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A review by allisonjpmiller
Lost Stars by Claudia Gray
3.0
More Star Wars! The new canon is coming at us fast and furious lately. Some has been great, much has been average, but very little has been outright bad - which is, I'd like to believe, a testament to the Story Group's collaborative efforts. You can tell a lot of thought has been put into each of these titles, and it's fun to see how each piece fits into the unifying picture LFL is trying to build.
Lost Stars is aimed squarely at a YA audience, which is both a great thing (there's some major crossover appeal here) and a hindrance (Gray's prose doesn't make much of an effort to be more than pedestrian, and I think it could've). What works are the characters and themes. Ciena and Thane are more than just star-crossed lovers. One is an idealist in service to the Empire, and the other's a cynic who doesn't share the Rebellion's hopes for a better world, but joins the fight anyway out of hatred for the Empire. They're both in conflict with their positions as much as in conflict with each other, and their story paints the original trilogy in the shades of gray we always knew were there. The way Gray ties her story into the larger events that define the films - from ANH to ROTJ and beyond - is seamless and impressive.
I just couldn't get over the feeling that much of the book was stuck on rails, and not just because it's designed to tie into existing events. Too many scenes read more like sketches, stating character motivations instead of showing them and reaching unearned conclusions when just a bit more development might've made them click. I understand that the attempt to cover so much ground means skimming through certain details is necessary on some level, but I think it could've been handled better overall. Even though I objectively liked the story, I was never fully drawn into it.
That said, your mileage may vary; the book seems to be finding an enthusiastic audience, which is awesome. Also:.
Lost Stars is aimed squarely at a YA audience, which is both a great thing (there's some major crossover appeal here) and a hindrance (Gray's prose doesn't make much of an effort to be more than pedestrian, and I think it could've). What works are the characters and themes. Ciena and Thane are more than just star-crossed lovers. One is an idealist in service to the Empire, and the other's a cynic who doesn't share the Rebellion's hopes for a better world, but joins the fight anyway out of hatred for the Empire. They're both in conflict with their positions as much as in conflict with each other, and their story paints the original trilogy in the shades of gray we always knew were there. The way Gray ties her story into the larger events that define the films - from ANH to ROTJ and beyond - is seamless and impressive.
I just couldn't get over the feeling that much of the book was stuck on rails, and not just because it's designed to tie into existing events. Too many scenes read more like sketches, stating character motivations instead of showing them and reaching unearned conclusions when just a bit more development might've made them click. I understand that the attempt to cover so much ground means skimming through certain details is necessary on some level, but I think it could've been handled better overall. Even though I objectively liked the story, I was never fully drawn into it.
That said, your mileage may vary; the book seems to be finding an enthusiastic audience, which is awesome. Also: