In the future, humans
live in city-like spaceships orbiting far above Earth's toxic
atmosphere. No one knows when, or even if, the long-abandoned planet
will be habitable again. But faced with dwindling resources and a
growing populace, government leaders know they must reclaim their
homeland... before it's too late.
Now, one hundred juvenile
delinquents are being sent on a high-stakes mission to recolonize Earth.
After a brutal crash landing, the teens arrive on a savagely beautiful
planet they've only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this
rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. But
they're haunted by their past and uncertain about the future. To
survive, they must learn to trust - and even love - again.
From Goodreads
ARC graciously provided by Around the World ARC Tours
After 300 years of solitude on a spaceship orbiting Earth, the time has come for an expedition to examine the toxic Earth conditions. Due to strict breeding laws & limited supplies, the laws have been tightened so much that young people are being executed at age 18 for the smallest infraction. Now, to make better use of those already sentenced to death, 100 have been selected to travel "home."
Clarke & Wells are the only ones officially sentenced to this task, Bellamy brazenly joins the trip through a hostage situation to save his sister, & Glass was fortunate enough to escape the trip and rejoin society. Following each character individually, the reader is presented with current events & flashbacks to how they landed in their present predicaments. Love, confusion, hatred, & heroism all play an important role in the survival of those who landed & in their futures. No one has been on Earth in 300 years, so why does it feel like something never left?
This was an at-times thrilling, but mostly tempered, science-fiction that I enjoyed. There was a lot going on in each chapter between the current situation & past experiences to keep you on your toes. But there wasn't necessarily and heart-pounding action to help things flow. This story was more driven in a Lord of the Flies way where we watch these kids struggle to continue their doomed existence.
I thought it was a great plot device to have 3 of the characters planetside while one got to remain in the "lap of luxury." It gave a great contrast that I think would otherwise be lost on the reader since we don't spend much free time on the ship with the other characters. What I didn't expect was to enjoy the relationship dynamics as much as I did. While there was definitely a lot of "wrong side of the ship" action going on, the personalities of these characters really blended well.
While I would have liked this to have a tidy ending, alas it is a series beginner so there is a massive climax that is kind of predictable but unique enough to give the reader pause. It'll make for an interesting intro to the next book.
What I didn't know when I got this book was that it had been tapped as a show premiering this fall on the CW. I think it could work very well as a show since it has so much potential. I'm not much of a fan of the crowd they seem to be running with for the show, but it I think I'll give it a shot. Check it out!
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 into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.
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 here 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 first in a sweeping science fiction trilogy, These Broken Stars is a timeless love story about hope and survival in the face of unthinkable odds.
From Goodreads
Star-crossed doesn't even begin to encompass the magnitude of difference between Lilac & Tarver. These two are from whole different universes! Well, not really, but as far as their personalities and backgrounds go it's essentially true. The only child of multi-billionaire & industrial tycoon, Lilac has lived a life of privilege, that has come with a dear cost. Unable to actually become close with any guy, she has built up a wall of self-sufficiency and snobbery. But Tarver, the boy war hero, is rather impervious to her rebuffs.
When something goes horribly wrong mid-hyperspace, these two find themselves in an escape pod that crash lands on a mysterious planet. Soon enough these two find that while they were the sole survivors of the crash, they didn't take into account what already inhabited the planet. Only & hoping for rescue, these two must work together to ensure that they can be found when help finally arrives. If it ever does...
What an incredible story! I definitely came to this story with a pre-conceived idea of what I thought would happen and how the characters would behave. It pleases me to report that I was wrong on both accounts. I certainly did not see most of that coming at all. We don't really get a lot of back story on either of our protagonists & that suits me just fine. We get enough of the basics with out all the nagging, unnecessary details. I found it fitting that we knew as much about the characters as they knew about one another because it allowed for more freedom in the discovery of those details.
While it seems like an obvious straightforward tale of ship crash & survival until (presumed) rescue, the twist in this tale lies within the secrets of this planet. They crash on a terraformed planet that should be extremely colonized & well-established. All they are confronted with are monstrous creatures & an uneasy feeling that seems to get more severe the closer they get to the downed ship. The writing allows the reader to come to terms with what's happening and builds suspense as we move forward into the unknown with the characters.
My favorite part of this book is the fact that it could be a stand alone novel. I went in believing that it was a stand alone and was not disappointed. There were a few unanswered questions, but nothing that I couldn't accept if it were truly the end. Since it isn't the end, I am greatly looking forward to the next installment were we will presumably learn more about the protagonists' new lives & just what exactly happened on that planet.
Anyone else excited about these prospects?
