Love this book sooooo much that it deserves another post!
My summary:
Helen is almost seventeen and lives with her Dad. Her mom went missing in action years ago. Helen is tall, blond, pretty and different. There’s the running, very fast running; then there’s the strength, too strong for a teenage girl; and the strange nightmares of desert journey’s where her feet get cut and bloody. She doesn’t know what all of this is about but she doesn’t want everyone on the small island of Nantucket to notice. Then the hallucinations start at school where there are three women crying bloody tears, but of course that’s only when the new Delos family is around, especially Lucas. Maybe she is going mad but Lucas knows more than she does and he sees the hallucinations too. Can she team with Lucas to figure it out or will they end up killing each other? The fates will have something to say about it for sure.
My thoughts:
5 stars – must read
There are two kinds of books I really like. The first is a book that I can’t put down. I read it so fast because it is just that good. The second is a book that I have to put down periodically to emotionally recover before I continue. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini is the second kind. I became so invested in these characters so quickly that it felt like reading a second or third book about them. I was attached. When they struggled, I had to put the book down and recover before I could keep reading but I had to continue.
The relationship between Helen and Lucas is dynamic and extreme. It’s impossible to write about one without talking about the other and that is really what the story demonstrates. So I won’t try to talk about them separately. Helen and Lucas have strong emotions between them. They are different and the same. They are both beautiful and powerful. One is skilled while one is learning but it’s not always clear which is which because they change roles from time to time. It is impossible to be together and impossible to be apart and that is how I felt reading the book. I love these characters.
The story has some threads I’ve seen in other books, a powerful character unaware of that power and a stranger explaining things to them. It has elements of Greek Mythology in it and uses the Trojan War specifically. But this book weaves those threads together to create a unique story with twists and turns that had me messaging other bloggers to get help breathing through it!
I have this book on my shelf in my classroom. I loan it frequently to my students. It's a favorite of many of them. Check out this student review.
Here's the US trailer.
BUT I like the UK one better.
Now as we come closer to the release of book two, I am so excited. I have students that are continually asking me when Dreamless comes out and if I might get it early. I've shared the new cover and the excerpt with them. We can't wait! If you haven't read Starcrossed, then get on it! It's one of my favorites for 2011. Then you can be waiting with the rest of us for Dreamless.
Josephine Angelini | Starcrossed | Dreamless | Twitter | FB
Buy Starcrossed | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
I am not compensated for any of the links in this post.
It keeps amazing me how much an opinion about a book can vary from reader to reader. For me Starcrossed was a huge let down but I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved this one! :) Love your review! And it's awesome that you're getting it out there with your students!
ReplyDeleteLiza @ Book Crook Liza