Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
Book Rating: 4/5 Stars
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars
- Reading level: Young Adult
- Hardcover: 496 pages
- Publisher: HarperTeen (May 31, 2011)
How do you defy destiny?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.
THOUGHTS: Starcrossed was captivating. At first, I couldn't really get into it, but once Helen met Luke and things started happening, it was addictive. I loved the Greek mythology threaded through the book, although I wish there would have been more. I do like how the Fates were portrayed, though. Very creepy, but in a good way, and the whole dream-but-not-a-dream is another great part of the book.
SETTING: Helen lives in Nantucket, off the radar for her own safety, even if she doesn't know it at first. I love the beach, so, of course, I loved the setting, even though you really didn't get to know much about the town. I would have liked it if there had been a better description.
CHARACTERS: I started off not hating Helen, but not loving her either, and by the end of the book I like her, but, again, she's not my favorite protagonist. It's nothing I can pinpoint, she just felt far too..... average. Like you could walk out on the street and find a girl just like her. And that brings me to my next point: Lucas. While I do love him, I honestly don't see how he fits with Helen, or why he loves her. I mean, I get it. History repeats itself, and the fates like patterns, and it's the perfect time for a forbidden couple. I just wish that there was something else besides the Fates that brings Helen and Lucas together. Another thing is the Delos family. While I did get a little confused about who's kid was who's for a while, I loved the fact that he had a big family. It sort of makes it feel.... I don't know. I just like it.
PLOT: The plot was one of the best part of this book. Through the book, you keep learning about the war, Helen's absentee Mom, and a bunch of other stuff that just stacks on so many layers of suspense. And, let me tell you, the climax lived up to the build up. I was literally gasping and yelling at the characters. The ending was heart-stopping, and it left me seriously worried about one of the characters. I fell completely in love with this book, and while there were a few things I would have changed, it's still an amazing read. I highly recommend it.
FIRST SENTENCE: "But if you bought me a new car now, it would be your's when I go away to school in two years."
LAST SENTENCE: "Helen, beloved of the goddess of love, went downstairs to crawl into her empty bed as Lucas, the son of the sun, leaned back on his elbows and watched as his father-god brightened the bare wooden planks of her widows walk."
SETTING: Helen lives in Nantucket, off the radar for her own safety, even if she doesn't know it at first. I love the beach, so, of course, I loved the setting, even though you really didn't get to know much about the town. I would have liked it if there had been a better description.
CHARACTERS: I started off not hating Helen, but not loving her either, and by the end of the book I like her, but, again, she's not my favorite protagonist. It's nothing I can pinpoint, she just felt far too..... average. Like you could walk out on the street and find a girl just like her. And that brings me to my next point: Lucas. While I do love him, I honestly don't see how he fits with Helen, or why he loves her. I mean, I get it. History repeats itself, and the fates like patterns, and it's the perfect time for a forbidden couple. I just wish that there was something else besides the Fates that brings Helen and Lucas together. Another thing is the Delos family. While I did get a little confused about who's kid was who's for a while, I loved the fact that he had a big family. It sort of makes it feel.... I don't know. I just like it.
PLOT: The plot was one of the best part of this book. Through the book, you keep learning about the war, Helen's absentee Mom, and a bunch of other stuff that just stacks on so many layers of suspense. And, let me tell you, the climax lived up to the build up. I was literally gasping and yelling at the characters. The ending was heart-stopping, and it left me seriously worried about one of the characters. I fell completely in love with this book, and while there were a few things I would have changed, it's still an amazing read. I highly recommend it.
FIRST SENTENCE: "But if you bought me a new car now, it would be your's when I go away to school in two years."
LAST SENTENCE: "Helen, beloved of the goddess of love, went downstairs to crawl into her empty bed as Lucas, the son of the sun, leaned back on his elbows and watched as his father-god brightened the bare wooden planks of her widows walk."
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