Thursday, June 9, 2011

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Starcrossed

Author: Josephine Angelini

Publisher: HarperTeen

4 out of 5 stars

Electric bolts shoot out of your hands and everything around you is lit up by a stark, bright white light. You squint as you try to understand what is going on. Shouldn’t it be burning hot? Shouldn’t you not even be alive right now? How is any of this possible? You can’t help but revel in the exhilarating feeling you’re experiencing. Suddenly, it all stops. The electricity, the light… everything. You slump to the ground, completely drained, barely able to keep your head up. The one thought going through your mind is, what was that?

Helen always knew she was different. She could never really explain it, but ever since she was young strange things seemed to happen to her. Inhuman things you could say. Helen never really paid attention to these unusual occurrences though, and tried not to bring attention to them. She never really had an explanation for them… until now.

It all started when the Delos family moved in. On the tiny island of Nantucket, gossip spreads quickly, and the Delos family moving in was the talk of the town. A husband, a wife, a son, a daughter, an aunt, and another father, with his own two sons and a daughter. Big news, huh? Little did Helen know that this family would change everything for her. She’s just like them, a Scion, a descendant of Greek demi-gods.

Helen is suddenly thrust into this new world, and delves into her complex family tree. She is part of a much bigger family than she could have ever imagined before. The Scions are split into four houses that represent four different bloodlines. Each house is set against each other and are constantly at each others throats, literally. An all-consuming rage overcomes her when she first sets her eyes on Lucas Delos, and she can’t seem to stop herself from trying to rip his throat out. And so Helen’s relationship with the Delos family begins. But what Helen wants to know is what does all of this mean? Who is Helen, really, and has everything she’s known been a lie? Most importantly, will Helen be able to control her new powers, or will they wreak havoc? All is revealed, in Josephine Angelini’s debut tale, Starcrossed!

Filled with action, romance, suspense, mythology, and superpowers, Starcrossed has it all! This was a lot to take in, but it gets easier as you read on. After sorting through all of the facts thrown onto Helen, things start to make much more sense, and it all begins to sink in. A suspenseful read, with tons of action and fighting, this book kept me thoroughly entertained. Starcrossed was given to me by HarperTeen as an uncorrected proof for review.* Thank you so much HarperTeen! This book has something for everyone that I’m sure a large variety of teens will enjoy.

While reading Starcrossed, I felt like I was right there beside Helen as she learned to master her powers, fell in love, and ultimately learned about her heritage. I only knew what was being revealed to Helen, which kept me in constant suspense. I was just as confused and frustrated as Helen at times while she struggled to come to terms with everything that had suddenly been dumped onto her. It’s ironic though, because even though Helen has just discovered she is a Scion, something unlike you or me, I was still able to connect with her. Helen’s trials and mistakes while learning what she was made her feel even more human.

There were a few parts in the book that were told from another character’s perspective. I would have liked to have seen this become a larger part of the story, as I felt they really added to the plot. It was interesting to see what was going on in the different houses, and a bit more about what other Scions were like. It would have been nice to see this become a more permanent fixture in Starcrossed.

The Greek mythology interwoven with this book was so much fun to read about, but I feel that some more explanation would have been nice. The core ideas of the Greek myths were there, with a fun new spin to them, but I feel like they could have been executed better. It might have been easier for me to grasp certain prophecies or myths this way, and really see the big picture.

The idea of Scions was so creative and I was constantly surprised by what they were capable of. It was so interesting to see all of their unique powers and learn about the extent to which they could go. Also, throughout the long family trees that Scions have, many faces from past generations or in Greek mythology repeat in future generations. Details like this made reading about the Scions interesting and all the more fun.

I absolutely loved the big family feel of the Delos family! They were so at ease with one another, and their love for one another was always evident. I would love to live in their hectic household with cousins, brothers, sisters, moms, dads, and aunts running around the place. They always had each other’s back and meals at their house were always an occasion.

Starcrossed is a fantastic, action-packed read with everything a reader could want thrown in. I’m looking forward to the sequel, Dreamless, and hopefully more will be revealed. Join Helen, as she tries to adjust to this new world and sort through everything to discover who she really is in, Starcrossed!

-This is T.B. with Another Book Back on the Shelf…
Until Next Time, Keep Reading!


*I received this novel from HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins. I received Starcrossed as an uncorrected proof in exchange for my honest review. Thank you so much HarperTeen!

Check out Josephine Angelini's website at http://www.josephineangelini.com/.
Starcrossed is available from Amazon here.

19 comments:

  1. Yay! I'm so glad you liked it. :) I agree, I would have liked to have seen more from the other POVs.

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  2. I used to love reading Greek mythology so I'm sure I would love this book! What a clever idea to make modern day demi-gods. Thanks for another great post!

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  3. Great review Tessa! This looks so good and I really want to read this but I'm trying not to buy any more books at the moment. It's good to hear that when I eventually get around to reading it it's a worthwhile book! x

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  4. I didn't even know this had Greek mythology in it! And for me that's always interesting to read. From the sound of it, Helen doesn't like the Delos family so I'll be interested to see how she eventually gets along with them and who the love interest is ;D

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  5. Awesome review!! I loved this book! Perfect amount of everything to make a great read. But, I did find myself confused sometimes when the story switched POVs.

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  6. Great review, Tessa! I love Greek mythology too so I would love to read this book. Too bad you thought that a little more explanation was necessary though.

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  7. Small Review- I think it would have added to the story to see other POVs. Plus, it would have been really interesting to learn more about everything that was going on from another character's perspective.

    Kira- I'm sure you'd love this one if you enjoyed Greek mythology when you were younger. Another great series to check out is the Percy Jackson series which also includes demi-gods.

    Sally@Always Lost in Stories- Thanks! Oh, I've been trying to cut down on all the books I buy too! I'm totally broke at the moment, so I'm holding back from going to Borders :) I hope you enjoy this one when you get a chance to read it!

    Laura (All of Everything)- Haha, that ALWAYS happens to me :p I don't realize what a book is about until I read someone's review or read the summary. I tend to judge books by their cover... a lot. It was definitely a love-hate relationship between Helen and the Delos family. It was a lot of fun to read about!

    Carole- Thanks! This one definitely had a perfect amount of everything. I think it could appeal to a wide range of readers. Can't wait to read the sequel!

    Aylee- Thanks so much! I hope you get a chance to read this one. I think you'd like it! A bit more explanation would have been nice to draw me in more, but overall it was a great read.

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  8. This sounds great! I love books with a strong family presence. It's too bad some of the mythology wasn't explained well enough. In general I can't wait to read this.
    New follower too.

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  9. I hope you get a chance to read this one! There was definitely a strong family presence, and that was so much fun to read about. Hopefully more of the mythology will be explained in the sequel. Thanks so much for following! Oh, I already follow your blog :)

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  10. Hi T.B.! I have heard so many great things about this book but you made it sound even better (how is that possible? I already wanted to read it. LOL)

    I tried to leave a comment yesterday during work and failed. So this is my second time posting one. Hopefully you get this one!

    ~Trish :)

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  11. I haven't read a good Greek-myth-spinoff in a bit - love the sound of this one. I used to be obsessed with Greek mythology back in 8th grade. Still have the books to prove it! Not sure why I keep them...but I love how they look on my shelf and I know one day my own writing might need some help from them. Can't hurt! Lovely review.

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  12. Great review! I received this one courtesy of Netgalley and can't wait to read it! I've always loved Greek mythology and I'm looking forward to reading how Angelini puts her own spin on it. I'm especially intrigued by the Scoins!

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  13. Great review! Thought this book was awesome. And I definitely would have loved to see more from the other character's perspective. I hope we will in the next book. It will be a long wait!

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  14. Trish (Just a YA Girl)- Haha, I'm so glad you really want to read this one! Oh, thanks so much for trying to leave a comment again. Hmm, that's weird that it didn't work. Sorry about that!

    BookGeek- I love Greek mythology, and I could probably read about it all day. It's so interesting to read different authors' takes on Greek myths and legends. That's great that you still keep them, and I'm sure it's a lot of fun to reread them every now and again.

    Honey- Thanks! Oh, I think you'd enjoy this one, especially the romance side to it :) The Scions were a really cool aspect, and I can't wait to find out more about them!

    Fiktshun- Thanks so much! Such a long wait!!! It always annoys me that books have to come out a year later. I see the practical reasons for doing so, but as a reader I want the sequel NOW! Haha, I'm looking forward to Dreamless though, and I can't wait to read more about Helen and the Delos family!

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  15. I'm excited about all of the new Greek mythology books out there putting a new twist on the old legends! I've always been fascinated with it and hope I can pick this one up soon. Thanks for the review:)

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  16. awesome review, Ms. Tessa :) So happy to hear that that Lucas' family plays a big role in the book. Lately, I've been rolling my eyes at some books because of the lack of parental units. I always find myself thinking, "Where is this girls mother?".... you know what I mean? Glad to hear STARCROSSED successfully changes that up a bit!

    Diana

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  17. Sarah- I agree! It seems like lately there have been a lot of new Greek mythology books coming out, and it's definitely exciting to see the new takes on many of the myths and legends. I hope you get a chance to read this one!

    The Lovely Getaway- Thanks Diana! Oh, I know! I'm amazed at times by what some authors will have the main characters do, and I'm surprised the parents seem to be okay with it. Or they're just really ignorant and don't realize what their child is up to. Hmmm, Lucas' parents definitely let them do some crazy stuff though... haha, I think by being a Scion crazy stuff is bound to happen :)

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  18. Oh, such a brilliant review Tessa! I am insanely jealous! This book just looks incredible.
    Thank you for such an amazing review!

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  19. I'm so glad you like it so much Megan! I definitely think you would enjoy this book, and hopefully you get a chance to read it :)

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