Star-Crossed by Pintip Dunn was an amazing read and one I will always remember. The complex world-building and depth in the characters is captivating, and overall amazing.

**My review is definitely late, seeing as I actually read this book as it was being released but didn't leave my review.

I've never read anything like Star-Crossed so I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it. It's a mixture of many things and is certainly unique! The story is parts YA dystopia, sci-fi and even fantasy, but is a little confusing at times, to the point where I wasn't sure who I liked and disliked. The world building is quirky and dramatic, and the writing is full of witty moments and dramatic tension. Most likely would recommend!

This was a very interesting story and I apologize for the very late review. I did like the characters and I appreciate being able to read the book early at the time.

Disclaimer: Esta copia avanzada fue propocionada por Netgalley por una reseña honesta.

Comence leyendo el libro sin espectativas, pero me sorprendio. Me encanta el romance con ciencia ficcion, en este libro tenero a Vela una princesa que hace hasta lo imposible por salvar a la poblacion de la muerte pero lamentablemente todo empeora y su padre esta muriendo. Alli es donde entra el amor de su vida queriendo salvar al rey y Vela tiene que hacer todo y descubrir de que manera salvar a sus seres queridos.

A Pintip Dunn solo le he leido una vez y me agrado mucho su escritura y contruccion de mundos.

Es un libro repleto de problemas y conspiraciones .Star-Crossed tiene elementos que atraerán a la mayoría de las bases de fans. Pero si te gusta la ciencia ficción y / o el romance y / o los misterios,es un libro para ti.

♥

this was certainly a unique read, I'll definitely say that. I am always into good original science fiction and this was that for me! I feel there's a significant lean in YA these days towards the fantasy genre, and that's all fine and good but there is something utterly fascinating to me about how sci-fi novels tackle concepts as well as the questions they pose about certain aspects of society. And this was certainly a take on the haves and the have nots that i've never seen before with the two groups the Eaters and Non-Eaters. In the world of Star-Crossed, there is a limit of resources so only a portion of the population actually eats. The rest take pills made from the nutrients, how can i put this delicately? excreted by the Eaters, so that is certainly a new one! All jokes aside though, there was a lot of fascinating world-building at play here.
Unfortunately, I found myself more interested in the mechanics of how this society functioned than in the inter-character dynamics. As the main character, Princess Vela was a teenager, I cut her some slack with some of her choices. She was perhaps a touch childish at times but as she wasn't an adult, I felt that wasn't completely unrealistic. No matter what responsibilities she might have as a princess, a teenager is just not going to have the same level-headedness and reasoning as an adult. As such, I found myself perhaps a little frustrated by the relationship with her sister as it just felt a little antagonistic at times. I will say I did enjoy the romance though and it was what drew me to the book to begin with.
Overall, I enjoyed it, what it lacked in characterization at times, it more than made up for it with it's worldbuilding in my opinion.

❝ I lock eyes with her dark brown eyes. We weren’t always rivals. Once upon a time, my sister and I played rocket ships together […]

Of course, that was before I surpassed my sister’s eating ranking. Before my father, the King, announced one of us would be his Successor. Before my mother passed away.

In other words: a long time ago. ❞

Star-Crossed was a book with an interesting premise and stunning cover, and while I enjoyed parts of it, there were some things that I felt could’ve been done to push it to the next level.

One of the factors that pulled me to this book right away was definitely the synopsis. I felt like having a society where food was basically currency and only the elite were able to eat actual food while the rest used nutritional pills was something unique and creative that I would appreciate. It was certainly an interesting concept, but I just think the rest of the book needed more work to really get it to the 4-star level.

Our main characters, Vela and Carr, felt flat and confused. Vela, more than anything, wanted to be a great leader. Maybe? Sometimes it felt like she said it, but at the same time, I didn’t feel her passion coming through. It felt more like a competition with her sister than anything else. Even when she was focused on the well-being of her people it felt like she was compassionate but not necessarily invested in being queen. And when you threw Carr and the trials into the mix it just made me feel less sure of her motivations.

❝ I’m sorry I didn’t touch you when I actually had the chance.” His voice is a low, dark rasp. “A million chances over the years, and I’ve wasted them all. ❞

With Carr, it was kind of the same issue. He felt unemotional—robotic almost. I just didn’t feel a connection to him. He was supposed to be doing things out of love for his sister but… the motivations felt so flimsy.

Honestly, I think it wasn’t so much that the characters were bad as it was that the writing didn’t deliver. The execution of the plot and the delivery of the characters just didn’t work for me. It felt like the writing relied too heavily upon telling us the characters’ motivations and feelings rather than letting it play out in their actions.

When it came to the plot, the story felt divided. Yes, we had the trials and Vela wanted to win, but she was also trying to save Carr, oh, and she was trying to solve the mystery of who was sabotaging the trials. Usually, the attention was entirely on one of these things and then shifted entirely to another. Towards the end of the book, it definitely felt more geared toward the mystery side. Normally this wouldn’t be a huge problem but in Star-Crossed the evidence and clues felt so thin. There wasn’t much to go on, but suddenly everything was obvious in the end (I won’t even go into the fact that the “villain” had some pretty weak motivations too). Mostly, I think it bothered me that there was no steady build-up. Things came all at once and it made everything else in the book feel really slow and not well-planned out.

Overall, I think Star-Crossed had a lot of potential, but it just wasn’t executed well. I think this book could be a fun read, but it’s not necessarily a favorite.

Ooh, how I wanted to love this book. Working with high schoolers as a school librarian, I was sure that this would be a hit. After trying to get into it, though, I struggled. I found the characters to be a bit cliche and the plot to be somewhat predictable. I suppose this would be a perfect read for a certain type of kid, but when purchasing books, I look for ones to recommend to multiple students. I apologize for not being able to give this a glowing review. Thank you for allowing me to review this book.

This was a disappointing book that relied on astrology to move the plot. Not a fun, quirky small plot point, but the main plot point. The romance seems second place to the story's focus on horoscopes and destiny. Two childhood friends ripped apart from one moving across country are reunited. Now, in their twenties, they are thrust together in a way that makes it obvious that this easy to read story isn't going to be a nice fluffy romance but one that beats you over the head with obviousness and "Fate".

Loved reading this! I wasn't sure what to expect, but this book is so much more than I first thought! So good!

Idk what exactly what about this book it was, but I just didn't enjoy it.

I think it was partially the concept. The fact that there are a group of people whose nutrients have to be extracted from their bodies, turned into pills and used to feed the others... That just weirds me out.

And I didn't really think about it that much before I read it, but it really threw me off for most of the book.

Also, the characters just felt forced and I didn't really root for any of them. Same with the romance.

The ending was also just really anticlimactic and quite predictable as well.

Some parts of this book were okay, but overall I really just didn't enjoy it that much.

But I've read a lot of positive reviews about it, so I guess this one just wasn't for me.

It is no secret to anyone who has been following my blog that I consider Pintip Dunn the Queen of YA SFF! Her novels never fail to hook me up, and Star-Crossed is no anomaly to that.

The core idea of the story itself is very unique and weird and bit hard to swallow, but it makes me wonder if this dystopian world is a sad depiction of tomorrow.

In this world, where the is a shortage of food, a system was established to ensure that no one is left to starve to death. It is not the safest, not even the fairest, by that is the system they created and followed. We have the Aegis, they are one of the only people( besides others I won’t mention because I am trying to avoid spoilers), who get to eat real food. In fact, they eat it excessively so the nutrients could then be extracted from them to make the pills. Those pills are what the rest of the colony eats to sustain their nutritional needs. In hindsight, Aegis eat food but live shorter cause their bodies are used as vehicles to generated enough pills to prevent starvation, while the rest of the colony never get to eat any food, they live longer.

I really loved the cast of characters, and what they added to the story. Vela is so empathetic, while her sister is a bit bitchy but more realistic with what could be achieved. The king is unlike any other dystopian world ruler. He is surprisingly just, and actually cares about his people. He might have fucked up some stuff, but he is kind at heart.

The world building and the love subplot were both amazing. Two factors of fiction writing that Pintip excels at.

I was all over the moon when I saw a sequel is in the works! Unlike how most dystopian novels that end up the ” finally good changes are coming”, where we never see what happens next, we’ll finally be able to the turn of events. This is very exciting because the hardship doesn’t end with change approaching, it actually gets multiplied by a hundred.

I know this review is very late, but as I mentioned in my previous blog posts, I have been in a bad place, and I am currently finding my way out of it. Can’t wait for the sequel to come out!

I received a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Star-Crossed is an original, amazing, can't put this book down read! The world building is just so well done. I loved the writing. The characters are so well written. I think this book is very unique and I have not read anything like it! Romance, plenty of twists and turns and also plenty of talk about food. You need to add this to your tbr!

I reviewed this book on NetGalley in collaboration with the author, who is very amazing.

Hey guys! Today I am spotlighting the amazing @pintip_dunn and her newest book Star-Crossed. This book was NOT what I was expecting it to be. I LOVE space-themed books so very much but this book had a lot more to it than just some space romance. The main thing that shocked me about this book was how hungry it made me. I did not expect to be bombarded with such AMAZING sounding food. The intricate plot and the work the author had to put into creating this world with the problems with food that it had must have taken a lot of time and creativity but she delivered a beautiful finished product and should feel extremely proud of herself. If you like space, romance, food, and politics then you should DEFINITELY check Star-Crossed out! Plus, LOOK AT THAT COVER!

Look out for a giveaway of this book right after the Holidays!

Ah, this book was so good! What a great surprise!

The romance, the intrigue, and the fantasy elements were fantastic. I loved that this was no instant love situation and it evolved rather fluidly. The plot was original. which is hard to find in science fiction these days. I loved the twists and turns in the plot and even though some parts felt predictable, it didn't take away from my overall feeling on the story. The relationships felt real and I found myself connected to each and every one of them.

I would recommend this book for any sci-fi fans who are looking for a well-written plot and beautiful romance.

An unusual world, a very unusual plot and beautiful characters – that’s the best way to describe the story. I am trying to analyze it as objectively as possible, as there are some items I did not particularly liked. But if something is not ok by my standards, doesn’t mean it’s not ok by yours.

The blurb is very interesting and promises an intense story about a potential queen, trying to do what is right for her people, her family and herself. Although, it’s difficult to find a solution that would benefit all. Here is where the conflict starts. Her crush is willing to give his life for her father, her people are starving and forced to consume pills that would appease their hunger – pills produced by those who are able to eat healthy. The internal conflict is good, the characters are great and express their emotions in a beautiful manner, but I would like to insist upon the theme that is in the center of attention.

Lack of food brings people to develop new alternatives that are not necessarily the healthiest choices. This is very similar to our days – food is becoming less and less healthy and at some point, we lost the ability to appreciate the real taste of natural food. While I am not fond of the abundance of meal discussions, I do appreciate the innovative element and the effort the author has done to integrate it into Vela’s story.

Intrigue, twists and turns, food and much more – this book will not bore you at all, but it will leave you either hungrier than ever, or more satiated than ever :) 4 stars :)

When I read the blurb for Star-Crossed, I was expecting something strange. The kind of strange that could possibly make you laugh or question your reading choices. That said, I wasn't expecting the amount of interest I had for the world Dunn crafted or the characters.

It is so hard to describe this book because, on one hand, it is strange. This is a world where a group of people is allowed to eat, but their calories are sucked out of them to make pills for the rest of the population. That is strange.

However, this book has a deeper meaning. A meaning that I never knew could encompass so many forms until I read this book. The meaning of sacrifice.

Sacrifice is a loaded word, usually associated with parents to their children or a religious movement. But, everywhere in this book, you can find an instance of sacrifice. This is a book about a population of people struggling and finding the beauty in the everyday sacrifice. This is a book about a young girl willing time and time again to sacrifice something of herself for others. This is a book where sacrifice holds a meaning greater than the ancient gods people worship.

This book is interesting, well written, and a book I would recommend others to read. It is a quick read and can pull the reader in almost instantly. I will be reading more of Pintip Dunn's works.

Final Rating: 4/5

Beautiful book. Really enjoyed the cultural Thai influences sprinkled throughout the book as well as the sci-fi inspiration. There are unique concepts all over the place written in a way that is easy to follow along with without muddling the story or confusing the reader as well as romance and some "who done it" lanced within. I didn't have much trouble figuring out who the bad guy is ahead of time, but the ending threw me for a loop and ties things up nicely. Very good read.

This is definitely a unique book, and it will not be for everyone. The writer has a very distinct writing style that isn't bad, but it's not my cup of tea.

I will however recommend this book/author if you love futuristic/ fantasy.

I would like to thank the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

I really wanted to love this one. I mean, look at that cover! Plus the synopsis sounds like just my kind of thing. However at a fourth of the way through I just couldn't do it. It felt like the author threw things into the story just for shock value that really had nothing to do with the main characters or even the story. The story itself isn't enjoyable reading (the protagonist stuffs herself with all this crazy, delectable food that doesn't even seem healthy and then like almost regurgitates it for the rest of the citizens who don't get to eat and the healthiest, strongest boy dies for the king each year so he can live longer). I also didn't like the characters, so there was nothing that kept me wanting to read on. Unfortunately, this one was a DNF for me.

I'm not usually into sci-fi but there was so much hype around this book I thought I'd give it a try. I loved it the story was unique and held my attention definitely will continue on with the series.