Starcrossed by Josephine AngeliniSource: Won
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 31, 2011
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 487
How do you defy destiny?For such a thick book, Starcrossed certainly didn't take long for me to read! The mythology was entrancing and I loved the romance, characters and danger of it all.
Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.
As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.
The Scions, the family history, the nightmares that Helen has basically every night... all of it captivated me entirely and really was one of my favourite parts of the novel. Angelini stays true to the mythology for the most part but also puts her own spin on it, which gave it a nice edge.
When Helen and the Delos family (Lucas in particular) first met, I thought the book might throw off sparks or something - talk about unexpected! All of the interactions between these characters took me by surprise in the beginning and then after the shock had worn off, I grew very comfortable with it. The Delos family has that warm family bond and Helen makes a great addition to the picture.
Personally, I thought the book had an excellent balance between light and dark moments. There is romance, but there is danger. Just when things start to settle down, the characters are yanked into a more serious situation. The fight scenes were fantastic (strategic and physical!) and I hope that we see a lot more of that in the future books.
A magificent debut novel!
Cover Comments: It it so SHINY. I can literally just sit there tilting it at different angles to see the rainbows it throws off. I am utterly fascinated by this cover.
4.5/5
I liked this one a lot too. I can't wait to read Dreamless.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree. I felt that there was a good balance between the light and dark. It really made the book that much more interesting.
Oh the first meeting between Helen and Lucas, I LOVED it! Even though the UK synopsis pretty much gives it away, my face literally looked like this :O. So glad you enjoyed this, I can't wait for the next book! (And I love this cover! The shininess is cool...)
ReplyDeleteHaha shiny cover! I got the UK one, so unfortunately I can't play shinies with mine *sad face* Glad you loved this, I enjoyed it! Really intrigued by the mythology Josephine created. I wasn't totally hooked on the characters, but I'm hoping they'll pull me in more in the sequel. Great review!
ReplyDeleteAn almost 500 page book that flies by -- that must be good!
ReplyDeleteStarcrossed is the first book in a new trilogy. I loved the original, new take on the Greek Gods mythology. There was a lot of background information to this story, but Angelini did a superb job keeping it all easy to follow, giving it to us bit by bit. Helen and Lucas are so heartbreakingly tragic. This is a love story - yes. But don't expect an easy journey or a happily ever after just yet. Afterall, it is only book 1. Lucas has a big family full of eccentric, wonderful characters. You come to care about them as much as you do Lucas and Helen. Then there's Helen's Dad who is loving, and kind, if a bit overprotective and Helen's best friend Claire, who is a spunky riot.
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