Amber
Written on Nov 7, 2013
Full review on Books of Amber
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 to 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 in this place 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.
The first in a sweeping science fiction trilogy, These Broken Stars is a timeless love story about hope and survival in the face of unthinkable odds.
- ISBN10 1423171217
- ISBN13 9781423171218
- Publish Date 25 November 2014 (first published 10 December 2013)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Disney Publishing Worldwide
- Format Paperback (UK Trade)
- Pages 416
- Language English
Reviews
Full review on Books of Amber
jnikkir
Written on Oct 18, 2013
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These Broken Stars is one of the most talked-about new releases of 2013, and for darn good reason. It's been described a lot as "Titanic in space", which is true to a point - except the crash happens very early in the book, and Rose and Jack--I mean, Lilac and Tarver--aren't separated by the crash, but rather, they're brought together by it.
In These Broken Stars, Lilac and Tarver -- a war hero with a humble background, and the only daughter of the richest man in the known universe -- meet on the voyage, and there is definitely a draw between them when they first meet on the ship. The two recognize in each other a sort of kindred spirit, despite their vastly different upbringings. However, Lilac is forced to brush Tarver off in a very unfortunate way, and the two are forced to part ways.
But it's the Icarus's crash that ends up stranding them together and bringing them closer.
Right from the beginning, Tarver completely had my heart. His narrative voice is fantastic. He's stoic, subtly snarky, and though he might have a tough exterior, above all you can tell that he is a good person. Since this is sort of a stranded-on-a-desert-island, fight-for-survival kind of story, I was halfway expecting Tarver to be more disparaging toward Lilac once they crashed. Thankfully, this wasn't the case. Tarver's realization of Lilac's strengths (despite his doubts about her character, thanks to her professed reasons for brushing off his advances on the ship) came way earlier than expected, almost from the very beginning when he notices how she's smarter than he assumed she would be, and that she's tough in her own way. It's not Lilac's "helplessness" that causes much conflict, but rather their clashing personalities as they both struggle to survive on this unfamiliar planet.
Lilac is a character that I wasn't really expecting to like, based just on the blurb. But from the very beginning, I recognized something in her that I really liked. She immediately proved that she's more than one would expect from her privileged upbringing, even while on the ship. And when they're finally stranded, she doesn't complain, and doesn't expect Tarver to do absolutely everything for her. She's tough and resilient. She's not unexpectedly awesome at surviving in the wilderness (in fact she kind of sucks at it), but she shows strength and stubbornness and a ferocity that I really really liked.
And Lilac and Tarver together... Okay, yeah, I guess technically it's insta-love, if you're judging by the timeline of events. But it never once felt forced or too fast. The sheer amount of things that they go through, and the amount that they learn about one another in that time, is miles beyond the norm, and their relationship moves from partnership, to friendship, before it becomes more. Their fight to stay alive is the most important thing, and their personalities clash often. The two of them are both incredibly stubborn, and that just made their eventual acceptance of their fate, and realization of their feelings, all the sweeter.
Another really great thing about These Broken Stars is the mystery, and the chills. This being a sci-fi book, I wasn't expecting to be genuinely scared by anything in it. I get scared when I'm reading horror or paranormal ghost stories, but sci-fi? I adore it, but it rarely genuinely scares me. That being said, the things that Lilac and Tarver experience when they're on the "deserted" planet freaked me the heck out. No, really -- at once point I was reading in my living room with only one reading light on, and the rest of the lights were off, and I had to get up and turn more lights on. Maybe I'm just a sissy, but there you go.
Not only does These Broken Stars bring the chill-factor, it also brings the FEELS. Lilac and Tarver are just... ugh. (You know it's serious when I can't even properly express my feelings, guys.) These two have such awesome chemistry, and their relationship grows so perfectly, and then BAM. When you're least expecting it, you will be punched in the gut and you won't know what the heck is going on anymore. My face went ♥_♥ → :D → :O → ;_; → D': in about 2.3 seconds flat. And that was... what, only about 2/3rds of the way through? It was intense.
And then the real crazy stuff started happening, and I just fell more and more in love with the book because my feels were EVERYWHERE and I didn't know what the heck was going on but the pages basically just turned themselves until it was all over.
In conclusion...
I am so thankful that this book lived up to the immense hype surrounding its release! If you're a fan of YA sci-fi and romance in equal measure, you are bound to love this book. I feel like it's the perfect balance of the two - maybe leaning a little more toward the romance, until the end, but the story just felt so complete, was written so succinctly, and not one element felt out of place. It all just fit together like... well, the first third of a really satisfying puzzle.
I say "the first third" because These Broken Stars is the first in a series of companion novels featuring three different sets of characters, but the same "baddie" -- which is just a freaking awesome idea, especially since this first book is such a success. This is an excellent start to the Starbound trilogy, and I can't wait to see what Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner have in store for the next two books!!
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There were books involved...
Linda
Written on Sep 6, 2013
ARC received on 1 August 2013
Amazingly great science fiction in These Broken Stars. This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
Full review to come soon.
Suz @ Bookish Revelations
Written on Aug 25, 2013
Action packed and filled with danger and wonder, These Broken Stars, encapsulates everything that I love about a science fiction book. All of the elements come together so realistically and blend so brilliantly well together, it's hard not to love it. The adventure and romance between Tarver and Lilac is the best part of the book, in my opinion. I fell in love with the gorgeous chemistry between the two of them, the sheer intensity, of coming together and building slowly, only to be ripped apart again made it even more incredible. The world building alone, is absolutely phenomenal! It's rife with danger, action, and heart stopping moments that will have you on the edge of your seat.
Kaufman and Spooner have done a brilliant job at penning such an originally stunning and gorgeous novel. The complexity of this story alone, is enough to rouse your interest and keep you reading until the last page. If you are a fan of science fiction novels such as the amazing Across the Universe, then this is the book that you'll want to pick up and read. It is, without a doubt, one of my favorite books that I've read this year. The characters, the story, the romance...it's everything that I was expecting it to be and so much more.This is a book that is definitely not to be missed out on.
Ashley
Written on Jun 19, 2013
4.5 Stars
These Broken Stars was... phenomenal! I dove right into it because I heard some say it felt like Titanic in space, and I love Titanic! While the beginning does feel a bit like that, the rest of the book is something entirely different.
I feel like These Broken Stars is a recipe catered specifically for me. We have a star-crossed lovers thing going on, with two people from two different worlds. Combine that with space travel, other planets, alien lifeforms, and a heart-pounding romance, and you have one hell of a book!
This is a wilderness waiting to swallow me; I'd barely make a dent trying to fight it. There are no rules for me to learn, no points to be scored, no bluffs to be called. This is a hell I've never imagined. And I think I'm going to die here.
—Page 108
These Broken Stars has the best kind of romance: a slow-brewing, heart-stopping one. Although Lilac and Tarver are drawn to each other fairly early on, they know they're from different worlds and that they can't be together, so they push each other away. Then, over time, they slowly break down that barrier and let a relationship develop. It's really slow moving (but in a good way, for romance!) and then when it finally kicked in... OH MY GOD!!! Incredible! So insanely swoony. My heart actually may have melted. Tarver and Lilac are so adorable together! I love their sweet kissing scenes and the soft moments they share together. And in general, Tarver is just a hot sexy soldier.. delicious!
I'm not even close to the type of girl he'd want, just as I've been signaling at every opportunity that he's the last man in the galaxy I'd want to touch. The only difference is that I was wrong.
—Page 136
Honestly, not a whole lot goes on plot-wise for the middle part of the book. It does get a tad slow, but it was still enjoyable. Most of this part is Lilac and Tarver trekking through this other planet to get to the space ship's crash site. It's like a week-long trek so there's a lot of hiking, talking, bantering, etc. So in terms of action, not a lot happens, but I really enjoyed just listening to Lilac and Tarver interact. They're both such great characters and I love putting them together!
"Fifty thousand people on that ship, give or take. Three thousand of them soldiers. At least a dozen decorated war heroes. I looked at you."
—Page 262
I don't normally comment on the writing in books, but in These Broken Stars it was too brilliant to not mention! The words flowed off the page effortlessly and there were so many passages that I couldn't help but share! It may sound cheesy, but this book just felt beautiful as I was reading it.
I think the one thing I wasn't totally sold on was something that happens near the end: when Lilac dies and then comes back to life.. or is "copied"? I think the whole thing put me off because I didn't understand exactly what happened, and we still don't know. Is this person actually Lilac? It's hard to say, because her old body is still very much dead. It's sort of like a clone of Lilac. I guess you could say it's a "copied" body with Lilac's soul inside? But I don't know.. the whole thing was just so weird and I had a hard time coming to terms with it. Eventually I decided to try to forget that she died at all and just pretend that it never happened and that she's still very much alive.. lol.
Other than that minor complaint near the end, I absolutely adored this book! The romance was heartbreakingly good and I can't wait to spend more time with it in book 2!