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strattki's review
4.0
This was a fun read. I love the dynamics between Sydney and Winter. I also loved the friendship between Damien, Leo, and Winter.
artbooksoul's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
raccoonfoo's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Drug use, and Gun violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse
cobaltbookshelf's review
3.0
3.5 stars
I was feeling like reading something easy and something fun with a side of romance. And this was totally it. I just had so much fun reading this!
This first book set up the main characters but I do hope in future book that we get a lot more character development and growth combined with a great missions as well. I really enjoyed my reading experience. Will definitely read the rest of the series!
ARC kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I was feeling like reading something easy and something fun with a side of romance. And this was totally it. I just had so much fun reading this!
This first book set up the main characters but I do hope in future book that we get a lot more character development and growth combined with a great missions as well. I really enjoyed my reading experience. Will definitely read the rest of the series!
ARC kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
vtlism's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Decent, light palate cleanser
nes305's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
waywardskyril's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book could swing a 2.5 for me or possibly a 3 on a generous day, but that's the highest I'd be willing to rate it for decent writing, backstory building, and inclusivity. The counterbalance of those is that while the writing was okay, it felt extremely slow-paced, especially in the first hundred or so pages; the plot and spy gear were far-fetched at best; and while it was stated multiple times that the main characters were physically attracted to each other, I never felt ANYTHING between them, let alone the deeper feelings they were supposed to be having.
It's sad to me that I didn't enjoy this book more because, while I've never read anything by Marie Lu before this book, I've owned Legend for years and have always anticipated one day reading it. I'll probably still read it eventually, but I'm less optomistic that I'll love it. But, that isn't this book.
As for Stars and Smoke, while the writing style is largely very readable (if slow-paced), it focuses closely on the characters and their thoughts. Most actions are slightly awkward and sometimes difficult to picture. Overall, though, it was alright, and I enjoyed the descriptions of atmosphere and the internalized histories and motivations of the characters.
The plot was sort of a standard spy thriller series of events, although it did have a couple of twists that surprised me. While I found the whole idea of a 19-year-old spy who's already been in the spy business for several years on active missions hard to believe, what truly wasn't believable to me were some of the spy gadgets, such as a regular phone that can cast a human-sized hologram or a car that shifts into different functions by... clapping. It's a clapper car. Because that's super functional for a driver who will have to take his hands off the wheel to clap in order to shift his car into a different mode. These were some fairly eye-rolling moments for me.
Worst of all, as previously mentioned, I barely felt anything between the main characters in what is supposed to be a YA romance. The thoughts they tended to have towards each other were along the lines of, "Gr, why am I noticing that he/she is hot?" Accompanied by zero butterflies and even less depth. I had far more connection to the characters individually and their backstories than the characters together.
Fortunately, the characters DID have moderately interesting histories with real families and some tragedies. I felt like I could like either of them if the story was solely about one or the other of them, Winter Young, especially, who had an especially moving backstory and likeable personality, and who was queer.
Overall, I didn't hate this story, but I was far from loving it. Stars and Smoke took me several days longer to read than the 500 page book I read before it. I can certainly see some people enjoying it more than I did, especially those that find it easier to suspend their disbelief of sequences that they find far-fetched. To sum up this book: it's okay, but it wasn't for me.
It's sad to me that I didn't enjoy this book more because, while I've never read anything by Marie Lu before this book, I've owned Legend for years and have always anticipated one day reading it. I'll probably still read it eventually, but I'm less optomistic that I'll love it. But, that isn't this book.
As for Stars and Smoke, while the writing style is largely very readable (if slow-paced), it focuses closely on the characters and their thoughts. Most actions are slightly awkward and sometimes difficult to picture. Overall, though, it was alright, and I enjoyed the descriptions of atmosphere and the internalized histories and motivations of the characters.
The plot was sort of a standard spy thriller series of events, although it did have a couple of twists that surprised me. While I found the whole idea of a 19-year-old spy who's already been in the spy business for several years on active missions hard to believe, what truly wasn't believable to me were some of the spy gadgets, such as a regular phone that can cast a human-sized hologram or a car that shifts into different functions by... clapping. It's a clapper car. Because that's super functional for a driver who will have to take his hands off the wheel to clap in order to shift his car into a different mode. These were some fairly eye-rolling moments for me.
Worst of all, as previously mentioned, I barely felt anything between the main characters in what is supposed to be a YA romance. The thoughts they tended to have towards each other were along the lines of, "Gr, why am I noticing that he/she is hot?" Accompanied by zero butterflies and even less depth. I had far more connection to the characters individually and their backstories than the characters together.
Fortunately, the characters DID have moderately interesting histories with real families and some tragedies. I felt like I could like either of them if the story was solely about one or the other of them, Winter Young, especially, who had an especially moving backstory and likeable personality, and who was queer.
Overall, I didn't hate this story, but I was far from loving it. Stars and Smoke took me several days longer to read than the 500 page book I read before it. I can certainly see some people enjoying it more than I did, especially those that find it easier to suspend their disbelief of sequences that they find far-fetched. To sum up this book: it's okay, but it wasn't for me.