These Broken Stars (Starbound, #1) in Hype or Like Friday

Apr 04, 2016 Debby (Alwaysbooking) rated it it was ok

I am in the minority with my rating on this book. While a lot of people enjoyed this book it just wasn't for me. I have read another book written by Amie Kaufman and really enjoyed it. So I thought I would give this one a go... it did not go..anywhere. This story is about a young "princess" and a military man who crash land on an abandoned planet. I couldn't connect to the world building or character building.

Lilac is the main female character. She has been brought up to expect everything handed ...more

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Aug 03, 2014 Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer rated it really liked it

Shelves: imo-suspenseful, fiction-young-adult, series-book-1, g-t-another-world, reviewed, g-c-life-out-of-the-ordinary, imo-neat-premise, g-t-future, genre-sci-fi, 2014

Despite the first half of the book being boring and slow in spots I still gave this a 4 star. For the most part it is well written and some of the description - mainly the crashing and crash of the Icarus - is very well done. While their narratives weren't so different I could always remember whether I was reading Tarver or Lilac I did feel they had different arcs (which is better than most dual perspective books I read). And I really enjoyed the mixture of survival and paranormal events. This a Despite the first half of the book being boring and slow in spots I still gave this a 4 star. For the most part it is well written and some of the description - mainly the crashing and crash of the Icarus - is very well done. While their narratives weren't so different I could always remember whether I was reading Tarver or Lilac I did feel they had different arcs (which is better than most dual perspective books I read). And I really enjoyed the mixture of survival and paranormal events. This and the fact I felt like the characters really grew as people is why the high rating.

For the most part this is a romance novel. It isn't only romance with a veneer of the sci-fi but the romance does set the tone of the story because it starts the book and ends the book, not the sci-fi/aliens. This could bug some people but if you read YA fiction in the first place because it always has a tinge of romance than this will be right up your alley. That said, the survival element also takes president over the alien aspects of the story as the couple struggle with the physical first then get struck by the mental difficulties of the planet. So what this all means is a slow beginning and a nice pat ending that could strain credibility. It does make a wild ride if you hang in there.

I really loved that BOTH Tarver AND Lilac have character arcs and we see both perspectives. This was really important as it takes the focus off the romance and puts it squarely on the characters. It's a smart writing decision because the story is all about them getting together in the end so the journey has to really suck us in! So naturally I really enjoyed the way this book opens. Lilac and Tarver don't start out on the right foot and both have the overcome this initial impression and learn to work together. It's this relationship that really makes the story work for me. I'm not here to simply read a romance novel but to experience relationships with their ups and downs, their beginnings and endings.

I really enjoyed the alien aspects to this story as well. It starts slow but again it's only one aspect of the story and it really works very well. It's unexpected and the conflict it creates is a lot more creative than say, a love triangle! I thought the details that add up to clues for Lilac and Tarver were well thought out. I was a little puzzled as to the actual details of where the aliens came from but I did get the gist and it really isn't that important. If you're a hard sci-fi reader this WILL bug you - it's not meant to stand up under science degree standards. I could have used more conflict from the actual planet. I expected more trouble with the wildlife and other unexpected developments from an abandoned planet.

There are several plot points I really loved and enjoyed. I won't go into them because it's their surprise that really helps us to commit whole heartedly to Lilac and Tarver. This suspense really makes the story. As does Tarver and Lilac both make worthy love interests and seeing them grow into this couple is exciting. This has all the details of a good sci-fi drama.

BOTTOM LINE: The journey with all its ups and downs makes the story for two people falling in love. ...more

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Feb 14, 2021 Anne rated it it was ok · review of another edition

2.5 stars. After having read some old reviews here, I was fully prepared to plummit into a romance novel. I generally don't like romance novels, but here I thought reading one could help me rekindle the spark in my marriage, with Valentine's Day around the corner and all. Bad strategy, since I didn't think of the YA component of this book. YA romance usually falls dead on me, with this one being no exception. I snoozed through the first half of the audiobook (apart from the first chapter; spaces ...more

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