Review: These Broken Stars

Author: Amie Kaufman , Meagan Spooner
Date of Publication: December 10, 2013
Pages:374
Source:Gift

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.

 GOODREADS

Review:

This book has been compared to many things; from the best parts of Lost, to the Titanic. I see and agree with both but to me, the best way to describe it is the Titanic in reverse. And, as a huge fan of the Titanic, this made me very happy. 

So why is it like the Titanic? Let's start with the plot. The book starts with our main characters meeting at a high society gathering on the Titanic of all space ships, The Icarus, ironically named after the Greek myth of a boy who flew too close to the sun and melted his wings. Similarly, the Icarus comes crashing down to an uninhabited island with Tarver and Lilac being the sole survivors. 

This book had so many strengths and they helped increase my enjoyment tremendously. I loved Tarver and Lilac. They were complex, misunderstood and had difficulties expressing their true feelings because of the positions they held in society, one the daughter of the wealthiest man in the galaxy and the other a middle class young war hero. 

Something that's not new but uncommon enough that it stood out was the fact that both of the characters had a romantic history. It seems like YA these days is filled with innocent teens who've never had any male interactions. It was really great to see that flash of the characters in the past and seeing that it wasn't always Lilac and Tarver. It definitely made for a realistic read despite the bit about galaxies and hyperspace travel. 

These Broken Stars is also written in dual narrative, so the switching back in forth in narrators really helped the reader see and get to know each of the characters on a more personal level. With single narratives the guy tends to be more closed off to the reader but Tarver was an open book. I loved seeing him as a person, a great son, a loyal comrade and a poet; though I wish we saw more of his poetry.

The supernatural/mystery element was really cool. It had me intrigued and interested.

"The key to this planet, to the whispers, to finding a way home... It all lies behind that door, and we're going to find a way through if it kills me..." 

 

Lilac was strong, as displayed in this quote and most importantly she was selfless, which to me only comes when you love the other person a lot. The same thing goes to Tarver. Their love story was slow and nice; no instalove. 

Overall, this is a fantastic read. It has been a while since I've read a sci-fi romance and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Can't wait to get my hands on the sequel.

-MARI