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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
I did not understand the lead characters very well. A lot of people liked the world building, but I was very confused at those parts.
I feel the same way about Defy the Stars as I do the Star Wars franchise. I thought it was a fun romp through space but I wasn't invested much more than that. I will say that Defy the Stars is probably the best sci-fi YA I've read, and it's not normally my genre, so to even say I enjoyed it means a lot.
I thought the world building was done to the extent it should have been for a first book. Some things felt a little clunky, perhaps, but we needed to know what the different planets were like and the exposition was needed for us to get a sense of how far in the future this is taking place. I'm only a little confused that the terrains that were described were very similar to planets in our solar system e.g. Mars, and Neptune, so I'm not sure what they were renamed if Earth still exists?
I found the religious elements of Noemi's character jarring to begin with, just because I'd seen no mention of them in the marketing, but in the end I'm really pleased that Noemi coming to terms with her faith and with God because it gave the plot a new dimension. Religion isn't something you often see tackled in YA, and even worse, if it is, then a lot of people switch off, but in this space adventure it really made for a change of pace!
As for Abel in general, I thought his development was a little predictable. We know from the beginning that he's so different from all the other AIs because he has the capacity to feel and there's only one way that could develop. I thought there could have perhaps been more conflict between Abel and Noemi, as they got on extremely well and apart from their thoughts on the Masada Run, I didn't think they're ideologies were polarised enough.
Although, it's not heavy, there are romantic undertones, and while I still haven't decided how I feel about having romantic feelings being what makes someone more 'human' I know that there's the opportunity for things to develop in this area. Abel wasn't a heart throb by any means - he's a robot... - but there was something endearing to his character, and I'm relieved that nothing happened too quickly. I haven't read any of Grey's other works, so I'm not sure if romance is a really big thing in her writing - if it is and you're expecting that, maybe let yourself down easy, but know that it was for the best.
I'm happy enough to leave this as a standalone, just because I'm not sure about the series' potential yet. I feel like we've left Abel and Noemi in good places, and while they might not be in the same place geographically, I kind of like that if I stop here this doesn't have to be a romance.
I thought the world building was done to the extent it should have been for a first book. Some things felt a little clunky, perhaps, but we needed to know what the different planets were like and the exposition was needed for us to get a sense of how far in the future this is taking place. I'm only a little confused that the terrains that were described were very similar to planets in our solar system e.g. Mars, and Neptune, so I'm not sure what they were renamed if Earth still exists?
I found the religious elements of Noemi's character jarring to begin with, just because I'd seen no mention of them in the marketing, but in the end I'm really pleased that Noemi coming to terms with her faith and with God because it gave the plot a new dimension. Religion isn't something you often see tackled in YA, and even worse, if it is, then a lot of people switch off, but in this space adventure it really made for a change of pace!
As for Abel in general, I thought his development was a little predictable. We know from the beginning that he's so different from all the other AIs because he has the capacity to feel and there's only one way that could develop. I thought there could have perhaps been more conflict between Abel and Noemi, as they got on extremely well and apart from their thoughts on the Masada Run, I didn't think they're ideologies were polarised enough.
Although, it's not heavy, there are romantic undertones, and while I still haven't decided how I feel about having romantic feelings being what makes someone more 'human' I know that there's the opportunity for things to develop in this area. Abel wasn't a heart throb by any means - he's a robot... - but there was something endearing to his character, and I'm relieved that nothing happened too quickly. I haven't read any of Grey's other works, so I'm not sure if romance is a really big thing in her writing - if it is and you're expecting that, maybe let yourself down easy, but know that it was for the best.
I'm happy enough to leave this as a standalone, just because I'm not sure about the series' potential yet. I feel like we've left Abel and Noemi in good places, and while they might not be in the same place geographically, I kind of like that if I stop here this doesn't have to be a romance.
I decided to stop reading this book about 120 pages in. It's not that it wasn't interesting, I just don't think I was in the right mood for this YA sci-fi book. I was also listening to it on audio, and I didn't really enjoy either of the narrators. The girl narrating sounded too young IMO, and the boy narrating sounded very dry and unfeeling (probably intentional since he's voicing for a machine) but it didn't make listening as enjoyable as I hoped it would. I may or may not give this book a try later on, but I'm definitely putting it aside for now since I have so many other books to read.
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Had high expectations for this YA Scifi novel, and Defy the Stars didn’t disappoint!
The narration is shared between the two leads, Naomi, a young soldier dedicated to save her planet Genisis from Earth’s nefarious intentions, and Abel, the prototype android of an army of machines used by Earth. These two meet by accident but while working toward a common goal, they find out that each is much more than expected.
The setting was also compelling, spanning more than just these two ‘worlds’. Still, Gray’s strength is definitely in the portrayal of her characters. Looking forward to finding out where she is going to take this in the next book.
The narration is shared between the two leads, Naomi, a young soldier dedicated to save her planet Genisis from Earth’s nefarious intentions, and Abel, the prototype android of an army of machines used by Earth. These two meet by accident but while working toward a common goal, they find out that each is much more than expected.
The setting was also compelling, spanning more than just these two ‘worlds’. Still, Gray’s strength is definitely in the portrayal of her characters. Looking forward to finding out where she is going to take this in the next book.
I started reading this book curious to learn how Claudia Gray would humanize Abel. How could a person love a robot? It seems unlikely to be a genuine, reciprocated love. Halfway through the book I saw it happening. I could see Abel as someone with a soul. More importantly, as I was reading, I was encouraged to think about what makes a person a person. How autonomous are we, really? What really makes us different than AI? Our current human society can be seen as immoral in the most shameful of ways. We destroy a planet that does not belong to us, a planet that many other creatures and lovely living things depend on. We kill each other. We torture. We abuse and misuse people, animals, resources, and ourselves. When I went into the book thinking a relationship between a human being and a very advanced robot / mech sounded dumb because robots don’t have souls and are not as complex as humans. But as the story proceeds, I start to think more about the wasted potential of humanity. The book touches on some topics like war, hunger, community, rivalries, life and death, loneliness, relationships, love, perseverance, values. I was having fun while reading but it also forced me to reflect on current conditions in the world and my role in it. The main reason I won't give it 5 stars is that I was looking for a deeper look into this world where a robot becomes human and is capable of love! That's so interesting and could have been explored more. I would have liked to read more about that rather than all the action scenes.
This was an enjoyable YA read, after getting past the first two chapters. I enjoyed the character Able and seeing how his inner thoughts developed throughout. I thought the writing was a little heavy handed on the romance foreshadowing, but I personally enjoyed that, lol. The world system that was created was fun and I liked that we got to explore a little of all of the planets, but because of that the story felt like it may have extended itself a little too far--a little of this, and this too, and this, etc. for example, they went through the Blind Gate and contracted Cobweb and talked to the Elders but these were all just big things that happened without much introduction and then were moved on from. The title feels a little forgettable, but this was a cute, light, spacey dystopia.
I have to admit that I'm a little annoyed at the ending of this book. I think it would have been a good stand-alone book and that turning into a trilogy might prove to be a bad idea. However, I'm going to read the next two books sooner rather than later. I like that this is told from two points of view and that one of those points of view is a robot. I liked all the Adventure and space travel and action involved in this book. I kind of liked that the villain is a Nobel Peace Prize winner from Earth, that's kind of perfect. I really like the secondary characters like Ephraim, Hillary, Virginia, etc. I think a lot of thought and planning went into the different planets and what life would be like on them.
adventurous
funny
sad
tense
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:
Complicated