The middle of nowhere just got a lot more interesting!Nerdy astronomy geek Marsha, M to her few friends, has never been anybody special. Orphaned as an infant and reluctantly raised by an overly-strict “aunt,” she’s not even sure who she is. M’s dream of someday escaping tiny Jewel, Indiana and making her mark in the world seems impossibly distant until hot new quarterback Rigel inexplicably … inexplicably befriends her. As Rigel turns his back on fawning cheerleaders to spend time with M, strange things start to happen: her acne clears up, her eyesight improves to the point she can ditch her thick glasses, and when they touch, sparks fly–literally! When M digs for a reason, she discovers deep secrets that will change her formerly mundane life forever . . . and expose her to perils she never dreamed of.
Book 1 of the award-winning Starstruck series, where teen romance blends with science fiction to open a whole new world of action, adventure and discovery.
STARFALL, the 4th and final book of this series, now available!
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I really liked it, some plot turns and I was surprised in parts
Couldn’t put it down. Great story context. Something new with each page turn. Thanks for writing such an amazing story.
I need to explain two things about this book, and the series at large. One: I am not a terribly big fan of the “chosen one” trope (unless you’re Buffy Summers.) Two: I do not like YA novels with main characters much younger than 17. This is why Starstruck languished in my TBR list for so many months. I am so glad I gave it a try.
M is not a “chosen one” who miraculously knows exactly what to do and always comes out on top. She is unsure of herself and often makes bad choices. What she does have is a very strong moral compass and an almost innocent way of looking at the world and situations. She starts out the series aged 15 and she acts like a 15 year-old. The way she is written, though, never turned me off to her character.
I adore fated mates tropes and this story does not disappoint. Rigel is the perfect hero to M’s heroine. Their interactions are a mixture of sweet with an appropriate amount of heat for their age.
The world building is so engaging. The concept of a Martian colony below the surface is genius. The political aspects that you get a peak at are interesting and never bog down the story. I would recommend this series to readers of all ages.
Even though the book series is fantasy and features actual martians, the way the author portrays teen life with all of its intricacies, especially navigating high school, is very realistic. The characters make poor choices, but the author lets us into their heads so much that we understand why bad choices are made. The whole series is really great!
Great series
I got caught by the characters! I bought the rest and waiting for the next.
Starstruck, by Brenda Hiatt, struck me as interesting with its stellar plot and premise and character development. But I just couldn’t fully board the series’ ship due to the eye-rolling-weak female protagonist that never grows from her experiences.
The story starts off with Marsha Truitt (known as M), the pimply, bespectacled, insecure nerd of the school lusting after the new drop-dead gorgeous, quarterback Rigel Stuart. Although Rigel seems out of her league and her nemesis/bully Trina has set her cap on him, Rigel chooses M. To both of their surprise, their connection is electric–literally. This bond they form, her sight suddenly becoming 20/20, and her acne clearing up, not mention how they accidentally zap a bully, all make M press him for answers. Those answers are way too difficult to swallow, though, since he professes to be a martian and then drops the bombshell that she’s the martian princess. It takes some convincing but once she’s on board, she realizes that a martian princess has a lot of enemies and a duty to her people who are on Earth and Mars. Waiting for impending doom is not M’s style, so she decides to take her fate into her own hands even though it could get her and Rigel killed.
I loved the premise and the overall story, but were two cons for me. First, there is a bunch of info dropping. Even though the author took strides to divide up conversations where the characters unload the truth onto M, it was overloaded with details. Second, I despised M, the narrator. She begins out super insecure with an inferiority complex and I held on hoping for a character arc, but it wasn’t enough for me. Aside from standing up to bullies a bit, she still has thoughts that make a reader roll her eyes. This insecurity may ring true for some teens, but I don’t think this allows the novel to cross over to adults nor is the level of inferiority healthy for young precocious readers. To paraphrase, M constantly thinks thoughts such as how she doesn’t deserve him, he can’t possibly love someone like her, how she cannot live without him, believes herself pathetic, and even when he hurts her she forgives him easily. Being a fan of confident, strong heroines (or ones that start weak and self-conscious but change), this was not my cup of tea.
However, the book does have many redeeming qualities. The premise of martians–humans living underground on Mars enhanced by an alien species–was unique and refreshing. The sub-characters were well-developed and Rigel is gaga gorgeous and actually overall a sweet, wholesome guy (who is realistically fallible, he does mess up). Even M does have some amiable qualities. She doesn’t get revenge on her bullies or wish ill will towards them, nor does she allow herself to get sucked into the popularity bandwagon.
Overall, I was content with the book, especially because it was free on Amazon, due to the premise and plot being interesting, and the characters well-developed. I just really wanted to see M’s self-esteem improve by the end of the book. Let’s hope book two has M grow into a more role model worthy character.
I always like it when I can read a book, as if I am that person and, in this book, I could. Therefore, I enjoyed it and, definitely nearer the end, I couldn’t stop turning to the next page.
I loved this story! M doesn’t fit in at school very well, but has her 2 best friends and cannot wait to get out of Jewel. Rigel is the new boy in school and has a strange, to M, fascination with her. Things start to change and not just for the better. I found the plot unique and characters extremely relatable. I am excited to see where the series leads!
I thought this was a cute story. I usually don’t like aliens but this worked without being weird. The only thing I didn’t like is when he pretended to have a girlfriend. Makes me not believe he really cares as much.
Fun and different story-line. Fun because many teens fantasize that they come from royalty or somewhere special or have special abilities. This storyline covers that, but also covers typical teenage issues.
I liked the characters, but the story moved just a little slow
I really enjoyed the entire Starstruck series. The main character wasn’t a full of yourself rise to the top power hungry protagonist. instead you follow her journey of acceptance and the struggle that comes with being in a position of power. A little repetitive with the high school nonsense drama and strict guardian BS in the beginning but it helps shape the story and the outcome is exactly what you’re looking for in the fell good read.
This was a fun book to read. Not the usual teen book. Can’t wait to read the next in the series.
Interesting premise and enough action to get through the teen angst. Fun read.
A sweet, sweet read that highlights the joy and innocence of first loves. Cinderella overtones and a protagonist so timid and passive it’s nearly unbelievable almost — almost —- ruin the reading experience. Thise flaws become more pronounced and harder to forgive in book #2 but if you’re vested in the characters you’ll likely keep reading.
Quite enjoyable. A medium level of clean reads.
Sophomoric 1 dimensional, not interested in the sequels
Young romance, clean read and fantasy all rolled into one. I enjoyed it.
Great book for young middle or high school kids. I really enjoyed and it was hard to put down.