Review ~ These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: 10th December 2013

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Description:
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.

My Opinion

When I started reading this I hadn't realised it still hasn't been released so I was excited to get into it as soon as possible. This book was a lot different than I expected - in a good way - and so far it has met all of my expectations.

I'm not normally a fan of sci-fi but something about These Broken Stars caught my eye. I think it was the beautiful cover that hooked me to begin with. Anyway, as I started reading I was a bit wary, especially as it was on a spaceship. I didn't know where the authors were going to go with the story but I was pleasantly surprised with the revelations. Most of all I'm glad the book isn't written on the confines of the ship all the way through. In fact, even for me the technology and terms were kept to a minimum which was great.

I liked that Tarver was a soldier and had that strong, determined and disciplined mindset to him. I especially like him in the snippets of interrogation we get at the end of every chapter. For me, the wit he used to answer questions was amusing. Also because of the soldier aspect it made everything a lot easier to follow as it didn't feel so spacey and out-of-this-world. For me it gave the book an earthy feel.

I will admit I did groan as the love/hate relationship started. I found Lilac's attitude to be annoying and pretentious. I know that she was acting her superior role but for me there wasn't enough consistency in her character in the way her thoughts were directed at Tarver. One minute she likes him the next she's cold. It went back and forth for too long. Saying that though, by the end I had fallen in love with both of them and just wanted the best for their future. I liked how Lilac grew stronger and was thankful she quit moaning so much.

One other thing I liked was how the authors set it on another planet. They described the landscape brilliantly so I could picture everything clearly however I found myself wanting more answers. It wasn't until around 91% that some of my questions were answered and personally I felt it was a little too late. I would have liked more information in drips rather than a big info dump t the end.

Overall though, These Broken Stars is unlike any other book I have read. It's an enjoyable read once you get into it and I would recommend checking it out when it's released.