Review: StarCrossed by Josephine Angelini

STARCROSSED by Josephine Angelini

Pub. Date: May 2011

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Hardcover , 496pp

Age Range: 12 and up
Source: Author (ARC) 

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

Angelini brings an electrifying spin on Greek mythology where action, romance, and suspense fill the pages with delectable entertainment. I have a weakness for books involving star-crossed lovers. Well, this tantalizing read put a whole other spin on defying destiny when it comes to Helen's and Lucas's love.

When Helen's eyes locked with Lucas, I just knew it was going to be love at first sight. Wrong. I could have never guessed the turn of events that would lead these two to avoid each other with deadly passion. The tensions between these two were so delicious; I could only wonder how any fight could be so sexy.

STARCROSSED is wrapped up in heart-pounding action, loads of drama, and an unforgettable cast of characters. I loved the Greek elements in this book and how Angelini crafted it into a captivating modern day tale.

I know I'll be highly anticipating the next release in this series. As with some of my favorite series, STARCROSSED left me wanting more. I'm ready to jump back into Angelini's world. Just Delicious!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

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Read an excerpt here!

Order STARCROSSED

Check the booktrailer!

Sensational 7 Q & A with Josephine Angelini (Author of StarCrossed)!

Have you ever wanted to know what it would be like to hang out with your favorite author(s)? In an attempt to get a better understanding of authors, my Sensational Seven Q & A takes a closer or more personal look at these authors to give you a glimpse of the personalities behind the writing of your favorite books.

“Talent alone cannot make a writer. There must be a man behind the book; a personality which, by birth and quality, is pledged to the doctrines there set forth, and which exists to see and state things so, and not otherwise.” By Ralph Waldo Emerson

Josephine Angelini is a Massachusetts native and the youngest of eight siblings. A real-live farmer's daughter, Josie graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in theater, with a focus on the classics. She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband…and she can still drive a tractor.

STARCROSSED is her first novel. It will be released May 31, 2011!

If you were given a chance to travel back in time, what year or place would you go / Why?

Hum… Good question. Well, I’ll tell you where I wouldn’t go. I wouldn’t go to any time/era pre-indoor plumbing. The whole concept of a chamber pot under the bed sounds nauseating to me. Also, I’d never go to any time where there wasn’t Novocain. Can you imagine? Gives me the shivers just thinking about it.

Actually, I’m very fond of the modern era. I like things like antibiotics and the fact that women can vote. I like that I can wear jeans and not have to stuff myself into a corset.

I don’t romanticize the past, probably because I’m certain that if I were born in a feudalistic society, for example, I’d be one of the peasants and not a princess. That starving serf out there hoeing a row of cabbage, cussing out the royalty feasting in the castle? That’d be me, for sure.

Describe your novel in seven words or less?

A modern day re-envisioning of the Illiad.

Please share with us about your favorite book and fictional crush to date?

Favorite book is a toughie. I’ve never had a favorite, but I know who my ultimate crush is. I <3 Cyrano Debergerac. He was a sword fighter, a poet, a loyal friend, and a political upstart. So what if he had a big nose? It gives a face character.

If you could be any character in fiction, whom would you be / Why?

If I could be any character in fiction I’d be a Jedi Knight. Why? Who wouldn’t want to be able to move stuff with their minds and kick butt with a light saber?

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play thelead role as you/ Why?

I’d love for Angelina Jolie play me. We don’t look anything alike, and I am nowhere near as cool as she is, but I can dream.

If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be – please explain?

“Never put a Slip-and-Slide on Concrete, and other Valuable Lessons.” There are a few things I’ve learned in my life—the hard way. Just want to pass them along.

How would you describe yourself/life in seven words?

Lucky to be here in one piece!

Bonus:

**Is there any additional info you would like to share with your readers about what’s next for you and your books?**

Book 2 in my series is finished. It’s titled DREAMLESS and I am super happy with how it turned out. I can’t wait for everyone to read it. J

Thanks for stopping by Josephine!

For more information about Josephine Angelini and her books, please visit her website here.

Monday Madness (79): StarCrossed by Josephine Angelini

What is Monday Madness?

It’s the phenomenon affecting all book lovers as we count down the hours in hopes of getting our hands on highly anticipated books on release day. So, come join me throughout the week where I will be featuring Author Interviews, Reviews, Guest Posts, and Contests for great books.

STARCROSSED by Josephine Angelini

Pub. Date: May 2011

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Hardcover , 496pp

Age Range: 12 and up

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

Want More?

Read an excerpt here!

Order STARCROSSED

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Check out Josie on STARCROSSED!

Check the booktrailer!

Want More? Head over to The Book Butterfly on Tantalizing Tuesday for a special treat!

Review: StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce

STARCROSSED by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Pub. Date: October 2010
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Format: Hardcover, 368pp
Age Range: Young Adult
Source: Publisher

16-year-old Digger thrives as a spy & sneak-thief among the feuding religious factions of Gerse. But when a routine job goes horribly wrong and her partner & lover Tegen is killed, she disguises herself in a group of young nobles & sneaks out of the city. Accepted as a lady-in-waiting at the stronghold of the powerful Nemair, she finds new peace & friendship (*and* some new targets). But when an old client from the city comes to the castle, she realizes her hosts may be planning the ultimate uprising against the king - & rather than true peace, she may be at the heart of the rebellion.

STARCROSSED lured me into dangerous webs of Digger's life as she ried to outrun the Greenmen (temple guards of the Goddess Celys but they report directly to the King) after a successful job of retrieving important letters from the King's secretary. As with any fantasy novel, STARCROSSED has plenty of important characters and places that are uniquely tied to the plotline which had me trying to wrap my head around each of the character’s motives and beliefs while trying to fit the puzzle pieces together to uncover hidden secrets. As I was reading along, I decided to write out the names and places so I would have the spelling correct, then my list started to look like a glossary. But don’t fret! The book has a Lexicon of terms in the back which is very helpful if you have problems following along.

STARCROSSED has a wide range of personalities but the main heroine, Digger is one of those characters you can't help but like. She's led an interesting and danger filled life as a thief. Her unique magical skill has made her a valuable asset in the streets of Gerse. Through her eyes, I experienced firsthand the dangers that shroud her life. She's brave and she’s always looking for the next priceless commodity or escape route which had me laughing plenty of times at how her mind works. If I had to sum Digger up, I'd say: She’s trapped within a chain of lies and secrets so complex that she’s beginning to find out it isn’t as easy as her skill at picking locks. Another character that kept me guessing was Dual. I wanted to know, what he had up his sleeve. I also wanted to know what he was hiding and what his ultimate goal was for being at the Nemair’s. The whole world that Bunce created was mysteriously intriguing which only lured me further and further into STARCROSSED’s world of magic, power, politics, and secrets.

The whole world of Llyvaraneth, from its lands to the politics, and the people's beliefs of their Gods & Goddesses were quite captivating. I didn't want to put this book down as I followed along as Digger masqueraded as a lady's maid while trying to escape the Greenmen. You never knew what secret was going to be uncovered. STARCROSSED is a well-written novel and I can't wait to see what the sequel has in store for Digger.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

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Check out the book trailer

Sensational 7 Q & A with Elizabeth C. Bunce (Author of StarCrossed)!

Have you ever wanted to know what it would be like to hang out with your favorite author(s)? In an attempt to get a better understanding of authors, my Sensational Seven Q & A takes a closer or more personal look at these authors to give you a glimpse of the personalities behind the writing of your favorite books.

“Talent alone cannot make a writer. There must be a man behind the book; a personality which, by birth and quality, is pledged to the doctrines there set forth, and which exists to see and state things so, and not otherwise.” By Ralph Waldo Emerson

Elizabeth C. Bunce won the William C. Morris YA Debut Award and an ALA Notable citation for her novel A Curse Dark as Gold. She lives near Kansas City, Missouri, and maintains a web presence at www.elizabethcbunce.com.

STARCROSSED hits shelves October 1, 2010

If you were given a chance to travel back in time, what year or place would you go / Why?

I never know how to answer this! The most ordinary and mundane things come to mind: 1991 to see "Dead Again" for the first time in the theater, or 2001 to relive the puppyhood of my dogs, which passed far too quickly! A more exciting and intellectual answer would probably be "The ancient civilizations of Greece, Egypt, or the Maya." But if I truly had the opportunity, I think I would dip back to February of 2008, when my first book came out, and enjoy it more, instead of being kind of overwhelmed by the whole experience. Happily, I'm getting a chance for that with StarCrossed!

Describe your novel in seven words or less?

Kick-@ss girl thief fantasy espionage adventure.

Please share with us about your favorite book and fictional crush to date?

My favorite book in all the world is Peter S. Beagle's amazing ghost story TAMSIN. The book has everything: pitch-perfect voice, a setting you want to retire in, an undercurrent of rising creepiness... all wrapped together in a marvelous human drama with absolutely unforgettable characters. But my fictional crush would have to be Howl, from HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE. Sigh, sigh, sigh.

If you could be any character in fiction, whom would you be / Why?

I was never interested at the characters who were already written; I always wanted to be someone new in that world. The secret daughter of Storm Shadow from "GI Joe." The secret daughter of Evil Magician Trent from the Xanth novels by Piers Anthony. (Um, do we see a theme developing?) But if I had to pick somebody, probably Tracy Whitney, the glamorous cat burglar-con artist main character of Sidney Sheldon's If Tomorrow Comes (which my parents let me read at probably far too young an age!).

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play thelead role as you/ Why?

People tell me all the time (unsolicited and apparently entirely without collusion!) that I look like Anne Hathaway. I don't see it, myself, but I'm terribly flattered! Whoever they cast, I hope they give her a cool costume, tall boots, and a sword.

If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be – please explain?

Heroine Addict. I'm sure I'm going to regret writing that, but I love the pun, and it's so true! I have always craved stories about strong girls and women, and I always secretly think any story, film, or TV show could be improved by having a female in the lead. (I should point out that I firmly believe heroism comes in all forms, and it doesn't always have to involve a sword. Which is one reason I feature some of my favorite books with all kinds of brave girls and heroines on my website... and also why my own books have heroines just as likely to wield needles or pens as swords.)

How would you describe yourself/life in seven words?
Never has time to take a vacation. No, wait: Author, historical costumer, needlewoman, and dog mom.

Bonus:

**Is there any additional info you would like to share with your readers about what’s next for you and your books?**

I am getting ready to wrap up revisions on the sequel to StarCrossed, Liar's Moon, and I am so excited by how it's turning out. It's going to be awesome. My first novel, A Curse Dark as Gold, was just released in an e-book edition, and comes out in audio next month. I can't wait to listen to actress Charlotte Parry read my Charlotte's words aloud! Lastly, come visit my brand-new website at http://www.elizabethcbunce.com/!

Thanks for stopping by Elizabeth!

For more information about Elizabeth Bunce and her books, please visit her website here.

Monday Madness (60): StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce

What is Monday Madness?

It’s the phenomenon affecting all book lovers as we count down the hours in hopes of getting our hands on highly anticipated books on release day. So, come join me throughout the week where I will be featuring Author Interviews, Reviews and Contests for great books.

STARCROSSED by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Pub. Date: October 2010
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Format: Hardcover, 368pp
Age Range: Young Adult

16-year-old Digger thrives as a spy & sneak-thief among the feuding religious factions of Gerse. But when a routine job goes horribly wrong and her partner & lover Tegen is killed, she disguises herself in a group of young nobles & sneaks out of the city. Accepted as a lady-in-waiting at the stronghold of the powerful Nemair, she finds new peace & friendship (*and* some new targets). But when an old client from the city comes to the castle, she realizes her hosts may be planning the ultimate uprising against the king - & rather than true peace, she may be at the heart of the rebellion.

 

Want More?

Take a sneak peek @ the first chapter of STARCROSSED here.

Order STARCROSSED @ Amazon, Barnes and Noble, BooksAMillion, Borders & IndieBound

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Check out the book trailer!

Want More? Head over to The Book Butterfly on Tantalizing Tuesday for a special treat!