Author: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Format: Hardback
Publication Date: December 10th 2013
Pages: 378
Source: Bought
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Purchase: The Book Depository / Waterstones
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 to the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.Oh guys, this book. This book! I was so in the mood for a Sci-Fi and this definitely brought all of the elements to the table. To be fair it did originally take me two attempts to get into it because the first chapter felt very draggy, but as soon as you get past that, you're off on an action packed adventure filled with unexpected twists and turns. Now this book is very highly compared to the film Titanic, and I urge you not to believe these words. The only similarity this book has to Titanic is that the ship crashes. That is it. Beyond that it's a science fiction based survival story on an unknown world. It's fantastic. I seriously urge you to read it.
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 in this place 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.
The writing style of this book was phenomenal and you could never tell for a second that it was co-authored. Amie and Meagan do a very fluid job at telling the story and making sure that you are aware of everything that is going on. Their scenic writing was beautiful, creating a very vivid image of the character's surroundings. It really drew you in and made you feel as if you were actually within the story. Also, the chapters were broken up into flash forwards to the events after the book, told in a set of interview logs and these are the basis for telling the story. It's worked really well and I would love to see more of these breaks in the future instalments.
Plot wise, there was never a dull moment. Even in the beginning (although slow at first) the story kicks off and we're introduced to our main characters. As everything shifts and the scenery changes, you are pulled into a new world where everything is thought through logically and quickly, so if you miss something you're going to get left behind! The pacing of this book was incredibly fluid, so you're never finding yourself bored or sick of reading. I found it difficult to actually put this book down I was so involved.This book was not what I expected it to be. I expected it to be a very light and breezy read that told the basic survival story. Oh my was I wrong! This book has an undercurrent that pitches the story arc for the entire series. I'm not going to spoil it for you because it is very dramatic, but this book definitely breaks the mould of the survival stereotype.
As for the characters, in the beginning I was torn between whether I enjoyed Lilac's character. If her pretentious name didn't scream 'ugh' for me then I didn't know what would. However, I was so pleasantly surprised. In the beginning we have this facade that clouds Lilac and pitches her as the spoilt little rich girl, but as the survival instincts are forced to the surface, we realise she's so much more important and influential as a character, and therefore making her so much more likeable. Tarver on the other hand was very likeable from the get go. He is strong willed, determined and yet has a hardened surface to him that works very well considering his back story. Together these characters worked excellently together and I really believed the relationship that began to flourish between these characters. Whilst it was sweet, it was built up from hardened times and I love when relationships are born from that element. With the characters, this book also takes a very personal and emotional stand and goes well out of it's way to make the reader genuinely feel for what is happening to these characters. I have to admit there was certainly a scene that had me choking up and trying to catch my breath before turning the next page.
Overall, this book was filled with intense turns that I didn't expect and it definitely sets you up for other books in the series. The story arc is already one I'm invested in and I'm excited to see how the other characters come to play in this series. I only hope we can get more of Lilac and Tarver in it too! I award These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner a 4 out of 5 star rating on my classification scale!
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