Can a girl who risks her life for books and an alien who loves pop music work together to save humanity? A beautiful and thrilling debut novel for fans of Marie Lu and Veronica Roth.Two years ago, a misunderstanding between the leaders of Earth and the invading Ilori resulted in the deaths of one-third of the world’s population.Today, seventeen-year-old Ellie Baker survives in an Ilori-controlled … Baker survives in an Ilori-controlled center in New York City. With humans deemed dangerously volatile because of their initial reaction to the invasion, emotional expression can be grounds for execution. Music, art and books are illegal, but Ellie still keeps a secret library.
When young Ilori commander M0Rr1S finds Ellie’s library, he’s duty-bound to deliver her for execution. The trouble is, he finds himself drawn to human music and in desperate need of more.
Humanity’s fate rests in the hands of an alien Ellie should fear, but M0Rr1S has a potential solution—thousands of miles away. The two embark on a wild and dangerous journey with a bag of books and their favorite albums, all the while creating a story and a song of their own that just might save them both.
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It might be easy to dismiss this book as a YA, near-future or dystopian sci-fi story. If you told me that was what the book is, I’d probably say, “meh.” You could also classify it as a YA romance. In that case, I’d pass. Neither one of those are really my cup of tea, and while technically accurate, neither one does The Sound of Stars justice. It’s all that and so much more.
Ms. Dow has crafted a work of fiction that combines books and music, aliens and romance, the future and the past. She does so deftly, and with an effortless ease. Her debut novel includes ace and envy representation, while addressing anxiety, self-image, racism, consent, hate, the current state of American society, and climate change. She sprinkles these tidbits of today’s history throughout the book so perfectly that ideas and images are neither forced down the reader’s throat, nor glossed over as insignificant side notes. They are the foundations of future world filled with desperation. And while this might create a dark and dismal story, The Sound of Stars is also filled with hope.
Through the darkness, Ms. Dow shines a light to guide us to a better world. She throws the reader lifelines in the form of books and music. She starts each chapter with one of those lifelines, and give us a glimmer of what will come. She hooks us with every chapter.
This book is really something else, and it’s absolutely beautiful. The Sound of Stars celebrates the beauty and impact of art, and how far people would go to keep it. I felt the characters’ desire to fight for their art, that’s how raw and pure this book is.
The Sound of Stars is about Earth after aliens have invaded the planet. Humans are held captive in their own homes, ready to be vaccinated so the aliens can gain full control over each and all of them. One way the aliens try to keep the humans in line is by completely forbidding art, as art invokes emotions and emotions make the humans volatile and unpredictable.
You follow Janelle Baker, also called Ellie, while she runs a secret library for the people around her. If she is found out, it could cost her her life, but she thinks that sharing books with those who need them is absolutely worth it. And then there is this alien, M0Rr1s, who is raised to be emotionless, learns how beautiful art can be. He finds out about Ellie’s library and instead of ratting her out, their combined love for human art and hate for the alien masters is all they have to save Earth.
Yes, it may sound cheesy, and in a way it is, but this book can have that as the entire story and the way of writing are absolutely enchanting. The Sound of Stars carries beautiful messages, like that the environment you are born in does not define you as a person and how you can achieve anything with the correct motivation. There is much more to this book of course, but these are two of the themes I really love.
The characters in The Sound of Stars are flawed, but I love that. So many characters in SFF books these days are forced into a trope or are overly polished. Reading about characters that are just raw and unpolished was honestly a relief and really complimented the story.
This book has a special place in my heart because of the amazing representation. The main character, Janelle, is a demi-bisexual girl with hypothyroidism and anxiety. Janelle is me in so many ways and this representation is heavily underrepresented: Characters on the asexual spectrum are almost non-existent, most book with a bisexual protagonist try too hard to prove the ‘queerness’ of the character (which completely ruins the rep), I have seriously never heard of any book with someone with hypothyroidism and to see such a realistic representation of very intense anxiety and anxiety attacks is really unique.
I can relate so much to Janelle Baker in so many ways and it was so special to read about a character that was so much like me. It made me feel seen and not alone, completely proving the importance of good representation in books.
I can highly recommend picking up this book as it has so many amazing elements: It has several underrepresented identies, the story is beautiful and it carries a lot of important messages. I absolutely hope The Sound of Stars will get a sequel sometime, as I just need more pagetime with Ellie and M0Rr1s.
I wasn’t certain how to rate the book since I waffled back and forth based on what I didn’t like. But a couple days later and I still think this is a solid book. The romance wasn’t as high as I’d have liked–too instalovey. A bit of too fated mates at 17. Yet I appreciated the twists and nods at the end. I’m hoping for a second in the series because there’s so much left to do in the storyline.
I’ll also say the audiobook was really well done. I liked the narrators and how they helped lift up some pretty repetitious lines and decisions. I had issues with the cultural touchstones being all over the place as nerd cred, but I liked how Dow worked in new points based on reader known ones. Cleary written post-2016 election, the politics felt raw and real. And considering the intended audience, it probably felt wonderful to be seen.
In short: I enjoyed the book. I liked Ellie and M0Rr1S, the way they went together. I will say the audiobook was a bit too long given the length of the book. But it was a terrific deal and worth it.
Recommend this book if you want something somewhere between then, now, and maybe.
A fresh new take on alien invasion. Absolutely loved the characters. The author does a great job of showing racial injustice before and after the invasion as well. It’s such a beautiful story. Highly recommend for both young and old readers.
I loved this love story! Ellie and M0Rr1s aren’t your typical heroes but tough times calls for drastic measures. An alien invasion and a small rebellion pushes them together and the adventure that follows is thrilling. Ellie is genuine and M0Rr1s is a joy. Who doesn’t love a story about music and stories? Enjoyed this very much!
Gripping story about a YA book reading human girl who encounters an alien invader with a secret obsession for Earth music….sounds right up my alley, right? Recommend this read but do it in print/ebook, but not the audiobook. If your pet peeve is when people pronounce “library” as “lie-berry” the audiobook is definitely not for you. Still, if you decide to go the audiobook route, I would suggest looking up the alien lead character’s name online before listening. The narrator leaves some letters out when spoken and way the name is written has a significance, so save yourself some confusion by looking it up beforehand.
I am still putting my thoughts in order for this, but what a beautiful story. Full RTC but def recommend.
Imagine a world in which artistic expression and appreciation is banned. In The Sound of Stars, just such a world exists. Two years after a third of the earth’s population was wiped out because of a misunderstanding between representatives of the earth and the invading Ilori, things that trigger human emotion (music, books, and art) are now illegal.
Ellie lives in New York City, one of the areas controlled by the Ilori. Deep in her family’s storage unit, Ellie maintains a secret—and illegal—library. But one day, she finds one of the books missing. If the Ilori’s have found her library, she’s at risk of being executed. She soon finds however, that the book was found by M0Rr1S (“Morris”), a manufactured alien, who, though created to be emotionless, was raised by a mother who encouraged him to embrace his feelings. M0Rr1S, who has already discovered a love of music, is enthralled by Ellie’s library. Ellie and M0Rr1S are drawn together by their love of books, music, and soon find themselves racing against time in an effort to save humanity.
The Sound of Stars drew me in pretty quickly with the prologue, but I found it a bit confusing when the interview sections were mixed in. Ultimately, it all came together, and is a solid and engaging story about love, rebellion and aliens as well as an insightful commentary on overcoming preconceived ideas about others and appreciating our differences.
*I received a copy of The Sound of Stars from Inkyard Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
This book has everything! Aliens set on conquering earth! A determined heroine with a hidden stash of books! And the power of music and stories to give those with every reason to hate the power to love. Who could want anything more?
Dow is an incredible new voice. The sensory details spill off the pages and transport me to new and unfamiliar places… The Sound of Stars was a true pleasure to read. I can’t wait to see what she does next!
The Sound of Stars is a stunning exploration of the comforts that make us human and the horrors that challenge our humanity.
Overall, I’m left feeling a bit confused about my stance on this book, though it is a decent debut novel. On one hand, I loved the diversity and representation in the cast of characters and I really enjoyed the world-building. And yet, the pacing issues and my lack of connection to Janelle and Morris made it really tough to feel invested in the story. Ultimately, I’m not the target age group for this book and I struggle with YA on a good day so I say if you enjoy YA and Sci-Fi then definitely give this one a try!
**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
My Thoughts:
When I saw the beautiful book cover for The Sound of Stars, I knew this was a book that I wanted to read!
When aliens invade earth, one-third of the population is killed, while the other two-thirds are rounded up and contained under the strict surveillance of the Ilori labmades. Music, Art, and books are illegal. People are not allowed to come and go or socialize with one another, except for during designated times and under careful surveillance. The Ilori labmades are preparing the earth for the true Ilori to be able to land and survive in the atmosphere’s conditions. A vaccine is being prepared for humans, that will allow for the true Ilori to use their bodies as a way to “vacation” on earth.
MORr1S “Morris” is a labmade commander that has been tasked with the creation of the vaccine. He doesn’t have any true power, as the Ilori labmades are second class citizens and the true Ilori are their masters. Ilori are not suppose to have emotions. Morris is different, because he was raised by a mother who encouraged him to embrace his feelings.
Janelle “Ellie” Baker has a passion for books, and hid all of her family’s favorites. She has an illegal library, where she smuggles books to other humans with the help of her best friend, Alice.
Morris discovered music when he came to earth, and when he discovers Ellie’s illegal library, he enlists her help in rounding up more hidden music for him to discover and enjoy. He promises Ellie that he will keep her, Alice, and her family safe, if she helps him in his endeavor. As these two connect over their passion for music and books, they find themselves in a dangerous predicament, and while they’re racing against the clock to save humanity, they might just discover what it means to fall in love…
I loved the strong characterization of both Ellie and Morris. I got a good sense of who they were, as well as what their hopes and fears were. Ellie was courageous, resilient, a little awkward, and very intelligent. I loved and connected with her passion for books, as well as her love and loyalty towards her best friend Alice, and her parents. Morris was a wonderful character in his own right. I enjoyed the way that he evolved as the story went on. He realized that emotions weren’t something to be ashamed of, but rather, were a sign of strength. He was compassionate and caring, and I loved his excitement, exuberance, and passion for all types of music, as well as for Ellie.
It was a lot of fun reading about various musicians, and their songs. David Bowie, The Beatles, Cold Play, Queen, and Beyonce were a few mentioned, and I got excited over each new artist/song mentioned. I also loved hearing about different authors and stories, such as Pride and Prejudice, Corduroy, The Hate U Give, and Harry Potter. Important societal issues were addressed such as climate change, and civil/human rights as well as racial inequality and discrimination.
Where I struggled a bit was with the pacing of the plot. The prologue was amazing, and had me so excited to delve in to the story. Each new chapter has an interview or article about Ellie’s favorite band, The Starry Eyed. I was confused at first, because these excerpts didn’t fit with the story and were distracting. However, at the end of the story, the author connected and explained everything. I think the plot needed more suspense and action to move the story along at a faster and more exciting pace. The ending was great and flew by! We are left with a to be continued ending, but we get a few answers and aren’t left with a crazy cliffhanger.
If you enjoy science-fiction, stories about aliens, romance, pop culture, and relevant societal issues, you might want to check out, The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow!
The Sound of Stars blew me away. The story follows a pair of star-crossed lovers: a human girl named Janelle, or ‘Ellie’, and a labmade Ilori named M0Rr1S. After Earth was invaded by an alien species named the ‘Ilori’, humans are confined to pointless lives without music and books and art. The reason why? The Ilori want humans to become shells without emotions, fears, even desires – they want them to be compliant. Their goal isn’t to kill off the human race. Their goal is to kill off their freedom and independence.
Ellie has faced a lot of trials as a black girl and can sometimes be bitter (rightfully so). She’s lived a life with needless racism, so sometimes she finds herself thinking that humanity isn’t worth saving. The other part of her – the softer side – wants to share her love for books to keep humanity hopeful. The only way to do this is to keep an illegal library, risking instant death if she were to be caught. As for Morris, he was made to look human but to act alien. Despite the fact that he has a breath-stealing desire to feel, he’s not supposed to. If he shows too much emotion he could be killed, so when he’s alone he turns to human music to get some sort of relief. When the two of them meet, they immediately understand the risks the both of them take to feel okay in such a not okay world.
The relationship between Ellie and Morris is so tender and beautiful. I found myself falling in love with them from the beginning. The love wasn’t rushed or forced, but instead felt natural and right. When the story picks up and the two find themselves running from the Ilori on a mission to save Earth, they face a lot of hiccups but always come out stronger…more determined. The author, in my opinion, did a fantastic job creating the characters and the storyline. I kept wanting to turn the pages, smiling and laughing and gasping the entire time.
The Sound of Stars has plenty of twists and turns to keep readers hooked and begging for more. I can’t wait to follow Ellie and Morris’s continued journey in book two!
*A huge thanks to the publisher and NG for the ARC. This review is one-hundred percent honest and I appreciate the opportunity to read and review.