Book: These Broken Stars, Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Series: Starbound #1

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Release Date: December 10^th, 2013

Rating: 5 stars

This book reminded me of what might have happened if the Titanic had been set in the future. We have the rich, daddy’s-little-princess known as Lilac, whose only problems stem from finding the perfect husband to match the perfect pair of shoes.

Tarver is a soldier who has experienced way too much death for his age but has inarguably made him tougher in a way a non-soldier could never be.

The story begins when Lilac and Tarver lock eyes from across the room at a crowded party aboard the huge ship Icarus which is floating through space. They’re immediately drawn to each other, despite the fact that Tarver has no idea who Lilac is and Lilac knows that she will never pursue anything with a soldier.

But then disaster strikes when the Titanic Icarus is pulled out of hyperspace. Its chaos aboard the sinking ship and it’s thanks to good luck and quick thinking that Tarver and Lilac manage to escape and land on a seemingly deserted planet. Tarver and Lilac have to work together to survive on a planet that doesn’t seem very people-friendly, without any sign that rescue is going to come.

I’d heard so much about this book and it had been on my TBR shelf for what seems like forever, and when I finally got around to reading it I was afraid that all the hype would make the book appear unenjoyable. But I was wrong, I really enjoyed it!

Tarver and Lilac are both really great characters. While Lilac starts out as this petty, spoilt little girl who only care about her clothes and what her daddy thinks of her, trying to survive on the lone planet makes her realise what’s important in life. She becomes stronger both physically and mentally. She thought she knew how to survive in life thanks to her father, but she soon comes to realise what’s truly important and really grows as a character. This is thanks in part to Tarver.

Tarver had already been on the battlefront as a soldier so while he was out of his element on the Icarus, he knows exactly what to do when stuck on the planet. It’s thanks to him that he and Lilac are able to survive. He teaches Lilac how to be better and never gave up hope that help would come. He took what was an impossible situation with a bratty companion, and somehow turned it all around to make the planet someplace that they could live, which you can’t help but revel at.

I really loved Lilac and Tarver’s relationship, too. They started out hating each other, yet they eventually found a way into each other’s hearts and it was great to read.

I loved how the author corresponded what they thought of each other:

Lilac: “I could slap him. God, I could kiss him.” Then, a few pages later…

Tarver: “I could shake her. I could kiss her.”

I believe it made their relationship all the more plausible and more enjoyable to read.

I would recommend this for lovers of sci-fi, romance and survival stories. While the book got a little slow at times, I still really loved reading this and can’t wait to read the sequel!