These Broken Stars: A Starbound Novel

Lilac LaRoux is accustomed to living a life of wealth. Her father owns the largest company in the galaxy and she hides deep pain behind the mask of an heiress. Major Tarver Merendsen finds himself on the Icarus’ maiden voyage after his heroic actions lurch him into the spotlight. Tarver and Lilac couldn’t be more different and they’re thrown together as the Icarus plummets from the sky, leaving them as the sole survivors of the crash. As much as the two can’t get along, they have to figure out a way to work together to survive on this strange planet.I have been wanting to read this book for quite awhile. The cover is stunning and I will guiltily admit that it first drew me to want this book. Then, I read the synopsis and it sounded like just my kind of book. I will admit, it was way less space opera than it was made to sound, but I didn’t mind. The romance is really the focus of this book, but I did expect as much from the synopsis.Something I really loved about this book is learning the main characters’ back stories. The authors did an amazing job of slowly revealing bits and pieces of Lilac and Tarver that I felt intrigued the whole time. There is so much pain and uniqueness to both these characters that they became so much more real.Lilac is tough, but not in the way so many female leads are these days. She has so much inner strength. She’s smart, which she hides well, and determined. At the same time, she grew up in the upper crust of society, so she struggles when she’s deserted with Tarver on an unknown planet. She falls apart and puts herself back together so many times throughout this book. She may not be the strongest physically, but she has so many qualities I admire. It’s refreshing to read a strong female lead that isn’t the typical amazing-at-everything girl.Tarver is also a great character to read. I was so fascinated by his story, especially his mom and his poetry. He wasn’t just the heroic soldier, but he also had a soft side. I really wish the authors would’ve included more of his poetry into this book. At times it was so easy to forget he wrote because we never got to see any of it.I also really enjoys all the snippets between the chapters. It was so fun to guess what was going one throughout them and I loved seeing them build into something great. They flowed so nicely with each chapter and it was great that they eventually connected closely with the story.I really loved this book until about 75% percent through it. I won’t spoil it, but some things happen that really upset me. At that point until the end, it just felt like a big scramble and it didn’t feel natural to me. I kept expecting the twist to turn into another twist, but that never came and I was pretty disappointed.The ending to this book was great, even with the stuff happening that bothered me. Each novel in this series focuses on a different cast, so each book has a pretty clear ending with no cliff hangers. Once I read this book, I just wanted more and I immediately pick up the next book.I just finished the whole series in just few days and I definitely think each book is better than the one before it.

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan SpoonerEdition reviewed: Hyperion, First Edition hardcoverNo major plot spoilers.Why I picked it up:I was browsing books on Amazon one day, and was looking for a science fiction romance. Why? Because of the (small) hole left in me by "For Darkness Shows the Stars" by Diana Peterfreund. I heartily give it a solid 4 star review, because it had everything I was looking for at that point in time: no paranormal elements/creatures (taking a break from fantasy), an original plot, and strong, likeable characters. It hit all of the aforementioned elements, BUT it was lacking a bit in chemistry – and the two leads did not ever share a kiss.Thus, These Broken Stars. It promised romance, as well as everything else that For Darkness Shows the Stars delivered, so I dived in.The Writing:Rather than describing the general summary of the novel, I’m going to assume that most of you have read the provided description.First of all, I was blown away by the fluidity in this book despite the fact that it was written by two authors! Had I not known, I would never have guessed it because the writing flows so beautifully. Kaufman and Spooner have forged an amazing partnership in the creation of this novel, and I am so glad that they found each other as writing partners.Lilac and Tarver were both stunningly well developed characters. Throughout the book, I liked Tarver’s personality, through both his perspective, and Lilac’s perception of him. On the other hand, I grew to like Lilac over time. I definitely liked her at first – but it was only during her chapters that I found her to be sympathetic. I disliked her everytime it shifted to Tarver’s chapters, because she seemed like an absolute brat. This remedied itself as the plot unfolded, as it revealed Lilac’s fragility in the face of her outwardly strong persona. Basically, I felt like I liked her more and more as Tarver began to like her – which really demonstrates the authors’ talent, that I was sharing these emotions with the characters.Plot wise, I didn’t choose this book for originality. It was more or less a replacement for For Darkness Shows the Stars, which was based on Persuasion by Jane Austen, so I didn’t care that this book seemed like it was a sci-fi version of Titanic. However, I was happy to discover that although the initial premise of this novel sounded cliché, the plot started spinning a much more interesting and original storyline than I had anticipated. I was thrilled by every turn of events, and did not find this book to be predictable in the least. Even at the end (more on this later in the review), I didn’t know what was going to happen to the protagonists, so I was kept at the edge of my seat the whole time. I haven’t read such a thrilling, absorbing novel in Young Adult fiction in a long time. I didn’t set out to read such a gem, but I found one in These Broken Stars.The Romance:This is where this book really shines. This is doubly true for me, since I picked this one in large part for the promised romance. The relationship between Tarver and Lilac developed at the perfect pace, and did not seem manufactured or forced. It was both believable and sweet. Yes, they feel an immediate attraction at the beginning of the novel while on the Icarus, but this turns out to have little to no effect on the burgeoning romance once they crash onto the unknown planet. Tarver files her away as a beautiful, but typically spoiled and helpless heiress, and it almost seemed as if her appearances worked against her at first. But after being stripped to their innermost layers, removing all the superficial personas, Tarver and Lilac fell in love with the vulnerable and true personalities that they saw in each other.While this can be a pro or a con depending on the person, I loved that the heat was turned up a bit for this novel. There were definitely references to sex, nudity, and even the “problem” that Tarver woke up with after sharing blankets with Lilac. It’s a PG-13 level romance, but I loved the amped up heat after their relationship blossomed.Favorite line about their relationship: Tarver, in Chapter 31:“There are moments like this when I can actually imagine her at my parents’ cottage. I can see her hauling wood with the rest of us, chopping vegetables, going to long walks and calling it entertainment. I think my parents would like her.I can see her happy there.”The Ending:The ending, in my opinion, was pretty perfect. Loose ends were tied up, and although the ending was pretty brief, it did everything right. I loved that I couldn’t really predict the ending. Maybe I guessed what type of ending it was going to be, but I had no idea how Tarver and Lilac were going to reach that point. Basically, everything in the last few chapters was a surprise to me, and it was thrilling to figure out how things were going to be tied up. So even if you know the starting and ending point of a book, I think it’s the actual journey that’s the most fun to read. With another of my favorite books, Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (a very different type of book), or The Road by Cormac McCarthy (also a very different book), the actual ending really mattered to me. With These Broken Stars, it was just so thrilling to read how they were going to get themselves out of a seemingly impossible situation.Final Thoughts:This book far exceeded my expectation in everyway. So much, that I added it to my favorites shelf, which I reserve for books that really leave an impact on me. It’s probably one of the best Young Adult reads of 2013, and I actually resent the fact that the School Library Journal book summary (the first one you see on Amazon) sounds so cliché.It starts by saying that “Lilac LaRoux is the belle of the ball,” despite how Lilac is first seen sitting away from other people, almost isolated despite her reputation. The next sentence says, “Beautiful Lilac is constantly denying suitors who seem only to be after two things, her fame and her father’s fortune,” which is even farther off the mark. The only “suitor” that comes up to her in the entire span of the book is Tarver, who doesn’t even know who she is at that point. The only other guy that is mentioned to have approached her romantically is a boy that Lilac herself loved, who was poorer than her, and bonded with her over things like electric wiring. So why does the summary begin with those statements? I turned away from the book at first, having only read that description, and only came back to it after reading other reviews that insisted that this book was original.Don’t think that this book is just a rehashed Titanic or Romeo and Juliet! It’s so much more, and I believe that any Young Adult romance lover will find this book just as intense and enthralling as I did. It really is a splendid read.The only thing I still want to know: Who is Sarah? When Lilac hears Tarver call her Sarah, I wanted to find out if she was right in her assumption that it was Tarver’s ex-girlfriend. Maybe this was cleared up somewhere in the book, but if it was, I missed it. I combed the chapters before and after that scene, and I couldn’t find any clarification. I know it’s not really relevant at all, but it’s my tiny nit-pick for this book.But anyway, read this book! It will blow you away, and you will fall in love with Lilac and Tarver because of their hardships, not in spite of them. You’ll fall in love with their fragile-on-the-outside but inwardly unbreakable bond.You’ll fall in love with the amazing world and expertly spun storyline that makes These Broken Stars such a thrilling ride.

I enjoyed 'These Broken Stars', and despite being reminded of the old film, 'Forbidden Planet' throughout the middle section of this book, it felt fresh and new.The book alternates its chapters between the male and female leads, Tarver and Lilac, with each speaking in the first person. Each pair of chapters is then followed by a brief series of questions that appear to be Tarver being de-briefed by some sort of military types *after* the mission - and hence it's no spoiler to say that we know from the start that Tarver, at least, escapes the planet.This is a romance in a sci-fi setting, rather than a sci-fi story with lots of romance. It does have action scenes, and some, particularly the initial disaster, are striking. Other dramas get a bit lost because we hear Tarver and Lilac's thoughts in so much detail, that the action is almost in slow-motion. It also means that we see a lot of the romance developing via the contents of Tarver and Lilac's heads, rather than via interaction and dialogue. I didn't realise I'd miss the emergence of a relationship from an observer's perspective so much. Is there such a thing as knowing too much about your characters?Now I've had chance to digest the book, enjoyable romance aside, I think the most effective part is those brief pages where Tarver is questioned after the event. Some of the questions are downright creepy and some are peculiar; they allow us to guess more more about the hidden characters, such as Lilac's father, and it's impossible not to dread this sinister man. I guess we'll hear more about him in the next two books in the trilogy.An additional point: this book actually has an ending, unlike so many YA/paranormal trilogies, where there's a huge cliffhanger at the end, and - if you've bought the book hot off the presses - you then have to wait two years to get the end of the tale. I'm REALLY glad this one doesn't do that.

You may well be looking at this book because of it's cover art. I know that's one of the things that drew me in. This book is beautiful inside and out. It has excellent world building that allows you to visualise the planet they're on but also to understand a little about the wider universe they live in without overwhelming you with information. For most of the book there are only two characters, Lilac and Tarver so I think the fact that I didn't get bored of reading about them and their evolving relationship really tells you how well these characters are written. Their relationship isn't easy to begin with and you find yourself siding with both of them on different issues especially as the chapter point of view alternates between the two of them.

Series: Sleepless Series #1Publication Date: December 2013Summary: "It’s a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it."This is a beautifully written space opera, with elements of the paranormal. The plot is very much survival-based, and in the course of the novel the relationship between the survivors grows, which makes this book stand out.The writing is beautiful, the descriptions are exceptionally well done, without any elements of purple prose; it flowed exceedingly well. The romance was well built, and completely believable, although a little overwhelming at times given the environment and the situation.I wound up liking both of the characters, even if I didn't start off that way. Lilac and Tarver's relationship and its development was the best thing about this book. Lilac's character is a bit annoying in the beginning and, truly, I just wanted to punch her, but in the course of the novel she suffers some major character development.Even being a great book, I still have reservations about it that, in my opinion, keeps it from being a even greater novel. That includes the slowness of the plot, the unconvincing character of Tarver (even though I love him very much) and the complete lack of world building.The plot dragged on at times because an overwhelming part of the book is composed of the pair traipsing through an alien planet, trying to survive an unknown environment. The narrative flows well, but Tarver's character isn't as convincing as I would like him to be as the lead male.Overall, I really, truly enjoyed this book, and it is absolutely in the running for one of my notable reads. Absolutely recommended, and I cannot wait for the next two books in the series.

i haven’t seen anyone talking about this book but they should! it got me out of a year long reading drought and the romance was so cute

exactly what i wanted and expected