These Broken Stars (Starbound #1) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Amy    
Lynnie 

sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, young adult 

This is the first in a series but the second book is not a sequel to this one--it is about a different set of characters, set in the same universe.  Given that and the fact that the third novel in the series does not release until December, we decided to go ahead and blog about this book now since we both enjoyed it.  These Broken Stars is co-written by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.  It describes how Lilac and Tarver, the lone survivors of a spaceliner accident, survive on a strange planet.  Lilac is the privileged daughter of the richest man in the universe and Tarver is a young war hero.

Amy's Review

I really enjoyed this one! It’s a different twist on a couple of age-old storylines and very well done. Two characters who would otherwise not have been permitted to spend time together find themselves stranded alone on an uninhabited planet. They must work together to survive. I felt close to the characters and found them very believable in their behaviors and feelings. The story held my interest and left me wanting to know more. The environments were all well-drawn and the pace was good. I lis I really enjoyed this one! It’s a different twist on a couple of age-old storylines and very well done. Two characters who would otherwise not have been permitted to spend time together find themselves stranded alone on an uninhabited planet. They must work together to survive. I felt close to the characters and found them very believable in their behaviors and feelings. The story held my interest and left me wanting to know more. The environments were all well-drawn and the pace was good. I listened to the audiobook and the two (well, three) narrators did a great job with the two alternating points of view. Lynnie's Review This book was a lot of fun to read. At first, it was difficult not to compare the characters Tarver & Lilac to the main characters from the Under The Never Sky series (see our reviews here), Aria & Perry: two people from different worlds, a girl outside of her comfort zone finding strength she never imagined while a patient boy helps her adjust to her new surroundings. The story of Lilac & Tarver is engaging though. After their poorly named spaceliner Icarus crashes (well duh! Would you want to fly on anything named after a guy whose hubris made him crash into the ocean? Me neither!), they work together to survive on an uninhabited planet, solve the planet's mysteries & try to find a way to be rescued. I definitely enjoyed getting to know both characters. The story moved along at a great pace which kept me interested and made me want to keep reading to see what would happen next. It's a great summer read & I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.