“Cleverly written, intriguing, and heart-wrenching.” – New York Times bestselling author Jodi Meadows “An unusual focus on food only improves this intriguing coming-of-age story.” – Kirkus Reviews Princess Vela’s people are starving. Stranded on a planet that lacks food, Vela makes the ultimate sacrifice and becomes an Aegis for her people. Accepting a genetic modification that takes sixty years … people. Accepting a genetic modification that takes sixty years off her life, she can feed her colony via nutrition pills. But her best friend is still getting worse. And she’s not the only one.
Now the king is dying, too.
When the boy she’s had a crush on since childhood volunteers to give his life for her father’s, Vela realizes her people need more than pills to survive. As tensions rise between Aegis and colonists, secrets and sabotage begin to threaten the future of the colony itself.
Unless Vela is brave enough to save them all…
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This is not my first book by Dunn but by far my favorite. Love the tension between the two young lovers, the doubts and fears in Vela’s heart, the subtle social message, her relationship with her father (made me cry a bit), and most of all the ending. I’m not going to lie I was yelling at Pintip last night as I approached the ending. Things were not looking good, lol. But she delivered a satisfying end. Well done.
This book probably has the most unique plot I’ve ever read. There’s nothing else like it.
The story is set at a time in the future when people were sent to terraform a planet called Dion. However, out of the ten thousand pods that were sent, only a hundred pods had survived. Instead of a habitable, fully-terraformed planet, the people found only a patch of land on which to live. This planet is hundreds of light years away from Earth that they had no choice but to make do with what they have. Since the land isn’t enough to grow plants and animals they brought from Earth, they developed a solution to maximize the food they are able to produce. Part of the population undergoes a genetic modification that will make them absorb two or three times as many nutrients from food than the average person. These nutrients are then extracted from them and distributed to the rest of the colony as pills. These pills also double as currency. Interesting, right?
But as interesting as it was, I didn’t like it.
One of the problems I had with this book is the writing. It’s not bad but there were lines that made me roll my eyes.
“Her smooth delivery hitches on a few syllables, the way a flowing river hiccups around a surprise boulder.”
Uhm, really?
“My chest contracts so hard I feel my joints pop.”
Wait, what?
And the king calls Vela, “eye-apple”. Okaaaay…
The plot was quite predictable and there were some parts which I found confusing or contradicting. There were also hints in the book which made the bad guy pretty obvious.
Full review: https://kookbookery.wordpress.com/2018/10/16/review-star-crossed-by-pintip-dunn/
4.5 stars really. This is my first Pintip Dunn book, and I can understand why I’ve heard such great things! Star-Crossed has all the expected parts of a YA science fiction story, with a very unique and surprising ending. I was very intrigued by the story from the very beginning. We got a pretty clear run-down of what had happened to the people on this spaceship when they landed earlier than planned, and had no way to make all the food to feed all the people they had brought with them. However it wasn’t bogged down as much as some science fiction can be. The author gave just enough background info to make it clear why things had to be the way they were, in order to get the story going. More details were distilled as the story went on.
As I began reading, I immediately thought the pills everyone had to take sounded pretty yucky, I guess partly from how they were made! The story soon morphed into a bit of a competition, with our main character, Princess Vela, being expected to make the final call on who would be the person giving up their life to save the King. By doing this, she would be showing the Council if she was the right person to take over the throne when her father died, or if her sister, who had always been a part of the running of the colony, should step up.
Making the decision itself wasn’t the only obstacle for Vela though. There was her best friend’s ever-growing sickness. There was the fact that her best friend’s brother, Carr, a boy she’d always looked at as if he was someone special, possibly being the best choice to sacrifice his life so her father could live. But could she choose him as the Fittest, with her feelings, and either way, could she allow the competition to be run fairly?
Competing with her sister, who had been given another task to complete to prove that she was the better successor to their father, opened up a story-line of possible sabotage. So the competition was not just about which boy would have to sacrifice their lives, but if her sister would do something to make Vela’s choice harder, or look as if she wasn’t fit based on how she handled it. And there was someone else it seemed messing with all the competitions. But why were they doing the things they did, and who was it?
I kind of guessed who it could be, once I realized that it might not be her sister. But the way things took a turn at the very end, putting Carr’s life on the line earlier than normal, along with the death of another major character, I didn’t see the way the twist would go at the end. And I really liked it! I feel like the story showed all the ways to be a great leader, and brought up so many moral dilemmas that would be hard to keep straight and still think of your own friends and family.
A great science-fiction read, with some really unique ideas and a plot to keep you on your toes until the very end!
Pintip Dunn’s creative worldbuilding brings to life a delicious tale full of depth and complexity with a bold heroine filled with love, loyalty, and courage. Star-Crossed will transport readers to another universe and leave them hungry for more!
With a prose as incandescent as a nebula, and a romance that blazes like the sun, Star-Crossed utterly consumed me from the very first page. Readers will savor this riveting, emotional tale of hope and supreme sacrifice.
Star-Crossed by Pintip Dunn is interesting, innovative, creative, and maybe a bit weird. As a sci-fi, romance, YA novel it pushes you to think about things from a different perspective. As we learn more about Vela, her world, the troubles they face and the solution they have been forced to, it makes you think and wonder. Vela is torn by love, duty and finding a future for her people, her friend and her love. Overall I recommend Star-Crossed by Pintip Dunn as something that was truly unexpected and worth the read.
(I voluntarily reviewed an advance review copy of this book I received for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)
Pintip Dunn has crafted one multi-course meal of a story: a fascinating premise to whet the appetite, an entree of utterly compelling world-building seasoned with literary prose, and a forbidden romance that has all the decadence of the richest dessert. It’s well worth savoring!
Cleverly written, intriguing, and heart-wrenching.
Goosebumps.
I bet you’re all thinking I’ve finally lost it *snorts* – not quite (despite common opinion)!
Let me explain…
My arms were literally covered in goosebumps when I finished this story. The blurb only gives you a small taste of what to expect from this book. I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did.
The story of Vela and the inhabitants of Dion will make you think. Is there such a thing as a Utopian society? What is it they say? – The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Well, this story will have you questioning what you would do in Vela’s situation.
As a race, we all want to survive, but what if the costs are too great? Technological advancements are great and all, but what is the true cost to our humanity?
I know I’m being vague, but I want you to experience this book like I did. I want you to put yourself in Vela’s shoes as she is faced with the task of making life-changing, dare I say, life-altering decisions.
The author’s descriptions of everything that is Dion brought the planet vividly to life for me – just like in the scenes from Vela’s hologram cube. It was a feast for the senses. Ironic really, when some of the colonists can’t use all their senses. Cryptic much, lol?
As I’ve said, this is a story that will make you think, and make you feel. It was the perfect blend of sci-fi, fantasy, dystopian, romance, and suspense. I admit to being a teeny tiny bit in love with Carr. I may be 40, but I just couldn’t help myself *sighs*
The author has sold me on her writing and the worlds she creates. I look forward to reading more in the future.
I’ll leave you with one question – what would you sacrifice for love?!