The inhabitants of Genesis are at war again. Now that Earth has destroyed most of their resources and ruined their planet, they’re looking for a new start and they’ve set their sights on Genesis. When young soldier Noemi comes across a mechanical soldier from Earth, she doesn’t care that Abel looks like a human- she only sees an enemy. The perception is mutual, but the two are forced to work together for survival, and enact a plan that takes them all across the universe and deep into trouble.
Gray immediately sucks readers into the story and never lets them go. Noemi and Abel are sympathetic characters with believable and highly engaging development arcs, and the quest keeps the action humming along nicely. By the end, you’ll be deeply invested and eager for the sequel.

The premise of this book alone should intrigue you. You have a human fighter pilot and a human-like mech working together to save the universe. I absolutely loved how Noemi and Abel's story unfolded. The progression of their relationship was extremely well done. They went from two people who had to work together due to programming to something much more. It was a really interesting dynamic between the two and I appreciated seeing a relationship grow between two unlikely characters. I also really appreciated that one of the two main characters was not entirely human (it reminded me of AIDAN from the Illuminae Files, if only he had a more prominent role).

That being said, the world was confusing at times. I'm not sure if there will be a map in the finished copy since I read an eARC, but I would have really liked to see something to show all the different planets that Noemi and Abel explore on their adventure through space. I think the book would have benefited from a bit more background on what was going on between Earth and Genesis. I got the overall big picture but I would have loved more specific details and knowledge about what happened in the past.

The ending of this book was also quite odd. There are definitely a few big questions that still need answered, but at the same time I feel like the story is complete. I'm really confused on how Claudia Gray is continuing with the next book after this. This is a planned duology so she obviously has more story to tell, I just do not see the need with how the arc of this book panned out.

Last thing I want to mention is how great so many of the secondary characters were in this book. Noemi and Abel met a lot of unique people on their adventure from many different backgrounds with different life stories. I loved getting to know these characters and how they impacted the story and helped our two main characters one their journey. I really hope we get to see more of them in the next book.

*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of the book*

4.5 This thrilling YA sci-fi hit the spot! Think of a doomed rebel from Star Wars and a humanoid robot from Battlestar Gallactica who end up on the same side after almost killing the other and you'll get the idea. The philospophy of what is a soul, world politics, immortality, and religion are all complicated concepts touched on too. The character growth was really good and that the end wasn't a pat, typical YA ending was impressive. I'm curious to see where the series goes from here, as it seems to be wrapped up at the end. Highly recommended, both for young adults AND adults!

Imagine a younger, untried Honor Harrington and you will come close to Noemi's character. Her planet is a former Earth colony world that has fought the Liberty War and declared its independence. Now they must continually fight off waves of "mechs" (androids), sent through the Gate (wormhole travel) to reacquire their planet of Genesis for the overpopulated home world. While on a training run, Noemi boards an abandoned Earth ship and discovers an android unlike any she has ever seen or heard of in her training. Together, they set off across the known worlds to find a way to seal the Gate and protect Genesis on a permanent basis.

That tells you the basic plot, but it doesn't capture all the ways in which both of the main characters, Noemi and Abel, change during their journey. Noemi begins the story so sure that her world is right and Earth is wrong, so convinced that she is part of a holy crusade of sorts. Abel desperately wants to return to Earth and his creator, the famous scientist Mansfield. He has been told that the people of Genesis are selfish for not wanting to share their world. Then the two of them spend time together and see the other worlds and the conditions on each of them. Slowly, they come to appreciate other points of view and respect one another's abilities. Can a Genesis soldier and an Earth mech become friends?

You'll have to read to find out. And let me tell you that the story will satisfy those who like character centered fiction and still have plenty of good parts for readers who like lots of tech in their sci-fi. There are androids specifically programmed to fight which are eerily similar to Terminators at times. The devices that stabilize the wormholes for travel between the planets remind me of StarGate. And Abel may touch on a few memories from movies or books where AI becomes truly sentient.

Whether you are a techie or a fan of personal growth stories, give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

Sometimes a novel taking the expected path is really frustrating. That's not the case here. While it is predictable, both the setting and the characters are strong enough to keep the reader engaged. And there is a little subversion of the standard approach as well. Generally in a novel involving an established government and a rebel group, the perspective character is a part of the establishment and comes to see how the rebels are right. In this case we have a rebel who learns not that the establishment is right but that no one is right. There is no perfect approach. It's more of an idealism change, the moral dilemmas that come with isolationism.
My one complaint is that there is no real plot resolution. It just sort of stops.

I loved Claudia Gray's Firebird series so I jumped at the chance to read this one. Although it started slow, it ended beautifully. I loved the book, I almost did stop reading it (it didn't really pick up pace until 40% through) but it is definitely worth the read if you can stick it out. I really didn't like either character in the beginning, but as they started to like each other, it made them both more likable as characters and in the end I was hoping for more. I am hoping this is one in a series, even though it had an end, it was open ended in a few areas and it would be nice to revisit these characters.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for a fair review. Thank you!!

I have to admit to a great deal of ambivalence about Defy The Stars. Yes, as far as YA romantic sci fi goes, I can see why many would enjoy this adventure of our strong-willed heroine and her hunky android. But at the same time, I wish the heavy handed musings about what it means to be human had been jettisoned altogether. Too much pounding of a square peg into a round hole amounted to a fairly cliche sci fi plot done better and with more subtlety by e.g., Asimov and Dick. I didn't believe the characters and their shallow world any more than I believed the plot was anything approaching realistic.

Story: As the Genesis colony fights a freedom war with Earth, teen Noemi sets out on a large scale suicide run in the hopes that the deaths of so many of her people will temporary reprieve them of Earth's android driven attacks. But before she can begin the attack, a series of events lands her on the Deadalus - a long abandoned Earth space ship still housing the prototype of Earth's greatest android - Abel. She hates him on sight - his kind has killed thousands of her people. Abel must obey Noemi but plots to find a way to get back to his beloved creator/father who was forced to abandon him on the ship 30 years ago. Both are about to learn some hard truths as Noemi, through Abel, finds a better way than the upcoming suicide run to protect her people.

If you are looking for the standard YA cliches - they are here. People are always sniffing love interests, fate will put a master hacker in their midst so they can accomplish tasks, the hero/heroine will start out hating each other but fall in love, things like prison breaks are surprisingly easy, the bad guys are eeeeevil and selfish (never nuanced), and in a huge galaxy, people always find each other by accident and at the exact perfect moment. There are many sci fi genre cliches as well that became very frustrating.

But it was the big 'message' that was most problematic. Rather than using scientific outlines of intelligent life like the Turing Test and artificial intelligence, author Grey relies on philosophical human condition tenets and the concept of abstract thinking to define whether a machine is 'alive' - whether it has a soul. In other words, whether Abel can dream, be compassionate, and understand/appreciate religion is the determiner of whether or not he is a machine or a person. As such, there are some very heavy handed religion references throughout (including main character Noemi's strong Catholic beliefs) and the fact that the 'better' planet Genesis relies on an almost luddite-like reluctance to use technology and instead focuses on religions and faith to better themselves (secular Earth nearly destroyed itself and is trying to do the same to others, natch). It's a nice thought but not really believable or even a sustainable argument. So although this isn't a Christian romance, it felt like it at times.

In order to couch the story within the human condition (and to further pound in that Noemi will hate machines) there are some really odd statements made:

<i>"What kind of cowards go to war but refuse to fight it themselves? Noemi thinks. How evil do you have to be to kill another world's people and risk none of your own?"</i> Which is odd considering her people are supposedly all about protecting human life. If anything, i'd say a society that protects their people's lives by using machines to fight a war is kind of smart.

<i>"Mechs aren't afraid to die, because they aren't even alive. They have no souls. The're pure machines of death. Pure evil." </i> Actually, one has to be sentient and have thoughts to be evil. Cars kill people all the time, too, and I don't think my Toyota Camry is pure evil.

And this one is great: humans have destroyed the Earth because of greenhouse gasses and toxins from factories. But when visiting another planet, Abel shows how the industry on that planet is releasing greenhouse gasses on purpose to raise the temperature of the planet so it is more suitable to human inhabitation. <i>"Noemi had never considered that before, that one world's poison might be another's salvation."</i> And I'm sure anything already alive and native to the planet and about to die out will thank the humans for destroying their flora and flauna so the humans have better weather conditions.

I started to have a hard time taking the book seriously. Abel, even though supposedly being an advance prototype model, never felt like a machine. Perhaps less time inside his 'head' would have been better and he would have felt more hate-worthy to Noemi if we only saw her perspective of him. But as it is, it feels like the usual YA romance complete with nearly perfect and handsome love interest frequently saving our supposedly strong heroine. Even when she comes to save him - she ends up getting saved of course. Cue lots of ponderings by Abel on "how can I defy my programming? How can I dream if I am an android?" And Noemi's eiphanies: "if you have dreams, you're human!" "You're compassionate, you must have a soul!" etc. etc.

There is plenty of pointless adventure as Abel and Noemi must obtain certain items to achieve their goal of preventing the suicide run. And of course Abel is going to have to eventually run into his 'father' figure creator. That action will keep readers invested though a closer examination would reveal a hollow set of activities all working toward a deus ex machina sequence at the end. But as a YA romantic adventure, I'm sure many will be enthralled by our sexy android and heartfelt heroine. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Electronic ARC provided by NetGalley.

"Defy the Stars" is an entertaining and thoughtful sci-fi, set in a future where Earth has colonized several other planets and is now fighting with them over resources and sovereignty. The first of the two main characters that we are introduced to is Noemi, a young soldier and citizen of Genesis, a colony world that values spirituality and sustainability, and has been fighting a lengthy war in order to remain free from Earth control. The second main character is Abel, a highly advanced cyborg created by one of the greatest scientists on Earth. Through a quirk of his programming, Abel ends up under Noemi's command, and she hatches a plot to use him in order to keep Genesis safe.

The bulk of the story involves Noemi and Abel learning things about each other and about the rest of humanity that continually challenge their previously held beliefs. Both characters are well developed and sympathetic, despite frequently having conflicting goals. One of the major strengths of the novel is the way that both Abel and Noemi slowly come to realize that he is more then just a highly advanced computer, and struggle with what that means for him and for Noemi's intended mission.

Claudia Gray has done some very nice world building here, creating a human civilization of the future that feels real and multi-layered. The arcs for both Noemi and Abel are well written and I was very satisfied with how they ended, despite the fact that not everything is tied up neatly. I think that this is supposed to end up as a duology but "Defy the Stars" actually stands alone quite nicely, so I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for some good YA science fiction.

Science fiction has been one of my favorite genres going back to my middle school years. I am a little hesitant to read science fiction because sometimes I have issues with the ships or the language or I just didn’t like the storyline. So, needless to say, I have started a lot of science fiction books and have DNF’d them. So I was happy to see Defy the Stars written as a YA science fiction book. I figured that there would too much teenage drama going on and that would distract me from any shortcomings.

Well, I was wrong. Not only was Defy the Stars a great science fiction book but the young adult sections of the book (well it was the whole book) was fantastic. Again, it isn’t often that you get a book that combines the two perfectly. This book did.



I really enjoyed that Earth was the bad guy in this book. It was a different and welcome change from Earth always being the good guy/underdog. Instead, in this book, Earth is evil. Earth is the instigator and Earth will not let go of the other planets under its control. It was a very refreshing change and I loved it!!

Noemi grew on me during the book. I can understand why she was so angry. Losing her family, being raised by a family that resented her and then being a child soldier in a war that shouldn’t have been going on for as long as it was. She was stressed out. She was trying to keep her best friend, Esther, alive and she was trying to not think about the suicide run on the gate that connected her solar system to others in her area. So she was a little testy and I was surprised that she didn’t have a breakdown when Esther died or when she realized that she was Abel’s commander. But, by the end of the book, she grew so much and changed so much that I actually liked her.

Abel came across, to me, as what a mech should act like. He analyzed everything, he really didn’t understand human emotion and he said some pretty weird things. But, he would protect Noemi with his life because she was his commander. By the end of the book, though, he was his own person and he made his own choices….even when faced with direct orders. He truly became his own master by the end of the book.

This will be the only time that I will say that I didn’t think that the romance element of the book wasn’t needed. There was so much going on that I think it was silly to have included it. Especially since Noemi was so prejudiced against mechs. While it was something I saw coming, I really wish that the book didn’t go there. It really didn’t add anything to the storyline.

The end of the book was very bittersweet. I am glad to see that everything turned out well for Abel and Noemi. I can’t wait to see what book 2 will bring!!

How many stars will I give Defy the Stars: 4

Why: A very well written science fiction/YA book. I was very engrossed with the story. The only thing that I didn’t like was the romance part of it. Weird, I know.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Young teen

Why: No sex (just one kissing scene), mild violence, no language.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Really interesting and action-packed read. I can't wait for the next installment. I fell in love with the characters and their struggles for survival. Thought-provoking situations and moral dilemmas were well presented and addressed.

I’m starting to think that sci-fi might not be my genre. I either find it really confusing or the explanations of the technology is too boring. I just have a hard time when there’s all this future technology that I don’t really understand. On top of that, this book has multiple WORLDS that I need to try to understand. It’s not easy, I’ll tell you that. I felt like I got a pretty good handle on Earth (obviously), Genesis, and Kismet, but then Stronghold and Cray are toss-ups. I have no idea which world is which. Overall, I wish that there had been a little more world(s) building. Gray had such a huge opportunity to create these awesome new planets, but in the end I feel like I didn’t really get a sense of “there-ness” for any of them. They might as well have been all one planet. Also, I wish the characters had actually gone to Kismet instead of just landing on its moon. That almost felt like a cop-out to me. Like the author didn’t really want to go into all the detail that Kismet would require so she just said, “Here, I’ll have them go to this more boring place instead.”

Noemi was okay as a character. I didn’t hate her, but I didn’t love her either. I don’t really feel like we got to know her that well. We get some of her background, but it’s more telling rather than showing. I didn’t feel anything about her history. Like, I felt bad that she’d lost her whole family, but it didn’t feel like something tragic in her backstory even though it was. Does that even make sense? I did like the religious aspect of her character though, it gave her a little more depth. Abel was a little more interesting. There were times when you could almost forget that he’s a mech (basically a robot) but at the same time, you never really could. There were times throughout the book when his abilities were a little too convenient. Oh, the characters are in a bind? Luckily Abel can do this thing and get them out of it! I mean…everything that he did was plausible with who his character was, but still…too convenient. And I thought all the details about how he’s programmed to be really good at sex was weird and unnecessary to ANY aspect of the plot. Honestly, it just made me feel super uncomfortable every time he brought it up. Secondary characters were alright. They were really just there to help the main characters keep the plot moving.

The relationship between Abel and Noemi just seemed so obvious and contrived. Like…of COURSE they’re going to fall in love. Never mind that Abel is NOT HUMAN. Here’s the thing. I always have a really hard time when a human girl falls in love with an alien, a being who is technically hundreds of years older than her, or robots. Basically anything that isn’t really human. It just feels so weird to me! Like…we wouldn’t have a YA book where a human girl falls in love with a dog, right? So what makes these other non-human love interests okay? In my opinion, nothing. Nothing makes it okay. I’m still creeped out. WHY COULDN’T THEY HAVE JUST BEEN FRIENDS???

Overall, I thought this book was just okay. It was really slow for me to get into, but once I was about halfway through the pace really started to speed up and I finished the last half fairly quickly. It looks like this is going to be a series though and I just don’t see myself having the motivation to pick up the next book even though I wouldn’t necessarily mind finding out what happens next. But if you’re already into sci-fi, then I think you might like this book.

Overall Rating: 3
Language: None
Violence: Moderate
Smoking/Drinking: None
Sexual Content: Moderate. No actual sexual encounters, but it is mentioned openly at times.

Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Man I don't even know where to start, this novel blew me away. I feel like I haven't read a book in so long that made me enjoy it so much and get really attached to the characters. Anywho, this book reminded me a lot of Star Wars, as well as the Illuminae series by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman! It had the Illuminae level of twists and turns and space excitement so if you enjoyed those books, I think you'll REALLY alike Defy the Stars. I haven't read Claudia's other series but I definitely will now!

First things first - this plot was so fantastically done. The way the author wove the story line throughout the novel was absolutely brilliant. And uGH THE WORLD BUILDING. As a space geek, it pleased me so much. Claudia Gray made it seem so realistic and possible that these other planets the characters travel to could be real one day, could exist. Everything about Noemi & Abel's adventures on all the planets was exciting. Also everything connected so well, and the author has set up a bigger picture conflict for the rest of the series. This book was just so well done in regards to plot and world building, I'm so amazed and awed and I desperately want more.

Not only was the plot phenomenal, but the characters were extraordinary. A lot of the times I find it hard to like the main characters and usually favor the side characters, but in this case I adore the mains. Noemi is this selfless, intelligent, strong, badass Genesis (earth-like planet she lives on) warrior. She will give up her own life for the future of her planet and her people in a heartbeat. I loved her voice and her actions, her compassion for others. However, my favorite character from the book was Abel. Think Terminator with this one - like Arnold Schwarzenegger. A robot meant to help people not kill them. That was Abel. He's a mech, a robot, designed by a man named Mansfield who creates mechs for earth. But Abel is his special one, the only one made (all the other mechs are duplicated but he's the only one single Abel model). Without giving much away, Abel as a mech actually has character, thoughts, feelings, and depth to him. Everything about him I adored. To his snarky remarks, his intelligence, his loyalty to Noemi...agh guys my heart hurts thinking about him. He's SO PURE. Literally so pure. He brought so much more to the book and I desperately need the sequel so I can see more of him.

This novel did start off a little slow, but once things started moving, once the characters started traveling, things got really good. I couldn't stop reading at one point, and I got torn away from reading because of work and other responsibilities. Everything about Defy the Stars I loved. Literally everything. I have no complaints. If you're looking for an exciting space adventure with a robot who's more human than wiring, PICK THIS BOOK UP. Fans of Illuminae will really enjoy this. It's fun, thrilling, action - packed, and yes there's romance. ITS A SLOW BURN TOO. The best kind!! Pick this up when it hits shelves on April 4th. But look out for me running by you to get my own copy haha!

This book was so startling. I wasn't expecting this incredible story, but I am very thankful for it.

Noemi is amazing and she is my new hero/heroine. She is so strong and fearless and absolutely perfect.

Abel begins as pompous, but turns out to be sweet and surprisingly funny.

Claudia Gray has an incredible way of creating worlds from scratch. I was completely able to envision the planet, Genesis and the gates as well as the debris field where she found Abel. She was descriptive without giving an info dump.

Noemi is quick thinking and level headed. I love how she responds to the myriad of trials that she faces. I think it's great that Abel quickly recognizes this about Noemi. He starts out the story with such a superior attitude, but he quickly realizes that while Noemi may not have his physical abilities, she is able to think of things in ways that he never would've conceived. She saves their butts just as often as he does.

This book is action-packed from page one and the ending will have you questioning everything you have ever believed in. I loved it.

Noemi is seventeen and is getting ready to die. She's going to be one of the suicide squad breaking up the gate (worm hole) from her world to earth and other planets. It's a sacrifice required for the greater good. By blocking the gate it will give her country more time to build weapons to defend themselves. But the war starts early...

Little Brown Books for Young Readers and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published April 4th.

When enemy ships come through gate while they are practicing their approach, she's suddenly fighting for her life early. What's even worse is that her friend who is observing the action is hit. She tries to save her and ends up on a deserted space ship from the past. The first thing that happens is that the mech on board tries to kill her. Abel looks like a man but he's a machine. Once she says the right thing, he becomes her aide and protector. Unfortunately, the other girl won't survive because she chooses to die instead of accepting synthetic parts. Now Noemi and Abel will have to decide what to do next.

Noemi wants to go back to Genesis and close the gate. Abel agrees to help her. The adventure while doing so is space opera. There's theft, disguises, false identities and more used to gain the equipment they need to use. They are being pursued. Abel's creator wants him back. And, without either one of them realizing it, they're falling in love...

I'm going to be watching for the next book in this series. I can't wait to see where the author takes this story. Just make it a happy ending, OK, Ms. Gray?

Quality science fiction, that captures the intermediate/YA reader in, can be difficult to find. Defy the Stars, by Claudia Gray, is the exception. The volatile setting in space, the tenuous friendships, and the useful knowledge the young characters display all draw in the reader. The fact that Earth people are not to be trusted and realistic blaster fights occur increases the anticipation. One finds oneself rooting for each character in turn, especially Abel, the machine. Throughout the story, one of the main questions the reader will reflect upon is what it means to be human. Defy the Stars is an exciting, thought-provoking, engaging story. I highly recommend it.

Claudia Gray, whose writing seems to get stronger with every book of hers I try, i love her spellcaster series she did a phenomenal job with that. I really liking the various takes i am seeing on robots defying humans that has sprung up with cinder and then nemesis most recently. I also like that the authors are not over compensating with a bunch of sci fi terminology that tends to distract me from the real story. I like sci fi that borders fantasy and complements the two.

I received this ARC from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.

Earth is dying. The climate change crisis of the 21st century has been realized and then some. Despite scientific advances and the colonization of other planets, Earth is just as chaotic and war-like as ever.

Noemi is from Genesis, the paradise planet Earth turned to as a new world. This plan imploded when the people of Genesis decided becoming another Earth wasn't what they wanted. Genesis is a place of peace and no one knows that better than Noemi Vidal.

"Like most people of Genesis, Noemi believes the Word of God...she can quote chapter and verse on the value of life, the importance of peace...Noemi knows what her duty to God is right now: Fight like hell."

A war has raged for decades and Noemi is a Genesis soldier aimed at stopping Earth for good.

"She's learned how to fight. Next she had to learn now to die."

Abel is the most advanced Mech ever built. When he and Noemi stumble upon each other will they continue the war? Abel was created, not born. Will he help or harm the cause?

"A great mystery lurks within Abel, even now, one planted by Burton Mansfield long ago, waiting to be revealed."

I really enjoyed this novel, it had a plot that was able to plug into the Sci-fi genre in a clever way. Noemi is relatable, yet flawed. Abel made me question what it is to be human. I look forward to the follow up books!

4 stars.

Expected Publication Date: April 4, 2017

Didn't get a chance to read this, the archive date snuck up on me.

This is a fun interplanetary adventure that has both heart and soul. I was intrigued by the premise: girl soldier from rebellious colony planet, Genesis, inadvertently rescues a trapped "mech" (highly sophisticated android) from Earth, the planet at war with hers--and the two combatants find they must work together, even if helping her goes against his innate programming, and helping him, a soulless android, goes against all of her upbringing as a faithful citizen of Genesis. There's a lot going on in this book: fun space opera action-adventure (think zooming through stargates! Exploring new worlds! Being on the run from the space cops!) and a deeper look at what it means to be human and to have a soul. Because "Abel," the mech, has had thirty years trapped alone on an abandoned spaceship in which to ponder life, the universe and his very existence. What are the chances that he's come out of it a different mech than he was when he started? And can Noemi overcome her prejudices and fear of the unknown in order to save her planet? She's always been a brave soldier, but just how brave is she able to be?

I enjoyed this book from the start, and could not put it down. The characters, especially Abel, are memorable and unique. The plot twists and turns in satisfying ways, and the author has created a believable galaxy "Loop" of planets that Earthers might have colonized; the reasons for colonization and war are believable and logical, but not so detailed as to bog down the story. I loved that there is room left for a possible sequel (I can only hope!) but yet there's a satisfying conclusion. This is a great book to hand to fans of Across the Universe or Illuminae, or to anyone who likes to read YA science fiction with heart.

Deep into the future, Defy the Stars throws us into a universe where Earth is at it's end. Our pollution has killed our planet and we need to take over another to make a new home for ourselves, but that world, Genesis, has human inhabitants on it already that will fight to prevent people from Earth from ruining a second planet. Noemi is a soldier for Genesis, and when she finds a super advanced mech named Abel, from Earth, she hatches a plan to stop the war even though it will probably kill Abel and herself.
I found Defy the Stars to be very emotionally engaging and well developed. Noemi and Abel were not shallow characters and their romance was subtle, but that just made it feel even more real. Both Noemi and Abel are incredibly selfless characters and they both approach life in a deterministic manner. The story was strong plot wise, but it was fairly weak at making the readers care for the cause of Genesis and therefore the cause of the main character of the story, Noemi. What readers are led to care for is the relationship between Noemi and Abel. Abel was such a well rounded and developed character, he made the story just infinitely better. There were many distinct moments in the novel that showed growth on a large proportion for Abel's character. Overall, I really enjoyed Defy the Stars and give it the rating of FOUR AND A HALF STARS OUT OF FIVE!!!