'm so excited for this one! Give me all that drama and intrigue - I'm so here for it!

My Blog ~ Instagram ~ Twitter ...more

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Nov 27, 2019 Brooke — brooklynnnnereads rated it it was ok

Shelves: edelweiss, arcs

I was really looking forward to this novel but unfortunately, it was far less than what I expected.

This story starts off with a bang (literally) and it's adventure and action right from the beginning. There is little to no introduction regarding the background of the world, the story, or the characters before the reader is thrust into the story.

However, even with the story being introduced amidst action, this novel was mostly....boring for me. None of the characters caught my attention, nor did ...more

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Feb 22, 2020 Boston rated it it was ok

2.5 stars. I went into this book expecting a great story and fantastic queer representation. What I got was a somewhat entertaining story and queer characters that were clearly not researched well, if at all. I liked the political aspect of the story, though, I would have liked to have seen Leo actually do something about other ships starving to death rather than just saying she cared about the issue. The story was entertaining enough to keep me reading, but I wasn’t wowed especially as a big Ja ...more

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Dec 06, 2020 tappkalina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbt-read, 3-star

Alexa Donne's books are instant buy for me. I love how even if the characters are in the center (which I appreciate as a character-driven reader), the plot is flesed out well enough to understand what's going on and the two mix together naturally. Plus her writing style is easy to read.

The only thing I want to complain about is how one of the characters said he can't fall in love, because he is asexual. I'm convinced he is indeed ace [edit: yes, he is aro ace], too, but that's just not what it ...more

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May 05, 2019 Eliza ☽ marked it as to-read

"A Jane Austen's 'Persuasion' retelling set in space"

Me, sobbing: Just - just please take my money. Take it. All of it. Please. I'm begging you, I need this so badly, just take my money, take it, plea- ...more

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Jan 20, 2020 Bookphenomena (Micky) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, sci-fi, retelling, arc-read, fc-review, 2020-read

THE STARS WE STEAL had the ingredients for Micky kryptonite with space, sci-fi and YA…that was before I even heard it was a retelling of Persuasion, so I was truly sold at that point. The execution didn’t let me down and won’t let fans of the original down if they have an open mind about the age of the characters and an in-the-future interpretation.

Leo was a likeable heroine from early on. She was a feisty, curvy feminist with a little more confidence than the original ‘Ann’. The premise for thi THE STARS WE STEAL had the ingredients for Micky kryptonite with space, sci-fi and YA…that was before I even heard it was a retelling of Persuasion, so I was truly sold at that point. The execution didn’t let me down and won’t let fans of the original down if they have an open mind about the age of the characters and an in-the-future interpretation.

Leo was a likeable heroine from early on. She was a feisty, curvy feminist with a little more confidence than the original ‘Ann’. The premise for this world, included an ice-age on Earth, a huge fleet of ships and a royalty system. There was a context of haves and have-nots. I enjoyed the politics, corrupt as they were and nepotism was the flavour of the month. Leo navigated this world, the fleet of ships with quiet insight, courage and snark.

I was a commodity in a pretty dress, on display for all to see.

Captain-to-be Elliot Wentworth returned to Leo’s life in unexpected way and they were not fast friends. Old hurts, jealousies and feelings were a roller coaster for these two. I struggled to really like Elliot, there was nothing essentially wrong with him but he didn’t give me the feels that the character he’s based upon demanded. However, when they were together, the chemistry was catchy.

Great side characters, both good and downright nasty, aiding this book along. There were family, friends and acquaintences that offered a rich tapestry. I liked Daniel and Evgenia a lot but Leo’s close family were hard to fathom until they weren’t.

The fast-paced story that ensued had me glued to my book, I found it difficult to put down and there were some mysteries along the way. This was truly a cast of YA characters, so lovers of Persuasion have to be ready accept this different age range and some of the decisions and behaviours that come with that age. I loved the conceptualisation in space and in YA, I appreciated the fun that they had on their ships and I enjoyed the ‘vlag’ season.

I highly recommend this fun, dynamic retelling of a classic in space. I think readers will engage with the fun characters and setting.

Thank you to Titan books for the gorgeous finished copy for review.

This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities. ...more

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Apr 09, 2020 Alaina rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-ng, fantasy, romance, sci-fi, books-i-own, lgbtqa, retellings, audiobook, fiction, young-adult

THIS WAS SO GOOD!

Ahh, I am so happy (like beyond happy) that I finally dove into The Stars We Steal. It was such a fun audiobook to listen to and it didn't hurt that it was also a retelling either. From the first moment that we met, I fell in love with Leonie (aka Leo) and Elliot. Heck, I knew that they were meant to be together from the moment they reunited.

Man, I love LOVE. Besides the romance and necessary drama, I enjoyed the twists and turns in this one as well. Not completely shocked about ...more

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Dec 13, 2019 Bethany rated it liked it

Shelves: good-fat-rep

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

Full disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book for review from the author, and I am a fan of her YouTube content. However, these are my honest thoughts and feelings on the book.

The Stars We Steal is a fun, soapy YA novel that is Persuasion (Jane Austen) meets The Bachelor in space. Such a great concept! And the execution was good, although in some places it could have been better. I had a really fun time reading this for the most part, and I actually think teen ...more

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Dec 12, 2019 Mara rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, recommended-to-me, physical-owned

3.5 stars-- My abiding experience of this book was as a lot of fun. This is a book that has a lightness of touch that I really enjoyed & I was having a good time the majority of the time I was reading it. That said, I do think there are some short comings for me, some that are unique to me (e.g. I'm realizing that I just don't like it when there's marriage at stake in a YA- feels like it should just be adult at that point) and some that I think stem from using Persuasion as the source material ( ...more

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Mar 14, 2020 Beth added it · review of another edition

Shelves: nope, stand-alone, lgbtqa

DNF at 45% pg 180

I'm quite sad about this if I'm honest, I don't think i've DNF'd a book in a very very long time, however I'm nearly at the halfway point and I am literally having to force myself to read this. The only reason I persisted is because I was taking part in a group Buddy Read and really wanted to finish it.

Firstly I want to point out, that these are just my opinions and not facts and what I like/don't like other people may dislike/like etc... we all different opinions when it comes DNF at 45% pg 180

I'm quite sad about this if I'm honest, I don't think i've DNF'd a book in a very very long time, however I'm nearly at the halfway point and I am literally having to force myself to read this. The only reason I persisted is because I was taking part in a group Buddy Read and really wanted to finish it.

Firstly I want to point out, that these are just my opinions and not facts and what I like/don't like other people may dislike/like etc... we all different opinions when it comes to books and that is completely fine so I'm just going to tell you why I didn't enjoy this.

Starting off I went in with zero expectations, I didn't know the premise of the book, or I did and forgot but when I did read the premise I was intrigued, I thought oooh it could be a similar vibe to The Selection Series, and I know that isn't perfect or everyones cup of tea, but I genuinely enjoyed it.

There were parts in this book that I did in fact like and I thought if it carries on like this I think there's a good chance I can start to enjoy this a little bit more and that was the kind of virtual dating aspect where they go on speed dates with a number of people and try and bring mutual likes into the date and the setting would change and they'd do the activity for five minutes and move on. I honestly was like THIS IS GREAT lets see more of this! The other saving grace for me was Evgenia, she was by far the best and most likeable character!

Sadly from where I got to there wasn't a lot more of the dating aspect for "The Valg" and it was heavily focusing on the relationships between 3 girls (all related may I add 2 sisters and 1 cousin) and a guy named Elliot that used to date Leo. Now here's where things get icky for me, I personally would never in a million years go with someone my cousin dated, a sister dated or even a friend dated. It just, I don't know doesn't sit very well with me. The fact is that Klara (Cousin) and Carina (Sister) just would not give up with it. Stop the madness!

Then there's like another back story involving water systems (I have no idea what was going on because we were told about it rather than it actually being explained) and some form of rebellion because the rich get everything and the poor get the crumbs of society. When this happens Leo was outraged, but did I see character development? Sadly not.

I wold normally say I may pick this book back up again and try it at another time, but I just know that's not going to happen, I have said many times for me personally characters make or break a book for me, but they were all so painfully annoying it was too much and I'm just kind of over it. ...more

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Jan 30, 2020 Guylou (Two Dogs and a Book) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-tbr

This exciting and lovely YA romance/fantasy novel is a retelling of Jane Austin’s Persuasion. The story takes place in space on several ships where the human survivors have taken refuge after the Earth experienced another ice age. They have been in space for over 170 years and in order to avoid inbreeding, the Scandinavian ship hosts a Valg season every five years. Young affluent people come from all ships to meet and hopefully find their future spouse. Princess Leonie Kolburg finds herself forc ...more

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Nov 09, 2019 Joshee Kun (조수아) rated it liked it

Shelves: sci-fi, romance, dystopian, hmh, physical-arc, physically-owned

I don't know you at all anymore. And I don't care to. —Leo
...more

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Feb 26, 2020 Amber rated it did not like it

I hate to leave such a low star-rating review, but unfortunately this book just didn’t do anything for me. Like a few of the other reviewers have mentioned, this book places too much emphasis on telling the reader what is happening rather than showing. This makes it difficult for the reader to feel engaged with the story and results in making the book boring. This problem was made worse by the serious lack of quality dialogue between characters and made the majority of the characters seem totall ...more

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Feb 03, 2020 Stacee rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-in-2020, skimmidy-skim-skim-skim, edelweiss

2.5 stars

I had seen this pitched as “the bachelorette in space” and was intrigued, but it was the cover that sucked me in.

I liked Leo? Yes, that is a question. She spends a good portion of the book complaining about royalty and titles, but doesn’t hesitate to use her “power” in the same way the people she’s complaining about do. I did like her tenacity. Her sister comes across as quite flighty and the big cast of secondary characters didn’t do a thing for me...including Elliott.

Plot wise, it w ...more

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Feb 16, 2020 Katie rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-reads

*4.5 stars*

ARC received at ALA from HMH teen.

Summary
Princess Leonie is living aboard the Scandanavian, a spaceship in the fleet of what is left of the human population. Royal only in title, her family desperately needs her to marry for money. Enter the Valg Season - an event held every five years to match all eligible people in the fleet with their future spouses. Leo is desperately looking for a solution for her family that doesn't involve her being married off to the wealthiest suitor, but ...more

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May 24, 2020 Cindee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: may-2020-tbr

I loved this book so much its been a long time since I have read a sci regency type romance and I really loved this one it had its ups and downs but it was all worth it the ending was so very good one of the best I have read in awhile. I really loved the characters especially Leo and Elliot even if their romance was a rocky one it was just so good by the end I really liked the perfect ending. What I really liked about Leo was her strength of character and the fact she could still be vulnerable I ...more

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Feb 22, 2020 Vanessa ♛Queen Alchemy ϟ Novel Nerd Faction♛ rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-new-release-challenge, reviewed, own-ebook-read, romance, science-fiction, second-chance-romance, cover-love, young-adult, retellings

This was an exciting YA science fiction novel that totally delighted me! This novel is a retelling of Jane Austin’s Persuasion, though it can still be enjoyed by someone (like me, gasp!) that has never read Persuasion.

These characters won me over fairly quickly. Leo especially was a character that I was drawn to. She was such a relatable character and I found myself rooting for her instantly. This book has a really great cast of characters that will make you feel a gamut of emotions. Some chara This was an exciting YA science fiction novel that totally delighted me! This novel is a retelling of Jane Austin’s Persuasion, though it can still be enjoyed by someone (like me, gasp!) that has never read Persuasion.

These characters won me over fairly quickly. Leo especially was a character that I was drawn to. She was such a relatable character and I found myself rooting for her instantly. This book has a really great cast of characters that will make you feel a gamut of emotions. Some characters evolve over time and come to mean something more to the story than the reader originally thought. I loved all the evolutions of these characters. Many characters had excellent character growth. I really love how each character was important to the story.

I enjoyed the writing style of the story. I was immediately drawn into the story and it kept my attention well. The story had a great flow throughout.

The world-building was adequate for the story being told. Science fiction is kind of tricky because it is very involved. On the other hand, this is a YA novel and so the world-building is not as intense as it would be in an adult novel. At least for the fantasy and science fiction genres. There are definitely things in the story that I would have loved to have more insight on but, again, the lack of those things does not impede the story being told. Some of the things that crossed my mind were: Where do the ships get their food and water? What powers their spaceships? I would have also loved to know more about Earth.

I really loved all the elements in the plot of the story. The story touches upon the class differences in the social structure, though I wish that the story had more resolution where this angle was concerned. The story arc was well crafted and I honestly couldn't pull myself away from the book. There are twists and turns in the story that keep you on the edge of your seat. The only thing that I felt was lacking was the end of the story. It felt like there were too many loose ends that weren't tied up at the end. I guess I was looking for more resolution.

Overall, I was so pleased with this story! I really loved the premise and the execution of the story. This is an author that I can't wait to read more from!

More reviews on my blog: Novel Nerd Faction ...more

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Feb 11, 2020 Knobby rated it liked it

Shelves: books-i-own

(3.5 stars)

I'd been SO excitedly waiting for this book to come out, ever since I heard the premise: YA Persuasion in space!! Persuasion is my second favorite Austen novel and I was really curious to see how Alexa Donne, whose first book, Brightly Burning, was Jane Eyre in space, was going to make this work. I had a long conversation with a friend about Persuasion adaptations. How can they be modernized, when the social mores of the Regency era can explain why the two lovebirds don't discuss thei (3.5 stars)

I'd been SO excitedly waiting for this book to come out, ever since I heard the premise: YA Persuasion in space!! Persuasion is my second favorite Austen novel and I was really curious to see how Alexa Donne, whose first book, Brightly Burning, was Jane Eyre in space, was going to make this work. I had a long conversation with a friend about Persuasion adaptations. How can they be modernized, when the social mores of the Regency era can explain why the two lovebirds don't discuss their problems, and the old-fashioned letter is the biggest source of swoon? Well, Persuasion in space is pretty darn modern! So how would it be tackled?

Princess Leonie Kolburg's family has a title, but no money left. Her father pushes her to participate in a fleetwide dating spree called the Valg in order to find a wealthy husband to save their family. Leo would rather do so with her wits — she's created a water filtration system that could bring value to all the ships, if only someone would give her a chance — but when she begins to participate in the Valg, she is faced with Elliott Wentworth: her ex-fiancé that her father forced her to dump three years ago because he was the valet's son. The problem? She's still in love with him. He's now filthy rich. And he doesn't seem to care about Leo at all....

The story, which was adapted and shaped to fit a new story, was more like Persuasion x The Bachelor Battlestar Galactica. For those who were curious about the history of earth-that-was, which was only lightly touched upon here, I'd recommend reading Brightly Burning first. This is not a sequel—there are no overlapping characters—but you get a better sense of what the fleet is doing in space. Anyway, with The Stars We Steal, there was so much going on, I wished that some of it had been expanded or, better yet, trimmed away.

I wish I loved this more. I understand the limitations of the adaptations — and I think the author flexed enough creativity to make it a wholly new story just "inspired" by Jane Austen — but it was clunky. I didn't care about Leo's mother's backstory. I didn't understand why there needed to be a villain at all. IMO, it should have been about Leo and Elliott's love story and everything else takes a backseat to that. What we got instead was a book so full of ideas that it felt jumbled. In the end, I was a little disappointed. ...more

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Jul 26, 2018 Elly rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult-fiction

THE STARS WE STEAL pulled me in immediately and wouldn't let me go. I loved its smart, confident heroine and the wonderful blend of Austen-inspired elements in a spaceship setting. This bold new take on a classic love story crackles with romantic tension, delivering a twisty ride full of secrets and betrayals. ...more

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Jan 02, 2020 Arielle ⭐ Cursebreaker ⭐ rated it liked it

Shelves: ya, arc-netgalley, sci-fi

UM SINCE WHEN DOES GR SAVE REVIEW DRAFTS??!?! Huge fucking thanks to that because I accidentally clicked out of my other window and I have a massive headache so I was about to lay my head down and weep, lol. Yasssssssssssssssssssssssssss.

3.5

Man am I bummed about this, you guys. For those of you who didn't know, this is a loose science fiction re-telling of Persuasion by Jane Austen. I personally have never read it before but I HAVE read and loved For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund ...more

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Jul 26, 2018 Vicky Again marked it as to-read

oh this sounds good...I must read Persuasion.

it seems all the Jane Austen novels I read are the ones that are never retold hahaha. but also--The Bachelor! (yes please?!)

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Mar 25, 2020 Melissa Stacy rated it liked it

Shelves: 2020-reads, ya-fantasy, romance, dnf, no-thanks, sci-fi-fantasy, dystopian

DNF on page 324 (of 389 pages total)

**unmarked spoilers ahead, so please beware**

"The Stars We Steal," published in February 2020, is a Young Adult/YA sci-fi romance, and the second book by Alexa Donne.

I love watching Donne's YouTube/AuthorTube channel, and I really wanted to love "The Stars We Steal." I read her first novel, "Brightly Burning," with the same high hopes. Sadly, I was unable to finish either book. I hit a hard DNF point in "The Stars We Steal," and could barely force myself to s ...more

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May 05, 2020 Phoenix2 rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: sci fi romance YA

Shelves: fantasy

I have not read The persuasion before, so I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. At least, the description looked promising : a princess, a couple matching month, an ex who came back with a change of status, I was convinced!

However, the book didn't live up to my expectations. There were many points that I've found annoying and prevented me from enjoying it as much as I wanted, though the first part was nice.

So, first of all, the setting of the book. It was supposed to be a space r I have not read The persuasion before, so I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. At least, the description looked promising : a princess, a couple matching month, an ex who came back with a change of status, I was convinced!

However, the book didn't live up to my expectations. There were many points that I've found annoying and prevented me from enjoying it as much as I wanted, though the first part was nice.

So, first of all, the setting of the book. It was supposed to be a space royalty theme, but there was hardly any background, world development or mythology about it. The reader is thrown in the universe of it and has to puzzle things from the few hints that the book provided here and there. That motif, unfortunately, was repeated with Leo and Elliot's story as well. We know that they split up, and some facts about him, but we never really get to see what happened, or their past love story overall. The first one made it difficult to understand the basics and to invest to the story, as, at some point, it felt confusing and like the story couldn't even keep things believable. So, it would have been nice if the whole black market, the "terrorists" and the space ship system were presented more clearly and with more details. For the second, it felt like a part of the intensity of the romance was taken away because you only know fragments of their story and you can't feel the way Leo must have felt.

Another thing about the story that I've found disappointing was the royalty system. So, there were people who had titles and then there were captains of the space ships and some wealthy people too. But the whole royal thing didn't make sense, especially for Leo's case, as A) she was from a German ship, with a father who was king (German king???), B) they didn't really role anyone. The whole nationality thing was overplayed too. Swedes obsessing over Abba and making fun of the Finish taste, not to mention the whole we Scandinavians are all super tall and super blond. I know they are kind of details, but they were repeated over and over and got a bit annoying and forced after a while.

Another fact about the concept was that the characters seemed like they grew up on Earth and then moved to space, as, they hardly acted naturally about the space ship culture. I mean, if you have been born and raised on a space ship, and you only know that lifestyle, would you question the glass walls and the space scenery?

Finally, about the story, the main theme was enjoyable, but the book got tiring. The only thing that really happened was Leo meeting Elliot and feeling hurt. The other plotlines were pushed aside and were not smoothly developed, as a result. Thus, the ending twist lost its charm. The book rushed events a bit in the end as well. In addition, the fact that Leo was 21 and everyone thought that she was too old to marry was contradictory to the whole space universe.

Now, for the characters, Elliot, our main love interest, was okay at first, mysterious and moody, but he got annoying in the end. And it was difficult to root for him and Leo, as the only thing that he did was hurt her, while his excuses about it were more than lame.

Leo, on the other hand, was okay at first, but she, as well, got tiring. She was a princess, who didn't want to be one, and she kept telling everyone again and again and again how she hated it and making them call her just Leo. I mean, you are a princess, either own it or do something about the title system. But, no, Leo only invited a lower deck friend to join her royal friends for dinner, being proud for doing so, and thus setting herself apart from the other royalty. She also kept saying how she was different, how she actually cared about the rest of the fleet's problems, but she did zero really about it. She would say that it was unfair and everything, and then complain that she just can't do anything about it because of her own family problems. Not that she could run for a captain and gain a position where she could have the power to do something, or anything... It just felt like the author wanted a princess, but she wanted us to not see her as a princess, but to like her for her not princessy character. Also, Leo, though feisty and practical, having everything under her control, she had some low self-esteem attacks, when waited for someone to come to her help. Why? She mostly passed off as this strong female lead, and then she needed her ex to reassure everyone that she was as beautiful as her sister? Finally, Leo's way with her family was a bit off. She did play it mother for them, understandably, but to tell a complete stranger that her King father is an idiot? Or don't talk to her sister, but dismiss her as a bubbly youngster who wouldn't understand, even though she was old enough to help her out with their father and their space ship problems. I don't know, at times, Leo felt like she enjoyed being a martyr.

As for the rest of the characters, most of them were stereotypes. Lucas, the immature playboy, her cousin, the snob, Daniel (probably the best character) the prince, her sister, the teenage party queen, her father, the old fool. Actually, the sister and her best friend were those who had potential but never were allowed to reach them, and were left as empty cells.

So, overall, the idea was good, and the writing was enjoyable, but the book didn't manage them as it should.
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Oct 27, 2019 Elisabeth rated it did not like it

Shelves: first-reads, giveaway-to-read-edit

The cover art and description made this book sound right up my alley. I wasn’t expecting this to be a complete favorite, but thought it would be a nice read. It had fine moments throughout, but the last fourth of the book was so poorly done. The beginning and middle had build ups and enough drama to be ok, but the last part of the book was so bad. Trying to be spoiler free here, but it was so poorly done and ridiculous, it was like the author was like oh well here’s the last part of the book let ...more

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Dec 22, 2019 Mila rated it liked it

Shelves: arcs

The digital arc of this book was kindly provided by the publisher via Edelweiss+ website in exchange for an honest review.

3,5 stars

I guess "Persuasion" is quite hard to make better or retell because this is the second retelling of it that I read and they're both kind of disappointing. Alex Donne tried to shape this story into a more of a mystery which I appreciate but all these weirdly sexual romantic relationships still took the spotlight. I also couldn't make myself like Elliot because he was ...more

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Challenge Corner: The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne -> Starting April 7th, 2020	10	7	Apr 10, 2020 09:25AM
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