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magencorrie's review
4.0
4 stars
My Review
The Stars Never Rise was a haunting, eerily beautiful read! Rachel took me into one creepy-filled world! With twists that were unique and original, to me, as well as so damn good! I got lost in the world she created, which was vivid and scary, and loved the characters that were introduced to me.
First off, I have to talk about the world that Vincent created. Utterly unique and completely riveting. The concept of this urban fantasy filled with demons, exorcists, priests, this Unifying Church, mixed in with eerie paranormal vibes, a girl just trying to survive and a young man that just captures your interest builds for a compelling story. And, yes, it doesn’t sound that unique, but Vincent has always been able to turn ordinary elements into such remarkable things. It was a book that left me breathless.
Nina isn’t your typical heroine. That was something I really ended up loving. She was completely fine living her life under the shadow of the Church. Following their orders, finding her place within that society. And though she follows them with hints of fear, deep down, she knows something is out of place with the Church. It isn’t until she uncovers a few shocking discovery that she ends up having to change her life, her perspective, and her view of the order of things. I loved that she isn’t this smart, brainy, person. She’s instincts, survival, bravery, and willing to do what must be done.
There are also a lot of fascinating characters as well. Finn I instantly fall for as well. I admired his willingness to do what must be done to protect Nina and the rest of his friends. Though his situation is extremely interesting, it was also remotely sad as well. However, I am hoping to get more on his personality in the next book. I felt like I didn’t get to know him as in-depth as I did Nina. That also goes for the other characters. I enjoyed them quite a bit, and I can’t wait to find out more about them.
I loved the interwoven complexity that Vincent delved into. The book has an underling Christian emphasis, yet no word is spoken of a God in general. I thoroughly enjoyed that and how she played with it. Her ideas and takes on Exorcists were like a bit of fresh air; again interesting and unique. The action was blood pumping and the world was so eerily done! The description of her world and the details left me feeling like I was sucked in and placed right in the middle of this dark world.
The only thing that made me not rate this one as five stars is the more rushed romantic atmosphere and the fast paced development between the characters. I found that the interest and spark between Nina and Finn a bit too hurriedly built for me, but it didn’t feel ungenuine though. I could feel the budding spark between them. Also, I was able to figure out quite a few of the twists. But when they were reviled, it didn’t take away my interest of the story at the least.
The book did build up in a nice pace, though the middle felt a bit slower. It kept me on my toes and left me craving for more. I truly could not get enough of this world and the characters that Vincent created. I just loved the ideas and history she constructed within her story.
All in all, The Stars Never Rise was such a wonderful read! Intense, gripping, beautifully written, and hauntingly eerie.
My Review
The Stars Never Rise was a haunting, eerily beautiful read! Rachel took me into one creepy-filled world! With twists that were unique and original, to me, as well as so damn good! I got lost in the world she created, which was vivid and scary, and loved the characters that were introduced to me.
First off, I have to talk about the world that Vincent created. Utterly unique and completely riveting. The concept of this urban fantasy filled with demons, exorcists, priests, this Unifying Church, mixed in with eerie paranormal vibes, a girl just trying to survive and a young man that just captures your interest builds for a compelling story. And, yes, it doesn’t sound that unique, but Vincent has always been able to turn ordinary elements into such remarkable things. It was a book that left me breathless.
Nina isn’t your typical heroine. That was something I really ended up loving. She was completely fine living her life under the shadow of the Church. Following their orders, finding her place within that society. And though she follows them with hints of fear, deep down, she knows something is out of place with the Church. It isn’t until she uncovers a few shocking discovery that she ends up having to change her life, her perspective, and her view of the order of things. I loved that she isn’t this smart, brainy, person. She’s instincts, survival, bravery, and willing to do what must be done.
There are also a lot of fascinating characters as well. Finn I instantly fall for as well. I admired his willingness to do what must be done to protect Nina and the rest of his friends. Though his situation is extremely interesting, it was also remotely sad as well. However, I am hoping to get more on his personality in the next book. I felt like I didn’t get to know him as in-depth as I did Nina. That also goes for the other characters. I enjoyed them quite a bit, and I can’t wait to find out more about them.
I loved the interwoven complexity that Vincent delved into. The book has an underling Christian emphasis, yet no word is spoken of a God in general. I thoroughly enjoyed that and how she played with it. Her ideas and takes on Exorcists were like a bit of fresh air; again interesting and unique. The action was blood pumping and the world was so eerily done! The description of her world and the details left me feeling like I was sucked in and placed right in the middle of this dark world.
The only thing that made me not rate this one as five stars is the more rushed romantic atmosphere and the fast paced development between the characters. I found that the interest and spark between Nina and Finn a bit too hurriedly built for me, but it didn’t feel ungenuine though. I could feel the budding spark between them. Also, I was able to figure out quite a few of the twists. But when they were reviled, it didn’t take away my interest of the story at the least.
The book did build up in a nice pace, though the middle felt a bit slower. It kept me on my toes and left me craving for more. I truly could not get enough of this world and the characters that Vincent created. I just loved the ideas and history she constructed within her story.
All in all, The Stars Never Rise was such a wonderful read! Intense, gripping, beautifully written, and hauntingly eerie.
stuckinafictionaluniverse's review
5.0
I’m about to break one of my rules: rating a book 5 stars for entertainment. This didn’t personally affect me like many other 5-star reads, but damn if it wasn't an amazing ride.
One word: ADDICTING.
You know what I love? When authors take two overused genres, mix them together, drop the silly tropes and work their magic.
And so a hybrid is born!
Truth is, paranormal and dystopian are some of my favorite things to read when it’s done right. I give both these genres a tough time and like to nitpick at how cliché they are.
After reading hundreds of them, they all feel formulaic and that’s why I’ve reached more toward contemporaries this year.
But when these books are well-written, the result is amazing.
It’s almost always addicting and surprising, the kind of stories you read in one sitting.
Every once in a while a book surprises me, a beautiful hybrid that gives me everything I want and hope for originality in YA. This is that book.
The stars never rise is a paranormal novel set in the future. It features demons, and the world is run by a church who punish those who sin. The exorcists have extinguished most of the creatures, but still the town of New Temperance is unsafe.
Our main character Nina lives with her younger sister and addict mother, trying to hide her home situation from the church. Money is running low and it's too much for her to handle.
It’s only a year left before Nina turns 18 and can start a new life far away, but then her sister reveals a secret that puts them all in danger.
This is just a short rundown of the start of the book, in reality so much happens, I could barely catch my breath.
There are demons and magic and so many secrets. It’s the most addicting, fast-paced and possibly most entertaining book I’ve read all year.
It's like all those common plots baked into one book become unique? I can see shades of several YA books here, and yet I was never bored or rolling my eyes. I haven't seen this particular take on a paranormal dystopian before, and that's what made me appreciate The stars never rise so much.
We enter a very dark world, where small kids are forced to kneel outside in the rain several hours because their tongue slipped, where our MC trades the only thing she thinks has of worth for food, where there is no escape.
On one side there is the church who will punish those who sin, on the other are the rogue demons ready to use their bodies as vessels.
It's a little scary, very engaging and well-rounded.
Although the characters aren't the strongest part of this book, I still really enjoyed them. They're believable, as teens who have had to fend for themselves and are now on the run. It's hard for the group to stick together, but they all matter and have a solid backstory.
The twists and turns are thrown at you, and I was overwhelmed by how amazing it was.
I found the plot to be very refreshing and full of surprises. I flew through it and can't wait for the sequel.
There's not an excessive amount of world-building or facts about demons.
Perhaps the best thing about this is how balanced it felt. No dull moments, characters or cheap plot devices.
I stayed up late at night reading because I was so worried about the faith of these poor kids!
Highly recommended to most people who crave a good paranormal book, or just an unputdownable read.
One word: ADDICTING.
You know what I love? When authors take two overused genres, mix them together, drop the silly tropes and work their magic.
And so a hybrid is born!
Truth is, paranormal and dystopian are some of my favorite things to read when it’s done right. I give both these genres a tough time and like to nitpick at how cliché they are.
After reading hundreds of them, they all feel formulaic and that’s why I’ve reached more toward contemporaries this year.
But when these books are well-written, the result is amazing.
It’s almost always addicting and surprising, the kind of stories you read in one sitting.
Every once in a while a book surprises me, a beautiful hybrid that gives me everything I want and hope for originality in YA. This is that book.
The stars never rise is a paranormal novel set in the future. It features demons, and the world is run by a church who punish those who sin. The exorcists have extinguished most of the creatures, but still the town of New Temperance is unsafe.
Our main character Nina lives with her younger sister and addict mother, trying to hide her home situation from the church. Money is running low and it's too much for her to handle.
It’s only a year left before Nina turns 18 and can start a new life far away, but then her sister reveals a secret that puts them all in danger.
This is just a short rundown of the start of the book, in reality so much happens, I could barely catch my breath.
There are demons and magic and so many secrets. It’s the most addicting, fast-paced and possibly most entertaining book I’ve read all year.
It's like all those common plots baked into one book become unique? I can see shades of several YA books here, and yet I was never bored or rolling my eyes. I haven't seen this particular take on a paranormal dystopian before, and that's what made me appreciate The stars never rise so much.
We enter a very dark world, where small kids are forced to kneel outside in the rain several hours because their tongue slipped, where our MC trades the only thing she thinks has of worth for food, where there is no escape.
On one side there is the church who will punish those who sin, on the other are the rogue demons ready to use their bodies as vessels.
It's a little scary, very engaging and well-rounded.
Although the characters aren't the strongest part of this book, I still really enjoyed them. They're believable, as teens who have had to fend for themselves and are now on the run. It's hard for the group to stick together, but they all matter and have a solid backstory.
The twists and turns are thrown at you, and I was overwhelmed by how amazing it was.
I found the plot to be very refreshing and full of surprises. I flew through it and can't wait for the sequel.
There's not an excessive amount of world-building or facts about demons.
Perhaps the best thing about this is how balanced it felt. No dull moments, characters or cheap plot devices.
I stayed up late at night reading because I was so worried about the faith of these poor kids!
Highly recommended to most people who crave a good paranormal book, or just an unputdownable read.
bberry89's review
5.0
This book was absolutely amazing. It had several plot twists that I never saw coming which kept me guessing and entertained the whole time. I cannot wait for the next book to come out so I can find out what happens.
harleyrae's review
4.0
I was VERY hesitant about this book. The first 40ish pages were very unsettling and I wasn’t fully sure I’d like this. Once I got into the store I really enjoyed it! I’m actually very interested in continuing on especially since this left on a pretty decent cliffhanger.
ambeesbookishpages's review
4.0
The full review can be found at The Book Bratz
A really good friend recommend one of Rachel's books to me a few years ago. With that she easily became a favorite author if mine. Though I haven't read any other series by her except Soul Screamers (My plans this summer include to read her other books) Rachel blended dystopia, paranormal, and romance to give readers something to devour.
I loved all of the characters, so many different personalities, people, and species it is all complicated to talk about. So I am just going to talk about Nina (Our MC) for the sake of spoilers. The biggest thing I loved about Nina? She was dedicated to the people she loves and cares about and wasn't whiny about her situation in the beginning of the novel. Some characters whine when things don't go their way or something bad happens to them. But Nina took it all and still held her head high. When her sister reveals a huge secret that is going to alter both of their futures Nina will go to the end of the world to protect her.
I loved the world building. The world in this book is so different and complex then our own. Rachel managed to build a world for her readers with out all of the info dumping we tend to get. Giving us information we needed at that particular moment. I like how she took religion and made it a huge part of this world. Even if it isn't all that specified it seems like a daunting task.
The romance was interesting and mind boggling. I'm still not wrapping my head properly around it. But I have a theory about Finn and I am excited to see if it is going to come true. All in all I really enjoyed The Stars Never Rise and I am really excited for all the books to come.
A really good friend recommend one of Rachel's books to me a few years ago. With that she easily became a favorite author if mine. Though I haven't read any other series by her except Soul Screamers (My plans this summer include to read her other books) Rachel blended dystopia, paranormal, and romance to give readers something to devour.
I loved all of the characters, so many different personalities, people, and species it is all complicated to talk about. So I am just going to talk about Nina (Our MC) for the sake of spoilers. The biggest thing I loved about Nina? She was dedicated to the people she loves and cares about and wasn't whiny about her situation in the beginning of the novel. Some characters whine when things don't go their way or something bad happens to them. But Nina took it all and still held her head high. When her sister reveals a huge secret that is going to alter both of their futures Nina will go to the end of the world to protect her.
I loved the world building. The world in this book is so different and complex then our own. Rachel managed to build a world for her readers with out all of the info dumping we tend to get. Giving us information we needed at that particular moment. I like how she took religion and made it a huge part of this world. Even if it isn't all that specified it seems like a daunting task.
The romance was interesting and mind boggling. I'm still not wrapping my head properly around it. But I have a theory about Finn and I am excited to see if it is going to come true. All in all I really enjoyed The Stars Never Rise and I am really excited for all the books to come.
maxxesbooktopia's review
4.0
3.5 stars.
This novel was marketed as a Young Adult, Paranormal Romance and those elements were definitely ensconced in this novel but the genre that had a blind drawn to it was the dystopia ambience. Let us take a look at the society that the characters were existing in:
In what world would you allow a child to freeze to his death in the rain? I can comprehend that it is not right to sacrilege but to punish a child this way is basically child-abuse. Moreover, this is a society controlled by the church itself because the world was overrun by demons and only the church could produce exorcists by training people to fight against them and send them back to Hell. Either way, it is still child-abuse to say the least.
In this book, we follow two sisters as they struggled to survive from the society and their mother who neglected them. Due to the lack of dime, they journeyed around their neighbourhood and the stores around that perimeter to steal items in which they found useful for the either school or living purposes.
School, which was again, jurisdiction by the Church determined whether or not a boy or a girl gets to keep their sexual organs and they will inspect in detail on a boy’s sperm count or a girl’s ability to bear children or their genetic features, if they failed to receive the appropriate measurements, their sexual organs will ultimately, undergo the final process: sterilization.
And, unfortunately, it was the year where Nina’s (protagonist) sister- Millie will be going through the test and that’s where the story starts because Nina’s sister was pregnant and Millie ran away from her designed position as fornication was a sin and thus, resulting in a thousand thoughts through Nina’s mind.
Now, I would like to talk about the pacing of the novel. I read this novel in the course of two days due to the jam-packed action sequences, the suspense and ultimately, the atmosphere of the novel. Moreover, the information that was given throughout the novel did not fall into the prey of ‘dump-n-go’ instead, it came by smoothly and allowed us to understand what’s actually going on before leaving for its goal. So, if you are a fast reader, this book will most likely take a day for you to finish. If you are a slow reader, at most 4 days.
The world-building and the writing style were what I liked most about this novel. The style of writing was lyrical and it ran as lustrous as a silk word after word and because of its sleek state, it had contributed a huge factor to the world building of this book due to the descriptions that were punctured around the protagonist’s line of vision and the explanation adjoined to the system of its world and what had made it the way it was since a century or more ago. From the useful information to the tectonic writing style, it is hard to dislike this novel.
The complex family dynamics in this story were portrayed realistically and it offered a glimpse at what it was like before and what it was like now, how drastically different can a relationship be from a young age to an older age:
The function of a demon was being explained in length and unlike other novels which usually just brush off the abilities of a demon or what will happen if a demon overtakes your body, this novel explains it in detail:
I know I had already said my ‘favorite’ part of the novel but I have one more to share with you guys before we move into the dislikes that I had with this book. And that is: The characters! All of them are so likable and I had such a great time reading about how they team up to kick some demon ass. Take Nina as an example: She is a strong female lead with much independence and had a headstrong personality that dared people to contradict her beliefs.
The team consists of: Finn, Maddock, Reese, Grayson and Devi. All of them had vastly different personalities and I would note on Devi, most of all. She was the most stubborn girl in the group and she, kind of or may, enjoy contradicting Nina which most of the time exploded in up rage.
Well, on to my dislikes:
The freaking insta-love. I cherished the characters and how they handled the situations that they were positioned in but with the two of them that had barely known each other, was together for less than 24 hours and the mutual attraction mostly comes from Finn’s eye colour and Nina’s looks, it was pretty quixotic. If only they had known each other before all of these were pushed forward… If only the romance comes a little later in the novel, the story would get 95% from me.
Another one of my dislikes was the fact that towards the end of the novel, the plot points started running thin and it was easy to discern as the author started stretching out certain scenes and it resulted in a slope on the hill for me. In other words, it fell flat. If only the ending was a little more epic, the story will be extremely fantastic.
And those are my only complaints.
In conclusion, I shall award this novel a 70%. I enjoyed almost everything that was presented in this novel and it is confirmed that I will be reading the next book in this duology because I need to know how it ends. So, I highly encourage you to give this wondrous novel a try!
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This novel was marketed as a Young Adult, Paranormal Romance and those elements were definitely ensconced in this novel but the genre that had a blind drawn to it was the dystopia ambience. Let us take a look at the society that the characters were existing in:
Of course blasphemy is a sin. A lesser infraction than fornication and heresy, but grievous offense a strict matron like Sister Camilla would never let slide. Even in a five-year-old.
Especially a five-year-old who’d already demonstrated a precocious gift for profanity.
Sister Camilla dragged Matthew onto the stone dais in the center of the courtyard, then forced him to kneel. She was still scolding him while she flipped a curved piece of metal over each of his legs, just above his calves, then snapped the locks in place, confining the five-year-old to his knees in the freezing rain.
In what world would you allow a child to freeze to his death in the rain? I can comprehend that it is not right to sacrilege but to punish a child this way is basically child-abuse. Moreover, this is a society controlled by the church itself because the world was overrun by demons and only the church could produce exorcists by training people to fight against them and send them back to Hell. Either way, it is still child-abuse to say the least.
In this book, we follow two sisters as they struggled to survive from the society and their mother who neglected them. Due to the lack of dime, they journeyed around their neighbourhood and the stores around that perimeter to steal items in which they found useful for the either school or living purposes.
School, which was again, jurisdiction by the Church determined whether or not a boy or a girl gets to keep their sexual organs and they will inspect in detail on a boy’s sperm count or a girl’s ability to bear children or their genetic features, if they failed to receive the appropriate measurements, their sexual organs will ultimately, undergo the final process: sterilization.
Those declared fit would be given a second assessment before marriage, and a third when they applied for a parenting license.
Those declared unfit would be scheduled for sterilization. Immediately.
And, unfortunately, it was the year where Nina’s (protagonist) sister- Millie will be going through the test and that’s where the story starts because Nina’s sister was pregnant and Millie ran away from her designed position as fornication was a sin and thus, resulting in a thousand thoughts through Nina’s mind.
One day, the year I was nine, Clare had refused to kneel for worship. They gave her three chances. Brother Philip said refusing to recognize the Church’s authority was the first sign of possession. He called in an exorcist, and two hours later, Clare was sentenced. The exorcist said that since her possession was recent, her souls could be returned to the well of souls- if it were purified by fire.
They forced her to her knees on the dais, closed the steel cuffs above her calves, then burned her alive in front of the entire school.
She was seventeen years old.
What if they thought Melanie was possessed?
Now, I would like to talk about the pacing of the novel. I read this novel in the course of two days due to the jam-packed action sequences, the suspense and ultimately, the atmosphere of the novel. Moreover, the information that was given throughout the novel did not fall into the prey of ‘dump-n-go’ instead, it came by smoothly and allowed us to understand what’s actually going on before leaving for its goal. So, if you are a fast reader, this book will most likely take a day for you to finish. If you are a slow reader, at most 4 days.
The world-building and the writing style were what I liked most about this novel. The style of writing was lyrical and it ran as lustrous as a silk word after word and because of its sleek state, it had contributed a huge factor to the world building of this book due to the descriptions that were punctured around the protagonist’s line of vision and the explanation adjoined to the system of its world and what had made it the way it was since a century or more ago. From the useful information to the tectonic writing style, it is hard to dislike this novel.
The complex family dynamics in this story were portrayed realistically and it offered a glimpse at what it was like before and what it was like now, how drastically different can a relationship be from a young age to an older age:
Since she’d stopped eating, talking, and coming out of her room even to yell at us. Over the past year, her angry, resentful tirades had faded into listless neglect as my mother retreated into her own head, into her room, and into nights spent out and days spent sleeping. Or unconscious. Or both.
The function of a demon was being explained in length and unlike other novels which usually just brush off the abilities of a demon or what will happen if a demon overtakes your body, this novel explains it in detail:
Disembodied demons have to find someone who’s sick or hurt or under some sort of chemical influence. Or even just someone sleeping. If the demon finds a body before he’s sucked back into hell… ta da! You have a newly possessed citizen, which means the ‘exorcists’ have failed.
I know I had already said my ‘favorite’ part of the novel but I have one more to share with you guys before we move into the dislikes that I had with this book. And that is: The characters! All of them are so likable and I had such a great time reading about how they team up to kick some demon ass. Take Nina as an example: She is a strong female lead with much independence and had a headstrong personality that dared people to contradict her beliefs.
I wanted to be as straightforward and bold as he was, because he deserved that, but I had no experience with being straight forward and bold. I had experienced lying, and clothing myself in the darkness if in nothing else, and stealing, and paying high price for the things Mellie and I couldn’t survive without.
The team consists of: Finn, Maddock, Reese, Grayson and Devi. All of them had vastly different personalities and I would note on Devi, most of all. She was the most stubborn girl in the group and she, kind of or may, enjoy contradicting Nina which most of the time exploded in up rage.
Well, on to my dislikes:
The freaking insta-love. I cherished the characters and how they handled the situations that they were positioned in but with the two of them that had barely known each other, was together for less than 24 hours and the mutual attraction mostly comes from Finn’s eye colour and Nina’s looks, it was pretty quixotic. If only they had known each other before all of these were pushed forward… If only the romance comes a little later in the novel, the story would get 95% from me.
Another one of my dislikes was the fact that towards the end of the novel, the plot points started running thin and it was easy to discern as the author started stretching out certain scenes and it resulted in a slope on the hill for me. In other words, it fell flat. If only the ending was a little more epic, the story will be extremely fantastic.
And those are my only complaints.
In conclusion, I shall award this novel a 70%. I enjoyed almost everything that was presented in this novel and it is confirmed that I will be reading the next book in this duology because I need to know how it ends. So, I highly encourage you to give this wondrous novel a try!
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nyeran's review
3.0
“The truth is like a disease, let’s hope it spreads.”
♠ Perché l’insta-love?
Cos’è che piace tanto di questo orrendo clichè?!
Cosa dovrei trovare di romantico in un tizio che bacia la protagonista dopo nemmeno 2 ore che si conoscono? 2 ore nelle quali non è che si siano raccontati la loro vita o altro, lei è stata attaccata e quasi uccisa da un degenerato, ha scoperto che sua sorella è incinta e probabilmente verrà bruciata al rogo stile Giovanna d’Arco o qualsiasi cosa facciano ai peccatori in questo universo e ha scoperto che sua madre era posseduta da un demone e aveva intenzione di venderle entrambe per procurarsi un nuovo corpo in cui abitare. Non esattamente cose che ti fanno venire voglia di limonarti un tizio random, penso.
Che poi io lo capisco che in una duologia il tempo per lo sviluppo dei personaggi e delle relazioni interpersonali è scarso però santodio, almeno dammi delle basi realistiche. Poi da li continuo io, non è un problema, c’ho una bella fantasia, guardo anche i porno quindi QUALCOSINA di quello che succede dopo, riesco ad immaginarmela.
Considerando poi che tolto l’innamoramento precoce lo sviluppo della romance è anche buono e mi è abbastanza piaciuto che l’ostacolo sia il fatto che Finn è un anima senza corpo e quindi può prendere solo possesso di altri corpi umani e sarà interessante vedere come la Vincent risolverà il problema.
♠ Tolta la parte romantica devo dire però che il libro è una gioia da leggere. C’è una trama ricca che ti tiene incollata alle pagine, originale, distopica anche se la chiesa del libro non è molto diversa da alcune forme estremiste del mondo reale.
C’è una protagonista che è decisamente sopportabile e per fortuna, nonostante soffra un po’ di sindrome da special one, perlomeno non sfocia mai nella sindrome da special one che riesce a fare subito cose fighe senza nemmeno doversi allenare. Sopportabile, appunto. Sopratutto poi non una di quelle protagoniste che una volta diventate importanti e super fighissime dimenticano ogni legame familiare e non, passato e non. Nina resta sempre legata alla sorella Melanie e la sua priorità resta sempre quella di prendersi cura di lei.
♠ Poi, visto che mettere in un libro un solo clichè è troppo facile, poteva mancare la ragazza appena conosciuta che odia la protagonista senza alcun motivo apparente se non quello di essere una stronza? Senza contare che quello è il suo unico tratto distintivo. Poi, ovviamente, lei è anche figa e tosta perché non sia mai che una riesca ad esorcizzare demoni e a combattere ed essere anche una persona affabile. Clichè dei clichè il fatto che l’unica altra ragazza che tratta Nina con gentilezza è proprio il membro della squadra che è fondamentalmente inutile.
♠ Perché l’insta-love?
Cos’è che piace tanto di questo orrendo clichè?!
Cosa dovrei trovare di romantico in un tizio che bacia la protagonista dopo nemmeno 2 ore che si conoscono? 2 ore nelle quali non è che si siano raccontati la loro vita o altro, lei è stata attaccata e quasi uccisa da un degenerato, ha scoperto che sua sorella è incinta e probabilmente verrà bruciata al rogo stile Giovanna d’Arco o qualsiasi cosa facciano ai peccatori in questo universo e ha scoperto che sua madre era posseduta da un demone e aveva intenzione di venderle entrambe per procurarsi un nuovo corpo in cui abitare. Non esattamente cose che ti fanno venire voglia di limonarti un tizio random, penso.
Che poi io lo capisco che in una duologia il tempo per lo sviluppo dei personaggi e delle relazioni interpersonali è scarso però santodio, almeno dammi delle basi realistiche. Poi da li continuo io, non è un problema, c’ho una bella fantasia, guardo anche i porno quindi QUALCOSINA di quello che succede dopo, riesco ad immaginarmela.
Considerando poi che tolto l’innamoramento precoce lo sviluppo della romance è anche buono e mi è abbastanza piaciuto che l’ostacolo sia il fatto che Finn è un anima senza corpo e quindi può prendere solo possesso di altri corpi umani e sarà interessante vedere come la Vincent risolverà il problema.
♠ Tolta la parte romantica devo dire però che il libro è una gioia da leggere. C’è una trama ricca che ti tiene incollata alle pagine, originale, distopica anche se la chiesa del libro non è molto diversa da alcune forme estremiste del mondo reale.
C’è una protagonista che è decisamente sopportabile e per fortuna, nonostante soffra un po’ di sindrome da special one, perlomeno non sfocia mai nella sindrome da special one che riesce a fare subito cose fighe senza nemmeno doversi allenare. Sopportabile, appunto. Sopratutto poi non una di quelle protagoniste che una volta diventate importanti e super fighissime dimenticano ogni legame familiare e non, passato e non. Nina resta sempre legata alla sorella Melanie e la sua priorità resta sempre quella di prendersi cura di lei.
♠ Poi, visto che mettere in un libro un solo clichè è troppo facile, poteva mancare la ragazza appena conosciuta che odia la protagonista senza alcun motivo apparente se non quello di essere una stronza? Senza contare che quello è il suo unico tratto distintivo. Poi, ovviamente, lei è anche figa e tosta perché non sia mai che una riesca ad esorcizzare demoni e a combattere ed essere anche una persona affabile. Clichè dei clichè il fatto che l’unica altra ragazza che tratta Nina con gentilezza è proprio il membro della squadra che è fondamentalmente inutile.
sophiedeo's review
4.0
I was shocked by this. When I first started reading this, it was hard for me to get into it because there was barely any world building. We are just thrown into the world and it was so confusing. But when I got around 50 pages in, I really couldn’t put it down. I love the concept and it’s just such a creepy read. I really liked how the United Church was written, and the group dynamics of her friends were great.
michalice's review against another edition
5.0
The Stars Never Rise was so not what I expected....I really don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't what I read, but I mean that in the most positive way there is. You know those books that you pick up and have a fantastic opening, that really drags you into the scene and keeps you engrossed throughout the chapter, then slowly fizzles out. Well The Stars Never Rise has an amazing opening scene, and instead of fizzling out, it just gets better and better. The first chapter alone has you on edge and curious to know what will happen next, and that just continues throughout the pages, with Rachel throwing surprise after surprise at you. I did not see a lot of things coming....except one with the sister Melanie...but everything else completely blindsided me.
Nina lives in New Temperance with her sister Melanie, and thier Mum, who isn't really stable enough to be a parental figure, so Nina takes over, making sure her sister is fed, clothed, and goes to school. On the way home Nina is attacked by a degenerate, and is saved by a mysterious stranger, who is also an exorcist. While Nina thinks that is the end of the exorcist, she soon finds out that what she thought was true, had been a complete lie, and once that lie is uncovered, then a series of events lead to lie after lie being discovered.
New Temperance was definitely a strange place to live, with strange beliefs and a very strange way of life. Having to be trapped in this small town, live the way they live, even having medical procedures because they deem you unfit can not be a nice way of life, and I felt sorry for everyone who was forced to live like this. Seeing what Nina and Melanie have to endure was saddening, and scary.
The Stars Never Rise was an unputdownable read that I devoured, only pausing when my battery died on me. It was just what I expected from Rachel, but so much more. I loved the little twist with the whole Finn situation and I am interested in seeing how that will all play out through the rest of this series. I love the new 'friends' that Nina makes, and how they not only save her life, but also help her out with retrieving someone. They not only made me laugh, but showed me that an unlikely group of teens can band together and overcome all the odds against them.
After finishing The Stars Never Rise, my only thought was that I needed the next book now......the long and torturous countdown is on until I get my hands on the next installment.
Final Verdict
I have only read one of Rachel's series before, but I have a full one and the start of one waiting to be read. I know for a fact that I will be picking up this series to add to my collection.
Nina lives in New Temperance with her sister Melanie, and thier Mum, who isn't really stable enough to be a parental figure, so Nina takes over, making sure her sister is fed, clothed, and goes to school. On the way home Nina is attacked by a degenerate, and is saved by a mysterious stranger, who is also an exorcist. While Nina thinks that is the end of the exorcist, she soon finds out that what she thought was true, had been a complete lie, and once that lie is uncovered, then a series of events lead to lie after lie being discovered.
New Temperance was definitely a strange place to live, with strange beliefs and a very strange way of life. Having to be trapped in this small town, live the way they live, even having medical procedures because they deem you unfit can not be a nice way of life, and I felt sorry for everyone who was forced to live like this. Seeing what Nina and Melanie have to endure was saddening, and scary.
The Stars Never Rise was an unputdownable read that I devoured, only pausing when my battery died on me. It was just what I expected from Rachel, but so much more. I loved the little twist with the whole Finn situation and I am interested in seeing how that will all play out through the rest of this series. I love the new 'friends' that Nina makes, and how they not only save her life, but also help her out with retrieving someone. They not only made me laugh, but showed me that an unlikely group of teens can band together and overcome all the odds against them.
After finishing The Stars Never Rise, my only thought was that I needed the next book now......the long and torturous countdown is on until I get my hands on the next installment.
Final Verdict
I have only read one of Rachel's series before, but I have a full one and the start of one waiting to be read. I know for a fact that I will be picking up this series to add to my collection.