Blog Tour: These Broken Stars (Starbound Trilogy #1) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Firstly thanks to Allen & Unwin for this review copy and the blog tour (also thanks to Disney-Hyperion for providing the NetGalley) <3

Eeeeep you guys I am ECSTATIC for this blog tour. I am so excited for you all to read These Broken Stars because it has been one of my favourite books this year, and my #1 debut for 2013. This book touched me in so many ways and it was just stunning. Ok I'll stop now and you can read the rest of my gushing in my review :DDD

Date Read: July 28 to 31 2013

Release Date: November 20th 2013 (Australia)
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Source: Review copy via publisher
Genre: Science-Fiction
My rating: 

Synopsis:

"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 to 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 in this place 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."

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“Sit tight and hope.”

Just look at that beautiful cover. Seriously, let’s just take a moment to really stop and stare at how gorgeous it is. How the thin font is elegant yet simple, the way it accentuates the gorgeous background. Don’t judge a book by its cover they said. Well you know what? THEY’RE WRONG. As soon as I saw the cover for These Broken Stars last year I knew I had to have it. And when I saw it on NetGalley I was on the edge of my seat everyday as I waited for the verdict from DH. I do admit I was scared to start it; I’d inadvertently fallen in love with the book because of the cover and I mean what if I didn’t like it? I had to love it, I just had to, I told myself… Guess what? Kaufman and Spooner DO NOT disappoint AT ALL. Also, that cover is EXACTLY how the characters are described so WIN!

When Tarver and Lilac, two people from completely different classes crash land onto a seemingly deserted planet, they’re forced into survival mode to find help. From that first moment, I was drawn into their story and their journey across a foreign land.

I hated Lilac immediately. Daddy’s little girl to the extreme, she’s snotty and arrogant. I found her insufferable at the beginning – the way she treated people, the way she acted like she was above everybody else. I loved Lilac immensely. Beneath that cold exterior is a different kind of person, one with amazing strength, a will of iron and a selflessness that nobody can see in the way she protects people. Her voice was done extremely well – she has the assumptions of someone who’s been pampered her whole life but also has a lot of smarts and wit. I adored her growth throughout the book and how she retains her character (especially that sassiness) – I felt like she finally grew into herself by the end.

“He can read this place like I read the tiny shifts in a crowd, the back-and-forth of couples and conversation, society executing its slow revolutions around me like the stars in the heavens. Known. Charted. Familiar.”

Tarver is the complete opposite of Lilac. He’s been away from home for such a long time, he earned his title of Major not through money but by fighting on the front lines of intergalactic battles. I enjoyed his continuous snark, it was just plain awesome and one of his defining characteristics. I loved his protectiveness and gentleman-like behaviour without being chauvinistic – there’s a fine line and he never crossed it (although, he does make many assumptions about Lilac because of her class). The best thing about Tarver though? He wasn’t afraid to just feel. So many guys I read in books hide their emotions – especially grief. I mean I know everybody deals differently but it’s ok to cry when you need to. And Tarver? I hurt so much reading his emotions. It felt so much more significant reading helplessness, fear, anger and grief coming from a guy. It was enlightening to know that despite him being a Major and coming out successful in a way, he still felt hopeless in the face of possible death. Maybe it took a while, but I loved how this boy wasn’t afraid to express his emotions. This beautiful boy, he went through so much and by the end I just felt so exhausted (in a good way) from all the feels!

“And then my treacherous lungs contract, and send me gasping for air no matter how I try to stop.”

Instead of talking about the romance like I usually do, I’m going to talk about characterization. It needs a special mention because the way the characters were developed and written was spectacular in TBS. They each felt so real, so relatable in a world unbeknownst to us – I WAS Tarver as he slowed down his pace for the “brat” in those heels, I WAS Lilac as her aching, blistered feet tried to keep up with the Major’s pace. I was them both as I faced the bleak possibility that there was no help. Tarver’s voice was more snippy and snark whilst Lilac’s flowed with the eloquence of class. Each character was so unique, their voice resonated with me even after I finished.

“It’s hard enough dragging this brat through the woods without her breaking an ankle trying to walk in the dark.”

These Broken Stars has been called “Titanic in space”. And that is exactly how I would describe it to be honest. Why? Because both have love stories of epic proportions. When I say epic proportions I don’t mean TBS was just a love story – on the contrary the romance was in the background compared to the more pressing issue of the Icarus crashing and our two protagonists being stuck on a foreign island. But the way the romance was written was epic. What they went through was epic. The romance developed slowly and it was almost painful in the wait. It was beautiful, lovely and filled me up with so many darn feels I cried.

“I try not to shiver at his touch, at the heat of his palm on the chilled skin exposed by my idiotic dress.”

“Her eyes, like reflecting pools, show me the trees, the leaves, the sky.”

That plot. Dat story. Blew me away. Following these two very different people across a planet was one amazing journey. Having lived in a world of technology where everything is automated, everything adjusted to a human’s needs and wants, being on a planet with no technology is a huge challenge. Battling nature and a planet that seems to have a force of its own, Tarver and Lilac faced so many difficulties that set my blood pumping and heart race. The plot was wonderfully executed, suspenseful from crash, to journey, to ending – I never got bored, and it was filled with many twists and turns that left me absolutely breathless and sobbing for more.

“I cannot turn back because there is no back, only the next step, and the one after, and the one after that.”

One snarky Major. One sassy rich girl. A spaceship crash. A foreign planet. Amazing characterisation. Beautifully written. A romance of epic proportions. A helluva plot. Kaufman and Spooner’s debut shines like the infinite stars in the universe.

“Until all that’s left is us.”

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Author Links

Amie's website: http://amiekaufman.com/
Meagan's website: http://www.meaganspooner.com/
Amie's Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmieKaufman
Meagan's Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeaganSpooner

Check out the These Broken Stars website: http://www.thesebrokenstars.com/
Want news on Amie and Meagan's latest books? Sign up to their newsletter: http://meaganspooner.us5.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=7d4d8de1795be6151d15ac230&id=8fe91a1c37

Giveaway

Thanks to Allen & Unwin, I have one copy of These Broken Stars up for grabs!

This giveaway is AUSTRALIA ONLY. Winner must reply within 48h of being contacted or another will be selected.

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