Author: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Published: December 10th 2013
Pages: 378 pages
"Luxury spaceliner Icarus
suddenly plummets from hyperspace into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux
and Tarver Merendsen survive – alone. Lilac is the daughter of the
richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a cynical war
hero. Both journey across the eerie deserted terrain for help.
Everything changes when they uncover the truth."
These Broken Stars begins in the spaceship Icarus where Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen first meet. Tarver is a decorated war hero who is at Icarus to be paraded around - which he extremely dislikes. Lilac is the daughter of the galaxy's wealthiest man and due to his over-protective behavior towards her, Lilac knows she can't allow any man to get closer - she has to keep Traver away. Humiliated in front of Lilac's friends, Tarver doesn't want nothing more to do with her. However, Icarus crashes and Tarver and Lilac find themselves stranded in a strange and mysterious planet with only the company of each other.
Writing: If I didn't know, I would have never guessed that These Broken Stars was co-written. Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner's writing creates a brilliant cohesive and complex world. The strange planet where the main characters crash is described to the smallest detail. And there are so many poetic moments throughout the narrative.
Characters: As I wrote previously, the main characters are Lila LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen. While Tarver is instantly likable, Lilac made me want to slap her for one third of the story. Her bitchy and futile attitude plus the way she treated Tarver angered me. But after the crash, day-by-day, Lilac started changing and showed there is more inside her than a girl who only cares about dresses, balls and gossip. This is how character growth is done.
These Broken Stars is the stunning beginning of The Starbound Trilogy.
Writing: If I didn't know, I would have never guessed that These Broken Stars was co-written. Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner's writing creates a brilliant cohesive and complex world. The strange planet where the main characters crash is described to the smallest detail. And there are so many poetic moments throughout the narrative.
However, I must confess, I found the writing a bit repetitive. The plot was dragged on - how many more days will the characters spend traveling until they reach Icarus' cemetery? It is the only reason why I didn't give to These Broken Stars five stars.“For a moment the image before us is frozen: our world, our lives, reduced to a handful broken stars half lost in uncharted space. Then it's gone, the view swallowed by the hyperspace winds streaming past, blue-green auroras wiping the after-images away. Until all that's left is us”
Characters: As I wrote previously, the main characters are Lila LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen. While Tarver is instantly likable, Lilac made me want to slap her for one third of the story. Her bitchy and futile attitude plus the way she treated Tarver angered me. But after the crash, day-by-day, Lilac started changing and showed there is more inside her than a girl who only cares about dresses, balls and gossip. This is how character growth is done.
- Relationship: I loved how Lila and Tarver's relationship was built. There was always an attraction between them, but Tarver being who he was and Lilac being who she was in a prejudiced society, for a moment, it didn't seem they could/would ever be together. I really enjoyed how they went from "enemies" to friends and then lovers. How many love stories are so well-written? It's a lovely slow-burn romance.
These Broken Stars is the stunning beginning of The Starbound Trilogy.
