Thursday, June 30, 2011

Review #34: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Hello my lovely literary comrades! Happy thursday! Hope all is well. I have a lot to talk about so lets get started :)


Starcrossed is by Josephine Angelini. I stumbled across this book when I joined Goodreads in February. I was looking through the giveaway section and saw this book. I fell in love with the description and added it as to read and entered the giveaway. I did not win :( but I was still ok with waiting until May 31 to get it on my Nook. The day it came out I instantly purchased it, squealing the whole time. It mostly centers on Helen Hamilton, a 16 year old girl entering her senior year of high school. Helen knows she is extraordinary but tries to be ordinary in order not to stand out and garner attention. She lives with her loving father and has great friends like Claire and Matt. When the mysterious Delos family moves to Nantucket, her live, and fate, change. 

I LOVE this book, I can't even explain how much. All I will say is it has made my top 10 all time favorites and top 5 favorite this year debuts. My god is this book amazing. I'm putting it on par with Divergent, and that's saying something! I love the mix of Greek mythology and a Romeo and Juliet style romance, with a bit of action peppered in. There were quite a few times when I literally said out loud "WHAT?!?! NOOO!!!! NO!!! WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!?!?!?!," which ranks high as a factor that makes a book great. The suspense and the plot twists kept you going. The ending is a bit gratuitous but it is still fun to read, as well as page turning addictive. I literally had to tear myself away from my Nook so I could sleep and do other activities that reading halted me from doing. I had to put my Nook in airplane mode last night so I could finish it. Following Helen, the Delos family, it was incredible. I don't want to give anything away because that would spoil the surprises. I will say this one kissing scene was fantastic. Finding out you're a demigod (or scions as the book calls them) was so interesting and fun to read. Especially since I'm a Greek Mythos nerd. :)

Helen was fantastic. I loved her normality. She was a scion, but never knew it and always tried to be ordinary so she wouldn't stand out and garner attention (a rehash from earlier I know, but still true). I loved how vulnerable she was and yet, had a strength she never knew she had. She loved her friends and family, especially Lucas ^^. She fought for them and herself. I also loved how she did not back down when need be. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her discover her powers, strengthen them, make new friends and fall in love. Which brings me to Lucas. Oh Lucas, so sexy you are. He's sweet, caring, a bit overprotective, and a total badass. He is a perfect leading male. I fell in love with his along with Helen. If this were real life and they weren't destined for each other I would fight her for him ;). Now to the rest of Lucas' family. I loved Ariadne. She felt a little bit like Alice from Twilight, but that's good since Alice was one of my favorites. She's funny, fierce and fantastic. Loyal to those she cares for and would be a great best friend in real life. I also loved Cassandra, who has a special ability. She was so fantastic you'll have to see for yourself. The whole clan were interesting and fun to read about in all. I loved Claire, Helen's human best friend. She was hilarious, and I feel like borrowing some of her quips. She's loyal, accepting, and fabulous. I want a best friend like her. The villains, such as Creon, were truly scary and creeptacular. I felt ice chilling my veins every time I read about him. That is scary, as is he. 

I utterly adore Ms. Angelini's writing style. It was in 3rd person slightly omniscient, mostly focusing on Helen. I loved how she created a slightly different form of Greek Mythology, and made it her own. It was magic in the purest form. She described things beautifully, without delving into purple prose, which was nice. She developed her characters well, and made the setting, and story unforgettable. She is truly talented.

If you like Greek Mythology, read this. Scratch that, EVERYONE read this! Stat! You will not regret it I promise.

I'll next be reviewing In the Belly of Jonah by Sandra Brannen (sp?).

Until next time comrades.

Viva la literature!

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