From the Bookshelf of YAholics Anonymous!…

These Broken Stars (Starbound, #1)

Amie Kaufman,

Meagan Spooner

Start date: February 1, 2014

Finish date: February 28, 2014

Discussion: Group Read

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What Members Thought

Oct 18, 2017 Angela Blount rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi, ya

I’ll admit I was a bit hesitant to pick this one up. First of all, it sounded a bit like Titanic: In Space!, (and to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t a fan of how the movie ended. *sniffle*) Secondly, Illuminae was my first exposure to Amie Kaufman’s work (albeit in a different co-author form), and its recycled mishmash of sci-fi tropes sadly didn’t do anything for me. But several friends have spoken well of These Broken Stars, so I finally gave it a go.
I’m glad I did.

Told in alternating first-p I’ll admit I was a bit hesitant to pick this one up. First of all, it sounded a bit like Titanic: In Space!, (and to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t a fan of how the movie ended. *sniffle*) Secondly, Illuminae was my first exposure to Amie Kaufman’s work (albeit in a different co-author form), and its recycled mishmash of sci-fi tropes sadly didn’t do anything for me. But several friends have spoken well of These Broken Stars, so I finally gave it a go.
I’m glad I did.

Told in alternating first-person from the POVs of Tarver and Lilac, the story gives the account of an unlikely pair of starship crash survivors. Lilac’s version is straightforward recall, while Tarver proves more of an unreliable narrator—as he is evidently in the midst of a debriefing, which gradually begins to sound more and more like an interrogation. The style of retelling is particularly effective in that we can be assured of Tarver’s survival and eventual rescue from the get-go… but not of Lilac’s. And there is the increasingly ominous sense that “rescue” is a loose term.

While this book does belong in the sci-fi genre, readers should go into it expecting more of a survival story with heavy romantic elements and a dose of mystery. What we do get of the worldbuilding is sensible and well-structured, but the emphasis is on the relational and personal growth obtained over the course of the hero and heroine’s trek across an enigmatic and seemingly uninhabited planet. Disgruntled far-flung colonies, greedy/unethical corporations, recycled Victorian fashion sense, starships named from ironic Greek mythology… Nothing particularly original going on, but for what it is, it's well executed.

I loved Tarver like I rarely love a protagonist male. He was believable from the start—believably masculine in thought and action, and believably a soldier in discipline and mindset. We’re given enough background not only to buy his exceptionally young “war hero” status (a fluke of mere survival, by his account), but to also accept why he entered military service in the first place (in misguided honor of his older brother.) He’s exceedingly mature, competent, sarcastic, and unassumingly noble. While I wish readers were privileged to more of the poet side of this warrior, he still came across as satisfyingly complex.

Lilac, on the other hand, was a harder sell. You get in the beginning that she’s more than just a pampered rich girl, living under the oppressive shadow of her nearly all-powerful father. But once the story shifts to the crash-landing and the survival/journey theme that makes up the vast majority of the plot, she persists in her wildly impractical ways. (i.e. she stubbornly continues wearing her high-heeled shoes on their day-long hikes through rough terrain until foot injury and infection risk set in, while also insisting on wearing a BALL GOWN even after a suitable jumpsuit alternative is found.) I was patient with her up until this point, where her pride overruled the basics of common sense and pragmatism.

Lilac does eventually wise up. But this reader had largely given up on liking her by that point, and so the romance was more of a biological inevitability than something I could staunchly root for. (Although I very much appreciated the slow-burn progression. Always nice to see a YA where insta-attraction does not even remotely equate to insta-“love.”)

I did get pulled out of the story a bit toward the end—which may be the result of an editing oversight. As it’s something of a spoiler, I’m designating it clearly. (view spoiler) Granted, I haven’t seen this bother any other reviewers as of yet. So perhaps it is not as glaring an oversight as my mind registered it.

Content Note: Minimal harsh language, within a reasonable context. There is sex, though not graphically described. (But despite the direness of the circumstances, there’s no mention or concern for contraceptive use.)

A few qualms aside, I enjoyed the experience. Looking forward to picking up the next book in the series. If sci-fi tends to intimidate you, I’d encourage giving this one a try.
...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Megan (The Book Babe) rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed-on-my-site, received-for-review

Other reviews at The Book Babe's Reads. Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.

In all honesty... I don't have a clue in the world about this book. I mean, I read it, and I understood most of it... but... I don't really get it. It's without a doubt one of the most unique books that I've read in a long time, but I just... didn't love it. I liked it, sure, but it mostly left me with feelings of what-the-freckery at the end.

I mean...damn. I guess I'll just start talking now.

I liked the al Other reviews at The Book Babe's Reads. Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.

In all honesty... I don't have a clue in the world about this book. I mean, I read it, and I understood most of it... but... I don't really get it. It's without a doubt one of the most unique books that I've read in a long time, but I just... didn't love it. I liked it, sure, but it mostly left me with feelings of what-the-freckery at the end.

I mean...damn. I guess I'll just start talking now.

I liked the alternating points of view - it was obvious that one of them was a guy and that one of them was a girl throughout the writing; there was no weird moment when I couldn't figure out who was talking, so that was great. I enjoyed that, and I actually liked reading about Tarver and Lilac, although I pretty much abhor their names.

Tarver. What does that even mean?! If someone could tell me if that was a real word... that would be great. Because I surely don't know. Speaking of him, he was so adorable and chivalrous, and Lilac was just so brave! I actually liked her as a heroine, for the most part. She was annoying at first, but her growth throughout the book was great.

I loved the premise - a spaceship crash, with the two lone survivors being on a completely unpopulated planet. That was pretty much awesome - it's not very often that you get to read a book with no supporting characters, so it was an interesting experience.

I also loved the fact that there was a sweet love story - we rarely get to see the adorbs side of love, so that was fabulous. I do think that it took way too long for anything to happen on that front, though, but once it started happening... it was way too fast. It dragged in the beginning, and then they just jumped in. The pacing of it was way weird.

And believe me, the pacing wasn't the only weirdness that was going on. We have everything from weird voices to strange visions to possible alien life. It's a veritable smorgasbord of weirdness! This is where it started to get hazy for me. There comes a point when I start to freak out, and this book totally hit it.

There was just too much going on, with too many crazy plot points. Overall, I only liked this one - no love. But I'd be interested to see where the series goes from here, so there is that! ...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Renuka rated it it was amazing

Shelves: survival, reviewed, paranormal, adventure, suspense, thriller, science-fiction, favorites, young-adult, mystery

As I read this, I actually needed to get up, pace around my room to release the tension from my shoulders, and then sit back down to read. The whole thing was absolutely grilling. There wasn't much action, but it was far from boring. It was an odyssey.

Oh my gods. I've been looking for a good science-fiction book since I read Across the Universe by Beth Revis. When I saw this, I realized I needed to read it. But I had no idea how crazy it would actually make me. I love Tarver and Lilac. Tarver w As I read this, I actually needed to get up, pace around my room to release the tension from my shoulders, and then sit back down to read. The whole thing was absolutely grilling. There wasn't much action, but it was far from boring. It was an odyssey.

Oh my gods. I've been looking for a good science-fiction book since I read Across the Universe by Beth Revis. When I saw this, I realized I needed to read it. But I had no idea how crazy it would actually make me. I love Tarver and Lilac. Tarver was so brusque and hard but underneath he's a poet. He's got this untamed, wildness underneath him that only Lilac can balance out. And Lilac. She starts off as this spoiled, misunderstood girl, but she grows. And loses her blurry edges becoming sharper and so real.

I started off thinking this would be great, but just like Across the Universe. But it morphed into something unbelievable. I watched them survive for a little while, then I watched them fall in love. I watched them struggle. I watched them go insane. I watched them die. It was horrible the way this book made me cling to every word. It was slow, unhurried, but so, so tense. The gradual wrongness of the planet, the strange hallucinations, it broke me. I thought I would die of heart failure before the book was over.

There were so many questions. So many puzzles to be solved. So much anxiety and love and fear. I don't even know how I survived, much less Tarver and Lilac. But they were both so strong individually, and together they were stronger. And the writing, by the gods. I could see everything happening. The descriptions of the planet. The images conjured by the words. The tiny flowers, the glowing ship falling from the sky, the freckles on Lilac's face. Everything was like a slap to the face. I'm still breathing erratically trying to find words.

The interview was the only fault I could find, I think it would have been more suspenseful without the interview. But then again, more suspense might have killed me outright. Now, all I want is a more complete description of how the galaxy has progressed. I want to know more. I want to learn everything. I need to know Tarver and Lilac will be okay. I have no idea how the series is planning to progress, but I could care less. I love every inch of it and I can't wait. ...more

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May 31, 2014 Justin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I haven’t listened to an audiobook in years. I am so happy that I decided to listen to These Broken Stars. I’ve heard a lot of great things about this book, and after having listened to it on audio, I would suggest anyone wanting to read this book to listen to it. It was absolutely bone chilling listening to everything that was going on and getting caught up in the amazing atmosphere.

I honestly don’t even know where to begin. This book will totally mess with your head. I can’t count the number ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 13, 2016 Renuka rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reread

Reread: Jan 14, 2016

First read: Dec 23, 2013

1 like · Like · see review

Mar 06, 2013 Anna rated it really liked it

Shelves: must-read-2013-releases

I couldn't decide what rating to give it because it was SO UNIQUE!

I don't know what I was expecting...but I'm pretty sure if it wasn't what I read. The writing was spectacular and the imagery was beautiful.

Lilac and Tarver were both great characters. I really connected with them and with the circumstances. I loved the small conversations Tarver had in the beginning of each characters with the interrogator. If an author can persuade me with his/her writing style, it's usually a deal breaker for m ...more

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Dec 01, 2013 📖 Yazzie 📚 rated it it was amazing

okokokokok I LOVED this book ssoooooo much. it was hypnotic always kept me guessing and throughout most of the book i was internally screaming for them just hurry up and kiss and love each other. because we all know they did/

Lilac is the richest girl in the galaxy. Her name is the password to anything a girl could possibly want - this is what the world knows. What they don't know is that she is guarded and her father doesn't want to lose her, or even share her.

Tarver is now a war hero, thanks to ...more

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Mar 24, 2014 Autumn rated it liked it

Shelves: not-so-austen-bookclub-botm-2014, caucasian-mc

All I could think at one point was: Why are all of the characters Caucasian when this is a inter-planetary setting and I'm pretty sure there are other ethnicity groups travelling in space?

But. I do have to say, I loved what Kaufman and Spooner did with Lilac. At a certain point in the story it was fantastically done, I think, and that was exciting.

I kind of wanted to punch Tarver (who I kept calling Trevor by accident) in the face. He wasn't quite as rounded as Lilac and couldn't make up his m ...more

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