These Broken Stars is made up of three alternating parts. Each chapter begins with the question-answer format of an interview then either Lilac or Tarver take charge of the journey from their point of view for just a few pages. The rapid change from his point of view to hers heightens the tension, the emotion and the humour.
In that time-honoured tradition of classical romances, Lilac, the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the universe meets Tarver, a young hero who shies away from the limelight. Having nothing in common, there should be no basis for attraction, but life isn’t like that. When the starship they are travelling on plummets into a nearby planet, the scene is set for the drama of surviving alone together in foreign terrain. The suspense of not knowing what might crop up next as well as the intrigue of an unseen presence on the planet offered distraction from any romantic possibilities at all the wrong times.
It’s a long time since I haven’t been able to put a book down, but These Broken Stars changed all that. My only problem now is having to wait for book two.
Title: These Broken Stars
Authors: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $18.99 RRP
Publication Date: November 2013
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781743318522
For ages: 13+
Type: Young Adult
