Who Wore it Better: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Who Wore it Better is an original meme I brought with me from Drugs Called Books. In it, instead of discussing fashion or cloths, we discuss book covers from different countries, and who has the best cover. The meme is co-hosted with the lovely Amanda and Stacie from Beautiful Bookish Butterflies and will be featured on her blog every other week, so check her out as well!  

This week, Amanda chose the Starcrossed Trilogy by Josephine Angelini. I haven't read this series, but I know Amanda loves it so this one is going to be interesting. Who knows, it might just be the thing to make me read it! 

#1: US / UK - This time, there are two number ones. Why? Because I think the US cover is the prettiest one of the lot, in terms of color and scenery and all that Jazz. 

But I have a special appreciation toward the UK one because it's the only cover where there's a couple on the cover. Starcrossed is a reference to Starcrossed Lovers. And if I'm not mistaken, this book is exactly about that sort of a relationship. So it only makes sense a couple will be featured... and yet none of the publishers aside the UK went that way. Why? Having a female MC is not a good enough excuse in my opinion. 

#2: Swedish - This is the second prettiest cover. The whipping of her hair adds movement to the cover that the other covers are lacking, and I love the little details like the sparkles (stars), and the heart necklace indicating this is a love story. Plus there is what appears to be the Zodiac in the background, which peaks my interest - why zodiacs? what does that have to do with the story? 

#3: Portuguese - This one follows in the footsteps of it's america sister. It's less visually interesting, what with the dress and the background and the stones being basically the same color, and nothing clashes. It makes it look like a very serene story, which is the opposite of what "starcrossed" stories are, so... But it is pretty, not gonna lie.

#4: Swedish #2 - I don't really have much to say about this. Is it atrocious? No. Would I buy a book with this cover? No. It's boring. It's dull. It's not ugly or anything, but to me it misses the mark entirely of what an attractive cover is. (BTW - it makes me think of a greek legend, the way she is standing and the dress style).

#5: Greek - UGLY and too much exposure/air brush. 

Nitzan★

Check out Amanda's last WWIB - The Wall of ASCENSION!

Goddess by Josephine Angelini

Goddess by Josephine Angelini
Series: Starcrossed, #3
Source: Bought
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: May 28, 2013

After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.

To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.

In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

When I started Goddess, I was really unsure. The books in this series have gotten progressively better with each installment, but I was afraid that this one wouldn't live up to my standards. It didn't help that I started it out blind-- I had to relearn several of the character names, because I didn't re-read the previous books before starting. This made the first few chapters a bit muddy, because I had to sort out all of the secondary characters in my mind.

I liked that we got a few glimpses into Daphne's mind with Goddess-- in earlier books, she's been a huge mystery, but I loved that she opened up a little in this one. (And she's not all bad.) But before I start in on the virtues of Daphne (few and rare), I want to talk about Helen. The main character, the balm that's supposed to hold this whole series together. Honestly, Helen isn't a great character to me. I do like her, but it's the secondary characters that really make it pop.

For instance, when I think about why I love this series...what comes to mind? Orion. Lucas. Hector. All of the interwoven stories from ancient mythology. Memories and Scions...did you notice that none of my reasons were Helen? I did. And honestly, it really doesn't bother me that I don't "love" Helen.

I did, however, like the introduction of Andy! A new character in a group you've come to love is always exciting, because you're not sure how they'll play with the other characters; but I loved Andy. She was so interesting-- a siren? Come on. That is awesome. I also liked the introduction of her as Hector's love interest. They were so adorable together!

And I just have to talk about Orion for a little bit, y'all. I love him! He's like my sad puppy dog, honestly. I'm always rooting for the guy who probably won't win. But I just can't help it! Orion was a really deep character, and I felt like I could feel his sadness. And it was sad-- I did love his ending, though. He deserves to be someone's first choice.

As I've mentioned before, I loved the Greek myths that were interwoven into the story-- the idea that each character was a representation of each of the myth characters was awesome! I completely fell in love with some of the characterizations, let me tell you. All the pieces and characters connect and snap perfectly together. Unfortunately, I did think that it was obvious from the beginning that Helen was the tyrant. It didn't ruin the plot or anything, because I was completely freaking out over it, but... (OMG OMG OMG)

There is so many other things that I want to tell you, but I just can't risk spoiling the book! Just know that my heart strings were tugged back and forth, and that the ending (while semi-happy) fell a bit flat. The rest of the book was so amazing, but the ending was slightly anti-climatic. There was a lot that I wanted to see resolved. Overall, this series is really worth a read. Don't let a "slightly" anti-climatic ending keep you away!