These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Series: Starbound, #1
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: December 10, 2013

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.

In all honesty... I don't have a clue in the world about this book. I mean, I read it, and I understood most of it... but... I don't really get it. It's without a doubt one of the most unique books that I've read in a long time, but I just... didn't love it. I liked it, sure, but it mostly left me with feelings of what-the-freckery at the end.

I mean...damn. I guess I'll just start talking now.

I liked the alternating points of view - it was obvious that one of them was a guy and that one of them was a girl throughout the writing; there was no weird moment when I couldn't figure out who was talking, so that was great. I enjoyed that, and I actually liked reading about Tarver and Lilac, although I pretty much abhor their names.

Tarver. What does that even mean?! If someone could tell me if that was a real word... that would be great. Because I surely don't know. Speaking of him, he was so adorable and chivalrous, and Lilac was just so brave! I actually liked her as a heroine, for the most part. She was annoying at first, but her growth throughout the book was great.

I loved the premise - a spaceship crash, with the two lone survivors being on a completely unpopulated planet. That was pretty much awesome - it's not very often that you get to read a book with no supporting characters, so it was an interesting experience.

I also loved the fact that there was a sweet love story - we rarely get to see the adorbs side of love, so that was fabulous. I do think that it took way too long for anything to happen on that front, though, but once it started happening... it was way too fast. It dragged in the beginning, and then they just jumped in. The pacing of it was way weird.

And believe me, the pacing wasn't the only weirdness that was going on. We have everything from weird voices to strange visions to possible alien life. It's a veritable smorgasbord of weirdness! This is where it started to get hazy for me. There comes a point when I start to freak out, and this book totally hit it.

There was just too much going on, with too many crazy plot points. Overall, I only liked this one - no love. But I'd be interested to see where the series goes from here, so there is that!