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A review by bookishjosh
These Broken Stars by Meagan Spooner, Amie Kaufman
4.0
I became interested in this book (series) primarily because of the hype it received in the BookTube community. And to be honest, like most readers, I was inevitably intrigued by the pretty book cover.
While reading it, I initially couldn't help but think that the love-hate relationship between Lilac and Tarver was kinda overrated. However, since this book was written in the first person POV, I found myself smiling and chuckling at their respective mental narratives, aka inner monologues. It was really fun to read their conflicted thoughts and feelings about each other. I especially appreciated Lilac's character development. Her evolution from annoying to inspiring was meticulously crafted.
Another strength of the novel was its plot and world building, which I believe were deceptively predictable. Lilac and Tarver were shipwrecked on an "unknown" and "isolated" planet, and after reading the Across the Universe trilogy by Beth Revis, I immediately made predictions about the planet's name and purpose. To my delight, nearly all of my jaded expectations were thwarted in the last 70 pages. I don't know if I just haven't read enough science fiction, but I was really intrigued by that particular moment in the finale. (I don't want to spoil anyone, so I'm gonna keep it hush, hush.)
In the end, if you like literary concoctions of sci-fi, romance, and a little bit of socio-economic issues, then I suggest you pick up this novel.
While reading it, I initially couldn't help but think that the love-hate relationship between Lilac and Tarver was kinda overrated. However, since this book was written in the first person POV, I found myself smiling and chuckling at their respective mental narratives, aka inner monologues. It was really fun to read their conflicted thoughts and feelings about each other. I especially appreciated Lilac's character development. Her evolution from annoying to inspiring was meticulously crafted.
Another strength of the novel was its plot and world building, which I believe were deceptively predictable. Lilac and Tarver were shipwrecked on an "unknown" and "isolated" planet, and after reading the Across the Universe trilogy by Beth Revis, I immediately made predictions about the planet's name and purpose. To my delight, nearly all of my jaded expectations were thwarted in the last 70 pages. I don't know if I just haven't read enough science fiction, but I was really intrigued by that particular moment in the finale. (I don't want to spoil anyone, so I'm gonna keep it hush, hush.)
In the end, if you like literary concoctions of sci-fi, romance, and a little bit of socio-economic issues, then I suggest you pick up this novel.