Star-Crossed

I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion. 4 stars — Well, this one ended with a lot of tears…it’s been a few months since a book has done that to me. And it wasn’t the only time I teared up in this book! Which is not to say that this is a sad book, by any means. But Vela goes through some very tough challenges that bring forth the feels. This is my first read by this author, but I doubt it will be my last. Ms. Dunn has created a very intriguing world of Earth colonists struggling with challenging circumstances. For the most part I loved the world she created, and the way she presented the choices these colonists made in order to survive. For me, it was very unique and thought-provoking. I don’t read a lot of non-contemporary books, so I don’t have a huge depth to compare it to, but occasionally I would be pulled out of the book and wonder why they would use certain colloquialisms or whatnot. But not enough to really damage my enjoyment. It’s not necessarily a negative, just something that I noticed. Princess Vela was an interesting heroine to follow…she was kind, sensitive, thoughtful, and she felt so much. I could empathize with so much of what she was feeling. I will admit that she took longer than I anticipated coming to the right conclusion on the major task, when from an outsider’s perspective it was quite obvious the right solution. That was a bit frustrating, especially because it didn’t even cross her mind. But I suppose she was so wrapped up in her feelings for Carr, and her worry for him, Astana, the other sick colonists, and the colonists in general…not to mention the mystery surrounding the trials, and the problems therein. I mostly forgave her for it, but I wouldn’t have minded a little less naivety. But I guess this was her coming of age story, eh? She had to reach it on her own, at her own time. Carr was pretty swoony actually. I hated that it took him so long to understand Vela’s emotional struggles with his choice, but he got there. My heart broke for him, feeling unloved by the people who were supposed to love him. I was rooting for their romance from the beginning. I LOVED them together, and I truly felt their connection to one another, and their chemistry. This book had some strong secondary characters, but also a few that disappointed me…though perhaps that was intentional? One major character I disliked, that I probably was supposed to like, was Astana. I just didn’t feel like I got to see many of her redeeming qualities. And because of the nature of the plot, we didn’t really get to see what connected Vela to Astana, especially with such dedication. I was also disappointed with the lack of resolution for Blanca. I don’t know if that’s because she’ll have her own book, or just an oversight. But she was missing from some very key scenes, and I wanted to know what would happen there…what her feelings would be about the climax of the book, and the resolution. I felt bad for her, and wanted more from her story…though I did love what I got. On the other hand, I LOVED Vela’s father, and the relationship he had with his daughter. It was truly a highlight of the story. I was also surprised with how much I enjoyed Master Simjing (sp?) in the end. Not to mention the other little stories with some of the fittest candidates, and the sick colonists. All in all a very entertaining read that gave me LOTS of feels and made me truly think in a philosophical manner about the choices leaders must make, and how hard that can be.