These Broken Stars - Book Review

Today I'm going to be writing a review of one of my current favorite books: These Broken Stars, by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (here's a link to their website). It's a YA sci-fi novel set in outer space and centering on two young protagonists, Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

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. 

You're hooked aren't you? Okay, maybe 6 short lines isn't enough to get the average person 100% hooked on a book. But that gorgeous cover certainly is. The cover is what made me pick this book up in the first place. Of course, a beautiful cover isn't what makes a book great. The cover wasn't what captivated me for 3 straight hours, unable to stop reading until I reached the end.

The Plot

We start on the luxury spaceliner Icarus, a ship owned by Roderick LaRoux, the richest man in the universe. Aboard the ship are Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen, the richest girl in the universe and a soldier from a modest background. Suddenly, Icarus falls out of the sky, landing on a nearby planet. Lilac and Tarver emerge alone from the wreckage, not another soul to be seen. They must find help on this strange planet, a planet where things aren't exactly what they seem. 

I found the plot of this book intriguing and captivating. I like science fiction, but I'm not always the biggest fan, especially when books are overly complicated and technical. This science fiction novel, even though it was set in a different world, felt more real than other. By the end of the book this fictitious world doesn't seem so foreign anymore, it feels like a real place. The plot isn't exhaustingly action packed, but it also doesn't drag, at least for me it didn't. There was an element of mystery throughout the book that kept me interested the whole time. 

Another plot line through the book, aside from the main conflict of trying to find help on a strange planet, was the romance between the two characters. Yeah, yeah, YA romance has a bad rep for being cheesy or unrealistic. But I think the romance subplot in These Broken Stars was written really well, and it added a lot to the book for me.

The Characters

Lilac LaRoux, daughter of the richest man in the universe, definitely comes off as kind of a princess in the beginning. But one of the best parts about this book was seeing her grow and change when she's thrust out of her comfort zone and into a strange new environment. She's strong and stubborn, and has dealt with more in her life than you would expect from a spoiled rich girl. Lilac is easily one of my favorite female heroines in the fiction world. 

Tarver Merendsen is a war hero, a soldier who doesn't belong in Lilac's fancy world up on the Icarus. But in the natural environment of this planet, he steps up and keeps himself and Lilac alive, saving their lives time and time again (not that Lilac doesn't do a lot of saving herself - she has a few surprises up her sleeve as well). His dry and sarcastic sense of humor adds a lot of laughs to the novel, and he's an incredibly likeable character who just has a few rough edges. 

Their relationship is honestly one of my favorite parts of These Broken Stars. I love couples who are so incredibly different on the inside, but have a really meaningful and deep connection. And that's exactly the kind of relationship that Tarver and Lilac have. The romance in this novel is the perfect balance of deep connections and hilarious banter.

Overall: 

5 out of 5 stars. Gold star. Two thumbs up. I love this book. 

The plot is well written, with just enough action and intrigue to carry it along at a nice pace, and the characters are likeable and really grow into strong, capable people through the course of the book. One of the neat, unusual things about this book is that at the beginning of every chapter, there's a page of text that shows Tarver being interviewed with someone about his experience on this planet. Every chapter you get just a snippet of this, and it hints at things to come throughout the story and really helps to keep you hooked and anxious to know what happens next. 

If this sounds like a book you might wanna read, you can buy it here!

If you've already read These Broken Stars, what did you think of it? Tell me in the comments below :)

This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.