These Broken Stars (Starbound, #1)

by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Review originally posted at Simply Adrift.

These Broken Stars was nothing I expected yet everything I wanted. I really enjoyed reading this book, it's ended up being one of my favourites.

First off, that cover! I love the cover, I love the font and the way it takes up most of the picture and is displayed over the main picture. I also love the spacey look, I always love covers that look more like space art than book covers though.

These Broken Stars did start off a little slowly in my opinion, the first thing I thought of was the movie Titanic. The different status’ between Tarver and Lilac, the way the higher status treated the lower status, located on a ship even if it was travelling through space, the ship wreck. However as the story progressed it was nothing like Titanic and became it’s own story. The first few chapters introduce the characters, their circumstances and how different they are from each other. I found myself wishing it would hurry up so something different would happen, luckily for me the book didn’t dwell too long on the beginning and life on board the Icarus.

These Broken Stars is a love story, when I had heard that about this book I thought I wouldn’t like it, but I was wrong. I loved this. This love story isn’t insta-love, the characters don’t pine after each other, they don’t think stupid things like how ‘intoxicating’ they smell to each other or how much they want to take each others clothes off. I mean I’m sure they do think that but we don’t read it as it’s not important pertaining to their survival. This love story is raw, heart warming and also heart wrenching.

Lilac and Tarver somehow manage to  escape the Icarus as it’s somehow pulled out of hyperspace too early. Their escape-pod crash lands on a planet that they realize has been terraformed by one of the large companies, yet they seem to be alone which is puzzling and perhaps worrying. Tarver takes immediate action and works to keep himself and Lilac alive, even if he can’t stand the woman and she criticizes everything he does.

I ended up really liking both Lilac and Tarver, I was glad we got to see each of their points of view in the story. The romance builds up and sneaks up on them without them even realizing which I loved. It felt believable despite their differences and status’. I mean I may have even cried at one point which never happens, I’m never moved or invested enough in a story to really feel it as much. But These Broken Stars ‘gave me all the feels’ as everyone puts it. I was very invested in this story and these characters, I was even invested in this world and the planet. These Broken Stars was just brilliant.

Overall These Broken Stars was a compelling read. It was intense getting to see how Tarver and Lilac had to work together to survive, it was addicting to read, the world was rich, the characters were rounded, and the universe that this series is set in is scary. I loved it. I completely adored this book.

Always,
Jordon

This review was originally posted on Simply Adrift