Sadly I tried to read this book for a blog tour. I was supposed to review it but I couldn't get into it. I truly believe the book just isn't for me. I struggled with a lot of the terms used in the first few pages and realized I would be doing a disservice to myself and the book if I continued. I can see how some people will love it. Sadly it was a DNF for me. Thanks for giving the chance to read it. Sorry it was a case of 'It's not you, it's me".

I received a free copy of this book through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I still can't decide on the star rating, so I think 3.5.
It's a very unique mix of historical fiction (French revolution) and science fiction. And it was pretty good mix. We're following three main characters from three completely different backgrounds.
Chatine who comes from a very poor low class community. She pretends to be a boy to escape the horrible things that people do to lower class young girls. She is incredibly smart and strong but she is definitely not flawless. She is quite selfish and weirdly I liked that about her. She wants to leave this planet and her sister behind. And I'm so glad Chatine is not another mother Theresa like character who would sacrifice everything for others. She is not a bad person but she would save herself first.
Next we have Marcellus. I did not like his character. He is just a spoiled rich boy who expects everyone to help him all the time. He uses Chatine to get information and doesn't think about consequences.
Alouette is our final main protagonist and gosh she is so clueless and boring. That's all I have to say about her. <spoiler> and I still don't understand why is she so important? She is supposed to lead the rebellion? How? She spent her entire life locked up and thinking she is a part of a religious group! Everyone is calling her little lark and it just reminds me of Katniss and not in a good way <spoiler>.
I really liked the writing style. It's written by two authors but their styles mix so well together that I would've never guessed it's cowritten. Since it takes place in the French settlement on this planet Laterre, authors used a lot of French words but they also subtly explained their meanings which I really appreciate. So, even if you don't know French you won't get confused.
I loved the world building part of this story. Authors did such a great job blending science fiction and history. And I wish the book focused more on the world and not the teenage drama. The romance subplot ruined everything. We don't need romance in every single YA book! I know it may come as a shock but a book would do fine without it!
Overall, I enjoyed reading this story and getting to know all the characters and their world. It was a bit slow paced at times and didn't need to be this long. But if you liked the Lunar Chronicles, this one would be a good fit for you.

I've been a Les Miserables fan since the seventh grade when we read an abridged version and went to see the musical as part of a special school reading group. I never actually finished reading the full version, and the musical is more firmly cemented in my mind than the book; but I did remember enough that I was far from a blank slate when I started reading. Honestly, I was so excited when I saw this book existed, and I was not the least bit disappointed.

The comparisons to the Lunar Chronicles are apt, and Sky Without Stars is more Les Mis inspired than adapted. And that's a good thing. Les Mis covers a lot of territory, and Brody and Rendell were wise to pare it down. Think of this as the begining-ish part of the Paris story line. Kind of. In a lot of ways, it's really just the Eponine, Marius, and Cosette characters relocated to a new story with special cameos by Gavroche, the Thenardiers, Jean Val Jean, and a character who is supposed to be Javert. With some of the Les Mis story beats thrown into the mix. But it works. There's no Enjolras or Les Amis, but I am hoping they show up in the next book. (If they don't, I will riot! You hear! I will riot!) I'd also like to see some Val Jean and/or Fantine flashbacks. And I'm also curious to see where they do take the ultimate plot. (I'm rather hoping for a more successful uprising.)

The writing is solid, and I really loved the setting. I'm sure there's some astrophysical quibbles to be had, but full respect to the authors for solving the problem of having to world-build an entire planet by giving it only one landmass. (I'm always bothered by entire planets in the Star Wars movies seeming to be so homogeneous when ours is so diverse.)

As a Les Mis fan, I spent most the of the beginning of the book enjoying matching up the various bits of the two books, so I'm not sure how quickly it'll suck in the uninitiated. You certainly don't need to read Les Mis to enjoy this story, and I'm inclined to think the initial action is enough to intrigue. The middle was slower and bogged down by what I suppose was relationship building. But then the end, oh the end, was so good! The threads of the plot start coming together, and Brody and Rendell break free and really start to do more of their own thing. It's so, so worth the ride, and I can't wait to see where it leads. I need the next book now!

All of that said, I do want to take a moment to address the love triangle. I've seen a couple of other reviews mention insta-love, but I really don't see it. It's certainly less insta-love than the source material. If anything, it's instant attraction which seemed completely normal and natural considering the circumstances. And no one has declared to be in love with anyone, sooo I guess I'm disagreeing with that criticism. For the most part, I thought it was really well done and a nice improvement. And I didn't find any of the fledgling romance(s) to detract from the overall story being told.

All in all, a success!

It'll be a cold day in hell when I say 'no' to a Les Mis retelling, and Sky Without Stars was true to the original (the musical at least, I haven't read the 1,000-page novel). All of the characters were there including a version of Jean Valjean, Inspecteur Javert, and the Thénardiers. Because this is a Young Adult retelling, the focuses were the characters inspired by Marius, Eponine, and Cosette (with a guest appearance from Gavroche). The overall story was intriguing; a undercover rebellion group was identified for the murder of a royal family member with a brewing class war. Chatine, who played our Eponine character, was the most compelling of the three characters because she had a lot of anger and was in a dangerous game of betraying a lot of people. Marcellus was interesting but had a lot of growth (he really needs an Enjolras in his life), and much like Cosette, Alouette was just there. The one thing this book was missing was the presence of the ABC, so I can't wait to see how the story expands in book 2.

I received an advanced reader's copy from Simon Pulse through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As I sat down to read this book, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I noticed quickly that the tone felt a great deal like the Lunar Chronicles due to the technology involved and the way it was woven into the story. The similarity in tone between Sky Without Stars and the Lunar Chronicles series most likely stems from the fact that both stories are based on older texts that are transformed into a modern tale.

There are many ways that telling the story of Les Miserables from the perspective of the younger characters works. Chatine, Marcellus, and Alouette stand in for Eponine, Marius, and Cosette, respectively, and function as the narrators to the escalation of unrest seen in the Third Estate on the planet Laterre. Chatine certainly has the most satisfying character arc as a "Fret rat" who is always out for a deal but still manages to keep her humanity and morals when it matters most. As a member of the Third Estate, Chatine is grossly aware of the way the First and Second Estate lord their power over those deemed less. Marcellus begins as a sheltered member of the Second Estate in line to be the next commander, yet he finds himself in situations that make him question everything he knows about Laterre. Rounding out the cast of narrators, Alouette is the most sheltered with a mysterious background that pushes her to find answers throughout the novel. All of these stories intersect in ways that are meaningful and push the characters to grow through their interactions with each other and the section of the world that they inhabit.

However, the story does lose some of it's power by cutting off the first part of Hugo's novel, specifically Fantine. Though since this is a series, there is a possibility that we may still learn this tale and have that emotional weight in future installments.

Since this is adapted for a YA audience, there are tropes, such as coming of age, a love triangle, and instant love. However, anyone familiar with the original character arcs from Les Miserables should not be surprised by this. I'm also not sure what the end game is in terms of resolving the love triangle. A strong part of me hopes that the authors Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell do justice to Chatine and rewrite her ending, bucking the mold upon which her character was set (Eponine).

As a whole, this was a satisfying read. A few times the pacing was a bit slow, but the world building and character development made up for these moments. I know that I will surely be checking out the next installment in the future to see how the powder keg ignites as the revolution begins. Vive Laterre!

When is the next book in this series coming out? I have to read it! That was my first reaction to finishing Sky Without Stars.

Sky Without Stars follows three POV characters: Chatine, a poor thief posing to be a boy, Marcellus, the son of a traitor and grandson of a powerful military leader, and Alouette, a girl who lives in an underground library. In this book, their stories interact while they slowly discover the truth about the world in which they live... and have to make difficult choices for good or evil that could change their lives forever.

I absolutely love this book. I loved the interactions between Chatine and Marcellus. They're both such good-hearted characters, even though they don't always make the right choices and haven't had the best cards dealt to them. I liked Alouette too, just not as much. The worldbuilding was excellent, and I could just imagine the land in my head, without looking at the map provided.

This book is described as Les Miserables meets The Lunar Chronicles, and after reading this book, I want to go and read both of the comp books (even though that's a lot of pages). Then I want to go and read some of Jessica Brody's other books.

I loved how this book incorporated a whole French Revolution vibe to it. There are a lot of French terms in this book (even though I understand quite a bit of French, it's not necessary to reading this book)., they have a guillotine-like object, and the royal family is a lot like the French Royal family prior to the Revolution. There were a couple of references to famous paintings that I thought were pretty fun too.

Sky Without Stars is likely to be a book that I'll fangirl over all year. If you like books where the peasantry join with the privileged to fight off a corrupt government, and perhaps an enemies-to-lovers kind of story (too early to tell this last one yet, gotta read the next book) then I highly recommend this book.

Sky Without Stars is the first book in a new YA science fiction series retelling the famous story of Les Misérables. The main location is centered on a planet called Laterre, a planet long ago colonized by French descendant from Earth where our protagonists Chatine lives as a thief.

Equal parts space adventure and slow-burn romance, Defy the Stars was an entertaining sci-fi romp from start to finish. I really liked how this book was an adventure story at its heart, and with Jessica Brody, you can always trust her to keep things exciting and fast-paced. this author has got a fine talent for writing stories about characters on opposite sides who have to put aside their differences to work towards a common goal. The science fiction elements was admittedly a bit light, but I found I could easily overlook this minor flaw in a Young Adult novel which is clearly more concerned with telling a good story rather than get bogged down by the little details. I also loved the overall premise as well as the protagonist’s origin story.

On the whole I found the story engaging and thoroughly satisfying. If you’re a YA fan who enjoys science fiction and stories set in space, this fun and fast-paced adventure among the stars could be exactly what you’re looking for.

It has been 500 years since Laterre was colonized and it is time for a revolution. It turns out that the planet wasn’t as perfect as excepted and the wealthy are living the extravagant life while the lower classes barely stay alive. It doesn’t help that the world is twenty-five years into an eclipse that has them in perpetual night. Chatine would do anything to leave her situation, including spying on a boy who has only shown her kindness. Marcellus is the grandson of the general and also the son a very famous traitor. Alouette fled underground with her father many years ago and has been trained to protect the secret library. These three young people have an unexpected role to play in this upcoming revolution. Will they have what it takes to stand their ground? What will they learn about themselves along the way?

Sky Without Stars is the first book in the System Divine series. This science fiction novel takes place on a distant planet in a distant future, yet the issues that are expressed are mirrored in society today. Brody has taken a timeless storyline and brought it to an audience that will enjoy this new spin. The story is told in the alternating voices of the three protagonists and readers will be blessed with the additional insight into the narrative. I recommend Sky Without Stars for all young adult science fiction fans and maybe even those who aren’t usually into young adult fiction. It is a real page-turner.

The rain falls as crooked as the people in the marsh. Hunger brings out the con artist in people.Chatine hates how feminine she has started to look. She chooses to pass herself off as a boy named theo.t
The capital city is vallony ,the rich live on a biodome shielded from the rain.a rich man from the second estate comes to the marsh with his trinkets . Chatine must steal and plan in order to eat and not get caught at any cost. Thiefs rot on the moon.there was a rebellion 17 years ago for better wages but it didn't amount to anything

This book felt like it was 897465 pages long. I felt every single page. I AM EXHAUSTED EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY.

The synopsis says this book is a mixture of The Lunar Chronicles and Les Miserables, and I think that's an excellent way to describe it. It's not nearly as good as either of those books in my opinion. Which breaks my heart completely.

I do think other people are going to love this, though. There are multiple POVs, lots of action scenes, and your standard YA plot + characters. The writing style feels like about a bajillion other YA books I've read. So, if you're generally into (((slightly generic)))) YA science fiction/fantasy, then this book will for sure be enjoyable for you!!!!!

Full review to come on my blog part of blog tour!

I was provided with a copy of an eARC in exchange for a fair review.
This was such a fun book! I will admit that I have never read Les Miserables, nor have I seen the movie, so I did a quick wiki search to familiarize myself with it, and found myself loving this “Le Mis in Space” story. The characters were super interesting and well fleshed out. Chatine annoyed me a little bit - she kept getting so jealous of Marcellus’ infatuation with Alouette, and yet she did everything she could to masquerade as a boy. Marcellus took some time for me to understand, but once we learned more about the dynamic with his grandfather, everything made so much sense. Alouette was my favorite for sure, and her story was the one I most enjoyed! We left off with a good cliffhanger, and I look forward to the next book!

I just finished reading an ARC of this book....it was fantastic! I've never watched Les Miserable so I had no reference going in but I enjoyed the story all the same. The struggles of the lowest class while the higher classes use them to continue to live lavish lives. Rebellion brewing, intrigue, corruption, the lives of three individuals who end up being connected in ways they would not have imagined. Such a great story! I anxiously await what happens in the next story!!

I quiet literally read this whole book in one sitting. I can see why people who love the lunar chronicles would love this book as well it’s honestly amazingly written i thought the pace of the book was perfect. It’s hard to creat such a big world that was written in this book without just rambling on about the smallest things but this two wonderful authors found a way to do it and I’m honestly so mind blown can I please have book two now????

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC.
Somebody else said LesMis meets Lunar Chronicles and I agree and that is a good thing, plus throw in some star wars. I liked the three main characters Marcellou, Alouette and Theo/Chatine. Laterre is run by a corrupt regime and the rebels are trying to overthrow them.

*Thank you so much Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for providing this arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sky Without Stars is a reimagining of Victor Hugo’s famous novel Les Misérables. Authors Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell creatively construct this novel to reimagine Hugo’s story in a different format. Sky Without Stars is set in a seemingly futuristic fantastical world. The story revolves around the setting of the planet Laterre. Laterre depicts promised hope and future being ripped away due to a harsh upper class. This novel explores how the fate of the individual is decided at birth depending on one’s family and upbringing. The authors create a three tier social system that is the royalty, the authority, and the poor. The people living in poverty in the Marsh must do all the work for little pay and none of the benefits once promised to them. This work revolves around three diverse individuals who are a part of different social classes and purposes.

Sky Without Stars is a well-done reimagining of Les Misérables. I enjoyed the setting of this novel and how it is still able to relate to the core messages within the original story. However, I do believe that this story has the ability to stand on its own and should not be critically compared to the original. I appreciated the French inclusions within the text, but some words were a bit overdone at times with this incorporation. I think it was a bit overused and distracting at times, but ultimately I did not mind it.

Chatine was my favorite character in this novel. I did appreciate the perspectives of Marcellus and Alouette, but sometimes I was pretty annoyed with these characters. I think Alouette could have had a little more character development as well. I kind of felt like Alouette and Marcellus were a little flat at times. I also did not care for the little recaps as the perspective changed, this was not done for each shift but sometimes it was a bit overused and annoying.

Ultimately I would say I enjoyed the story and the characters. I will say that the last 150ish pages were a bit disappointing to me and I began to gradually lose some interest in the story at times. I loved the start and middle of this novel, but I think some parts should have perhaps been cut or minimized. I do think that this story is worth reading though and I believe that many readers will enjoy this world. I can see myself putting this book into my classroom because it is recommended for readers ages 12 and up, and I can support that this is accurate.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted March 21, 2019 at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

Enjoyable read with fantastic world building. The characters instantly draw you in and the pace of the book is exciting.