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Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Luxury spaceliner Icarus suddenly plummets from hyperspace into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive – alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a cynical war hero. Both journey across the eerie deserted terrain for help. Everything changes when they uncover the truth.  

Review:
First off, I must say that I am a huge fan of both Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.  I first enjoyed Iluminae (co-written by Jay Kristoff) and (of course) had to look up Amie on the internet.  That is how I discovered the Starbound books, and
the delightful Meagan Spooner.  Soon, I was reading Meagan's book, Hunted, a gritty retelling of Beauty and The Beast.  With a bit of time on my hands (thanks to Thanksgiving break), I have finally started the Starbound series!  I think it's safe to say I'm now in super fan territory!

                
via GIPHY

Setting:
The story begins aboard a gigantic spaceliner where the gap between rich and poor is reminiscent of the movie, Titanic.  In the glittering upper class areas it's a non-stop party.  Everyone is in evening wear, sipping champagne.  Other people on the ship are cramped in tiny cabins they paid a fortune for just for the opportunity to travel to start a new life.   When the spaceship needs to be evacuated, the only people who have access to escape ships are (surprise!) the rich folks.  I like how the authors use the completely fictional setting to show the age old friction between the haves and the have nots.

The planet that Lilac and Tarver land on is very intriguing.  The planet has undergone deliberate "terra-forming", a process where life evolves at an accelerated pace so people can live on it.  As such, much of it is familiar to our characters.  But everything is just a little off.  It was very entertaining to discover, along with the characters, what is up with this mysterious place.

Characters:
There are really only two characters in this book, Lilac and Tarver, so it's a good thing that I found them so compelling!  Each has assumptions about the other, but must rely on each other if they are to survive.  But each has more to them than meets the eye.  Cheesy though it may be, I loved learning all about the hidden depths (and troubles) of these two characters.  Isn't it inevitable that they will fall in love?

Story:
Even with it's science fiction elements, this is essentially a survival story.  I do not believe in revealing spoilers in reviews, but let me say that there were quite a few surprises.  Why does Lilac keep hearing voices when they are clearly the only two people on the planet?  How is it that they find just what they require to survive exactly when they need it?   And what's with the two moons?  So many mysteries to solve!

I also found the love story to be very sweet.  Even though they will have obstacles (if they survive), I really wanted them to be together.  But how will a relationship work between the only child of the wealthiest man in the universe and a soldier from a working-class family?  Given that Lilac's father is so protective, will they even get a chance to see if it will work?  


                                                                    

Rating: 





Release Date:  December 10th, 2013

Genre:  YA Science Fiction

Publisher:  Disney Hyperion

Page Length:  384 Pages

Source:  Public Library

Format:  Hardcover 

Recommendation:  If you are a fan of eerie space stories with a romance that will make you swoon, then this book is for you.  In other words:  I loved it!