Reviews

Starcrossed - Novel

Quick Summary: A fun young adult fantasy about a thief who finds herself in over her head in a world where magic and political intrigue combine.

Title: Starcrossed

Author: Bunce, Elizabeth C.

Imprint: Arthur A. Levine Books

Date of Publication: 2010

When Digger's partner-in-crime, best friend, and potential lover gets himself killed stealing a handful of letters, Digger finds herself embroiled in a network of lies she can't control. Desperate to escape the law, she befriends a group of young nobles who promise to sneak her out of the city. What seems at first to be a temporary diversion soon turns into much more – her new friends are from families that support the deposed prince over his ruling uncle. More dangerous still, one of the young nobles turns out to have a talent for a forbidden form of magic. Digger must decide where her loyalties lie, as her own interests clash with those of the people to whom she owes so much.

There's a lot to like in this book – a complex world (which seems to have been planned from first principles, with a solar system very different from our own), an intriguing mystery, and extremely likeable characters. Digger in particular is easy to identify with – stubborn and headstrong, but young, alone, and afraid. I also really liked that there's no romance plot line for our heroine. I like a romance as much as the next reader, but it's so terribly common in YA that it was refreshing to see a story focusing on friendships, especially as this tale includes, among others, a well-written, platonic, male-female friendship.

Things I didn't like? There are a lot of names and new terms thrown at the reader at the very beginning of the story that can make for a few confusing chapters. There are a few subplots that are not resolved by the end of the story, though I understand there is a sequel, where I assume those are resolved. And finally, not all the characters get as much attention as they deserve – perhaps the sequel rectifies that problem, as well!