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A review by stuckinafictionaluniverse
The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent
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.