Recent Reads: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Series: Starbound #1
Publisher: Random House Audio, Listening Library
Publication Date:  December 2013

 

Format: Audiobook
Source: Random House Audio in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 


Goodreads Synopsis: 

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

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A timeless love story, THESE BROKEN STARS sets into motion a sweeping science fiction series of companion novels. The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy.

 Review: 

It took me a long time to listen to this audiobook, not for lack of trying, I just felt like it moved so slowly through the beginning. In an effort to get through some of the ARCs I have racked up, I started listening to this again while working and it seemed to be the time and place for it. At about the 50% mark it really started picking up in the plot and the romance and I wanted to hear more.

These Broken Stars is about Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen, a right girl from a well-to-do family and a decorated soldier, they couldn’t be more different and now they are stranded on a planet together without communication to their homes and people that know them. The plot is told in an alternating point of view from Tarver to Lilac with interspersed with tracks of someone questions Tarver later on about the events that occurred.

The story is ripe with detail and vivid imagery of the places they have been and things that are happening around the characters. Tarver and Lilac are both interesting characters and the alternating point of views give light into both their thinking and feelings, which are deep for a young adult read (I felt). I really enjoyed the characters and their growth throughout the book.

The sci-fi genre that this book falls into is both accurate but also a little strange. Yes they start in space and there is much talk about Terra-forming planets, but deep down this is a romance with sci-fi aspects really. The romance is beautiful and was wonderful to listen to.

Since this was an audiobook, I have to note the readers – they were wonderful! Cynthia Holloway, Johnathan McClain and Sarge Anton were so great. The emotion they read with was very refreshing and made the characters really come alive while they are fighting for survival.

Overall, I give this book a 4 star rating, but only because of the slow start that I had with it. I felt that the beginning of the book before Lilac and Tarver are stranded was too slow in this audiobook format; maybe reading it would have had a different impact on me.