For Darkness Shows the Stars (For Darkness Shows the Stars, #1) in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

Dec 19, 2013 Nadine in NY Jones rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, young-adult, stayed-up-way-too-late, dystopian-and-post-apocalyptic, retelling-a-classic, lily, living-on-the-water

This book! OMG this book! I just LOVE being surprised by how awesome a book is. I just wasn't expecting it with this one (they always sneak up when you least expect it). And here I've ruined it for you, telling you how awesome it is - but if I don't, you might not read it!

This book just in general was not what I was expecting. "Stars" and "Cloud Fleet" led me to expect sci-fi ... a YA dystopian romance set on other planets, with space travel, with two spunky young heroes who fight the establishm ...more

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Jun 16, 2012 CrystalIsReading on StoryGraph rated it really liked it

Shelves: retellings, fantasy, young-adult, dystopian, apocalyptic

I couldn't put this book down. I read more than 200 pages in one sitting, far too late into the night. I definitely think this was better than killer unicorns and the virgins who hunt them.
I haven't read or watched Persuasion in a long time, so I remained nervous about how the story would play out. The tension was palpable at some points. Peterfreund did a good job of creating realistic, simmering characters, both good and bad. Petty, angry, selfish people who hurt anyone around them because the I couldn't put this book down. I read more than 200 pages in one sitting, far too late into the night. I definitely think this was better than killer unicorns and the virgins who hunt them.
I haven't read or watched Persuasion in a long time, so I remained nervous about how the story would play out. The tension was palpable at some points. Peterfreund did a good job of creating realistic, simmering characters, both good and bad. Petty, angry, selfish people who hurt anyone around them because they could, and quietly noble people who did what they needed to for the sake of those they cared for, and a variety in between. I detested Baron North like few characters I've read recently, hate Tatiana, and found Benedict creepy in some indefinable way. I found the Innovations and the Phoenixs fascinating. I like Elliot's posts--Mags, Dee, and Gill, and Elliot...I loved Elliot. Very compelling.
The story concept, the dystopian futuristic element, was interesting. I never figured out where the islands were that she referred to, but otherwise I was satisfied by the world she created, and kind of wish there'd be more books set in this world. I want to know what else is out there. I also found her take on GMOs and human genetic scientific developments interesting, although it didn't feel like she was making a point or even taking a side.
My mild complaint with this book would probably be that there seemed to be some repetition. No examples come to mind at the moment, but several time I read a line and thought to myself, "Didn't I just read that a paragraph or few ago?" Also, I'm not sure how well I connected with (Mala)Kai. I believed the love story, but he made me angry sometimes, and I mostly cared about him because of how he affected Elliot.
I could gripe a little about the cover too. Elliot is described as having black hair, not the brown on the cover, and I'm not sure she was the makeup (eye shadow) wearing type, or if Luddites even used makeup. but it's a small gripe, because otherwise I liked the cover. You can just tell artists don't read the books, sometimes.
I did love the title. My husband noticed it while I was reading, and said he thought it was a stupid title, and didn't make any sense, but he's a man, and not an Austen fan, so there. I definitely thought it made sense, especially in the context of the story. Also, it's pretty.
I would definitely recommend this to fans of YA dystopian who want a well-written book. I would also recommend this to Austen fans, for a creative but beautifully done retelling of one of Austen's finest, most mature works. You can tell Peterfreund wrote this as a real love letter to Jane Austen and her works; it shows both in her excellent retelling of the story, and in her dedication, which is to her mother "who loves Jane Austen as much as I do. And my daughter, who I hope someday will."
And now I want to go read Persuasion all over again. ...more

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Jun 25, 2016 Christina rated it really liked it

Shelves: popsugar-2016-reading-challenge, austen, sci-fi

This and my other reviews from this year can be found on my blog, drinkingandink.

Popsugar 2016 Reading Challenge: A romance set in the future.

As I may have mentioned before, I love well-done retellings of classic stories. I also love Jane Austen, and of Jane Austen's 6 published novels, the one I love the most, hands down, is Persuasion. So when I needed to find a book to fulfill the "romance set in the future" item, and came across this YA dystopia Persuasion, I kind of had to give it a shot.

Yo This and my other reviews from this year can be found on my blog, drinkingandink.

Popsugar 2016 Reading Challenge: A romance set in the future.

As I may have mentioned before, I love well-done retellings of classic stories. I also love Jane Austen, and of Jane Austen's 6 published novels, the one I love the most, hands down, is Persuasion. So when I needed to find a book to fulfill the "romance set in the future" item, and came across this YA dystopia Persuasion, I kind of had to give it a shot.

You know, I really liked it? I knew we were in good hands when the book opened with a lot of world-building and class tension. Elliot was a sympathetic heroine, a little passive but still with her own agenda. The dystopia was not gratuitously gritty but felt fairly realistic, and (and this is key) the whole book stood on its own, without the single-minded devotion to the original plot that's been the downfall of many a retelling. I do firmly believe this book could be read and enjoyed by someone who had never read the original. It was an absorbing read throughout.

The Letter - man, The Letter in the original Persuasion has to be one of the most romantic documents in literary history. You really have to give Captain Wentworth a lot of credit for writing it, especially since he was writing while eavesdropping and probably distracted by other conversations going on in the room as well. I can barely write progress notes while report is going on in the office. Well done, sir.

Anyway, The Letter in this version appeared in a way that wasn't too contrived (something that has stumped many a contemporary author), although the timing might make some people with clinical training find it a little ambivalent. And it was a halfway decent homage to the original. Another point.

Also, there was one line towards the end that I thought was particularly moving right about now. One character was explaining how she had become more active on behalf of the Posts (the historical underclass of their society, still subject to discrimination), and said how she felt it was hypocritical to keep taking from their culture without becoming an ally in their struggles. Although this wasn't a dystopia with a huge lot of applications in contemporary society, I think you can probably guess why I thought that line was so relevant...

But overall, this was an escapist book. In order to enjoy it, you probably do have to be into YA fantasy, and be willing to suspend a lot of critical thinking. I was able to do that, although I couldn't help noticing that, like many a YA hero before him, Kai didn't do too much to convince us that he was worthy of so much affection. He's way more appealing than many other YA heroes out there who rely on a range from sullen to grumpy to homicidal and our faith in the heroine's affection to convince us they're appealing (see: Wolf from Scarlet, whatshisface from The Iron King, and Four from Divergent), and at least he apologizes for being a dick later in the book, but Captain Wentworth he ain't. I also couldn't help wishing everyone was a little bit older. The age business meant we were supposed to be okay with an 18 year-old showing interest in a 14 year-old, about which I can only say, dystopia or not, YIKES.

Still, I liked it. I found myself really addicted, staying up to finish the book an hour past the time I said "I'm just going to read for a bit, I can barely stay awake." The Letter was a halfway decent homage to the original. It's harder to give a reasonable review when I was so absorbed: when I down a book quickly, it's much more difficult to regard the elements critically on the way. But that I think tells you plenty in itself. If you enjoy YA fantasy, you'll probably enjoy this, and if you're a Jane Austen fan to boot, you won't hate it. ...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Amanda rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, retelling, 4-stars

Adorable! Another rec (from the friend who told me to read Raven Boys and The Diviners) and another winner in the long run of beautiful rec books.

This was a sweeping retelling of Jane Austen's "Persuasion" and I loved getting to see how Diana rewound the story, refitted it to her world. The pieces that clicked immediately, the passions of the characters, the difference of culture and choice, how love and pride (of many different kinds of both) are at war across this story.

I made sad, confused ...more

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