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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
*Disclaimer- I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway*
I really enjoyed this book! A nice amount of world (or should I say worlds) building with plenty of action, challenges, obstacles, and cliffhangers! Never felt slow to read and always had me hanging on for more. I loved Noemi's strong character and the development and changes in Abel's character. It was nice to see the characters change and become more complex as they encountered new situations, and not staying static throughout the book. Really hope there will be a second book to round out the ending (and hopefully not another trilogy with a slow filler second book).
I really enjoyed this book! A nice amount of world (or should I say worlds) building with plenty of action, challenges, obstacles, and cliffhangers! Never felt slow to read and always had me hanging on for more. I loved Noemi's strong character and the development and changes in Abel's character. It was nice to see the characters change and become more complex as they encountered new situations, and not staying static throughout the book. Really hope there will be a second book to round out the ending (and hopefully not another trilogy with a slow filler second book).
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Noemi Vidal is a soldier who is prepared to risk anything to preserve her planet, Genesis, including her own life. She is a rebel to their enemy on Earth. He's a machine—After years of being alone in space, Abel's sophisticated programming has begun to change. He merely wants to defend his creator and be free. He is an abomination to the people of Genesis.
Noemi and Abel are opponents in an interplanetary conflict who are compelled to work together by happenstance as they go on a perilous trip through the cosmos. Their actions would put an end to the conflict for good, but they would not be without cost. The stakes are bigger than either of them knew at first, and the more time they spend together, the more they're forced to question everything they'd been taught to be true.
The first two-thirds of the book were fascinating. I'm not sure what occurred in the latter half of the story, but it made me lose interest. The story was very predictable and tacky (sometimes, I had to put the book down to absorb what I had just read). Nonetheless, this novel was enjoyable.
What piqued my interest the most was the romance's uniqueness. It was clearly merely a side storyline. Normally, when I read about robots, I assume they are incapable of falling in love with one another, but this one was different. Would I consider myself a romantic? No, not at all. But do I despise it? No. If I decide to read the future novels in the series, I'm sure I'll warm up to the romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, War
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Finished, minutes before midnight on April 22, 2017.
Ahhhhhhhhhh *inaudible screeching*
I DEVOURED this book. It was everything.
I need to sleep now but then I promise, I'll have a more thought-out review.
[update: 4/25/17]
Even days later, I'm still at a loss for words. But maybe that's because I haven't tried to write a real review in a while. My mind's a little rusty now. But my fingers seem to know how to type all my rambling thoughts so maybe we'll be okay.
Claudia Gray is one of those authors that I always have on my list. I really enjoyed A Thousand Pieces of You but never read the subsequent novels because there was always something else to read. (I know, I'm terrible but sometimes series aren't as compelling to finish when there are shiny new books to read.) Her Star Wars novels are also on my TBR.
This book is witty. And heartwarming. And dealt with a lot of things. Like what'll happen when we kill the Earth (because at this rate, it's pretty inevitable). And what it means to be human. And what it means to have a soul. It address the human condition.
Noemi grieves the loss of her best friend (spoiler? kinda? sorry but it's exposition-- I don't even remember her name. Wait...I do! It's Esther. HAH. And I didn't even have to look it up. *feels smug*) She goes on a journey to find out who she really is and that's what we're all looking to find out right? You question your beliefs as you grow because maybe you learn something that broadens your horizon. Noemi learns more about herself, her adoptive parents, and the planet she calls home. There's a war going on, but there's always more than one side to a story. Noemi has to find out all she can in order to save her planet, Genesis.
Abel. Oh Abel. What can I say about you? Clearly, my favorite character. He's a mech. The only one of his kind and he's been abandoned for 30 years. He's had some time to think about things. And it turns out, he has lots of thoughts. And they're wonderful.
I loved Abel's thought process. I loved everything about him. I really do.
I enjoyed the world-building. It was just enough for my mind to fill-in the rest. I love sci-fi so it was cool to see a book that was so intensely character based in a sci-fi setting. Abel and Noemi are on opposite sides of the spectrum so it's fun to see them pitted against each other as main characters.
In any case, this book was wonderful. And thoughtful. And you should read it.
(I'm also going to just ignore the fact that I just kinda ended the review because I couldn't think of a tidier way to wrap it up. Please forgive me. I'm still getting back into the swing of this.)
Ahhhhhhhhhh *inaudible screeching*
I DEVOURED this book. It was everything.
I need to sleep now but then I promise, I'll have a more thought-out review.
[update: 4/25/17]
That's what the dead would tell the living, if they could-- to grab hold of joy whenever it comes.
Even days later, I'm still at a loss for words. But maybe that's because I haven't tried to write a real review in a while. My mind's a little rusty now. But my fingers seem to know how to type all my rambling thoughts so maybe we'll be okay.
Claudia Gray is one of those authors that I always have on my list. I really enjoyed A Thousand Pieces of You but never read the subsequent novels because there was always something else to read. (I know, I'm terrible but sometimes series aren't as compelling to finish when there are shiny new books to read.) Her Star Wars novels are also on my TBR.
"Or die trying," Virginia replies. "Quick, laugh like that's a joke and not our actual literal deaths on the line."
This book is witty. And heartwarming. And dealt with a lot of things. Like what'll happen when we kill the Earth (because at this rate, it's pretty inevitable). And what it means to be human. And what it means to have a soul. It address the human condition.
Noemi grieves the loss of her best friend (spoiler? kinda? sorry but it's exposition-- I don't even remember her name. Wait...I do! It's Esther. HAH. And I didn't even have to look it up. *feels smug*) She goes on a journey to find out who she really is and that's what we're all looking to find out right? You question your beliefs as you grow because maybe you learn something that broadens your horizon. Noemi learns more about herself, her adoptive parents, and the planet she calls home. There's a war going on, but there's always more than one side to a story. Noemi has to find out all she can in order to save her planet, Genesis.
Abel. Oh Abel. What can I say about you? Clearly, my favorite character. He's a mech. The only one of his kind and he's been abandoned for 30 years. He's had some time to think about things. And it turns out, he has lots of thoughts. And they're wonderful.
"They keep these elite scientists amused somehow. They guy talked about fun, remember? So we'll be people who help them have fun."
"I thought you were opposed to engaging in prostitution to fund our travels."
"That's not what I--is prostitution your answer for everything?"
I loved Abel's thought process. I loved everything about him. I really do.
I enjoyed the world-building. It was just enough for my mind to fill-in the rest. I love sci-fi so it was cool to see a book that was so intensely character based in a sci-fi setting. Abel and Noemi are on opposite sides of the spectrum so it's fun to see them pitted against each other as main characters.
In any case, this book was wonderful. And thoughtful. And you should read it.
(I'm also going to just ignore the fact that I just kinda ended the review because I couldn't think of a tidier way to wrap it up. Please forgive me. I'm still getting back into the swing of this.)
4.5 Stars
I was initially skeptical about a YA book with a human/AI plot mostly because I thought it would just be a trendy romance thing. I was SO wrong about that! I was pretty much swept off my feet by the characters and the story in Defy the Stars and couldn’t put it down.
Noemi is a young soldier in the decades long war between Genesis and Earth and she’s preparing for a suicide mission. Fortunately for her, this is disrupted by a surprise attack on Genesis’ ships during one of their last training maneuvers. In an attempt to save the life of her friend Esther, she boards an Earth ship that was damaged in a battle 30 years ago. Here she encounters Abel, an uncanny AI unit designed by the Earthen forerunner in cybernetics, Burton Mansfield. Abel can’t save her friend, but he does know the one weakness in the Gates that allow easy travel between distant worlds and Noemi is now his commander. Here begins their weeks-long journey between worlds to gather the equipment needed to destroy the Gate and hopefully stop the hostilities between Earth and Genesis.
I absolutely loved Noemi and Abel. Abel’s growing humanity and his coding are in an epic struggle and it’s really quite touching. Noemi struggles with so many things, from her feelings toward Abel (does he have a soul?), her duty, and her religion. It was refreshing to see Christianity portrayed positively and have a character that had a very believable internal debate within herself. I thought it was also really fantastic that all the worlds that were mentioned actually got page-time! Admittedly, the cultures weren’t terribly detailed but we got the gist and besides, there are plenty of opportunities in the sequels additional worldbuilding. The secondary characters, particularly Virginia, were pleasant additions to the cast and I can’t wait to see what (if any) roles they’ll play in the sequel.
Defy the Stars was such a pleasantly awesome book. It just made me feel good and when I got to the end I was pretty happy. Of course it’s got the classic “save the world” trope, but it doesn’t feel so heavy and dour as it sometimes can, though Defy the Stars retains the seriousness. Overall, I’d highly recommend this one, especially if you’re curious about YA science fiction.
I was initially skeptical about a YA book with a human/AI plot mostly because I thought it would just be a trendy romance thing. I was SO wrong about that! I was pretty much swept off my feet by the characters and the story in Defy the Stars and couldn’t put it down.
Noemi is a young soldier in the decades long war between Genesis and Earth and she’s preparing for a suicide mission. Fortunately for her, this is disrupted by a surprise attack on Genesis’ ships during one of their last training maneuvers. In an attempt to save the life of her friend Esther, she boards an Earth ship that was damaged in a battle 30 years ago. Here she encounters Abel, an uncanny AI unit designed by the Earthen forerunner in cybernetics, Burton Mansfield. Abel can’t save her friend, but he does know the one weakness in the Gates that allow easy travel between distant worlds and Noemi is now his commander. Here begins their weeks-long journey between worlds to gather the equipment needed to destroy the Gate and hopefully stop the hostilities between Earth and Genesis.
I absolutely loved Noemi and Abel. Abel’s growing humanity and his coding are in an epic struggle and it’s really quite touching. Noemi struggles with so many things, from her feelings toward Abel (does he have a soul?), her duty, and her religion. It was refreshing to see Christianity portrayed positively and have a character that had a very believable internal debate within herself. I thought it was also really fantastic that all the worlds that were mentioned actually got page-time! Admittedly, the cultures weren’t terribly detailed but we got the gist and besides, there are plenty of opportunities in the sequels additional worldbuilding. The secondary characters, particularly Virginia, were pleasant additions to the cast and I can’t wait to see what (if any) roles they’ll play in the sequel.
Defy the Stars was such a pleasantly awesome book. It just made me feel good and when I got to the end I was pretty happy. Of course it’s got the classic “save the world” trope, but it doesn’t feel so heavy and dour as it sometimes can, though Defy the Stars retains the seriousness. Overall, I’d highly recommend this one, especially if you’re curious about YA science fiction.
I love Claudia Gray's world building!! She never fails to draw me in and make me feel like what I'm reading is both possible, but fantastical at the same time. She depicts such beautiful friendships too, that build naturally and in such different ways. None of Noemi's friends in this have the same relationship with her, but they are all valid.
The plot was well paced, I never felt like it was dragging! Also there are so many POC in this book it is unreal! Noemi herself has Chilean and Polynesian roots...and they're not tokenistic, nor stereotyped. It's literally just a descriptor...so rad!
Abel made me so conflicted, like I love their relationship, but it's so hard to move past the fact that he is AI to some extent. This book really made me question what makes someone a person...which was unexpected but definitely nice.
A fab read, I would definitely recommend it!!
The plot was well paced, I never felt like it was dragging! Also there are so many POC in this book it is unreal! Noemi herself has Chilean and Polynesian roots...and they're not tokenistic, nor stereotyped. It's literally just a descriptor...so rad!
Abel made me so conflicted, like I love their relationship, but it's so hard to move past the fact that he is AI to some extent. This book really made me question what makes someone a person...which was unexpected but definitely nice.
A fab read, I would definitely recommend it!!
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
”Where there’s no free will, there’s no sin.”
The idea of robots developing enough intelligence and feelings to pass as human beings in reality is terrifying to me, but in fiction it allows the story to explore what it means to be human and the concept of humanity, which is a topic that you find in this book and that I really enjoyed.
The characters are very likeable and I enjoyed the romance a lot, I’ve never read a robot/human love story. I liked how it was developed and how tender Noemi and Abel ended up being with each other, the sweet moments as well as the sad ones were really touching.
The plot is action-packed, fast and it doesn’t get boring, which was really fun. The writing and world building are pretty simple, which I didn’t mind, but while I like the dual POV sometimes I found it difficult to tell which one of them I was reading from. I also thought Noemi’s grief wasn’t explored very well, it seemed to be almost an afterthought. Other than that, I don’t have many complaints and I’m excited to read the rest of the series.
The idea of robots developing enough intelligence and feelings to pass as human beings in reality is terrifying to me, but in fiction it allows the story to explore what it means to be human and the concept of humanity, which is a topic that you find in this book and that I really enjoyed.
The characters are very likeable and I enjoyed the romance a lot, I’ve never read a robot/human love story. I liked how it was developed and how tender Noemi and Abel ended up being with each other, the sweet moments as well as the sad ones were really touching.
The plot is action-packed, fast and it doesn’t get boring, which was really fun. The writing and world building are pretty simple, which I didn’t mind, but while I like the dual POV sometimes I found it difficult to tell which one of them I was reading from. I also thought Noemi’s grief wasn’t explored very well, it seemed to be almost an afterthought. Other than that, I don’t have many complaints and I’m excited to read the rest of the series.
I really wanted to like this more than I did. I was into the concept. The writing was good. I don't know exactly what I didn't like about it. It felt too long, for one. It seemed to just keep going and going. And everything just felt TOO coincidental. What are the odds of them finding so many helpful and/or sympathetic people who are so very integral to the plot? It just didn't feel believable...within the confines of the story.
This book exceeded my expectations! I’m not a huge fan of sci-fi and def not a fan of robots. I was very worried for this to be my first read of the year but once I started reading it captivated me.
Noemi is such a strong character. She’s ready to protect her loved ones and her world no matter the cost to her. She’s also open to learning once the opportunity is presented to her. I seriously loved her as a protagonist.
Abel! Ahh sweet, sweet Abel! He’s the mech the galaxy didn’t know about. He’s learned so much in the absence of his maker. He too is ready to learn and try to safe humanity!
This books is honestly so much more than just a sci-fi read. It delves into human behavior in a fascinating way!
I’ll definitely be reading the next two books.
Noemi is such a strong character. She’s ready to protect her loved ones and her world no matter the cost to her. She’s also open to learning once the opportunity is presented to her. I seriously loved her as a protagonist.
Abel! Ahh sweet, sweet Abel! He’s the mech the galaxy didn’t know about. He’s learned so much in the absence of his maker. He too is ready to learn and try to safe humanity!
This books is honestly so much more than just a sci-fi read. It delves into human behavior in a fascinating way!
I’ll definitely be reading the next two books.