Book Review: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Title: Starcrossed
Author: Josephine Angelini
Series: Starcrossed #1
Pages: 514
Publisher: HarperCollins (US)/MacMillan Children's (UK)
Date of UK Publications: 3rd June 2011
Source: Publisher
Synopsis from Goodreads: Set on the island of Nantucket, STARCROSSED tells the tale of Helen Hamilton, a young woman whose destiny is forever altered when she meets Lucas Delos and tries to kill him in front of her entire high school. Which is terribly inconvenient, not only because Lucas is the most beautiful boy on the island, but also because Helen is so achingly shy she suffers physical pain whenever she is given too much attention.

Making matters worse, Helen is beginning to suspect she’s going crazy. Whenever she’s near Lucas or any member of his family she sees the ghostly apparitions of three women weeping bloody tears, and suffers the burden of an intense and irrational hate. She soon learns that she and Lucas are destined to play the leading roles in a Greek tragedy that the Three Fates insist on repeating over and over again throughout history. Like her namesake, Helen of Troy, she’s destined to start a war by falling in love. But even though Lucas and Helen can see their own star-crossed destiny, they’re still powerfully attracted to each other. Will they give up their personal happiness for the greater good, or risk it all to be together?


My Thoughts:
I've always enjoyed reading Greek mythology, and so when I realised that Starcrossed was based on it, I was so excited to read it. I started it as soon as I got it, and I had it finished not long after. If it wasn't for revision and school (and sleep), I would have read it all in one sitting.

Helen Hamilton has been having trouble fitting in for the whole of her life. She's always known she was different, but it wasn't until the Delos family came along, that she realised what she was, and that she wasn't alone. From the moment she laid eyes on Lucas, she wanted to kill him, as well as realising that he was the most beautiful boy she had ever seen. So when she finds out that they can never be together and are destined to kill each other, can they find a way to be together, or will the ancient rules come into play once again?

I liked Helen. I felt like I could relate to her in the way that she tried to make herself small and unnoticeable, and the way that she got nervous around people. I loved how even when her life was falling apart around her, she still managed to care for her friends and family, and at least *try* and appear normal, even though it didn't always work. It was great how she was always so determined to do her best, and even when she was getting punched and almost knocked out by a certain Delos brother... ;)

I fell in love with Lucas almost right away. Even when Helen wanted to kill him, I could tell that he was going to end up being completely amazing. He was so sweet to Helen, and even though they were always meant to end up together, it was so nice to see them fall in love together, and I loved how he said he would go against his family for her! Isn't that SO cute? xD

The plot was exciting and it grabbed me from the first few pages. There were a couple of things that confused me a little, but to be honest, they were only small things that I could look over at the beginning, which were then later on explained. One thing I did really enjoy about the book, was that it was long. It was 514 pages, which meant that it was well paced and nothing felt as if it had been dragged on for too long, neither did anything feel rushed. I loved how the whole thing was based on Greek mythology too, it makes me want to read the actual myths and stories of the Trojan war, that I realised I actually knew very little about. I love books that make you want to find out more about something, as very little can make me want to do that :)

I loved Starcrossed, and I cannot believe that it is a debut novel, as it definitely does not read like one. It's a well written, well thought out, incredibly readable and totally unputdownable novel, and I need the next one, now!

Thanks to MacMillan for sending me this in exchange for an honest review, and this has in no way affected my opinion of the book.


My Rating:

I give it 5 Feet!

Challenges:
2011 Debut Author Challenge #15
2011 Paranormal YA Reading Challenge #25
2011 100+ Reading Challenge #42