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momwithareadingproblem 's review for:
Defy the Stars
by Claudia Gray
I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
It’s been a few months since I read Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray, but I’ve thought about it often. A combination of sci-fi, dystopia, and even a little romance make it a top read for me this year. The book opens during a space battle and the action never slows. It hooked me from the first page and I didn’t want it to end. Plus it’s duel POV in limited 3rd person…..AMAZING!!!!
The premise of the book is pretty cool. Earth was apparently dying so they settled several planets by going through a worm hole to do so. Only one of those planets is identical (or as close as it can be) to Earth….Genesis. Genesis is everything Earth should have been. They believe in relying on nature as much as possible so as not to pollute and corrupt their world. And after so many years (I’m not really clear on how long they have been settled) they are fighting for their independence from Earth. This civil war has been raging for fifty years and GUYS!!!! It reminds me of a cross between Battlestar Galactica and Star Wars. Y’all it’s epic!
Noemi is young, but fierce. I love her and her dedication to her world. She believes in what she is fighting for and even volunteers to be a part of a suicide mission to disable the wormhole/blackhole thingy (sorry, I can’t remember what she actually calls it in the book). But the mission goes awry and she winds up finding Abel and taking a trip through the galaxies.
Abel is an oddity. He’s a mech, but not just any mech. He’s the original mech, the A version, the first. He was supposed to be rumor, but Noemi finds him alone, trapped on a disabled space ship where he has been for fifty years. Can you imagine being by yourself for fifty years, in the same room?! I’d die of boredom! It seems Abel has evolved. Abel is kind, he’s thoughtful, his brain has no filter which makes for several humorous miscommunications between him and Noemi. But most importantly for Noemi, he seems to have a soul. It’s hard to think of him as less than human, even if he is. The author has written his character so well…he even bleeds.
I love the relationship that builds between them. Abel is sweet and a little naive, while Noemi is bitter about the future she has set for herself. She wants to live, she wants to have a life, but she is doomed to die to save her world. It’s kind of heartbreaking her determination and willingness to sacrifice herself.
In addition to their relationship, the world-building is phenomenal. It’s everything I love about sci-fi in a young adult package. There are space battles, mechs that resemble cylons (yes cylons *squee*) and multiple worlds to explore. Each world is detailed and unique so you don’t get confused about where they are. Like Noemi, I want to be selfish and explore them all.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. While the pace in the beginning was kind of slow, it does a 180 about halfway through and I couldn’t read it fast enough. Beautifully written I can’t wait for the second book in the duology. If you enjoy scifi, I highly recommend it!
It’s been a few months since I read Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray, but I’ve thought about it often. A combination of sci-fi, dystopia, and even a little romance make it a top read for me this year. The book opens during a space battle and the action never slows. It hooked me from the first page and I didn’t want it to end. Plus it’s duel POV in limited 3rd person…..AMAZING!!!!
The premise of the book is pretty cool. Earth was apparently dying so they settled several planets by going through a worm hole to do so. Only one of those planets is identical (or as close as it can be) to Earth….Genesis. Genesis is everything Earth should have been. They believe in relying on nature as much as possible so as not to pollute and corrupt their world. And after so many years (I’m not really clear on how long they have been settled) they are fighting for their independence from Earth. This civil war has been raging for fifty years and GUYS!!!! It reminds me of a cross between Battlestar Galactica and Star Wars. Y’all it’s epic!
Noemi is young, but fierce. I love her and her dedication to her world. She believes in what she is fighting for and even volunteers to be a part of a suicide mission to disable the wormhole/blackhole thingy (sorry, I can’t remember what she actually calls it in the book). But the mission goes awry and she winds up finding Abel and taking a trip through the galaxies.
Abel is an oddity. He’s a mech, but not just any mech. He’s the original mech, the A version, the first. He was supposed to be rumor, but Noemi finds him alone, trapped on a disabled space ship where he has been for fifty years. Can you imagine being by yourself for fifty years, in the same room?! I’d die of boredom! It seems Abel has evolved. Abel is kind, he’s thoughtful, his brain has no filter which makes for several humorous miscommunications between him and Noemi. But most importantly for Noemi, he seems to have a soul. It’s hard to think of him as less than human, even if he is. The author has written his character so well…he even bleeds.
I love the relationship that builds between them. Abel is sweet and a little naive, while Noemi is bitter about the future she has set for herself. She wants to live, she wants to have a life, but she is doomed to die to save her world. It’s kind of heartbreaking her determination and willingness to sacrifice herself.
In addition to their relationship, the world-building is phenomenal. It’s everything I love about sci-fi in a young adult package. There are space battles, mechs that resemble cylons (yes cylons *squee*) and multiple worlds to explore. Each world is detailed and unique so you don’t get confused about where they are. Like Noemi, I want to be selfish and explore them all.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. While the pace in the beginning was kind of slow, it does a 180 about halfway through and I couldn’t read it fast enough. Beautifully written I can’t wait for the second book in the duology. If you enjoy scifi, I highly recommend it!