These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner

These Broken Stars (Starbound, #1)

by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

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.

Reviewed by Amber (The Literary Phoenix) on

4 of 5 stars

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I never expected to like this as much as I did.

These Broken Stars is a book with a pretty cover and the promise of a lost-in-space adventure, so naturally I assumed it would be cliche and cheesy. It was, a little, but it was a lot more than that. This book has such strong worldbuilding and a well-driven plot that I was almost able to forgive it the silly romantic tryst. Almost.

The way the setting has been written is so captivating. There's moment here and there that pulled me in tightly and took my breath away. For me, the plot and world is what kept me reading, because I found the characters particularly annoying. I don't particularly enjoy the 16-year-old military commander/major/general trope because I have a difficult time believing it, and Lilac herself was whiny and dull. Without liking either of the characters, it was difficult to get into the romance.

But the worldbuilding was so good that not only did I keep reading, but I added the next book to my TBR. I think this book has a definite audience, and I'm impressed enough with the writing style that I'll be reading more from both of these authors, who were new to me with These Broken Stars!

Plot - four stars
Characters - one & a half stars
Writing - three stars
Pacing - five stars
Setting - five stars
Narrator - three stars
Personal Enjoyment - four stars
Overall - three & a half stars

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 10 April, 2019: Finished reading
  • 10 April, 2019: Reviewed