A review by eliajor
Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Protect Abel and Noemi at all cost. I loved the way the author characterised Abel and his robotic 'logical' way of thinking and how it slowly evolved to incorporate his own feelings and thoughts. I loved the banter between Abel and Noemi, especially how we get to see (not be told) how each of them start to like aspects of the other. Abel is simultaneously knowledgeable (duh as a robot) but naive and innocent even, which makes. his introspection all the more precious when he makes a breakthrough. And yes, I too have fallen for his dry humour. Though I knew early on what Mansfield's plan was for Abel, I was still hit hard by his inner thoughts and turmoil. Who knew I could relate to a robot of all characters. 
I do believe Mansfield programmed Abel with a 11/10 charisma for the final few chapters because I was making inordinate amounts of noise.
AND THIS BOOK WAS PUBLISHED ONLY IN 2017? Even though it's marketed as a YA, it feels more than the label it was given. Yes, it's accessible to anyone and yes the romance can feel slow, but it's a book that I treasured the experience of. 
DEFY THE STARS? More like defied and defined my expectations of Claudia Gray's future work.