Review - These Broken Stars (Starbound #1) by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Title: These Broken Stars

Author: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Series: 1st

Pages: 374

Published: December 10th 2013 by Disney Hyperion

ISBN:  9781423171027

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Description: 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. 

I Give This ...

My initial thoughts when I saw this book made me think of Across the Universe.  I'm not big on space and sci-fi, so I wasn't sure I wanted to read this one.  So I kind of forgot about.  I took a second look after a few positive reviews came in and decided maybe it might be something I would like.  I'm glad I did because this turned out to be one of the better books I read in 2013!

Lilac and Tarver are about as different as can be.  I liked them both immensely.  I think that I might not have liked Lilac if we only had Tarver's point of view.  She comes across exactly how one might think the daughter of the richest man in the universe would.  But in all honesty she's behaving how society and the world expects her to behave.  Deep down she's smart and wants to be recognized for something other that her father.  Tarver is young and being recognized for a military feet that most soldiers never obtain.  But, he's still a little green when it comes to how to behave with upper society.  When you throw these two together on a deserted planet, you can bet sparks are going to fly.

I admired how Lilac tries to keep up with Tarver.  She doesn't want to be the rich girl in a gown and high heels traipsing through unfamiliar terrain.  She wants Traver to see her as she sees herself.  Throughout their journey to the wreckage of the Icarus and then to an abandoned outpost building, she proves herself over and over again.  She's more than just her daddy's girl.  Tarver was harder for me to pin down.  He's all business.  It's been trained into him and he doesn't seem to have time for the girly and snobbery that he believes radiate off of Lilac.

There's more than enough actions to go along with the romance in this story.  There's the voices only Lilac can hear.  Is she going crazy?  Or is there truly something on this seemingly deserted planet.  Tarver ends up in a delirious and semi-conscious state that Lilac has to figure out how to nurse him out of.  And what exactly is behind the locked door at the outpost building?  The biggest shocker of them all happens here.  I really could not believe that it did.  I was ready to put the book down at that point.

I ended up being completely impressed with this book.  With how the events unfolded, I have no idea were this story can go next.  I wonder how Lilac and Tarver proceed?