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ginnybrooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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
3.75
chronicallybookish's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Special thanks to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions reflected in this review are my own.
Bonnie and Clyde meets Six of Crows in this fast paced, political space opera.
This book was a lot of fun, in a tragic sort of way. It was fast paced, explosive, and easy to get into. I often struggle with SciFi, especially space operas. They tend to be too dense and bogged down in the sciency details for me. I didn’t have that issue with this one. So if you’re looking for a denser, science focused SciFi with a lot of galactic history and worldbuilding—this may not be for you. But if you’re looking for a ragtag crew of teenage space criminals pulling off heists and saving their planet from a intergalactic dictatorship, this is definitely worth the read.
The only thing in this book that didn’t work for me was the romances. I never felt any chemistry between either romantic pairing. The relationships themselves were never developed. The friendship and history between Ava and Shane was well done. I could really feel that connection between them, but the the romantic aspects never translated for me. As for Cyrus and Lark… their entire friendship, relationship, connection did not work for me. We start out with Cyrus finding him a spoiled bully, and then we time skip and are just told “actually he’s not that bad. I maybe even have feelings for him?” But we see none of that development. In fact, we barely see any interactions between the two of them at all, and any real development between them is told in a summary of one to two sentences every few chapters. We don’t see any of it on page. It was… not convincing, to say the least.
I actually liked the characters as individuals, and I loved the platonic connections between Ava, Shane, and their crew.
The other pitfall of this book was that I couldn’t stop comparing it to Six of Crows. Yes, because of the heists, but even more so because the archetypes of each character matched up a little too closely with a crow. Shane is Kaz—a morally gray leader from the slums with PTSD, who will do anything to protect his people (especially the girl he loves) and his home (West Rama/The Barrel). Ava is less so, but I think she does fall similarly to Nina with her actress tendencies and using flirtation to be the distraction while still being totally badass. Jareth is Wylan. Cyrus is Matthias. Shane is the only one where it was so overwhelmingly similar that I couldn’t think of anything else, though. He felt like Kaz Brekker in a space opera fanfic. Which is totally fine, except that Leigh Bardug0 is such a master at her craft, that every time I thought of the similarities, this book fell short in its execution, compared to the masterpiece that is SoC. I really wish I hadn’t gotten that stuck in my head, because I think I would’ve enjoyed this book more if I’d been able to let it stand on its own.
Now that’s not to say it’s a bad book. It’s a good book, and I really do recommend it. I enjoyed my time reading it, and I look forward to what Jenna Voris does next.
Bonnie and Clyde meets Six of Crows in this fast paced, political space opera.
This book was a lot of fun, in a tragic sort of way. It was fast paced, explosive, and easy to get into. I often struggle with SciFi, especially space operas. They tend to be too dense and bogged down in the sciency details for me. I didn’t have that issue with this one. So if you’re looking for a denser, science focused SciFi with a lot of galactic history and worldbuilding—this may not be for you. But if you’re looking for a ragtag crew of teenage space criminals pulling off heists and saving their planet from a intergalactic dictatorship, this is definitely worth the read.
The only thing in this book that didn’t work for me was the romances. I never felt any chemistry between either romantic pairing. The relationships themselves were never developed. The friendship and history between Ava and Shane was well done. I could really feel that connection between them, but the the romantic aspects never translated for me. As for Cyrus and Lark… their entire friendship, relationship, connection did not work for me. We start out with Cyrus finding him a spoiled bully, and then we time skip and are just told “actually he’s not that bad. I maybe even have feelings for him?” But we see none of that development. In fact, we barely see any interactions between the two of them at all, and any real development between them is told in a summary of one to two sentences every few chapters. We don’t see any of it on page. It was… not convincing, to say the least.
I actually liked the characters as individuals, and I loved the platonic connections between Ava, Shane, and their crew.
The other pitfall of this book was that I couldn’t stop comparing it to Six of Crows. Yes, because of the heists, but even more so because the archetypes of each character matched up a little too closely with a crow. Shane is Kaz—a morally gray leader from the slums with PTSD, who will do anything to protect his people (especially the girl he loves) and his home (West Rama/The Barrel). Ava is less so, but I think she does fall similarly to Nina with her actress tendencies and using flirtation to be the distraction while still being totally badass. Jareth is Wylan. Cyrus is Matthias. Shane is the only one where it was so overwhelmingly similar that I couldn’t think of anything else, though. He felt like Kaz Brekker in a space opera fanfic. Which is totally fine, except that Leigh Bardug0 is such a master at her craft, that every time I thought of the similarities, this book fell short in its execution, compared to the masterpiece that is SoC. I really wish I hadn’t gotten that stuck in my head, because I think I would’ve enjoyed this book more if I’d been able to let it stand on its own.
Now that’s not to say it’s a bad book. It’s a good book, and I really do recommend it. I enjoyed my time reading it, and I look forward to what Jenna Voris does next.
boiler_bookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
*Thank you to author Jenna Voris and publisher Penguin Teen for an advanced copy of this book that this review is based on.**
One of the first things I noticed about this debut novel from Jenna Voris is the stand-out character graphics of the cover. The cover is a great visual match for this high intensity YA novel that focuses on the 3 main characters featured on the cover. The criminal couple, Shane & Ava, have great chemistry and are fun to read about. However, I really enjoyed Cyrus's POV chapters throughout the book. Cyrus is the valedictorian of his flight academy and his first assignment involves catching the criminal duo, Shane and Ava. I appreciated the depth that Voris added to the story with Cyrus's character. Cyrus finds himself questioning why Shane and Ava are committing their crimes, and it leads to Cyrus examining not only his motivations, but also those of his commanding general.
Overall enjoyed this one and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA and fantasy.
One of the first things I noticed about this debut novel from Jenna Voris is the stand-out character graphics of the cover. The cover is a great visual match for this high intensity YA novel that focuses on the 3 main characters featured on the cover. The criminal couple, Shane & Ava, have great chemistry and are fun to read about. However, I really enjoyed Cyrus's POV chapters throughout the book. Cyrus is the valedictorian of his flight academy and his first assignment involves catching the criminal duo, Shane and Ava. I appreciated the depth that Voris added to the story with Cyrus's character. Cyrus finds himself questioning why Shane and Ava are committing their crimes, and it leads to Cyrus examining not only his motivations, but also those of his commanding general.
Overall enjoyed this one and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA and fantasy.
bostieslovebooks's review against another edition
4.0
Shane and Ava work together to steal whatever they need including aircraft and supplies until Shane is caught and imprisoned. After escaping, Shane discovers a secret military plot that would ruin his home world. Determined to put a stop to it, Shane and Ava take on their biggest job yet, but soon run into Cyrus, fresh from the academy and on his first assignment. Cyrus doesn’t know who to believe – his General or the outlaws?
MADE OF STARS was a great Bonnie and Clyde inspired YA space science fiction. I really enjoyed how the pacing alternated between action and character focus to keep the plot moving while giving both excitement and insight into the characters and their motivations. The author created compelling characters to explore good versus evil and right versus wrong. I liked the writing overall, however, there were times where I forgot that this was YA-aged characters and I was thinking they were adults but then mention of their ages brought me back to their reality. There was romantic tension, though I didn’t feel like there was an overwhelming feeling of teenage angst that many YA books have. The plot held my attention and had me eagerly turning pages. I easily could have read this in one sitting if I wasn’t interrupted by things I needed to get done. This book ends on a cliffhanger, leaving me wanting to know what happens next.
I really enjoyed MADE OF STARS and would recommend to fans of YA space science fiction. I hope there is a sequel. I look forward to reading future works by this author.
Thank you to Viking for the giveaway copy.
looseleafellie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
5.0
Made of Stars follows outlaws Shane and Ava as they embark on a daring prison break and plan a new heist. But when they stumble upon a conspiracy to take over their home planet, they must use their outlaw skills to take down an oppressive government.
This was a rollercoaster of action and thrills! I came for the Bonnie and Clyde in space concept, but I stayed for the sci-fi politics. While Shane and Ava were fun to read about, my heart was stolen by Cyrus, the imperial soldier who realizes that he may need to turn against the empire that gave him everything.
Also … THAT ending! I mean, I never saw it coming in a million years, and it broke me but also made so much sense for the story. I also liked how things weren’t wrapped up in a neat little bow — taking down an evil empire takes time, after all. But there’s a spark of hope, and that’s what matters. I don’t know if a sequel is planned, but if there is, I’m SO ready!
CWs: Blood, violence, gore, descriptions of blood/bodies, murder (including mass murder), torture, war themes, weapon use/gun-violence, PTSD and flashbacks, and grief over deceased friends.
This was a rollercoaster of action and thrills! I came for the Bonnie and Clyde in space concept, but I stayed for the sci-fi politics. While Shane and Ava were fun to read about, my heart was stolen by Cyrus, the imperial soldier who realizes that he may need to turn against the empire that gave him everything.
Also … THAT ending! I mean, I never saw it coming in a million years, and it broke me but also made so much sense for the story. I also liked how things weren’t wrapped up in a neat little bow — taking down an evil empire takes time, after all. But there’s a spark of hope, and that’s what matters. I don’t know if a sequel is planned, but if there is, I’m SO ready!
CWs: Blood, violence, gore, descriptions of blood/bodies, murder (including mass murder), torture, war themes, weapon use/gun-violence, PTSD and flashbacks, and grief over deceased friends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and War
trippyotter's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
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? Yes
4.0
Bonnie & Clyde + Rouge One = Made of Stars
I was already intrigued when I discovered the story was a Bonnie & Clyde retelling, but I loved the mesh that I'll reference as Rouge One.
Our duet - along with their cohorts - are set on a path that will end with their demise. (sad, I know, but it's Bonnie & Clyde)
Over the course of their story, we're given glimpses into their past and what lead them from bandit to freedom fighter.
With the aid from an unlikely source, will their deaths be in vain, or will it forge the path to free their people?
I know I already said I loved the mesh of the two stories, but I do, I really do!
**SPOILER**
It's rare that I wish there was a sequel because I truly want more, and this is that case. We can't leave it like this! I need Lark to have his HEA!
I was already intrigued when I discovered the story was a Bonnie & Clyde retelling, but I loved the mesh that I'll reference as Rouge One.
Our duet - along with their cohorts - are set on a path that will end with their demise. (sad, I know, but it's Bonnie & Clyde)
Over the course of their story, we're given glimpses into their past and what lead them from bandit to freedom fighter.
With the aid from an unlikely source, will their deaths be in vain, or will it forge the path to free their people?
I know I already said I loved the mesh of the two stories, but I do, I really do!
**SPOILER**
It's rare that I wish there was a sequel because I truly want more, and this is that case. We can't leave it like this! I need Lark to have his HEA!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
brookiebooks's review against another edition
3.0
I can definitely see the aspects of Bonnie and Clyde. I loved Cyrus's character and how he kind of lives in the gray of the world. Not poor yet not rich either. I loved Ava and Shane due to their chemistry and the dumb stuff they get up to. Ava and Shane yelling at Jared for doing dumb things always cracked me up. I loved the thrills I got from their heists and the badassery that occurred in this book. Overall I loved the plot, characters, and vibes. I loved the easy to read writing style but, also how sometimes it didn't really feel like a young adult book. The characters and plot were sometimes just at a new adult fiction writing level which I loved. I loved the space plot, I feel that if it was set anywhere else it would be basic and boring. Almost like every other heist movie I have seen before and every heist book I've read before. The space element just added a new dynamic that was fun.
thatqueengabby's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
i won a copy of this book through a goodreads giveaway, and here are my thoughts in exchange
i would say this book is perhaps bonnie and clyde first, and a space opera second. this isn't quite your fun star wars trilogy story; it's devastating and ends on a hopeful note, but not a reassuringly hopeful one. all the characters pull at your heartstrings. i would say that thematically, the gearbreakers duology by zoe hana mikuta and descendant of the crane by joan he are a bit similar to this
i would say this book is perhaps bonnie and clyde first, and a space opera second. this isn't quite your fun star wars trilogy story; it's devastating and ends on a hopeful note, but not a reassuringly hopeful one. all the characters pull at your heartstrings. i would say that thematically, the gearbreakers duology by zoe hana mikuta and descendant of the crane by joan he are a bit similar to this
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Torture, and Colonisation
bookselm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0