(Starflight #1)
Publication
Date: February 2, 2016
Hardcover, 362 pages, Disney-Hyperion
Genres:
YA, Sci-Fi
Life in the outer realm is a
lawless, dirty, hard existence, and Solara Brooks is hungry for it. Just out of
the orphanage, she needs a fresh start in a place where nobody cares about the
engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her
knuckles. She's so desperate to reach the realm that she's willing to indenture
herself to Doran Spaulding, the rich and popular quarterback who made her life
miserable all through high school, in exchange for passage aboard the
spaceliner Zenith.
When a twist of fate lands them
instead on the Banshee, a vessel of dubious repute, Doran learns he's been framed on Earth
for conspiracy. As he pursues a set of mysterious coordinates rumored to hold
the key to clearing his name, he and Solara must get past their enmity to work
together and evade those out for their arrest. Life on the Banshee may be tumultuous, but as Solara and Doran
are forced to question everything they once believed about their world—and each
other—the ship becomes home, and the eccentric crew family. But what Solara and
Doran discover on the mysterious Planet X has the power to not only alter their
lives, but the existence of everyone in the universe...
My Review
Good sci-fi adventures are hard to find in today’s
fantasy-ridden YA world; yet, Melissa Landers managed to add another
fast-paced, page-turner to that small corner of the YA category.
Starflight is a fun read that I assume is a lot like the television
show Firefly. (I’ve never watched it.
Yikes.) I’d also compare it to the sci-fi show Dark Matter. Because while there are two main protagonists we
follow in this installment, there is a fun cast of side characters.
Solara is a capable, downtrodden girl with dreams of
starting over as a mechanic in the outer realm, while Doran is a rich jacka$$.
Okay, so he doesn’t stay a rich jacka$$. He actually has some pretty good
character development. They both made some awful decisions, but I very much
enjoyed reading their chaotic journey go down.
As for the plot of the story, it was an action-packed mess.
And I totally mean that in a good way. The mess was an incredibly hilarious
good time for me to read, not so much for the characters to experience. I never
really knew what was going to happen next, and, although it was fast, I never
felt like the storyline was rushed.
While the story was great, I didn’t feel connected enough to
the characters to give this a five-star review. It was just a fun space read
that would be a great addition to any YA sci-fi lover’s shelves.
I am glad you liked this one, Rachelle! I have it sitting on my bookshelf and hope to get to it soonish. It sounds like a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteYep, it's a fun adventure.
Delete