Book Review: Starcrossed

Title: Starcrossed
Author: Josephine Angelini
Release Date: May 31, 2011
Source: NetGalley

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 her powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

My Thoughts:

I hadn't read anything about this book, except for the summary above, before I started reading it. And since the summary isn't too spoilery I didn't quite know what to expect.

Early on we learn that Helen isn't an ordinary human, she is much stronger and faster. She also has vivid nightmares and sees things other people don't see. Is she going crazy? And why is she so strong?

Eventually the truth behind Helen's abilities are revealed - both to Helen and to the reader. I really appreciated the fact that this wasn't spoiled beforehand, but remained a mystery for a while.

Speaking about Helen - I didn't quite like her in the beginning. She was a bit wimpish, and too insecure. She tried to hide her length and beauty from other people, so they wouldn't look at, or notice, her. But when the Deos family moves to her small island, that changes instantly. Helen is no longer hiding in the background, no she is determined to kill Lucas Deos. Why? She has no idea...

I really liked the Deos family. There were quite a few family members to keep track of, but everyone stood out in their own way. The Deos that caught my attention the most were Lucas, Hector and Jason. Lucas was safe, compassionate and strong, Jason was such a nice and friendly guy and Hector went from being a dangerous enemy to one of my favorite characters!

I won't reveal who the paranormal beings in this book are - or what they are. But I can honestly say that I loved the mythology. The historical aspects were interesting, and made great sense.

Overall an amazing, well-written and well-researched debut novel, and one of my favorite books so far this year. I definitely recommend reading it!

Rating: 4.5 of 5