Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

Across a Star-Swept Sea (Stars, #2)

by Diana Peterfreund

Centuries after wars nearly destroyed civilization, the two islands of New Pacifica stand alone, a terraformed paradise where even the Reduction--the devastating brain disorder that sparked the wars--is a distant memory. Yet on the isle of Galatea, an uprising against the ruling aristocrats has turned deadly. The revolutionaries' weapon is a drug that damages their enemies' brains, and the only hope is rescue by a mysterious spy known as the Wild Poppy.

On the neighboring island of Albion, no one suspects that the Wild Poppy is actually famously frivolous aristocrat Persis Blake. The teenager uses her shallow, socialite trappings to hide her true purpose: her gossipy flutternotes are encrypted plans, her pampered sea mink is genetically engineered for spying, and her well-publicized new romance with handsome Galatean medic Justen Helo... is her most dangerous mission ever.

Though Persis is falling for Justen, she can't risk showing him her true self, especially once she learns he's hiding far more than simply his disenchantment with his country's revolution and his undeniable attraction to the silly socialite he's pretending to love. His darkest secret could plunge both islands into a new dark age, and Persis realizes that when it comes to Justen Helo, she's not only risking her heart, she's risking the world she's sworn to protect.

In this thrilling adventure inspired by  The Scarlet Pimpernel, Diana Peterfreund creates an exquisitely rendered world where nothing is as it seems and two teens with very different pasts fight for a future only they dare to imagine.

Reviewed by littleread1 on

4 of 5 stars

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Somehow I missed the whole, this is the second book in a series info when I picked it up. However I don't think it affected my enjoyment or understanding of the story a whole lot. The first book, from what I understand, takes place in a whole other part of the world, with a set of characters that you don't meet until later on in this story.

I was a little confused with the terminology at the beginning, this is one of those books that you get thrown into the world, and learn the words and definitions as you go. Those tend to be a little more challenging, but worth it if you stick it out and keep going. By the end I was well versed in the terms and rules of this world.

The writing was beautiful. Many sentences painted pictures for you, in stead of just telling you what the world looked like. I felt more in the story than being told a story. I still, weeks later, find myself thinking about the characters, wondering how they are doing, if everything is ok, and if they are happy. Which is silly, they are fictional beings, but they became such a real part of my life that I still ache for them now that they are gone.

As young as they are, the characters have the weight of the world on their shoulders. And it is such a totally believable situation they find themselves in, victims of circumstance rather than masters of their own future. But they take the hand they have been dealt and deal with it in the best way they know how. And they exceed my expectations.

If you liked The Hunger Games, or other YA dystopian stories, this is certainly right up your alley. Do not hesitate to check this book out.

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  • Started reading
  • 27 October, 2013: Finished reading
  • 27 October, 2013: Reviewed