A review by ajsterkel
When the Sky Fell on Splendor by Emily Henry
4.0
Likes: Look at me, reading a book right after it comes out. Usually my preorders sit on the shelf for a year before I get around to reading them. This one was too tempting to leave on the shelf.
When The Sky Fell on Splendor is a fast-paced story about six teens who became friends after a steel mill explosion. This could be a straightforward novel about grief and friendship, but it’s not. The author puts a creative spin on typical teen book topics. While the teens are filming a video one night, something falls from the sky. Do the bright light and the strange creature who steps out of it have something to do with the mill explosion?
If you like plot-driven books, this is a novel for you. The plot gets moving early and doesn’t let up. The twists kept me awake for most of the night. I couldn’t put the book down until I discovered what the alien wants. I didn’t expect the book to end the way it does, but I was satisfied with the conclusion. It wraps everything up nicely.
Can we have more teen friendships in books, please? I want to read about friend groups. I like the banter and the quirky-yet-flawed characters in this one.
Dislikes: Too many characters. Since the plot moves fast, we only get superficial details about some of them. I think those characters could have been deleted without hurting the story.
A few of the plot events are too stereotypical sci-fi/horror for me. You’ve got your creepy fog, your sinister FBI people, the weird neighbor, some comic-book-style superpowers. I’ve seen all of this stuff a million times before.
The Bottom Line: I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would, but it definitely entertained me and kept me guessing. If you like science fiction, I recommend it.
Do you like opinions, giveaways, and bookish nonsense?
I have a blog for that.
When The Sky Fell on Splendor is a fast-paced story about six teens who became friends after a steel mill explosion. This could be a straightforward novel about grief and friendship, but it’s not. The author puts a creative spin on typical teen book topics. While the teens are filming a video one night, something falls from the sky. Do the bright light and the strange creature who steps out of it have something to do with the mill explosion?
If you like plot-driven books, this is a novel for you. The plot gets moving early and doesn’t let up. The twists kept me awake for most of the night. I couldn’t put the book down until I discovered what the alien wants. I didn’t expect the book to end the way it does, but I was satisfied with the conclusion. It wraps everything up nicely.
Can we have more teen friendships in books, please? I want to read about friend groups. I like the banter and the quirky-yet-flawed characters in this one.
Dislikes: Too many characters. Since the plot moves fast, we only get superficial details about some of them. I think those characters could have been deleted without hurting the story.
A few of the plot events are too stereotypical sci-fi/horror for me. You’ve got your creepy fog, your sinister FBI people, the weird neighbor, some comic-book-style superpowers. I’ve seen all of this stuff a million times before.
The Bottom Line: I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would, but it definitely entertained me and kept me guessing. If you like science fiction, I recommend it.
Do you like opinions, giveaways, and bookish nonsense?
I have a blog for that.