December 2, 2013
On the surface, this trilogy opener is a fairly standard opposites-attract romantic adventure, when a spoiled socialite and a seasoned soldier are stranded on a mysterious planet after their luxury spaceliner malfunctions and crashes. Major Tarver Merendsen tries to protect Lilac LaRoux, "the richest girl in the galaxy," as they journey across an inhospitable wilderness in search of rescue. Though their personalities clash and their social status separates them, they develop feelings for one another. But the further they travel, the more questions they find regarding their new home. Strange visions and apparitions give the story a chilling edge, and a late revelation elevates these developments into entirely new territory. In a collaboration that, at times, evokes Lost, Titanic, and Romancing the Stone, Spooner (Skylark) and newcomer Kaufman do an excellent job of keeping their story from falling into clichéd romantic territory. Although the constant arguing between Tarver and Lilac and their internal angst can be tiring, the external conflicts and underlying mysteries will keep readers guessing (and turning the pages). Ages 12âup. Agent: Adams Literary.
October 1, 2013
Overdone characterizations threaten to overwhelm an exciting outer-space adventure. When the richest girl in the galaxy and a burned-out war hero from lowly beginnings are the only survivors of a spaceship crash that kills 50,000 people, they grudgingly cooperate to survive. Their escape pod lands far from the ship, so Lilac and Tarver trek through cold and rain to reach the main crash site. This unknown planet has been terraformed, but frighteningly, there are no colonists--or anyone else. When they reach it, the ship's a hazardous tomb of rotting bodies. The jam-packed plot incorporates telepathy, energy-matter conversion, an unknown life form, an explosion, two cave-ins and a temporary death. Lilac and Tarver alternate first-person narration; ratcheting up the suspense are single-page chapters in which an unknown authority interrogates Tarver. Less successful is the seemingly endless (and textually forced) clashing between the protagonists. He's bitter and occasionally rough (in the throes of a fever, he hits her); she's an entitled heiress whose pale, white skin warrants mention no matter who's narrating. It's a thin, annoying line between love and hate (guess which wins) that makes the adventure elements vie for attention. Tipping between science fiction and fantasy, this series opener will catch readers who enjoy melodramatic sparring and those who can look past it; for outer-space thrills with moral complexity, see Beth Revis' Across the Universe series. (Science fiction. 13 & up)
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December 1, 2013
Gr 7 Up-First-time author Kaufman and coauthor Spooner begin their science-fiction romance in familiar territory and then chart a course that goes to new heights. Eighteen-year-old Major Tarver Merendsen is a decorated hero traveling on the luxury starliner Icarus. Sixteen-year-old Lilac LaRoux is the daughter of the galaxy's richest man, owner of the Icarus, and terraformer of numerous planets. Everything comes crashing down when an unknown force ejects the starliner from hyperspace and sends them into the gravity well of a planet. Tarver is able to get them aboard an escape pod but it is, surprisingly, Lilac who is able to hotwire the pod's malfunctioning electronics to allow it to blast free of the falling ship. They survive the descent but each feels obligated to treat the other harshly-Lilac to shield Tarver from the potential wrath of her father and Tarver to urge the pampered princess to safety. As they come to rely upon one another during their journey across the unfamiliar planet, they can no longer deny their feelings for one another. When Lilac begins hearing whispers and seeing visions, she comes to believe that there is other sentient life on the planet. Then she dies, but neither she nor the story ends there. The authors begin with star-crossed lovers and a crash-landing survival story but add excitingly original material to these tropes to create a wonderful tale that should appeal to both teen and adult readers.-Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids
Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from November 1, 2013
Grades 8-12 *Starred Review* As the passengers and crew of the Icarus cruise through hyperspace, spoiled and aloof rich-girl Lilac LaRoux drops a glove before war-hero Major Tarver Merendsen, only to rebuff him later. Yet during a horrifying accident, Lilac and Tarver escape the death-spiraling Icarus, eventually finding themselves stranded on a strange, terraformed, yet abandoned planet. Their prickly relationship continues because both realize they have no future together, even if they are rescued: Lilac is the daughter of the universe's richest man, while Tarver is a lowly soldier. Together, they struggle to save their lives and maintain their sanitydespite disturbing whispers, strange appearances, and disappearances of things lost and treasuredand gradually, the dire circumstances break down the barriers between them. Though Kaufman and Spooner use the pair's survival in an alien environment to propel the narrative, These Broken Stars is at its heart a love story. Voiced in alternate chapters, Lilac and Tarver are characters of depth, complexity, and strength, young people who alternately elicit the reader's admiration, frustration, and sympathy. While the book is the first of a promised trilogy, it stands on its own as a testament to love, loyalty, courage, and the power of good over dystopian greed and perversity.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)
January 1, 2014
Trapped on a deserted planet after their luxury spaceship crashes, soldier Tarver and socialite Lilac have to rely on each other if they want to survive, and their situation proves increasingly dire. The alternating voices show readers how they misinterpret each other at first; their star-crossed romance is the heart of this character-driven book, first in a trilogy.
(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
October 1, 2013
Society princess Lilac LaRoux and war hero from the wrong side of the tracks Tarver Merendsen lock eyes across the room during yet another party aboard the luxury space liner Icarus. Within two days, Lilac has publicly humiliated Tarver. A day later they have crash-landed on an unknown planet, possibly the only survivors of a horrific and suspicious accident. Faced with an unfamiliar environment, slim possibility of rescue and an eerie presence threatening both their sanity and their physical wellbeing, Lilac and Tarver are forced to put aside their differences and make their way across the planet, discovering some frightening truths about the place they’ve been stranded in. With well-developed characters and an excellent narration style, Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner have crafted an insightful, shrewd and genuinely moving exploration of life, humanity and the moral obligations neglected in the name of progress. These Broken Stars is a romantic and heartbreaking tale that is complete in its own right while still leaving readers excited for future instalments. Intense, emotional and compelling, it will appeal to readers (aged 12 and up) who like their sci-fi thoughtful and challenging—and just a little bit sexy.
Meg Whelan is the children’s book buyer at the Hill of Content bookshop in Melbourne