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A review by mbfeeney
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
5.0
I bought this book on a whim. The blurb intrigued me and when I posted a photo of it on facebook, I was told by a couple of friends that it was a great read. I have to admit, I was dreading it being a rehash of Romeo and Juliet - I hate that play - but it wasn't, even if the theme of 'forbidden love' isn't a new one.
I started reading it, and have to admit, I was very confused for most of the first quarter of the book. I couldn't work out why Helen and Lucas hated each other, and usually I'm quite good at working things like that out. Not only that, Helen's attitude towards her friends and the way it changed so drastically utterly confused me. That's what kept me reading. I needed to know what the hell was going on; and I have to admit, I didn't expect what happened.
Being a bit of a history buff, the way Angelini wove in modern day with ancient myths fascinated me. It actually made me want to read more about the characters she has utilised in this story - not just her books, but actual non fiction ones also. The way she has used mythology to tell a modern day story isn't a new approach, but I thoroughly enjoyed the way she did it. Trickle feeding the reader to keep them engaged isn't easy as many readers are able to predict twists and turns, especially if they read the genre a lot.
The characters are realistic, well as realistic as myths and legends can be, and I found myself both liking and disliking them in equal measures. They had faults and weren't 'cookie cutter' characters. To me, this is always a good thing because I want to make the mistakes alongside them and then learn from them. Helen and Lucas in particular did this. The supporting cast did also, which emphasised the fact that they were normal teenagers in an abnormal setting.
I can't wait to go out and get book two to read. This is a series I will definitely read more than once.
I started reading it, and have to admit, I was very confused for most of the first quarter of the book. I couldn't work out why Helen and Lucas hated each other, and usually I'm quite good at working things like that out. Not only that, Helen's attitude towards her friends and the way it changed so drastically utterly confused me. That's what kept me reading. I needed to know what the hell was going on; and I have to admit, I didn't expect what happened.
Being a bit of a history buff, the way Angelini wove in modern day with ancient myths fascinated me. It actually made me want to read more about the characters she has utilised in this story - not just her books, but actual non fiction ones also. The way she has used mythology to tell a modern day story isn't a new approach, but I thoroughly enjoyed the way she did it. Trickle feeding the reader to keep them engaged isn't easy as many readers are able to predict twists and turns, especially if they read the genre a lot.
The characters are realistic, well as realistic as myths and legends can be, and I found myself both liking and disliking them in equal measures. They had faults and weren't 'cookie cutter' characters. To me, this is always a good thing because I want to make the mistakes alongside them and then learn from them. Helen and Lucas in particular did this. The supporting cast did also, which emphasised the fact that they were normal teenagers in an abnormal setting.
I can't wait to go out and get book two to read. This is a series I will definitely read more than once.