These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner is the first installment in the Starbound trilogy comprised of three companion novels. In it, the Icarus, a massive and luxurious spaceship traveling across the galaxy is yanked out of hyperspace and crashes into an unknown planet. Lilac LaRoux, daughter of the richest man in the galaxy, and Tarver Merendsen, a decorated Major, seem to be the only survivors. After their previous on-board meeting went sour, the last thing they want to do is rely on each other, but that’s precisely what they must do if they want to survive. There’s something strange going in this planet, where the terraformed land is deserted and where whispers haunt their every step.
These Broken Stars is perhaps one of the most commented YA books coming out this year; and it’s not hard to see why. Kaufman and Spooner have done a wonderful job of creating a book that is complex and engrossing with beautiful writing. The world they created is full of luscious details, fresh and imaginative. It’s easy to imagine the dresses that Lilac wears, the behavior of the society, the mountains in the planet where she and Tarver crash, the scents and sounds…the world of These Broken Stars is a full one and nothing is too little or too much.
The book alternates perspectives between Lilac and Tarver, whose distinctive voices and perspectives add rich layers to the journey that they share. Lilac, the only daughter to the richest man in the galaxy, is everything that one would expect from someone in such a position, but there’s a righteousness to her and a deep understanding of how her decisions can affect others; she understands the power her father has, and she also understands he doesn’t always use it for good. Tarver has been a soldier for little over a year has already risen through the ranks; he’s disciplined, and like Lilac, everything one would expect to see from a soldier, but possesses tenderness and righteousness that go beyond duty.
I wouldn’t have wanted to read this book with any other protagonists. Lilac and Tarver’s story is gripping from start to finish: they begin on the ship where they meet and there seems to be an attraction, but any possibility is shot down due to their social classes.
Sounds like Titanic? Not quite.
Lilac and Tarver make it out of the Icarus in one piece with a few bruises and are thrown into a planet that has everything humans might need to live…except that there’s no one. It’s just the two of them, their escape pod and a spaceship torn to shreds. Or so they think.
Most of the novel focuses on their journey to find help and their developing relationship. It takes time to build, so don’t expect insta-love in this one. Lilac and Tarver’s complexity means it takes them time to reach an understanding before they can continue moving forward. Their dynamics are equally infuriating, humorous, tender and always enjoyable. They change not only due to this journey, but due to each other.
The problems that they encounter on this planet bring another layer into the story. While Lilac and Tarver’s attachment grows, they also have to deal with weather changes, lack of food, and whispers only Lilac can hear. These whispers and the eerie feeling that Lilac and Tarver are the only humans in this planet kept me on edge. I spent my time between rooting for their survival and trying to figure out why this planet was deserted, what these whispers were and whether or not they would make it home. The romance doesn’t overshadow the other threads running through this book, but sits right in the front seat alongside them.
I adored These Broken Stars; the characters, the world, the plot and the romance were all done wonderfully well. The writing was gorgeous with lines that come to memory and resonate. I teared up while reading several times and I rooted for Lilac and Tarver with everything they wanted and had to do. The plot twists took me by surprise and they were heart-wrenching as they continued complicating situations for both of them. And if you’re worried about the sci-fi elements, don’t worry about this one: Kaufman and Spooner did their research and integrated it in a way that’s functional and easy to understand. I can’t wait to reread it as I wait for its next companion.
5 out of 5 stars
Mara Delgado Sanchez, the Young Adult Reviewer at Girls in Capes, is pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in fiction. She draws inspiration from writers such as Jane Austen and Virginia Woolf and is an avid reader of young adult novels, science fiction, and fantasy.
