Review: Under Different Stars (Kricket, #1) by Amy A. Bartol

Under Different Stars by Amy A. Bartol

My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Received: NetGalley
Publication Date: December 19th 2013
Publisher: Indie
Point of View: 1st Person & Female
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Urban-Fantasy, Aliens, Romance (I assume – didn’t get that far)

BLURB:

Kricket Hollowell is normally not one to wish upon stars; she believes they’re rarely in her favor. Well versed at dodging caseworkers from Chicago’s foster care system, the past few years on her own have made Kricket an expert at the art of survival and blending in. With her 18th birthday fast approaching, she dreams of the day when she can stop running and find what her heart needs most: a home.

Trey Allairis hates Earth and doubts that anyone from his world can thrive here. What he’s learning of Kricket and her existence away from her true home only confirms his theory. But, when he and Kricket lie together under the stars of Ethar, counting them all may be easier than letting her go.

Kyon Ensin’s secrets number the stars; he knows more about Kricket’s gifts than anyone and plans to possess her because of them. He also knows she’s more valuable than any fire in the night sky. He’ll move the heavens and align them all in order to make her his own.

When everything in their world can be broken, will Kricket rely upon love to save her under different stars?

REVIEW:

DNF’d at 22%

Call me crazy, but I had this perfect resolution to help me stop reading eight books at the same time this year and that was to DNF books no more. Because, see, when reading multiple books, you can easily find yourself losing interest for the first you had started and losing interest most of the time, for me, equals MEH equals DNF.

Needless to say, I failed my most essential bookish goal for 2015. No, let me rephrase that: Under Different Stars made me fail my most essential bookish goal for this year. Dramatic much? Well, it is the truth after all…

Kricket it oh so special. No lies being told, because she 1) is Etharian (super important family), 2) has the detector of lies incorporated in her mind (just like Emma from Once Upon a Time) and 3) has freaking hair that grows instantaneously back after you cut it! Oh and HER HAIR, I didn’t do it justice. Let’s not forget how platinum, gorgeous and unearthly it is on top of having this regeneration ability.

But what I didn’t tell you is that Kricket is one of the most annoying characters I have read in years. I’m usually one to avoid know-it-all, excessively curious and claiming innocence heroines because they just make me want to shut them off with a book thrown at their face. It’s not by portraying a character as such that you will make her/him sound more ‘intelligent’ or ‘interesting.’ Most likely, she/he will irritate the hell out of us, readers. At least, that’s how I feel about them, but I’m generalising, of course. We all love you, Hermione. (Although, Hermione is not one to repetitively claim innocence, of what I remember.)

That being said, not liking a main character is a huge factor in DNFing a book. And so I did and freed myself from my misery consisting of putting up with that girl. But it wasn’t actually just that. I had hopes for a great romance, but Trey gave such contradictory signs. It’s like he was very understanding and cared for Kricket but simultaneously despised her. I mean, boy, decide.

What also didn’t work for me was the writing style. It was too colloquial for the kind of story the author wrote and, because of that, most dialogs felt childish or unserious.

It did start promisingly though. In a fast-paced way and already introducing us to some characters, which is something I like being done to catch the reader’s interest.

But it all fell down, from that point onwards. Down down down. And so I wouldn’t recommend it, especially not if you’re looking for a fantastic science fiction YA read.

XOXO,
LOLA

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