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Review: THESE BROKEN STARS by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner Title: These Broken Stars
Author: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Publication date: December 10, 2013
Source: an ARC provided by the publisher for an honest review 


First line: Nothing about this room is real.

I received this book earlier in the year, putting it off first by it's far off publication date and then my increasing expectations due to raving reviews. But then I read it and I saw beauty. The characters: Tarver and Lilac were basically our only characters throughout the whole book and I wasn't complaining. They were complex and vulnerable in their own ways, but still strong. We meet them on the ship before the horrific ordeal happens and already, there's tension after she embarrasses him. After, when they're stranded, they don't want to work together, but they eventually do. The tension was perfect. However, the authors were still able to characterize others who didn't even show up, like Lilac's dictator father.

The setting: I've never watched Titanic (go ahead, take away some kind of feminine card), but I imagined the ship they were sailing flying? on to be very similar. Full of gowns, drinks, dancing, jewels, and flirting. We weren't there long though when we suddenly crashed with Lilac and Tarver on a mysterious, potentially lethal planet. Gosh, I love sci-fi. The authors do a great job in setting up an unknown world that makes you incredibly nervous, but very intrigued. You're conflicted in wanting them to explore and to stay away.

The writing: I haven't read many dual-author books, but if they're all written as well as this one, I will gladly try them out every time. Every other chapter is either Lilac and Tarver so I'm guessing each author wrote one. I didn't have a problem telling the narratives apart even though deep down, Lilac and Tarver were so alike despite their statuses.

The story: The authors are also cruel. I know some bloggers who thought the twist and the ending ruined the whole story, but I thought it was great. Sure, it tore my soul and made me question all of life, but it could be considered a small price to pay for such a great book. This may be a tiny detail in the midst of things, but I also want to mention the interrogation scenes. Before every chapter, we're given dialogue between Tarver and what we assume to be Lilac's father's men, an interrogation of the events that happened. I looked forward to it every chapter because it showed more of Tarver's snark and provided more to the story.

While it did take me a couple chapters to be invested into the story, it was well worth any wait. The writing, the characters, the setting, the journey...it all came together to give me an incredible sci-fi experience.

Verdict: These Broken Stars came out this week so if you haven't read it yet, GO. Mystery, twists, romance, adventure, survival, FEELS.

Note: Quotes may have changed from ARC to publication.
Posted by Summer McDaniel at Friday, December 13, 2013 Labels: dual author, review, scifi