ssung's review against another edition
4.0
alien plant linguist!!! i was so enamored with this concept for some reason or another.
annknee's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
tallyway's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't enjoy it at all until near the end, and even then it was only mediocre. The only part I genuinely liked was the short story prequel Stardawn, which was included.
novelinsights's review against another edition
3.0
This sequel offered a unique take on the story of trying to settle a new planet, including some pretty cool alien life forms. I really enjoying seeing the collaborative social structure that North designed for these aliens, as well as the dream space that was introduced to us in the first book.
I did have a few points in the book where I found myself struggling with the believability of some characters' reactions. Terra's love interest in this book has a very dark compulsion, and we as readers know he will either change his mind or he will not. For me, this became the most compelling question pulling me forward throughout the book; it was much more interesting than the question of whether or not Terra's people would find a home, as I already felt I knew how that would pan out (I was right). However, Terra's reaction to the compulsion felt a bit flat. This was something that was completely normal in their alien culture but that would not be accepted without question in our human culture; in fact, to accept it without question would itself be morally questionable. In the book, Terra respects their cultural differences immediately and never tries to talk him out of the compulsion at all. She just accepts it. I found that incredibly unbelievable, especially after her own personal exposure to it in Book 1. I think that even if she respects their cultural differences, she wouldn't be able to stand aside and allow someone she loves to do something like that without even saying a word about it.
Additionally, there were some elements of the ending that I also felt unbelievable.
Similarly, as a queer person myself, I found it incredibly unbelievable that Terra would win the right to settle on the southern continent by announcing her love for Vadix. I would have expected the aliens to find inter-species love disgusting and maybe even want to ban humans from their world just to prevent it from continuing. Perhaps North's thoughts behind why that worked was because the aliens were already two separate species working together and so maybe would be more open-minded to such a thing than humans, who are more singular, but I didn't really see enough of a connection for that to believe it, especially since Vadix himself mentions that when he first felt attraction for her, he thought what he was doing was wrong. If that was his knee-jerk reaction and he was the one experiencing the feelings, why would a bunch of strange Xollu feel any differently?
Even so, this was an interesting read and I enjoyed how the duology wrapped up.
I did have a few points in the book where I found myself struggling with the believability of some characters' reactions. Terra's love interest in this book has a very dark compulsion, and we as readers know he will either change his mind or he will not. For me, this became the most compelling question pulling me forward throughout the book; it was much more interesting than the question of whether or not Terra's people would find a home, as I already felt I knew how that would pan out (I was right). However, Terra's reaction to the compulsion felt a bit flat. This was something that was completely normal in their alien culture but that would not be accepted without question in our human culture; in fact, to accept it without question would itself be morally questionable. In the book, Terra respects their cultural differences immediately and never tries to talk him out of the compulsion at all. She just accepts it. I found that incredibly unbelievable, especially after her own personal exposure to it in Book 1. I think that even if she respects their cultural differences, she wouldn't be able to stand aside and allow someone she loves to do something like that without even saying a word about it.
Additionally, there were some elements of the ending that I also felt unbelievable.
Spoiler
The fact that Silvan is so open to partnering with her in her final days on the ship in order to create a safe environment in which everyone can choose where they want to spend their future felt somewhat anti-climactic. I was glad of it in my heart because that's what I would have wanted in their position, but after building up her needing to go talk to Silvan, I expected some amount of resistance, and not offering it seemed the weaker (if more pleasant) choice from a storytelling perspective.Similarly, as a queer person myself, I found it incredibly unbelievable that Terra would win the right to settle on the southern continent by announcing her love for Vadix. I would have expected the aliens to find inter-species love disgusting and maybe even want to ban humans from their world just to prevent it from continuing. Perhaps North's thoughts behind why that worked was because the aliens were already two separate species working together and so maybe would be more open-minded to such a thing than humans, who are more singular, but I didn't really see enough of a connection for that to believe it, especially since Vadix himself mentions that when he first felt attraction for her, he thought what he was doing was wrong. If that was his knee-jerk reaction and he was the one experiencing the feelings, why would a bunch of strange Xollu feel any differently?
Even so, this was an interesting read and I enjoyed how the duology wrapped up.
jennybrycebooks's review against another edition
4.0
*Won from first reads*
I could not have asked for a better ending to such a beautiful story. While reading the first book, I was a little skeptic towards Terra's character, but this book totally made up for that! Terra went from a very weak and naive child to a mature and strong adult, and that character development is what makes this story so inspiring.
The second book does focus on more of the love story, which I actually liked, since the whole first book is essentially set up for the romance that occurs in this book. The romance, I felt, was a little on the cheesy side. I kept feeling like Terra was constantly throwing herself at Vadix, while he barely returned the affection. However, it was easy to overlook considering the entire story!
Overall, this is a great read, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone! Phoebe North did an amazing job creating a whole new world and environment, and it was bittersweet to see it come to an end.
I could not have asked for a better ending to such a beautiful story. While reading the first book, I was a little skeptic towards Terra's character, but this book totally made up for that! Terra went from a very weak and naive child to a mature and strong adult, and that character development is what makes this story so inspiring.
The second book does focus on more of the love story, which I actually liked, since the whole first book is essentially set up for the romance that occurs in this book. The romance, I felt, was a little on the cheesy side. I kept feeling like Terra was constantly throwing herself at Vadix, while he barely returned the affection. However, it was easy to overlook considering the entire story!
Overall, this is a great read, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone! Phoebe North did an amazing job creating a whole new world and environment, and it was bittersweet to see it come to an end.
rigel's review against another edition
3.0
I AM GROOT... seriously that's all I could think for the entire book.
An improvement on the first book... but I mostly think it was because of Vadix.
Also I feel like Phoebe contradicted herself a lot? Like maybe she forgot what she wrote and instead of looking back in it she just wrote something completely new? Idk maybe that's just me.
An improvement on the first book... but I mostly think it was because of Vadix.
Also I feel like Phoebe contradicted herself a lot? Like maybe she forgot what she wrote and instead of looking back in it she just wrote something completely new? Idk maybe that's just me.
thestarman's review
3.0
(adult review of YA book).
ADULT READER VERDICT: 2.6 stars, rounded up to 3. Probably an easy 3.5+ for most YA readers.
IN SHORT: As a YA romantic tale with a sci-fi veneer, STARBREAK will satisfy many younger genre readers. If you prefer logic, gripping plot, and futuristic technology instead of girls who can't go thirty seconds without thinking of planting kisses, proceed with caution here. This is YA fiction that truly belongs to the young adults.
STARBREAK is Book #2 in a series. Here, our oft-childish but spunky heroine (TERRA) finally reaches the so-called promised land. She proceeds to seduce who conveniently never is told that humans
This is a truly sappy (and different) teen romance with some sci-fi elements. I didn't like it quite as much as Book #1 ([b:Starglass|15945897|Starglass (Starglass, #1)|Phoebe North|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1393773298s/15945897.jpg|18317900]), but it was an imaginative and mostly successful diversion from reality. (Note: I'm an adult reader and a harsher-than-average reviewer, so feel free to add a star to my rating if you are in the target reading age.)
* Will artistic, lonely, unloved TERRA save the rag-tag bunch of humans whose ancestors fled a dying Earth 500 years ago?
* What exciting events will take place on this alien world, under a blazing white sun and three strange moons?
* More importantly: Will TERRA ever get, um, pollinated ?
Read and see! But take your antihistamine tablet first, cuz there's gonna be some pollen in the air (wink, wink). You may want to cover the eyes of small children and sensitive pets. Ok, I'm kidding. It's not overtly sexy at all, unless talking to celery (or stalking celery) turns you on.
It's not a bad story. I liked the first part best, where there is more tension. For tweens or teens who love romantic-ish cupcakes with some space opera sprinkles on top, it's probably a 4+ star affair.
But it's sometimes about as logical as a Twilight / The Host / Farmville mashup would be. I didn't hate it. I didn't love it. I'm apparently far too old to be reading this book. I can't recommend it for most readers over the age of 17 or so (yet I read it, and Book 1 also, so maybe I'm wrong!).
Details hidden as a big ol' spoiler:
=================
Early in the story, there is something very puzzling:
For people who have NEVER seen anything outside their big tin can of a spaceship that's been travelling for half a century, these humans sure don't seem very impressed by actually setting foot on a wild and potentially deadly alien planet.
But I digress, as this is not an adult sci-fi story, nor is it intended to be "hard" (science and tech-based) sci-fi. I should focus on the the swooning ladies and swaying vines. And of course it doesn't matter that our youthful explorers and their supposedly-wise but useless adult mentors are idiots -- because All Ya Need is Love, right?. The focus of the story is Terra and a new relationship, not a sensible exploration of the planet. And besides, it's always fun to see if TSTL (Too Stupid To Live) characters learn the error of their ways in time.
Yes folks, welcome to that special genre that is juvenile-YA Science Fiction, where hormones conquer all!
So: the young'uns are busy thinking of their lovers, their dreams, people who cruelly haven't liked them on FaceBook*, or fighting over who will be in charge of the band of halfwits stomping noisily through an alien jungle. But it's still sorta fun to watch what happens ;p
* I jest. Fortunately, FaceBook apparently did not survive the death (?) of planet Earth. Yay.
UPPERS:
++ Really pretty cover art. Well-proofed for spelling and punctuation (A+ there!).
++ Fairly strong young female characters here, thank goodness -- because the men (and all adults) are pretty useless, except for
++ An alien planet! Sadly, the author barely scratches the surface, but what we do see is colorful and interesting.
++ Interspecies romance, if you like the idea of swapping sap with a.
++ The writing style is nice, and Terra's "voice" is interesting -- though more juvenile than expected. She seems more like 13 than 17 most of the time.
Will TERRA wo-man up and save the day, or dig herself a deeper hole? Will what remains of the human race take root and sprout a new civilization on this alien world? Or will our intrepid teenagers wilt under the white-hot sun, victims of their own stupidity? Or will something truly unexpected happen?
I'm not telling! Read the book.
NEUTRALS OR DOWNERS:
-- 55% teen romance, 25% stuff actually happening, 15% flashbacks/other, and 5%science unscientific but not un-fun fiction (my estimates, not to be taken literally -- but I bet I'm close).
-- Far too many illogical or unexplained happenings.
Random Example (of many): The humans are
-- How does long-distance telepathy between two completely un-related species, across millions of kilometers of space even work? Sadly, there is no explanation even attempted. It's the magic of young human-cornstalk romance, I guess. *Awwwwww!* Neat concept, I just wanted some rationality to it. Book 3, maybe?
=================
PARENTS & PRUDES:
No cursing that made any impression on me. Some brief and not dwelt-on violence. No graphic sex, unless you really read between the leaves. Brief mentions of religion/Israel/etc, which was interesting (as in Book #1).
As in most YA books, adults here are mostly irrelevant or incapacitated/dead, and thus have no real effect on anything. Yeppers, it's all up to the super-inexperienced teens, whom any adults still alive readily defer to. I fully realize that youth-centricity is intentional in YA books, but too much of it detracts from suspension of disbelief for me -- but maybe not for you.
VERDICT: 2.6 stars for me (an old fogie who used Isaac Asimov books as a teething ring). Gee, I wish GR allowed half and quarter stars!In fairness, I probably should round up to 3 -- as I'm beyond the target teen reading audience -- and I may do so upon further reflection. (Done! After looking at lesser YA books I've given 2 stars, this one definitely deserves a Roundup to 3).
I had hoped for more on the science side of science fiction here, but there is a bit of action and some danger, and it's all well-written. And Terra is pretty cool, even if her budding romance is a bit... corny.
SIMILAR-ISH TALES:
1) [b:Across the Universe|8235178|Across the Universe (Across the Universe, #1)|Beth Revis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1401852218s/8235178.jpg|13082532]
2) [b:Stardoc|664642|Stardoc (Stardoc, #1)|S.L. Viehl|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388489380s/664642.jpg|650702]
3) [b:Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation|8600|Eats, Shoots & Leaves The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation|Lynne Truss|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473392595s/8600.jpg|854886] (sorry, couldn't resist a final bad pun).
ADULT READER VERDICT: 2.6 stars, rounded up to 3. Probably an easy 3.5+ for most YA readers.
IN SHORT: As a YA romantic tale with a sci-fi veneer, STARBREAK will satisfy many younger genre readers. If you prefer logic, gripping plot, and futuristic technology instead of girls who can't go thirty seconds without thinking of planting kisses, proceed with caution here. This is YA fiction that truly belongs to the young adults.
STARBREAK is Book #2 in a series. Here, our oft-childish but spunky heroine (TERRA) finally reaches the so-called promised land. She proceeds to seduce
Spoiler
a dreamy alien,Spoiler
are omnivores.This is a truly sappy (and different) teen romance with some sci-fi elements. I didn't like it quite as much as Book #1 ([b:Starglass|15945897|Starglass (Starglass, #1)|Phoebe North|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1393773298s/15945897.jpg|18317900]), but it was an imaginative and mostly successful diversion from reality. (Note: I'm an adult reader and a harsher-than-average reviewer, so feel free to add a star to my rating if you are in the target reading age.)
* Will artistic, lonely, unloved TERRA save the rag-tag bunch of humans whose ancestors fled a dying Earth 500 years ago?
* What exciting events will take place on this alien world, under a blazing white sun and three strange moons?
* More importantly: Will TERRA ever get, um, pollinated ?
Read and see! But take your antihistamine tablet first, cuz there's gonna be some pollen in the air (wink, wink). You may want to cover the eyes of small children and sensitive pets. Ok, I'm kidding. It's not overtly sexy at all, unless talking to celery (or stalking celery) turns you on.
It's not a bad story. I liked the first part best, where there is more tension. For tweens or teens who love romantic-ish cupcakes with some space opera sprinkles on top, it's probably a 4+ star affair.
But it's sometimes about as logical as a Twilight / The Host / Farmville mashup would be. I didn't hate it. I didn't love it. I'm apparently far too old to be reading this book. I can't recommend it for most readers over the age of 17 or so (yet I read it, and Book 1 also, so maybe I'm wrong!).
Details hidden as a big ol' spoiler:
Spoiler
=================
Early in the story, there is something very puzzling:
For people who have NEVER seen anything outside their big tin can of a spaceship that's been travelling for half a century, these humans sure don't seem very impressed by actually setting foot on a wild and potentially deadly alien planet.
Spoiler
Nor do they exercise the least bit of common sense, in spite of supposedly training for this end-case scenario all their lives. So, when they land on a planet with unexplored forests, unknown creatures, unknown natives, unknown microbes, untested alien water and air, and a zillion things that might quickly weed out humans, these inept kids simply step outside their ship, take a single sniff o' the air... and go gallavanting about.But I digress, as this is not an adult sci-fi story, nor is it intended to be "hard" (science and tech-based) sci-fi. I should focus on the the swooning ladies and swaying vines. And of course it doesn't matter that our youthful explorers and their supposedly-wise but useless adult mentors are idiots -- because All Ya Need is Love, right?. The focus of the story is Terra and a new relationship, not a sensible exploration of the planet. And besides, it's always fun to see if TSTL (Too Stupid To Live) characters learn the error of their ways in time.
Yes folks, welcome to that special genre that is juvenile-YA Science Fiction, where hormones conquer all!
So: the young'uns are busy thinking of their lovers, their dreams, people who cruelly haven't liked them on FaceBook*, or fighting over who will be in charge of the band of halfwits stomping noisily through an alien jungle. But it's still sorta fun to watch what happens ;p
* I jest. Fortunately, FaceBook apparently did not survive the death (?) of planet Earth. Yay.
UPPERS:
++ Really pretty cover art. Well-proofed for spelling and punctuation (A+ there!).
++ Fairly strong young female characters here, thank goodness -- because the men (and all adults) are pretty useless, except for
Spoiler
an older mentor who plays a minor role.++ An alien planet! Sadly, the author barely scratches the surface, but what we do see is colorful and interesting.
++ Interspecies romance, if you like the idea of swapping sap with a
Spoiler
plant-person, or having your veggies play with YOU++ The writing style is nice, and Terra's "voice" is interesting -- though more juvenile than expected. She seems more like 13 than 17 most of the time.
Will TERRA wo-man up and save the day, or dig herself a deeper hole? Will what remains of the human race take root and sprout a new civilization on this alien world? Or will our intrepid teenagers wilt under the white-hot sun, victims of their own stupidity? Or will something truly unexpected happen?
I'm not telling! Read the book.
NEUTRALS OR DOWNERS:
-- 55% teen romance, 25% stuff actually happening, 15% flashbacks/other, and 5%
-- Far too many illogical or unexplained happenings.
Random Example (of many): The humans are
Spoiler
being held sort-of captive, and are not allowed to leave their area without an escort. Yet when a human simply walks away and decides to explore willy-nilly in the alien city, interacting with residents and even spending the night, THE ALIENS DON'T EVEN CARE. Maybe I spazzed out and missed something, so feel free to correct me.-- How does long-distance telepathy between two completely un-related species, across millions of kilometers of space even work? Sadly, there is no explanation even attempted. It's the magic of young human-cornstalk romance, I guess. *Awwwwww!* Neat concept, I just wanted some rationality to it. Book 3, maybe?
=================
PARENTS & PRUDES:
No cursing that made any impression on me. Some brief and not dwelt-on violence. No graphic sex, unless you really read between the leaves. Brief mentions of religion/Israel/etc, which was interesting (as in Book #1).
As in most YA books, adults here are mostly irrelevant or incapacitated/dead, and thus have no real effect on anything. Yeppers, it's all up to the super-inexperienced teens, whom any adults still alive readily defer to. I fully realize that youth-centricity is intentional in YA books, but too much of it detracts from suspension of disbelief for me -- but maybe not for you.
VERDICT: 2.6 stars for me (an old fogie who used Isaac Asimov books as a teething ring). Gee, I wish GR allowed half and quarter stars!
I had hoped for more on the science side of science fiction here, but there is a bit of action and some danger, and it's all well-written. And Terra is pretty cool, even if her budding romance is a bit... corny.
SIMILAR-ISH TALES:
1) [b:Across the Universe|8235178|Across the Universe (Across the Universe, #1)|Beth Revis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1401852218s/8235178.jpg|13082532]
2) [b:Stardoc|664642|Stardoc (Stardoc, #1)|S.L. Viehl|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388489380s/664642.jpg|650702]
3) [b:Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation|8600|Eats, Shoots & Leaves The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation|Lynne Truss|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1473392595s/8600.jpg|854886] (sorry, couldn't resist a final bad pun).
wordnerdy's review against another edition
3.0
http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2014/07/2014-book-172.html
ceuran's review against another edition
3.0
3.5*
It took me till about the last 150 pages to really get into this one. Before that I was gonna give it a 2*.
It took me till about the last 150 pages to really get into this one. Before that I was gonna give it a 2*.